Finian's Rainbow (1968)

Senator Billboard Rawkins: [dictating a speech to Buzz] Gentlemen, the festering tides of radicalism are upon us. But before I yield up our glorious South -and her sister commowealth, the U.S. of A - I will lay down my life. I will do more - I will filibuster. Back, you crackpots! Forward, America! Forward to the hallowed principles of our forefathers. Forward to the sweet tranquility of the status quo. Forward... to yesterday!

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Sharon McLonergan: [singing] When a rich man doesn't want to work/ He's a bon vivant/ Yes, he's a bon vivant. But when a poor man doesn't want to work / he's a loafer, he's a lounger he's a lazy good for nothing...
Finian McLonergan: He's a jerk. When a rich man loses on a horse/ isn't he the sport /oh, isn't he the sport / but when a poor man loses on a horse / he's a gambler, he's a spender, he's a lowlife, he's a reason for divorce. When a rich man chases after dames, he's a man about town/ a man about town / but when a poor man chases after dames / he's a bounder, he's a rounder, he's a rotter, and a lotter dirty names.

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Sharon McLonergan: [looking in Finian's bag] It's gold!
Finian McLonergan: Aye, it's a pot of gold.
Sharon McLonergan: And you stole it!
Finian McLonergan: I did not steal it! I only borrowed.
Sharon McLonergan: Who did you borrow it from?
Finian McLonergan: Why do you want to know?
Sharon McLonergan: So we can lend it right back to him, that's why!
Finian McLonergan: That's impossible! He's not mortal.
Sharon McLonergan: You killed him!
Finian McLonergan: Of course not! He never was mortal. He's a leprechaun.
Sharon McLonergan: A leprechaun?
Finian McLonergan: Of course! Who else would have gold in Ireland?

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Because of its satire on racism, this popular 1947 Broadway musical was considered such a hot potato in Hollywood that studios would not touch it unless they were allowed to change the story. Its original creators, E.Y. Harburg, Burton Lane and Fred Saidy, held out and by 1968 it was able to be filmed with very few changes.
Not heard in the film is a soulful rendition of "Necessity," taken from the Burton Lane-E.Y. Harburg 1947 Broadway score and sung by Brenda Arnau with a chorus. Fortunately, this version has been preserved on the soundtrack LP from Warner Bros. Records, and more recently, on the soundtrack CD from Rhino Handmade.
The character "Woody Mahoney" was based loosely on songwriting wanderer Woody Guthrie.
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