Bush Christmas is a 1947 Australian–British comedy film directed by Ralph Smart and starring Chips Rafferty. It was one of the first films from Children's Entertainment Films, later the Children's Film Foundation. Plot 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 (Chips Rafferty), Jim (John Fernside) and Blue (Stan Tolhurst), 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 by the thieves in an old ghost town, but are rescued in time. Cast Chips Rafferty as Long Bill John Fernside as Jim Stan Tolhurst as Blue Helen Grieve as Helen Nick Yardley as Snow Morris Unicomb as John Michael Yardley as Michael Neza Saunders as Neza Pat Penny as father Thelma Grigg as mother Clyde Combo as Old Jack Edmund Allison as policeman Development 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, which had also financed The Overlanders (1946) 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