"Finian's Rainbow" is a musical that never achieves what it should have, given the talents involved.Fred Astaire plays the whimsical Finian, who travels to America in search of the perfect place to put down roots and fulfill his magical calling. Petula Clark plays his long-suffering daughter, following across glaciers and into the Grand Canyon (if you can believe the nonsensical montage during the credits) to a little valley in Kentucky that is populated with simple folk who dance and sing daily.Fred's dancing is, at times, delightful. At other times, it is too derivative of his own earlier performances. Petula Clark is the best thing in the film, with a voice that caresses the Irish dialect and makes each song special. There is some beautiful music in "Finian's Rainbow", notably "Look to the Rainbow" and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?"It is said that Hermes Pan was fired because his choreography was too dated. During some dance sequences the choreography does feel too old.Director Francis Ford Coppola created a film that has some wonderful moments mixed with some mediocre, slow sections. I prefer his very stylish take on the musical form, "One From the Heart", but "Finian's Rainbow" is worth watching, if only to see Fred and Petula.

Who is the real Fred? The stories that he has appeared in show a whole range of peoples and this does have some really nice sides. The stories also often appear to be lower budget than I would expect for his appeal, but in this case the result is still impressive.Nice to discover that it is now on DVD. The differences to the 4x3 UK television version that I saw in the late 1980's mean that I now like it for different reasons and it is now possible to like some bits even more. The opening is more noticeable, the job hunt at the politician's house shines strongly as the commentary pointed out more detail to me.Looking at the IMDb reviews, that is really what I feel a need to comment on.The DVD includes a useful introduction and commentary by the director. How should one interpret this in order to get a fair and okay interpretation? I get the impression that many of the reviews are looking to this background stuff and taking it too literally. Many director commentaries include occasional comments that hint that that the detail should not be interpreted 100% literally and I find that it is best to assume that of most any DVD commentary.Many musicals have an unreality to their storyline. To single this one out for that seems to be to be out of touch with the historic musicals? The director does point out that he would have preferred such as the mentholated tobacco plot, that he added, to be not there but I can actually accept that as an interesting SF angle. Many musicals do worse? Finian's daughter and tobacco Woody as the wrong age. At least they play their roles well.The director appears to have come at this from a love of the music rather than dance. He also appears to be trying to escape from the Broadway musical scene. A USA viewpoint. From England, through the sixties I had been noticing Tommy Steele as a big name for kids stuff and television, leading to kids films. That his performance in the televised Yeoman Of The Guard was a knockout will surprise no one who knows that work. When I saw Finian in the 80's he was a big plus for me. Steele as a Leprechaun, I do not know how Irish kids would have understood that.Mute Susan's dance? Small screen 4x3 it felt okay. Now I find the earliest talk dance parts as difficult to get to like, but not impossible. The director raises the question of choreography, if use of sign language conventions would have helped. I am finding that not looking too closely at those parts helps them to gradually start to feel like acceptable dance.Fred's dance on the boxes, referred to as the big production number. Who is kidding who? The commentary here is part of what makes me consider the director to not be orientated to dance. Except that the actual filming of many parts of this and other stuff in the feature often shows dance well. He might be talking around questions of the best way to film dance that he felt a need to muse on, while not have phrased that question clearly enough yet? The feature did not have a long planning stage.A lot of musicals are overlong, but this often feels okay. A lot of musicals are unreal but this often feels okay. A lot of musicals would likely appear to be theatrical if I knew what details to look for, best not to know what to look for? This feature really does have more good music than I had realised. I just wish that the politics was not so scary, scary from left and from right.

Finians Rainbow came along at a time where critics were telling us that they hated musicals, even masterpieces like "Finians Rainbow". They attacked many a fine musical such as "Sweet Charity", Hello Dolly" and they gleefully lynched Lucy in Mame. These were all great films but it was a cynical age and sadly the world is becoming more cynical. I would not trust a movie critic to mind my kids, let alone review my movies. Finians Rainbow is a brilliant film. Coppola took a much loved stage musical and adapted it beautifully for the big screen. The stagey sets were probably not what Copolla wanted but they work out well and look quite lovely.There is not only gold at the end of the rainbow but gold in the performances. The casting of Fred Astair was a stroke of genius. He is perfect. I saw Bobby Howes do it on stage years ago but I was very young and now all I can imagine is Asatair. He was a little older but can still dance brilliantly. The choreography may not be as energetic as early days but it suits old Finian. He was never a great singer but few Finians ever were. Bobby Howes did it on stage and while he was wonderful he could not sing. It does not matter in the role of Finian. These songs are all classics. Look to the rainbow must be the most wonderful song ever written. AS for How are things in Glocca Morra its impossible to sing without shedding a tear. Old Devil moon is sung by Petula Clark as Sharon and the very handsome Don Francks as Woddy. This must be the sexiest romantic scene ever in a musical. Petula Clark is superb and she sings the great classic numbers a bit differently from the Broadway star, she is captivating. By the way Astair and Clark have totally faultless Irish accents! Brilliant! Tommy Steele is a charmer at any time. I loved him in this and his scene with Clark when they sing the gorgeous Something Sort Of Grandish is just beautiful. Steele is delicious and you fall head over heels in love with him. The dialogue is wonderful with every musical cliché and reference. He hams this great role up to perfection. Don Francks as Woddy was new to me but what a star! The voice is perfect and he has magical presence. The movie is perfect and packs a very powerful anti racist message. Perhaps thats why some people who are too politically correct do not like it. They just don't get it. Perhaps they see their own racist values and it makes them uncomfortable. There is a great performance by Al Freeman Jr and the scene where he serves the bromide in the correct manner to the suffering Sentator is hilarious. He sings just one small section in one song and its a pity he does not have more, its a lovely voice. The whole movie is an Olympic event GOLD, GOLD, GOLD.If you don't shed a tear at the end of the movie as Astair bids farewell.. you do not have a heart. Its a 9/10 from me.

(pardon for my English) If you are an "impossible worlds dreamer", then you'll love at the most Finian's Rainbow. Otherwise you probably hate it. I love it, I think that it is the BEST musical ever, in certain moments full of overwhelming poetry. Do not linger on details. Breath the magic breeze from Glocca Morra, and let the movie fly you to the sky. Finian's Rainbow has a sort of intrinsic and pervasive grace, that turns everything into gold. And remember that music is absolutely outstanding. All characters in the film are in constant motion: Finian's is always searching for his rainbow, Og descends to earth, Senator has his white-black-white trip, Susan grows to love. Maybe the more static is Sharon, that since the beginning can implement "Look to the rainbow" lyrics, finding and confirming her own rainbow in Woody's eyes. But Sharon wonderfully sing, no need for great movements. Anyway, put aside all these comments above. They are too much rational. And Finian's rainbow must be watched by your child's heart. Wonderful !