Splendid Fellows

1934

The Hon. Montmoroncy Ralston (Frank Leighton) is a monocled Englishman of the old school, with valet and plus fours, who sails for Australia after an argument with his father. In a Sydney two-up school, he makes friends with Jim McBride (Frank Bradley), a dinkum grazier, who invites Monty out to his station, where he meets the Reverend Stanhope (Eric Colman), a "flying padre" who uses a plane to tour his parish. Monty persuades his father to buy a new plane and enters it in the Centenary Air Race from London to Melbourne. But as he gets into the racing, Monty hears that Stanhope's old plane has crashed in remote country, and he gives up the race to fly to his rescue.