From the Archives: Three Cheers for the Irish ( 1940 )

 

Priscilla Lane and Dennis Morgan are making eyes at each other while Thomas Mitchell looks on in this scene from "Three Cheers for the Irish" ( 1940 ). You can read our review of this American-Irish themed film here: https://silverscenesblog.blogspot.com/2019/03/three-cheers-for-irish-1940.html

From the Archives is our latest series of posts where we share photos from the Silverbanks Pictures collection. Some of these may have been sold in the past, and others may still be available for purchase at our eBay store : http://stores.ebay.com/Silverbanks-Pictures

Three Cheers for the Irish ( 1940 )

Peter Casey ( Thomas Mitchell ) is proud to have served 25 years with Chicago's police force. He loves his job so much he never gave retirement a thought, but his superiors did,  and, on the day of his 25th anniversary no less, they tell him to collect his pension. Retirement would be bearable for Casey if it were not for knowing that the new cop ( Dennis Morgan ) taking over his beat is a Scotchman! 

"Scotsman! Scotsman! There be no such thing as a Scotchman!"

To make matters worse, this fetching young rookie has his eyes on Casey's darling daughter Maureen "the apple of me eye". 

Warner Brother's Three Cheers for the Irish begins as a pleasant light-hearted variation of Four Daughters but midway through the film shifts its focus to the growing animosity Casey has for his would-be son-in-law and his political pursuit for the office of city alderman ( councilman ). It would have benefited from having the domestic comedy sequences extended and the other two sisters' parts ( played by Virginia Grey and Irene Hervey ) expanded upon, but the picture nevertheless entertains. 

Priscilla Lane is simply peachy as Maureen, and Irish-American Dennis Morgan does a marvelous job of rolling his Rrrrs in a Scottish brogue. He only sings one song in the film but audiences do get to see his winsome bonny smile in many a scene. Alan Hale has a great part as an over-exuberant practical joker and Frank Jenks, Henry Armetta, and that veteran of Irish-themed pictures J.M Kerrigan are also in the cast. But it is Thomas Mitchell's film entirely, and this excellent actor milks the role for all its worth. 

Like Charles Winniger's character in Little Nellie Kelly, Peter Casey is a stubborn Irishman, and it is particularly sad to see that these two fathers were willing to be separated from their daughters rather than bend their pride and admit that they were being pig-headed. 

Richard Macaulay helped write the screenplay along with Jerry Wald. These two men collaborated on over twenty scripts for Warner Brothers during the 1930s and 1940s including Ready, Willing, and Able, The Roaring Twenties, They Drive By Night, Torrid Zone, Million Dollar Baby, Brother Rat, and Flight Angels. 

Million Dollar Baby Found!

After months of searching for the elusive Million Dollar Baby we finally found it! We bought it at an auction along with some other goodies and for a mere two dollars we had the bundle delivered right to our doorstep. With anxious fingers we unwrapped our package and behold...the shiny dvd glimmered with glee at being brought to its new home. ( You didn't really think we found a million dollar baby did you? ) There's such a great thrill in finding a rare film. 

Here's the low-down on the plot and cast : 

Wealthy Cornelia Wheelwright ( May Robson ) discovers from her new lawyer ( Jeffrey Lynn ) that her father's fortune was obtained by swindling his former business partner, Fortune McAllister. Feeling guilty for her ancestor's skulduggery she seeks to make restitution by searching out the only living heir to McAllister, a young woman named Pamela ( Priscilla Lane ), and bestowing upon her the sum of one million dollars. Before handing her the sumly amount though, Miss Wheelwright wants to see what kind of a woman she is, and so she takes a room at the girl's boarding house under an assumed name and comes to know Pamela better, quickly becoming her fairy godmother. 

"Million Dollar Baby" was directed by Curtis Bernhardt and released by Warner Brothers in spring of 1941. Apple Annie May Robson is delightful as crotchety Miss Wheelwright and Priscilla Lane and Jeffrey Lynn are as lovable as can be but its Ronald Reagan's performance as Peter the pianist that really shines in this Cinderella story. He plays the All-American hero once again here as Pamela's boyfriend, a good-clean lad who wouldn't even think about letting his gal support him, even though it would mean giving him the breaks he needs. 

Although "Million Dollar Baby" was entertaining overall and had some witty dialogue the film lacked the good punch it could have had under a more capable director such as Frank Capra. Leonard Spigelgass' story would of been prime material for him in the 1930s as a feature film for a young Jean Arthur. 

The moral of this story is "money can't buy you happiness"...it has a familiar ring to it doesn't it? Unlike the Four Daughters series, Jeffrey Lynn does not come away putting a ring on Priscilla Lane's finger and nobody ends up with a million dollar baby....except us, of course.