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Mildly entertaining romantic comedy with a touch of whimsy, rather too slight to live in the memory but, nevertheless, worthwhile for Cecil Kellaway's delightful Oscar-nominated performance as a mischievous leprechaun.
Newspaperman Tyrone Power is on his way to meet gruff boss Lee J. Cobb (with a bicarbonate-of-soda bottle never far from reach!), who harbors political ambitions and wants to appoint the hero as his 'ghost writer' even if their views on the matter are on a different wavelength! Actually, Cobb's daughter (Jayne Meadows), who's also Power's fiancée is the one pulling the strings; the trouble is that, while passing through Ireland, he falls for inn-keeper's daughter Anne Baxter
not to mention running into 'cobbler' Kellaway by a waterfall (although the residents deny the existence of both man and location!).
Back in the States, Power beckons to the will of Cobb (or rather Meadows); he's even given a plush apartment to live in
but, when calling for a manservant, it's Kellaway who turns up! Besides, a chance encounter actually 'arranged' by the genial leprechaun with Baxter (who has come to America for some private family business) relights his interest, obviously reciprocated, in the girl; consequently, he begins to neglect his work in order to be with her. Eventually, though, Cobb is ready to appoint Power as editor of his old newspaper if he's elected to the Senate himself a position he politely declines; realizing she's beaten, Meadows gives him up and Power and Baxter are free to return to carefree Ireland.
In the last scene, Power now married and living at Baxter's father's tavern is shown following a local custom (which he had himself witnessed the old man perform earlier on) by placing a whiskey bottle outside the tavern door
which is then said to be picked up by a leprechaun (and, just as he had done before, the prancing and giggling Kellaway appears soon after to retrieve it).
score 6/10
Bunuel1976 21 November 2008
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1979040/ |
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21-2-2021 12:05:17