In the Australian countryside, five children are best friends, including a set of siblings, an English war evacuee, and aboriginal Neza. They boast to three strangers, Long Bill, Jim and Blue, about the mare belonging to the father of one of them. The next day the mare has gone. Suspecting the three men of stealing it, the children set off to recover it. They discover the horse thieves and harass them by stealing their food and shoes. They get trapped when the thieves trap them in an old ghost town, but are rescued in time.
Children's Entertainment Films had been set up by Mary Field for the Rank Organisation to make films to be screened to children in cinema clubs throughout England on Saturday mornings. In August 1945 it was announced that Ralph Smart would write and direct Bush Christmas for exhibition in the cinema clubs. Smart was an Englishman who had worked in Australia during the war. He wanted to make a children's film but had been unable to find a suitable story so decided to write one himself. He wrote the script so it had maximum action and minimum dialogue. It was to be the first in a series of children's' films set in the Empire. The film was financed by the Rank organisation, who had also financed The Overlanders in Australia. Smart had worked on that film, which made a star of Chips Rafferty who signed on to star in Bush Christmas. He also assisted in casting. Bush Christmas was originally planned as a serial, but it was then decided to turn it into a feature. Several cast members from The Overlanders appear, including Chips Rafferty, John Fernside and Helen Grieve. Grieve was the first choice for her role. Michael and Nick Yardley were brothers who had worked in radio. Neza Saunders came from a mission station near Rockhampton and was discovered by Chips Rafferty. Morris Unicomb was a veteran of stage and radio.
Shooting
The film was entirely shot on location in March 1946. Filing took place in the Capertee Valley and at Kanangra Tops and Burragarong Valley, in the Blue Mountains. They also did a week's work at Carr Park, Kogarah. Neza Saunders fell off a horse while filming but had recovered within two days. Post production was completed in Sydney by June 1946. Smart left Australia in October, promising to be back in a few months to make more movies; he took four scenarios with him.
Release
Reviews were positive. Rank were so happy with the movie that instead of just playing it in cinema clubs they released it as a support feature for Frieda.
Box office
The film was very popular in Britain and Australia and was seen in 41 countries. Variety said it did "solid biz" in Australia. It was reportedly among the most popular films of the year in Britain in 1947, along with Courtneys of Curzon Street, Great Expectations, Duel in the Sun, Odd Man Out, Jassy, The Upturned Glass, Black Narcissus, Holiday Camp, They Made Me A Fugitive and The Jolson Story. By February 1948 the film had screened on American television.
Spin Offs
It was serialised in children's magazines and a novelisation of the script was published. The film was also adapted for radio with a young John Meillon.
Follow Up
When Smart returned to Australia in January 1947 he announced plans to £150,000 worh of children's films in Australia, including a feature set on a Northern Territory outback station, a serial, and a series of documentary filmss. Yardley signed a contract to appeear in the territory film and also the serial, which was to be about buckjumping. These films did not come to fruition. Smart made Bitter Springs with Raffety. Helen Grieve retired from acting to study science. Child actor Nick Yardley later had his face smashed by a boomerang.
