''My Irish Molly'' is a 1938 British

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...

, directed by

Alex Bryce Alex Bryce (1905–1961) was a British screenwriter, cinematographer and film director. Selected filmography Director * ''Sexton Blake and the Mademoiselle'' (1935) * ''Wedding Group'' (1936) * '' Servants All'' (1936) * '' The Big Noise'' (19 ...

and starring

Binkie Stuart Binkie Stuart (March 11, 1932 – August 4, 2001) was a Scottish film actress. During the 1930s she enjoyed brief fame as a child actress and was considered Britain's answer to Shirley Temple. Early life She was born as Elizabeth Alison Fra ...

, Tom Burke and

Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was a native Irish and naturalized American actress and singer, who became successful in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural ...

shot at

Welwyn Studios Welwyn Studios was a British film studio located at Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire. The facility operated between 1928 and 1950. The studios were first constructed by British Instructional Films, and converted to make s ...

with footage of Ireland. The screenplay concerns a young orphan who runs away from her mean-spirited guardian to live with her aunt. O'Hara appeared in the film under her real name of Maureen FitzSimmons. The film was released in the US in 1940 under the title My Little Molly with scenes of Binkie Stuart removed due to Maureen O'Hara being given top billing due to her American popularity.

Plot

In a rural village in Ireland, Molly Martin, an adorable young moppet has been ordered to live with her Aunt Hannah. Molly prefers to live with her other Aunt, the kind widow Mrs O'Shea, the sister of Hannah. Mrs O'Shea's daughter Eileen is in love with Sonny Gallagher who seeks his fortune in New York City as a taxi driver. An American writer named Bob and his photographer Chuck are guests of the O'Sheas as they write travel stories on Ireland illustrated with Chuck's photographs. When Chuck sends a photograph of Molly to New York she is selected to be the poster girl of an American company named Shamrock. Accompanying Molly is Eileen who seeks to find Sonny who is hiding from her due to his losing his job and being unable to find another one. Sonny returns to Ireland to set things right with Molly, her two Aunts, and Eileen, who has fallen in love with Bob.

Cast

– Molly Martin * Tom Burke – Sonny Gallagher *

Phillip Reed Phillip Reed (born Milton LeRoy; March 25, 1908 – December 7, 1996) was an American actor. He played Steve Wilson in a series of four films (1947–1948) based on the ''Big Town'' radio series. Early years Reed was a star athlete at Eras ...

– Bob *

– Eileen O'Shea *

Maire O'Neill Maire O'Neill (born Mary Agnes Allgood; 11 January 1886 – 2 November 1952) was an Irish actress of stage and film. She holds a place in theatre history as the first actress to interpret the lead character of Pegeen Mike Flaherty in John Mill ...

– Mrs. O'Shea *

C. Denier Warren Charles Denier Warren (29 July 1889 – 27 August 1971) was an Anglo-American actor who appeared extensively on stage and screen from the early 1930s to late 1960s, mostly in Great Britain. Life He was born in Chicago the son of Charles Warren ...

– Chuck * Maureen Moore – Hannah Delaney * Franklin Kelsey – Liam Delaney * Leo McCabe – Corney

Soundtrack

* ''

Danny Boy "Danny Boy" is a ballad, written by English songwriter Frederic Weatherly in 1913, and set to the traditional Irish melody of "Londonderry Air". History In 1910, in Bath, Somerset, the English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly initial ...

'' (traditional) **Sung by Thomas Burke * ''Eileen Allanagh'' (traditional) **Sung by the cast *I'll Be Off to Tipperary in the Morning'' **written by Billy O’Brien and Raymond Wallace **Sung by Thomas Burke * ''Farmyard Frolics'' **written by Christine Makgill **Sung by Binkie Stuart *'' Kathleen Mavourneen'' **written by Frederick Crouch with lyrics by a Mrs. Crawford

References

External links

* 1938 films 1938 musical comedy films Films directed by Alex Bryce British black-and-white films Films set in Ireland British musical comedy films 1930s English-language films 1930s British films {{UK-musical-film-stub