stephen alfieri "Finn's Rainbow, when it debuted in 1947 had a charming score with many memorable songs ("Look to the Rainbow", "How Are Things In Glocca Moora", "Old Devil Moon, If This Isn't Love, etc), and a long, too involved book, that centered around racial intolerance.By 1968, with musicals on their way out of style, and racial issues at their highest in this country, it probably was not the most opportune time to produce "Finian's Rainbow for the screen. And the result is an out of date musical, with out of style music, and a book, that is again too long and goes off on too many tangents.But it does have Fred Astaire in what I think is one of his best roles. Astaire was in his late 60's at the time, but oh, how he could still dance, and be the most charming person on the screen. The movie is worth seeing for his performance alone. But it also has a charming performance by Petula Clark, as his daughter Sharon. Clark may be a little too old for the role, but I think her rendition of "How are things..", is one of the loveliest songs I've heard in film.Tommy Steele is also wonderful as Og the leprechaun who falls in love and turns mortal. The only person who is grossly miscast is Don Francks, as Woody Mahoney, Sharon's love interest. He is at least 15-20 years too old, has absolutely no personality, and no chemistry with Clark and Astaire. Somebody must have owed him big time, in order for him to get this part. He almost ruined the film for me.But in the end, I just waited for Astaire-Clark-Steele to come back on screen. Again, there are a number of large flaws in the film, but to see Fred Astaire dancing his heart out one more time, I'm glad I saw it.

atlasmb "Finian's Rainbow" is a musical that never achieves what it should have, given the talents involved.Fred Astaire plays the whimsical Finian, who travels to America in search of the perfect place to put down roots and fulfill his magical calling. Petula Clark plays his long-suffering daughter, following across glaciers and into the Grand Canyon (if you can believe the nonsensical montage during the credits) to a little valley in Kentucky that is populated with simple folk who dance and sing daily.Fred's dancing is, at times, delightful. At other times, it is too derivative of his own earlier performances. Petula Clark is the best thing in the film, with a voice that caresses the Irish dialect and makes each song special. There is some beautiful music in "Finian's Rainbow", notably "Look to the Rainbow" and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?"It is said that Hermes Pan was fired because his choreography was too dated. During some dance sequences the choreography does feel too old.Director Francis Ford Coppola created a film that has some wonderful moments mixed with some mediocre, slow sections. I prefer his very stylish take on the musical form, "One From the Heart", but "Finian's Rainbow" is worth watching, if only to see Fred and Petula.

bear1955 Too bad about Fred Astaire, in this. Why not have made him Og and gotten someone else for Finian? My take is this well among poorly conceived late-1960s movie musicals. The screenplay is nearly cheerless and un-redeemable because of the integral socioeconomic and racial issues reprised possibly whole, from the late 1940s stage show. Broadway and the West End theatergoers were enthusiastic for the premier runs which both started in 1947. People swooned over the songs. Mentholated-tobacco? Black-face. Heavy-handed stereotyping galore. Irish, southern, and Negro. Tommy Steele being a 'thing'! What were the director (FF Coppola) and producers thinking? Shame about all effort to bring it back as this major movie musical 20-years-plus, later. I've read of several short-run revivals. Read, not heard of. Why ask why.

TheLittleSongbird I love musicals and have done for the longest time. Finian's Rainbow is not among the best of the film musicals, but it is hardly among the worst either. It does have a ridiculous story and some moments of awkward editing. That said, it is definitely worth watching and is for me Francis Ford-Coppola's most underrated film.The editing aside, I like the production values a lot, as the sets and costumes are lovely and there is some good lighting. The score and songs are all wonderful, my least favourite The Begat is still very good, and Old Devil Moon, When the Idle Poor Became the Idle Rich and particularly Look to the Rainbow are timeless.Coppola directs with assurance, the choreography is some of the best I've seen in a while and the script has a lot of funny, witty and heart warming parts. When it comes to favourite scenes, the Rain Dance Ballet, which is lovingly choreographed, and the scene where Al Freeman Jnr applies for the job of butler, which is hilarious, are the most memorable to me.I can't fault the cast either, Fred Astaire can do no wrong in my eyes, Tommy Steele and Al Freeman Jnr steal every scene they're in and I don't think there is another film where Petula Clark is more perfectly cast. In conclusion, flawed but definitely worth the watch. 8/10 Bethany Cox