Robbery Under Arms 1957

In 1865 Australia, the two Marston brothers, bold Dick Ronald Lewis and sensitive Jim David McCallum, are drawn into a life of crime by their ex-convict father Ben Laurence Naismith and his friend, the famous cattle thief Captain Starlight Peter Finch. They help drive stolen cattle across the country to Adelaide, where the herd is sold, with Starlight impersonating an English gentleman claiming to own the rustled herd.

They take their share of the money and head to Melbourne. On board ship, they meet the Morrison sisters: Kate Morrison Maureen Swanson and Jean Morrison Jill Ireland, who are drawn to Dick and Jim respectively. They read that Starlight has been arrested, and return home, where they and their father narrowly escape arrest.

Reunited with Starlight, who has just left prison, they join him and some other men in robbing a coach, in which a trooper is shot and killed. Dick and Jim go to the gold fields to make enough money to escape to America. There, they are reunited with Kate, who is married but still interested in Dick, and with Jean, who has married Jim.

Just as the brothers are about to leave to start a new life, Captain Starlight and his gang (including Ben Marston) arrive to rob the local bank. During the robbery, several people are killed by Starlight’s gang (although not by Starlight), including a mother protecting child. Jim Marston is captured by locals and is about to be lynched, but is rescued by a trooper who comes to arrest him. Dick rescues Jim from the trooper, but is killed in the attempt.

Jim hides out with Starlight and his father, but misses his wife too much and goes back to see her. Starlight and Ben Marston are killed in a shoot out with police. Jim Marston is arrested.