Tonight's the Night (1954)
"Happy Ever After" (original title)

The whole village mourns when General O'Leary, owner of a hunting estate in South Ireland, is killed in an accident. His nephew, Jasper O'Leary, takes over the state and soon has aroused ... See full summary »

Director:

Mario Zampi

Writers:

Jack Davies, Michael Pertwee,

Stars:

David Niven, Yvonne De Carlo, Barry Fitzgerald

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Niven	...	Jasper O'Leary
Yvonne De Carlo	...	Serena McGlusky
Barry Fitzgerald	...	Thady O'Heggarty
George Cole	...	Terence
A.E. Matthews	...	General O'Leary
Noelle Middleton	...	Kathy McGlusky
Robert Urquhart	...	Dr. Michael Flynn
Michael Shepley	...	Major McGlusky
Joseph Tomelty	...	Dooley
Eddie Byrne	...	Lannigan
Jimmy Mageean	...	Divarsion
Patrick McAlinney	...	O'Connor
Brian O'Higgins	...	Milligan
Liam Redmond	...	Regan
Patrick Westwood	...	Murphy

Storyline

The whole village mourns when General O'Leary, owner of a hunting estate in South Ireland, is killed in an accident. His nephew, Jasper O'Leary, takes over the state and soon has aroused the displeasure of all, with the exception of Serena McGluskey, as much a schemer as he is a cad. Led by Thady O'Heggarty, the villagers plot to drive Jasper away. They use the occasion of "O'Leary Night", when the ghost of the first O'Leary walks the halls, to create general chaos.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 December 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tonight's the Night

Filming Locations:

Forty Hall, Forty Hill, Enfield, Middlesex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mario Zampi Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"My Heart Is Irish"
Written by Michael Carr

User Reviews

Froth?...yes. But definitely a worthy watch.

Has to be said that this is a wonderful little farce which pushes all the right buttons. Some great Irish accents and some dodgy 'oirish' accents.

Lots of familiar Irish actors who regularly appeared in British films during the 40's & 50's are on show. Some of the comedy pieces are very funny indeed.

For me though, George Cole as the put-upon, hyper-nervous cellar-boy Terence, whose comedic timing allows him to steal every scene he's in, is the standout amongst a very talented cast. I think Bernard Cribbins must have studied this performance for his 60's comedy film appearances.

The lovely Irish-born actress, Noelle Middleton, makes a rare screen showing. The following year she appeared with David Niven again, in the excellent Carrington V.C, for which she received a BAFTA Best Actress nomination.

A 'slow to start' film that in the end seems to finish too quickly.

All in all, a little gem, so it is!