ROONEY

UK, 1958, 88 minutes, Black and white.
John Gregson, Barry Fitzgerald, Muriel Pavlow, June Thorburn, Noel Purcell, Maire Kean, Liam Redmond, Jack McGowran?, Eddie Byrne.
Directed by George Pollock.

Rooney is a pleasant Irish yarn of the late '50s. A star vehicle for John Gregson, it is also one of the last films for Barry Fitzgerald, who portrays his usual kindly cantankerous old grandfather character. There is a good performance from Maire Kean as the widow who is highly critical but sets her cap at Rooney. Muriel Pavlow is the heroine. In fact, the screenplay is a variation on the Cinderella theme with Rooney as Prince Charming, Muriel Pavlow as Cinderella (the dowdy cousin looking after the family) and Maire Kean as the stepmother.

Rooney works for the local council, collecting garbage - and wants to show that working for the council is as good a job as any. His companions are played genially by Irish character actors including Noel Purcell, Eddie Byrne and Jack McGowan?. There is also a background of Irish feeling for the sport of hurling. The film was directed by George Pollock, who was later to direct the Miss Marple/Margaret Rutherford films.

1. Entertaining Irish yarn? Characters, the Irish, the atmosphere of Dublin?

2. Black and white photography, musical score, the theme song? The authentic atmosphere of the suburbs of Dublin?

3. The Cinderella framework of the story - Rooney as Prince Charming, Maire as Cinderella, Mrs O'Flynn as the stepmother with her daughters? The old grandfather doing the equivalent of the fairy godmother turn in giving the money anonymously to Maire.

4. Rooney and his working for the council, his friends, their talk, bonds between them? At work, their customers and the cantankerous woman? At the bar? Their helping Rooney with his moving? At the hurling match?

5. Rooney and the attraction of the landladies, fending off their advances? Having to move house? The encounter with Doolan, the possibility of playing in the finals? Mrs O'Flynn's address, the interview? Her suspicions, her misinterpreting his job? His moving in, meeting the daughters, meeting Maire, the grandfather? His becoming part of the household? Doreen setting her cap at him? Mrs O'Flynn? The friendship with Maire? Helping grandfather? At work, the gift of the necklace - and later having to get Maire out of jail? His drinking, Mrs O'Flynn's misinterpretation? The final of the match? The love for Maire, the proposal?

6. The grandfather, Barry Fitzgerald's Irish style? Upstairs, the cantankerous family? Love for Maire, her buying him the nip? Friendship with Rooney? Going out and getting the money for Maire? At the party? His death and his will - and the irony of his bequests and not helping Mrs O'Flynn?

7. Maire, her staying in Ireland and not going with her fiance? The poor relation with the family, slaving, the treatment by Mrs O'Flynn and her daughters? Grandfather? The bequest, transformation? Her love for Rooney, the arrest? The finale and the future?

8. Mrs O'Flynn, her Christianity and her hypocrisy, cantankerous? Jealous of her daughters? Treatment of grandfather? Rooney? Her disappointment at the grandfather's will?

9. Doolan, the lawyer, his status? The hurling? Friendship with Rooney?

10. The police, all admiring Rooney? The interviews with Maire?

11. An entertaining comedy - and the particularly Irish flavour?