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Broth of a Boy is a 1959 Irishcomedy film directed by George Pollock and starring Barry Fitzgerald, Harry Brogan and June Thorburn.[2][3] It was written by Blanaid Irvine and Patrick Kirwan and 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 be 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.
Filming took place at Bray Studios in Ireland in August 1958 under the title of The Big Birthday.[4]
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".[5]
TV Guide bemoaned the "bad script, acting, and direction".[6]
Allmovie applauded "a pleasant, easygoing satire of exploitive journalism – a target that is as viable today as it was in 1959."[7]
Leonard Maltin found the film "quietly effective."[8]
レスリー・ハリウェルは「ちょっと面白い地方のコメディ」と言った。[ 9 ]
『British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959』 の中で、デヴィッド・クインランはこの映画を「平均的」と評価し、「フィッツジェラルドによって輝きを与えられた、飲みやすいアイルランド映画」と書いている。[ 10 ]