Three Cheers for the Irish (1940)

Too much of everything

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Another one of those "pleasant diversion" movies – enjoyable while you're watching but you'll soon forget it. It has a top drawer cast with Thomas Mitchell, Priscilla Lane, Dennis Morgan and Alan Hale. Mitchell is a 25-year veteran of the police department who is unexpectedly and to his chagrin, forced into retirement upon reaching the 25-year mark. Mitchell has three daughters one of who, Lane, falls for Mitchell's replacement in the police force, a Scotsman played by Morgan. Mitchell dislikes Scots and has an ongoing feud with Morgan. The best parts of the movie were the early interaction between Mitchell and his daughters and Alan Hale's portrayal of a big blustering Irishman. The worse part was Mitchell forcing a street vendor to give him free fruit – something that visibly and quite rightly annoyed the vendor. It was also odd, given Mitchell's seemingly positive relationship with his daughters to see how depressed he became upon being told that one of the daughters just had a daughter and not a son. The whole business of his unreasonable and mean spirited rejection of Lane for her sin of marrying a Scotsman and his later quick turnaround was expected but not that believable.

Back during the Studio Era of Hollywood, film's like this were cranked out like Ford automobiles. They were filmed on small budgets and in a short time, reaching theaters within weeks of their filming and editing. No pretense, no elaborate sets, no special effects - just good, wholesome entertainment. The best of them feature some terrific ensemble casts, crisp dialog, unpretentious direction, no-frills cinematography and good, clear story-telling. This delightful film is a fine example of that system.I am a big fan of the 3 leads in this movie: Priscilla Lane, Dennis Morgan and Thomas Mitchell. Priscilla Lane, like her contemporary, Jean Arthur, was a very big star who is not as widely known or appreciated today. While Arthur was much more prolific, the body of work that each left behind is very impressive. They were both leading ladies for such giants as Jimmy Stewart and John Garfield, to name two. They were both equally adept at comedy and drama. They both had a girl-next-door appeal that is not in great demand today. Here, Priscilla Lane is lovely and charming, as the object of conflict in this film.Dennis Morgan is similarly obscure to most people today. Paired with Jack Carson in a number of films as a kind of Warner Brothers response to the Hope-Crosby duo, Morgan was also equally adept at drama and comedy. Here he is charming as a Scotsman, with a very convincing Scottish accent. We really root for him in his courtship of Priscilla and in his struggle against Mitchell's prejudice. He and Lane are really good together.I also really like Mitchell (perhaps best remembered as Scarlett O'Hara's father), however, this is not one of his best roles or performances. He is usually better at balancing bluster with comedy. He is sometimes quite poignant. Such poignancy and balance are somewhat lacking in this role. In short, he is not so much a lovable curmudgeon as he is just a curmudgeon.Disowning his loving, devoted daughter simply because she marries a Scotsman seems rather contrary to the strong father-daughter relationship the film has portrayed up to that time. It also seems like a punishment that is way too severe for the "crime."Then the pregnancy and the end arrive too abruptly. We have never seen Mitchell soften in his attitude of total rejection of Lane, until he learns of her pregnancy. He begins to soften, but a little too suddenly and a little too late. In the end, we want to see him become a little more contrite and also accepting of Morgan. We want to know that he realizes that he has been overly harsh and needs to make some gesture of contrition and reconciliation. But his only concession is to finally call Morgan a "Scotsman." His character from beginning to end, is a little too harsh to be as sympathetic as I think he should be. This doesn't ruin the movie, but just keeps it from being completely satisfying. Had Mitchell provided one of his more typical characterizations, I would have rated this movie an 8. A very enjoyable movie nonetheless.

This is a cute and watchable little film from MGM. Considering that it had none of the huge stars like many of its films, it is surprisingly fun and worth seeing--and I almost scored this a 7. Dennis Morgan, Thomas Mitchell and Priscilla Lane are the stars and while I wasn't surprised to hear Mitchell's excellent Irish accent, I was surprised that Morgan did the Scotish accent as well as he did.The story itself is an interesting slice of life about retiring cop Mitchell. He didn't know he was about to lose his job and initially this throws him for a loop, as he loves his job--it is his life. And, he also blames Morgan for this because this young cop actually gets Mitchell's job! What happens next is something I'll leave up to you--I'd hate to spoil the movie. But, the big characters and the whole mood of the film is infectious--just turn off your brain and enjoy!

This film is backed by an excellent cast. Priscilla Lane and Dennis Morgan make a sweet couple. Dennis, (Angus Ferguson), is constantly bothered by Priscilla's father because he is Scottish and took over her father's policeman job when he had to leave the force. Will love conquer? Find out when you watch this fast-paced great film. Very Much recommended!