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THE LUCK OF THE IRISH – Cyril J. Mockridge
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
The husband and wife writing team of Guy and Constance Jones caught the attention of Hollywood studios after Universal successfully adapted their story “Peabody’s Mermaid” for the film Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid, released in August 1948. 20th Century Fox decided to roll the dice and so in July 1947 they purchased the film rights for their second novel “There Was a Little Man” for $50,000, which was adapted into this film, The Luck of the Irish. Fred Kohlmar was placed in charge of production, Henry Koster was tasked with directing, and Philip Dunne would write the screenplay. A fine cast was hired, with Tyrone Power starring as Stephen Fitzgerald, joined by Ann Baxter as Nora, Cecil Kellaway as Horace and Lee J. Cobb as David Augur. The film was made quickly and eventually released just one month later, in September 1948. Read more…
STORMY WEATHER – Cyril J. Mockridge and Alfred Newman
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
In 1942 Wendell Wilkie, the 1940 Republican candidate for president visited 20th Century Fox Studio executives as an advocate for the Black Movement. He successfully obtained a commitment from the studio to “Regard the Negro as an integral part of American Life”. The studio affirmed that commitment in 1943 with the production of its first musical with an all-Black cast. It purchased the story’s film rights from authors Jerry Horwin and Seymour B Robinson, hired H.S. Kraft to write the screenplay, William LeBaron was assigned production, and Andrew L. Stone was tasked with directing. For the cast, Lena Horne would star as Salina Rogers and Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson as Bill Williamson, as well as Cab Calloway and his Cotton Club Orchestra, Fats Waller, The Nichols Brothers, Ada Brown, Dooley Wilson, and Katherine Dunham as themselves. Read more…
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