UK Release date: 16 June 1947 (re-issue; originally released in 1935)
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 15 July 1950
Genre: Adventure
Country: UK
Running time: 92 minutes
Director: Zoltan Korda
Cast: Paul Robeson, Leslie Banks & Nina Mae McKinney
Australian Distributor: London Films
Melbourne Premiere Venue: Hoyts Lyceum theatre for two weeks from 30 June 1950 with Dick Tracy as support.
Suburban Release Type: Hoyts 7-W-1
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 161 | 145 |
| EF PPE | 4.03 | 135 |
| Metres Travelled | 403,016 | 238 |
| Average MT | 10,075 | 199 |
| Engagements | 40 | 229 |
| Slots | 41 | 269 |
| Weeks | 1 | 284 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 2.50% | 304 |
| Saturdays | 15 | 160 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 37.50% | 172 |
| Tuesdays | 24 | 62 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 60.00% | 56 |
| First billed | 36 | 111 |
| Second billed | 4 | 225 |
| Feature only | 0 | 34* |
Hoyts ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 37 |
| Ratio | 92.50% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 0.14% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 3 |
| Ratio | 7.50% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 2.11% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 0 |
| Ratio | 0.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -2.24% |
| Hoyts eng | 29 |
| Ratio | 72.50% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -6.72% |
| Independent eng | 5 |
| Ratio | 12.50% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 1.00% |
| Suburban eng | 6 |
| Ratio | 15.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -7.72% |
Notes: Korda’s colonial excursions may be met with a wince today but do remain well-crafted tales of adventure that could be reissued in 1950 and still retain an audience (The Drum was the other reasonable performer). Considering it was 15 years old and in black and white, Sanders of the River scored a very decent 161 EF points, placing it well within the top half of releases for the year. Take One False Step was its usual supporting partner.
Sanders of the River (RR) engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| St.Kilda | Palais | Suburban | 29/7/50 | 1 | S | 2 | The Forsyth Saga |
| Fitzroy | Regent | Hoyts | 15/7/50 | 1 | S | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Port Melbourne | Eclipse | Hoyts | 15/7/50 | 1 | S | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Richmond | Cinema | Hoyts | 15/7/50 | 1 | S | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Collingwood | Austral | Suburban | 29/7/50 | 1 | T | 2 | The Forsyth Saga |
| Albert Park | Park | Hoyts | 15/7/50 | 1 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| North Fitzroy | Merri | Hoyts | 15/7/50 | 1 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Essendon | Plaza | Hoyts | 22/7/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Prahran | Empress | Hoyts | 22/7/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Lucky Stiff |
| Ascot Vale | Waratah | Hoyts | 22/7/50 | 2 | T | 2 | Take One False Step |
| Brighton | Centre | Hoyts | 22/7/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Elsternwick | Renown | Hoyts | 22/7/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Essendon | Circle | Hoyts | 22/7/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Thornbury | Regent | Hoyts | 22/7/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Brunswick | Alhambra | Hoyts | 29/7/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Adventure in Baltimore |
| Carnegie | Carnegie | Hoyts | 29/7/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Coburg | Town Hall | Hoyts | 29/7/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Adventure in Baltimore |
| Footscray | Barkly | Hoyts | 29/7/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Vote For Huggett |
| Preston | Circle | Hoyts | 29/7/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Balwyn | Time | Hoyts | 29/7/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Bentleigh | Bentleigh | Hoyts | 29/7/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Glenferrie | Palace | Hoyts | 29/7/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Hampton | Southern | Hoyts | 29/7/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Kew | Rialto | Hoyts | 29/7/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| North Fitzroy | Palace | Suburban | 5/8/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Brunswick | Lygon | Hoyts | 5/8/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Camberwell | Broadway | Hoyts | 5/8/50 | 4 | T | 1 | It’s Not Cricket |
| Canterbury | Maling | Hoyts | 5/8/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Ivanhoe | Ivanhoe | Hoyts | 5/8/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Malvern | Victory | Hoyts | 5/8/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Vote For Huggett |
| Williamstown | Shore | Hoyts | 12/8/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Take One False Step |
| Hartwell | Regal | Suburban | 12/8/50 | 5 | T | 1 | Abandoned |
| St.Kilda | Memorial | Hoyts | 12/8/50 | 5 | W | 1 | Girl’s School |
| North Melbourne | Loco | Independent | 19/8/50 | 6 | T | 1 | Goodnight, Sweetheart |
| Elwood | Broadway | Independent | 9/9/50 | 9 | T | 1 | A Kiss in the Dark |
| Box Hill | Regent | Suburban | 9/9/50 | 9 | T | 1 | Noose |
| Malvern East | Verne | Suburban | 16/9/50 | 10 | S | 1 | Homicide |
| North Richmond | Victoria | Independent | 23/9/50 | 11 | T | 2 | Chicago Deadline |
| Reservoir | Plaza | Independent | 23/9/50 | 11 | T | 1 | Adventure in Baltimore |
| Coburg West | Progress | Independent | 11/11/50 | 18 | T | 1 | One Last Fling |
The 1950 Project 