| Broth of a Boy | |
| Director: | George Pollock |
| Producer: | Emmet Dalton Alec C. Snowden |
| Based On: | play The Big Birthday by Hugh Leonard[1] |
| Starring: | Barry Fitzgerald June Thorburn Eddie Golden Godfrey Quigley |
| Music: | Stanley Black |
| Cinematography: | Walter J. Harvey |
| Editing: | Henry Richardson |
| Studio: | Emmett Dalton Productions |
| Runtime: | 77 minutes |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Language: | English |
Broth of a Boy is a 1959 Irish comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring Barry Fitzgerald, Harry Brogan and June Thorburn.[2] 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.
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.
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".[3]
TV Guide bemoaned the "bad script, acting, and direction".[4]
Allmovie applauded "a pleasant, easygoing satire of exploitive journalism – a target that is as viable today as it was in 1959."[5]
Leonard Maltin found the film "quietly effective."[6]
Leslie Halliwell said: "Mildly amusing regional comedy."[7]
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."[8]