He wears a ratty old cardigan instead of tails, a battered felt hat in place of a topper – but one glimpse of those agile feet and you know he’s Fred Astaire. The great entertainer sang and danced his last musical lead in Finian’s Rainbow, director Francis Ford Coppola’s exuberant movie of the 1947 Broadway hit. Astaire plays an Irish rogue who plants a stolen crock of leprechaun gold in the soil near Fort Knox to reap what he thinks will be a rich harvest. In tow are his spirited daughter (Petula Clark), a love-struck leprechaun (Tommy Steele) and a bigoted Southern senator (Keenan Wynn) transformed by misbegotten magic. The treasurable Burton Lane/E.Y. Harburg score includes “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?,” “Look to the Rainbow,” “If This Isn’t Love” and “Old Devil Moon.” Watching it, you’ll be in clover. Four-leaf all the way.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive brought Finian’s Rainbow to Blu-Ray in 2017 with a wonderful 1080p master transfer sourced from a 2K scan of an Interpositive in 2.35:1 which dazzles in high definition. The film showcases some vivid colors within the costumes and settings that leap off the screen with a pleasing vibrancy in line with what you want from a musical. Black levels are deep with firm stability throughout. Highlights are bold without succumbing to any blooming. There are no egregious digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such shortcomings. The restoration has cleared up nearly all dirt and damage for a clear picture. The level of detail and clarity will amaze you with a rich amount of natural film grain intact and resolved without issue. The only momentary downturns are during optical transitions, which are not an issue with the transfer itself. This presentation is a first-rate effort from Warner Archive on all fronts.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a spacious and memorable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that respectfully exhibits the six-track 70mm roots. Dialogue emerges clearly from beginning to end, firmly in the center channel. Music is the lifeblood of the film, and the track executes these elements effortlessly. It distinguishes the vocals from the dance numbers and the accompanying score with ideal clarity. Fidelity never stumbles even when crowds gather to square off against authority. The surround speakers complement the main thrust of the audio journey without pulling focus. Warner Archive has provided a sterling presentation that does not exhibit any signs of age-related wear and tear. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Francis Ford Coppola provides a fun commentary track in which he reflects on the production of the film, changes he would make in retrospect, his favorite moments of the film, memories of working with the performers, and more.

Francis Ford Coppola Introduction: A nearly six-minute archival piece with Coppola in which he introduces the film, discusses his journey with the picture, and much more.

The World Premiere of Finian’s Rainbow: A 26-minute featurette that explores the world premiere of the film in New York.

Trailer (2:58)

Final Thoughts

Finian’s Rainbow is a very unusual tale when viewed within the context of Francis Ford Coppola’s career. The film does not fit neatly into what one might expect from the auteur, but early in his output, he proved he could approximate an old-school Hollywood musical. Fred Astaire is as charming as ever in this late-career role, and Petula Clark surprises within her relative inexperience. There are some dated aspects of the show that we do not love, but it works more than it does not. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fetching A/V presentation and a small array of supplemental features. If you are a fan of musicals, it is worth scoping out. Recommended

Finian’s Rainbow can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.