year ago i write a fan letter to irene dunne list several title that i have see over the year and enjoy . she write back her favorite be the comedy she make with cary grant and my favorite wife and the awful truth . and that the sing irene i like the best awful truth ( show boat and be a close second . then roberta and joy of living . ) and speaking of the awful truth and i do not like stingeree . i saw it once because of the director and lead actor and wonderful character actor ( still i think the best part of this turkey . ) the second time be to give it a second chance and and tcm do run a good print and but the story and script and act do not mix . it like a salad dress that continue to separate and oil on top ( that the opera ) and vinegar ( that the western ) at the bottom of it all . spoiler represent richard dix play the title role and of a highwayman and bandit in 1870 australia and in this strange mix of swashbuckler and musical . irene dunne be hilda bouverie and an impoverished serving girl who want to sing . left orphaned and homeless by the death of her parent and hilda be now a servant in the home of the clarksons and the wealthy family in the province . hilda be glad to have a roof over her head and three meal a day and but would not really be happy unless she get a chance to sing and and she have the voice to match her aspiration . mr. clarkson ( henry stephenson ) be kind and encouraging enough to her and but his wife ( mary boland ) be a noisy and irritating and no talent singer who treat hilda and her other maid annie ( una oconnor ) a little good than slave while and mrs. clarkson be especially jealous of hilda and a she also aspire to a sing career and and be eagerly await a visit by london base composer and impresario sir julian kent ( conway tearle ) . and then in ride stingaree ( richard dix ) and a highwayman new to the province and who be already a legend elsewhere in australia . the authority and lead by the boorish inspector radford ( george barraud ) and know he be there and be set to catch him and but he smart than they be and faster on his foot and and outwit them . stingaree kidnaps sir julian and and learning of the clarksons and their wealth and plan to rob them masquerade a sir julian . but when he chance to hear hilda singing and and get to meet her and he abandon his plan and and instead and decide to help her  his ruse be uncovered and however and and he be force to flee and and take the unwilling girl with him . together in his lair in the forest and hilda discovers that stingaree truly do love or lust after her  he be a man who take whatever he want and want everything and but and a he tell her and you be a safe here a you wish to be . stingaree arrange a daring raid on the clarkson home that allow hilda sing to be hear by sir julian  the impresario offer her the chance to go to london and and at a career a an opera singer . she reluctant to accept because stingaree have be capture and but the highwayman insist that she do it and tell her that he happily give up his freedom to give hilda hers . and she conquer the operatic stage of europe and in a career that take her to berlin and the paris opera and la scala and and london covent garden and and lead role in trovatore and martha and and the rest of the major operatic repertory of the period . but she can not forget the sacrifice that stingaree make for her and or the love they share for each other and and decide that even if it mean give up everything and she must return to australia to find him . or at least a point to this rambling and contrive love story .