Western

Quigley Down Under

- The West was never this far west.

American Matt Quigley answers Australian land baron Elliott Marston's ad for a sharpshooter to kill the dingoes on his property. But when Quigley finds out that Marston's real target is the aborigines, Quigley hits the road. Now, even American expatriate Crazy Cora can't keep Quigley safe in his cat-and-mouse game with the homicidal Marston.

Release Date : 1990-10-17

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Pathé Entertainment

Production Country : United States of AmericaAustralia

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Matthew Quigley

Original Name : Tom Selleck

Gender : Male

Character Name : Crazy Cora

Original Name : Laura San Giacomo

Gender : Female

Character Name : Elliott Marston

Original Name : Alan Rickman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Major Ashley-Pitt

Original Name : Chris Haywood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Grimmelman

Original Name : Ron Haddrick

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dobkin

Original Name : Tony Bonner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Coogan

Original Name : Jerome Ehlers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hobb

Original Name : Conor McDermottroe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brophy

Original Name : Roger Ward

Gender : Male

Character Name : O'Flynn

Original Name : Ben Mendelsohn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kunkurra

Original Name : Steve Dodd

Gender : Male

Character Name : Slattern

Original Name : Karen Davitt

Gender : Female

Character Name : Slattern

Original Name : Kylie Foster

Gender : Female

Character Name : Reilly

Original Name : William Zappa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sergeant Thomas

Original Name : Jonathan Sweet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deserter

Original Name : Michael Carman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tout

Original Name : Jon Ewing

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miller

Original Name : Tim Hughes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mullion

Original Name : David Slingsby

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mitchell

Original Name : Danny Adcock

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cavanagh

Original Name : Maeliosa Stafford

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carver

Original Name : Ollie Hall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Grimmelman

Original Name : Evelyn Krape

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bugler

Original Name : Mark Pennell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ticket Seller

Original Name : Don Bridges

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kajubi

Original Name : Gnarnayarrahe Waitairie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Aborigine

Original Name : Bruce Burrngu Burrngu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Startled Man

Original Name : Fred Welsh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Startled Man

Original Name : Ian Lind

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bushman

Original Name : James Wright

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bushman

Original Name : Bruce Knappett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elderly Woman

Original Name : Joanie Thomas

Gender : Female

Character Name : Elderly Man

Original Name : Vic Gordon

Gender : Male

Character Name : French Canadian

Original Name : David Le Page

Gender : Male

Character Name : Little Bit

Original Name : Cory Tjapaltjarri

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bullocky

Original Name : Allan Bradford

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bullocky

Original Name : Graham Young

Gender : Male

Character Name : Klaus Grimmelman

Original Name : Eamonn Kelly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deserter

Original Name : Greg Stuart

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tribal Elder

Original Name : Billy Stockman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Oliver

Original Name : Brian Ellison

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paddy

Original Name : Mark Minchinton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cliff

Original Name : Guy Norris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Whitey

Original Name : Gerald Egan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hayden

Original Name : Spike Cherrie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Scotty

Original Name : Jim Willoughby

Gender : Male

Character Name : Smythe

Original Name : Danny Baldwin

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Matthew Quigley: Sharps Shooter. Quigley Down Under is directed by Simon Wincer and written by John Hill. It stars Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo and Alan Rickman. Music is by Basil Poledouris and cinematography by David Eggby. Plot sees Selleck as Matthew Quigley, a Wyoming cowboy and sharp shooting rifleman who answers an advertisement to go to Western Australia as a hired sharp shooter. If proving his worth, he's to work for Elliot Marston (Rickman), but when Marston outlines his sick reasons for hiring Quigley, the pair quickly become on a collision course that can only see one of them survive. It was written in the 1970s by John Hill, where it was hoped that Steve McQueen would take on the lead role, but with McQueen falling ill and Clint Eastwood allegedly passed over, the project sat on ice until 1990. In came Selleck and the film finally got made. Just about making back its money at the box office, Wincer's movie deserved far better than that. It's competition in the Western stakes in 1990 were Costner's beautiful and elegiac Dances With Wolves and the Brat Pack bravado of Young Guns II, both vastly different films from each other, and both considerably different from Quigley Down Under. If those two films contributed to the average response to the Selleck picture? I'm not completely sure, but viewing it now one tends to think that the 1990 audience just wasn't ready for such a delightfully old fashioned Oater, one that features a straight and simple narrative to tell its tale. It's safe to say that anyone after deep psychological aspects will not get that here. There's some serious themes in the story, such as the horrid genocide towards Aborigines, while the deft kicks at the British are fair enough even to a British guy such as myself. But in the main this is old time Western fare, where it may be as predictable as a horse doing toilet where it pleases, but it's fun, brisk, gorgeous to look at, and there's never a dull moment within. Wincer (Lonesome Dove) directs with assuredness and the trio of cast leads are great value. Selleck cuts an impressive figure of a tough guy high on principals and with a comedy glint in his eye, Rickman is suitably attired all in black and bang on form for sneering, cocksure, villainy, while Giacomo is pretty and works neatly alongside Selleck as a spunky, lively, sidekick type who carries along some sad emotional baggage. There appears to be quite some division amongst fans and critics as regards Poledouris' (Conan the Barbarian) score. Whilst I agree that it does at time veer close to being too boisterous, it sits well within the type of film the makers are going for. It carries with it a sort of Magnificent Seven flavouring, imbuing the story with a rightful sense of adventure. It also flows freely with Eggby's classical capturing of the Western Australian locations. Eggby (Mad Max/The Man From Snowy River) utilises the scope format on offer to deliver some truly gorgeous back drops, while the brown and yellow hues are most appealing to the eyes. Costuming and sets are spot on for period detail, and Quigley's Sharps Rifle is an absolute beast of a weapon. The simple structure and telegraphed nature of the story stops it from being a true classic of the genre. But it's got so much going for it and is high on rewatchability factor, to make Quigley Down Under (not the best of titles either) essential viewing for fans of old fashioned Westerns. 8.5/10

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-08-22

_**“Maybe the dingo ate your baby”**_ In the late 1870s, a famous sharpshooter from Wyoming (Tom Selleck) travels to Australia for a gig with a land baron in the Outback (Alan Rickman), but things turn sour when he learns what the job really entails. Laura San Giacomo is also on hand as Crazy Cora. “Quigley Down Under” (1990) is a Western taking place in the desert wilderness of Australia. The title suggests that Quigley was meant to be a Western character in the manner of Indiana Jones with sequels of him visiting other continents, such as “Quigley in Africa,” “Quigley in South America” and so on. Unfortunately, its lack of success at the box office put the kibosh on that. It’s not as goofy as some of the Indiana Jones yarns and I appreciated the realistic vibe behind the typical hero shenanigans. For instance, we know personal hygiene wasn’t the best in the late 1800s and, especially, in dry areas of the Old West and most of Australia where washing clothes was infrequent; “Quigley Down Under” shows this reality. Selleck of course makes for a great Western protagonist, likewise Rickman as the odious antagonist. Meanwhile petite Laura San Giacomo is an amusing spitfire. She was 26 during filming. The film runs 1 hour, 59 minutes, and was shot entirely in Australia (Warrnambool & Apollo Bay, Victoria, etc.). GRADE: B/B-