[3] In the 1840s, Captain Michael Fury (Brian Aherne) is an Irish patriot transported to New South Wales for his political involvement.
[4] In June 1938 it was announced that Roach would make a film of the novel Robbery Under Arms, about the bushranger Captain Starlight, starring Brian Aherne and Margaret Sullavan.
[7] In July 1938 it was announced Roach had abandoned plans to make Robbery Under Arms and would instead be filming Captain Midnight with Aherne and Sullavan, directed by John G. Blystone.
Geza Herczig and Jack Jevne were writing a script, reports stating "the title role is a variation of Captain Starlight in the original.
[13] In October, Roach announced that Norman McLeod would direct and Francine Bourdeaux would play the female lead instead of Sullavan.
[15] Joseph Calleia was meant to play Coughy; he dropped out and was replaced by John Carradine who was borrowed from 20th Century Fox.
[16] Australian politician Sir Earle Page visited Hal Roach studios in August 1938 and promised to assist the movie by sending over some koalas and eucalyptus trees.
Well, Juarez turned out to be a highly respected box-office flop while Captain Fury cleaned up and went on playing all over the world for many years with countless television runs.
There's action, gunplay, fast riding, surprise attacks, some broad comedy and a few dashes of romance... Story and direction provide lusty drama concocted in the old style.
Yarn is a familiar western in setup, but switch of locale to the Australian bush country gives the rugged and easily distinguished plot a freshness which will be generally accepted.
"[27] A later review from the same paper criticised Roach's direction saying "he has learned nothing and forgotten nothing since earliest slapstick days" and that "the plot is a cartoon of Captain Blood, the only novelty being that Australia instead of the West Indies is the background.
"[29] Contemporary film reviewer Stephen Vagg has written "The Australian setting is not really emphasised, it's just the usual immigrant settlers and evil land baron that you’d see in the old West.