Australian action star Chips Rafferty heads the cast of The Overlanders. The time is World War II, and we know one thing for sure: Rafferty is no "Hud." When ordered to kill 1000 head of cattle rather than risk losing them to the Japanese, Rafferty herds the beef-on-hoof across the Australian continent. The 2000-mile cattle drive costs dearly in terms of personal losses to Rafferty and his fellow drovers, but in the end their sacrifices are worth it. The Overlanders is based on a true story, and was specifically selected for adaptation to film as a congratulatory morale-booster for postwar Australian audiences. The film was the first non-British film to be produced by Michael Balcon's Ealing Studio.