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Broth of a Boy

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1959 Irish film

Broth of a Boy
Original British quad poster
Directed byGeorge Pollock
Written byBlanaid Irvine
Patrick Kirwan
Based onplay The Big Birthday by Hugh Leonard
Produced byEmmet Dalton
Alec C. Snowden
StarringBarry Fitzgerald
June Thorburn
Eddie Golden
Godfrey Quigley
CinematographyWalter J. Harvey
Edited byHenry Richardson
Music byStanley Black
Production
company		Emmett Dalton Productions
Distributed byBritish Lion Film Corporation (UK)
Release date
  • February 1959 (1959-02) (UK)
Running time77 minutes
CountryIreland
LanguageEnglish

Broth of a Boy is a 1959 Irish comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring Barry Fitzgerald, Harry Brogan and June Thorburn. It was written by Blanaid Irvine and Patrick Kirwan adapted from the 1956 play The Big Birthday by Hugh Leonard.

The film involves the efforts of a British television producer to create a documentary about the birthday of an Irish supercentenarian, but the cantankerous old man is unwilling to cooperate with him.

Plot

Whilst holidaying in Ireland, British TV producer Randall comes across a village celebrating the birthday of the oldest man in the world, Patrick Farrell. Thinking Farrell's 110th birthday would make an ideal subject for a BBC documentary, Randall seeks to persuade him to agree to being filmed. However, Farrell proves difficult, is an old codger, cantankerous and disreputable, and will cooperate only if he can exploit the situation for his own ends.

Cast

Critical reception

The New York Times wrote, "Although the idea bristles with lively possibilities and Mr. Fitzgerald and the Abbey Theatre players who surround him do as much as they can with it, Broth of a Boy only generates mild chuckles and a guffaw or two".

TV Guide bemoaned the "bad script, acting, and direction".

Allmovie applauded "a pleasant, easygoing satire of exploitive journalism – a target that is as viable today as it was in 1959."

Leonard Maltin found the film "quietly effective."

Leslie Halliwell said: "Mildly amusing regional comedy."

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "average", writing: "Palatable dose of Irish, lent sparkle by Fitzgerald."

References

  1. Goble, Alan (1 January 1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110951943 – via Google Books.
  2. "Broth of a Boy (1959)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
  3. "Movie Reviews". The New York Times. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  4. "Broth Of A Boy". Tvguide.com.
  5. "Broth of a Boy (1959) - George Pollock - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.com.
  6. "Broth of a Boy (1959) - Overview". Tcn.com.
  7. Halliwell, Leslie (1989). Halliwell's Film Guide (7th ed.). London: Paladin. p. 149. ISBN 0586088946.
  8. Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 288. ISBN 0-7134-1874-5.

External links

Films directed by George Pollock
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