The Plough and the Stars (film)
The Plough and the Stars | |
---|---|
Directed by | John Ford |
Written by | Dudley Nichols Seán O'Casey |
Produced by | Cliff Reid |
Starring | Barbara Stanwyck Preston Foster |
Cinematography | Joseph H. August |
Edited by | George Hively |
Music by | Roy Webb |
Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 72 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Plough and the Stars is a 1937 American drama film directed by John Ford based on the play of the same name by Seán O'Casey.
Plot
Nora Clitheroe runs a rooming house in Dublin while trying to stay away from the political turmoil raging around her in Revoluntary Ireland. However, try as might, she discovers that her husband Jack has joined a militia of Irish rebels seeking to oust the British from Ireland. Nora fears for Jack's safety and begs him to keep his distance from the revolutionary forces. Jack assures her that he'll step back from their activities, but it's not until it's too late that Nora learns that Jack has done just the opposite -- and has become a commander with the Irish Citizen Army as they plan to occupy the Dublin Post Office as part of the Easter Rising.[2]
Cast
- Barbara Stanwyck as Nora Clitheroe
- Preston Foster as Jack Clitheroe
- Barry Fitzgerald as Fluther Good
- Denis O'Dea as The Young Covey
- F. J. McCormick as Capt. Brennan
- Una O'Connor as Maggie Gogan
- Arthur Shields as Padraig Pearse
- Moroni Olsen as James Connolly
- J. M. Kerrigan as Peter Flynn
- Bonita Granville as Mollser Gogan
- Erin O'Brien-Moore as Rosie Redmond
- Neil Fitzgerald as Lt. Langon
- Robert Homans as Timmy the Barman
- Brandon Hurst as Sgt. Tinley
- Cyril McLaglen as Cpl. Stoddard
- Wesley Barry as Sniper
- D'Arcy Corrigan as Priest
- Mary Gordon as Woman at Barricades
- Doris Lloyd as Woman at Barricades
Production
Casting
Director John Ford wished to reuse the entire cast of the original play for the film; however, RKO insisted upon two stars for the leading roles to make the production more appealing at the box office, hence the inclusion of Barbara Stanwyck and Preston Foster in the almost all-Irish cast. [3]
Filming
John Ford had several bitter disputes with RKO Pictures while making The Plough and the Stars, leading RKO to re-shoot many scenes with a different director in an effort to tone down the film's politics. Ford disowned the finished product, complaining RKO "completely ruined the damned thing."[4]
See also
- The Informer (1935 film), a film also directed by John Ford set in Revolutionary Ireland
References
- ^ "The Plough and the Stars: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ^ "The Plough and the Stars (1936)". Retrieved January 25, 2019 – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
- ^ "The Plough and the Stars - The Cinematheque". www.thecinematheque.ca. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ "The Plough and the Stars". Retrieved January 25, 2019.
External links
- 1937 films
- 1937 drama films
- American black-and-white films
- American drama films
- American films based on plays
- American films
- English-language films
- Films based on works by Seán O'Casey
- Films directed by John Ford
- Films produced by Cliff Reid
- Films set in Ireland
- Irish War of Independence films
- Films with screenplays by Dudley Nichols