Irish and Proud of It is a 1936 comedy film directed and co-written by Donovan Pedelty and starring Richard Hayward, Dinah Sheridan, in her film debut, and Liam Gaffney produced in the Irish Free State period.BFI.org In the film, a popular London-based Irish singer announces one evening how much he would love to go home to his home village in rural Ireland. For a prank, some of his friends take him up on this offer. He is kidnapped and deposited on a wild moor. He returns to the village of his youth, slightly disorientated, and battles an American gangster who has taken control of the settlement.
It was made at Wembley Studios as a quota quickie for release by the British subsidiary of Paramount Pictures.Chibnall p.289
Cast Richard Hayward as Donogh O'Connor Dinah Sheridan as Moira Flaherty Gwenllian Gill as Mary Johnson George Pembroke as Mike Finnegan Liam Gaffney as Sean Casey Herbert Thorpe as Benito Colombo Jimmy Mageean as Old Flaherty
Critical reception Lionel Collier, for the British magazine, Picturegoer, described the film as, "unpretentious and workmanlike … enlivened by songs" and commented that the "Irish settings give charm to this slowly developed plot." He offered positive comments to the performances of the two lead players and wrote, "Richard Hayward is not excessively virile as O’Connor, but he acts well and sings excellently. Much of the picture’s success relies on his performance. Dinah Sheridan makes her screen debut in this film, and her work shows promise; she has the advantage too, of good looks which photograph well."
References
Bibliography Chibnall, Steve. Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film. British Film Institute, 2007. Low, Rachael. Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985. Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927-1939. British Film Institute, 1986.
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