Finian's Rainbow (1968)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers:

E.Y. Harburg (book) and
Fred Saidy (book) ...

Release Date:

9 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

Let yourself glow

Plot:

A mysterious Irishman, Finian, and his beautiful daughter Sharon, arrive one day in Rainbow Valley,...

Plot Keywords:

Gold | Leprechaun | Senator | Tobacco | Wish

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Fred Astaire	...	Finian McLonergan
Petula Clark	...	Sharon McLonergan
Tommy Steele	...	'Og' the Leprechaun
Don Francks	...	Woody Mahoney
Keenan Wynn	...	Senator Billboard Rawkins
Barbara Hancock	...	Susan the Silent
Al Freeman Jr.	...	Howard
Ronald Colby	...	Buzz Collins
Dolph Sweet	...	Sheriff
Wright King	...	District Attorney
Louil Silas	...	Henry

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Australia:G | Canada:PG (video rating) | UK:U | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:G | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Warner Brothers/Seven Arts

Trivia:

Petula Clark, who had many hit records in French and English, does her own singing in the French-dubbed version of this film. The French audio track is included on the DVD.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sharon has finished washing her father's shirt, the front of her dress is wet, but when she meets Og the Leprechaun in the well, her dress is dry.

Quotes:

Buzz Collins: Well, you'll like working here, Boy. I've hired all the senator's butlers for the past ten years. Hundreds of them. He's a little intolerant at times, but that's just his blood pressure. Now, let's see you serve that julep.
[Howard serves it]
Buzz Collins: Oh, no. Rawkins won't like that, that's no way to serve a julep. It's too fast. Get some shuffle into it. You've seen some of the new movies like 'Birth of a Nation' and 'Gone With the Wind,' haven't you? Here, like this, George.
Howard: Howard.
Buzz Collins: Yeah, okay, Jackson.
[He does a splay-legged shuffle and imitates Rochester]
Buzz Collins: Yo' julep suh, Massa Rawkins, suh, all frossy an' minty, yawk! Yawk! Yawk! You see, George?
Howard: Uh... why do I have to shuffle?
Buzz Collins: Oh, I don't have to explain that to you. It makes for kindly feelings between employer and employee. Now try it again, only not so fast this time.
Howard: Uh... how did you do that again?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Monty Python's Flying Circus: It's a Living (#2.6)" (1970)

Soundtrack:

Look To The Rainbow

One of the most superb musicals of all time!

As in most musicals with inane stories, this one is no exception. However, if you can get past the plot, sit back and thoroughly enjoy what I pick as the most wonderful singing and dancing put on film! This movie, adapted from a Broadway play of the same name, contains several of my most favorite tunes performed by a wonderful cast. Many times each year, I put on my tape, and escape.