Broth of a Boy
| Broth of a Boy | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Original British quad poster | |
| Directed by | George Pollock |
| Written by | Blanaid Irvine Patrick Kirwan |
| Based on | play The Big Birthday by Hugh Leonard[1] |
| Produced by | Emmet Dalton Alec C. Snowden |
| Starring | Barry Fitzgerald June Thorburn Eddie Golden Godfrey Quigley |
| Cinematography | Walter J. Harvey |
| Edited by | Henry Richardson |
| Music by | Stanley Black |
Production company | Emmett Dalton Productions |
| Distributed by | British Lion Film Corporation (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 77 minutes |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
Broth of a Boy is a 1959 Irish comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring Barry Fitzgerald, Harry Brogan and June Thorburn.[2] It is an adaptation of the 1956 play The Big Birthday by Hugh Leonard.
The film involves the efforts of a British television producer to create a documentary about the birthday of an Irish supercentenarian, but the cantankerous old man is unwilling to cooperate with him.
Plot[edit]
Whilst holidaying in Ireland, British TV producer Randall (Tony Wright) comes across a village celebrating the birthday of the oldest man in the world, Patrick Farrell (Barry Fitzgerald). Thinking Farrell's 110th birthday would make an ideal subject for a BBC documentary, Randall seeks to persuade him to agree to being filmed. However, Farrell proves difficult, is an old codger, cantankerous and disreputable, and will cooperate only if he can exploit the situation for his own ends.
Cast[edit]
- Barry Fitzgerald ... Patrick Farrell
- Harry Brogan ... Willie
- Tony Wright ... Randall
- June Thorburn ... Silin Lehane
- Eddie Golden ... Martin Lehane
- Maire Keane ... Molly Lehane
- Godfrey Quigley ... Desmond Phillips
- Bart Bastable ... Clooney
- Dermot Kelly ... Tim
- Cecil Barror ... O'Shaughnessy
- Josephine Fitzgerald ... Mrs. O'Shaughnessy
- Philip O'Flynn ... Father Carey
- Dennis Brennan ... Bolger
- Bill Foley ... Connolly
- Annie D'Alton ... Miss O'Toole
- T. P. McKenna ... Minor role
- Paul Farrell ... Barman
- Christopher Casson ... Judge
Critical reception[edit]
The New York Times wrote, "Although the idea bristles with lively possibilities and Mr. Fitzgerald and the Abbey Theatre players who surround him do as much as they can with it, "Broth of a Boy" only generates mild chuckles and a guffaw or two";[3] and TV Guide bemoaned the "Bad script, acting, and direction";[4] whereas Allmovie applauded "a pleasant, easygoing satire of exploitive journalism--a target that is as viable today as it was in 1959";[5] and Leonard Maltin also found the film "quietly effective."[6]
References[edit]
- ^ Goble, Alan (1 January 1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110951943 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Broth of a Boy (1959)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
- ^ "Movie Reviews". The New York Times. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
- ^ "Broth Of A Boy". Tvguide.com.
- ^ "Broth of a Boy (1959) - George Pollock - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.com.
- ^ "Broth of a Boy (1959) - Overview". Tcn.com.
External links[edit]
 | This article related to an Irish film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This film article about a 1950s comedy film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1959 films
- 1959 comedy films
- Irish comedy films
- 1950s English-language films
- Films directed by George Pollock
- Films with screenplays by Patrick Kirwan
- Irish films based on plays
- Films set in Ireland
- Films about birthdays
- Films about old age
- Films about television people
- Films scored by Stanley Black
- Irish film stubs
- 1950s comedy film stubs