On Our Selection (1932 film)

Cinesound Productions
Company type	Film production company
Industry	Film production
Founded	1931
Founder	Stuart Doyle
Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
Products	Films

On Our Selection (known in the UK as Down On the Farm) is a 1932 Australian comedic film inspired by the Dad and Dave tales authored by Steele Rudd. The screenplay, co-developed by Bert Bailey—who also co-wrote the original successful 1912 stage adaptation with Edmund Duggan—and director Ken G. Hall, features Bailey reprising his theatrical role as Dad Rudd.

Produced under the banner of Cinesound Productions with a budget ranging between £6,000 and £8,000, this film emerged as one of Australia's highest-grossing productions, earning £60,000 domestically by 1953 and an additional £2,000 in the United Kingdom.

Plot

Set against the backdrop of the Australian outback, the narrative centers on a rural "selection" property in South West Queensland managed by Dad Rudd. Financially indebted to his affluent neighbor, old Carey, who schemes to bankrupt him, Dad faces mounting pressure. His well-educated daughter Kate finds herself caught between two suitors: Sandy, a devoted yet impoverished man, and Jim Carey, the malicious son of old Carey. Alongside these romantic tensions, the story explores workplace relationships on the farm, family interactions, and Dad’s political campaign against Carey for a parliamentary seat. The plot thickens into a murder mystery when Jim Carey attempts to blackmail Kate; Sandy intervenes but Carey is later found dead. Suspicion initially falls on Sandy until Cranky Jack admits to killing Carey over a personal vendetta. The film closes with Dad and Mum peacefully observing a sunrise.

Cast

Bert Bailey portraying Dad Rudd
Fred MacDonald as Dave Rudd
Alfreda Bevan in the role of Mum Rudd
Molly Raynor playing Kate Rudd
Dick Fair as Sandy Graham
John Warwick in the role of Jim Carey
Len Budrick as Old Carey
Bobbie Beaumont portraying Sarah Rudd
Ossie Wenban as Joe Rudd
Fred Kerry playing Cranky Jack
Fred Browne as Billy Bearup

Production

This project marked Cinesound Productions’ inaugural full-length feature film. Director Ken G. Hall initially hesitated due to the story’s traditional style; however, Stuart Doyle was confident that adapting this well-known play would prove commercially viable.

The majority of actors returned from the stage production. Hall requested that Bert Bailey grow an authentic beard for realism—Bailey maintained it permanently thereafter. His compensation included £400 plus 60% of the film’s profits.

Filming took place during mid-1931 inside a temporary studio set up at an ice rink in Bondi Junction, supplemented by location shoots in Castlereagh and Penrith. A pivotal element contributing to the film’s success was a sound recording apparatus invented by Tasmanian engineer Arthur Smith, which eliminated reliance on expensive imported Hollywood technology. Costing £2,000, this innovation was indispensable; Hall credited Smith’s invention as crucial to Cinesound’s survival.

The cinematographer Walter Sully, primarily experienced in newsreel work, contributed to this sole feature for Cinesound before transitioning to competitor Fox Movietone.

Reception

On Our Selection achieved significant box office success, ranking among Australia’s top four films in 1932 and grossing £46,000 across Australia and New Zealand by late 1933. By 1934, its estimated profit reached £23,200, with Bert Bailey receiving approximately £14,000—establishing a record for Australian cinema earnings. The film enjoyed repeated re-releases over twenty years, eventually amassing around £60,000 by 1953. Profits were split evenly between Cinesound Productions and the theatrical partnership of Bailey and James Grant. Notably, approximately 70% of revenue originated from rural regions.

Universal secured UK distribution rights for £1,000 and renamed it Down on the Farm to resonate better with British audiences unfamiliar with the term "selection." Despite securing 500 nationwide bookings in Britain, critical response was largely unfavorable, with some reviewers criticizing its comedic elements as excessively exaggerated caricatures.

Legacy

This movie marked the beginning of Hall's career as a director and led to the creation of three follow-up films, starting with Grandad Rudd in 1935. While Bert Bailey and Fred MacDonald continued portraying Dad and Dave, the remaining cast members changed throughout the series.

External links

On Our Selection on Australian Screen Online
On Our Selection at Oz Movies
Film review in Variety
On Our Selection by Steele Rudd available at Project Gutenberg