A logical, sane man would cover a Film from the Leprechaun Film Series today.
When have I ever been that?
Instead, let me talk about a different Leprechaun movie- Finian's Rainbow!
This 1968 Musical was adapted from the 1947 Musical Play of the same name. It is Irish and features a Leprechaun as key to its Plot.
It was also Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
No, really.
The Film brought back Fred Astaire to the limelight (his first dancing on Film since 1957) and its Themes of Racial Integration were sadly still topical 20 years later.
The Play has been revived at various times over the Years, as recently as 2009 and 2017.
To see if the Film (last released on Blu-Ray in 2017) hold up today, read on...
Finian and Sharon (Father and Daughter) travel from Ireland to America...on foot.
The Credits play over shots of them at various landmarks, though you could mistake shots like this for ones from
The Lord of the Rings.
They end up in a place called Rainbow Valley in the Deep South.
The residents are trying to keep their land, but Senator Dawkins is trying to buy it all up for various reasons.
Oh, and this lady can only communicate via dance. Welcome to a Musical.
Sarah falls for a guy named Woody, who is a wandering musician/sharecropper who has returned with talks of great money and success.
He brought none of that.
Finian brought a Pot of Gold he took from a Leprechaun with him as part of his dream.
He buries it in the ground, believing that planting it near Fort Knox will make it multiply.
 |
| Did this shot inspire Pulp Fiction? |
Said Leprechaun then appears OG (pronounced as OG and not O-G) wants it back.
The longer he doesn't have his gold, he loses his powers and becomes more mortal (shown by him growing taller).
As the Senator tries to take the land, he amends a law that makes it illegal for the white and black residents to intermingle.
Sarah says that she 'wishes that the Senator was black' while standing on the Pot of Gold, making the wish come true.
In his absence, she's now thought to be a Witch.
OG is still looking for his gold as things get worse for everyone in Town.
Elsewhere, the Senator learns a lesson, but is still Black.
OG, who was in love with Sharon (as he's more human) falls for Susan the Silent (the dancing girl) and accidentally wishes for her to be able to speak.
Now he's in love!
OG has to make a big choice- use the third wish to restore the Senator to save Sharon OR take the gold and become a Leprechaun again.
He obviously chooses the former, saving the day.
Also, a B-Plot involving the residents creating Menthol Cigarettes is also resolved. Yea.
Finian leaves to 'find his rainbow.'
The End.
A fun Film, but do know that this is absolutely a full-on Musical.
Lots of songs. Lots of dancing.
If you don't like those things, this one won't do it for you.
For those who into that, the Film is definitely for you, from Petula Clark's vocals to the score to Astaire's dancing.
As a Play turned Film, it has a surreal look with technicolor and being mostly shot on a Sound Stage.
I will say that some of the stuff has not aged well.
Mostly it is the fact that the Senator being turned Black was done the way you think it was.
It's not something I'll defend- I will just stop short of attacking it.
Having said all of that, the Film is still pretty fun and it apparently inspired the Cohen Brothers, so I'm not mad.
Did it also inspire later Werewolf Films too?
A Film that is fun, as long as you can enjoy/endure all of the song & dance. Slainte, everyone!
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