Finian's Rainbow
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Although a major success, and despite its recognizable score, the musical has not retained its popularity due to its seriously outdated view of the racial situation in the American South.
John Hubley was given an offer to make an animated version of Finian's Rainbow, starring the voice talents of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, but he was blacklisted at the time and was forced to turn it down.
A 1968 film version directed by Francis Ford Coppola starred Fred Astaire as McLonergan, Petula Clark as Sharon, and Tommy Steele as Og. Released at a time when the popularity of movie musicals was on the wane, it was dismissed as inconsequential by most critics, who found Astaire's obviously frail and aged appearance shocking and Steele's manic performance annoying. Highly praised by all was Clark in her American film debut, for which she was nominated a Best Actress Golden Globe Award.
The original soundtrack was finally issued on CD in a limited, numbered edition in 2004. The film was released in DVD format on March 15, 2005.
Well-known songs from the musical include "Look to the Rainbow," "Old Devil Moon," and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?"