The Luck of the Irish (1948)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers:

Philip Dunne (writer)
Constance Jones (novel)

Release Date:

15 September 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Choosing good is the real pot of gold!

Plot:

Following American reporter Stephen Fitzgerald from Ireland to New York, a grateful leprechaun acts as the newsman's servant and conscience.

Plot Keywords:

Leprechaun | Ireland | Political Campaign | Resignation | Irish Stew

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Stephen Fitzgerald
Anne Baxter	...	Nora
Cecil Kellaway	...	Horace (A Leprechaun)
Lee J. Cobb	...	David C. Augur
James Todd	...	Bill Clark
Jayne Meadows	...	Frances Augur
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Tatie
Phil Brown	...	Tom Higginbotham
Charles Irwin	...	Cornelius

Also Known As:

Leave It to the Irish (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (green tinted) (partly) | Black and White (partly)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Jayne Meadows found herself on the set of another Tyrone Power film when she accompanied her husband, screenwriter 'Milton Krim', to Italy for the filming of Prince of Foxes (1949).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Horace is jumping over the sofa in the scene where Stephen is chasing him, the stuntman's wig clearly falls halfway off his head.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Stephen Fitzgerald: This can't be right. Let me see that map.

Soundtrack:

Garryowen

A Very Charming Film

The Luck of the Irish is a humorous, adorable film. The casting was excellent. Tyrone Power is perfect for the role of a writer struggling between seeking wealth and staying true to himself, and Anne Baxter, as always, is a delight to see. Most actresses have difficulty doing an Irish accent believably, but Anne Baxter pulls it off quite well and is not only beautiful, but endearing as well. A good lesson can be learned from this film and there are several good quotations in it. The end is satisfying and leaves the viewer feeling happy and perhaps a little whimsical. The only pity is that this film could not have been shot in color. Can't you just imagine how gorgeous that waterfall would have been in "Glorious Technicolor?"