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:

One early attempt to film the musical was as an animated feature to be directed by John Hubley. It was during development of this unfinished project that Hubley first collaborated with future wife Faith Hubley (then Faith Elliot). The soundtrack for the animated film was already completed and the entire film had been storyboarded. The voice talents included Frank Sinatra (as Woody), Barry Fitzgerald (Finian), Jim Backus (Senator Rawkins), Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and from the original Broadway cast Ella Logan (Sharon) and David Wayne (Og). The project died when Hubley refused to "name names" when he testified before The House Un-American Activities Committee. Hubley was blacklisted and Chemical Bank, which was providing the financing, withdrew funding for the proposed film. Artwork done for the movie appears in the PBS documentary "Independent Spirits - The Faith and John Hubley Story" and the Sinatra prerecordings are available on the CD Box-set "Sinatra in Hollywood 1940-1964."

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Finian goes into the woods to bury the crock of gold, there is a shot looking down on him while he is digging the hole. It shows quite a lot of dirt between the pile of dirt he has heaped up and the hole, enough to cover up the grass immediately around the hole on that side. But in the shot right after he places the crock in the ground, there is no dirt on the grass around the hole.

Quotes:

Finian McLonergan: How are things in Glocca Morra?
Og: Oh, alas, alack, and willy-wally! I weep for Ireland.
Finian McLonergan: Why, what's happened?
Og: A blight has fallen over Ireland!
Finian McLonergan: The British are back?
Og: Never have I seen such a curse befall a folk in all me four hundrend and fifty... nine years! Poor Ireland!
Finian McLonergan: Poor Ireland!
Og: Suffering Ireland! The native land!
Finian McLonergan: Me native land! A fine lot of faery folk you are! You and your associates letting all this happen! Why don't you wish it away?
Og: We've lost the power!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Old Devil Moon

Not Fred's best, but, oh, so watchable.

This was Fred Astaire's last full-blown musical movie ("That's Entertainment II" is not counted). The original play, written back in the 1930's, dealt more with the organization of a union by a bunch of poor sharecroppers. But by the time this movie was finally set to be made, unions were no longer the "hot topic", thus the racism angle was embellished. Plot aside, which isn't difficult, the basis of the story is that Finian McGlonnagen (Fred Astaire) has stolen a pot of gold from Og the leprechaun (played to perfection by Tommy Steele) and has plans to bury it near Fort Knox, thinking that the "magical properties" in the ground there will make more gold for him. Not exactly Pulitzer stuff here, but an enjoyable movie. A great vehicle for Keenan Wynn, showing why he was the best character actor of his day, and Tommy Steele, who disappeared from American movie screens far too soon. Great music; Good movie.