Top o’ the Morning (1949)

Top o’ the Morning (1949)

„Top o’ the Morning“ is a 1949 Black & White romantic comedy film directed by David Miller from a screenplay by Edmund Beloin and Richard L. Breen.

In a small town near Cork, Ireland, civic guard Sergeant Briany McNaughton alerts his assistant, Hughie Devine, that the famous Blarney Stone has been stolen from the castle. Villager Cormac Gillespie was seen near the castle the night before. Chief Inspector Fallon, from the Irish police force, orders Briany off the case, but Briany wants to solve the crime. New York City Insurance Investigator Joe Mulqueen is assigned to work undercover to find the Blarney Stone. Joe spends his first day in Ireland near Blarney Castle posing as a painter, and is befriended by some boys, who introduce him to Briany’s beautiful daughter Conn McNaughton.

Hughie arrests Joe and brings him to Briany for questioning, and locks Joe up when he refuses to give them any information about why he is there, they release him after he wins them over by singing an Irish ballad. At a party, Biddy O’Devlin confirms that Conn is falling in love with Joe. When Joe returns from the party, he finds Briany and Hughie searching his room, and they learn that Joe is an investigator, and about the insurance company’s $5,000 reward. Although everyone suspects that Cormac is the thief, Fallon tells Joe that the only fingerprints found on the castle wall belong to Hughie. Fallon fires Briany because Joe intimated that he might impede their investigation. Joe and Conn enjoy their first kiss, later Conn throws Joe out because he deceived her about his work.

The next day, Joe investigates the site where Hughie’s cousin died and realizes from tracks in the ground that someone tipped the cart over while it was stationary. Joe insists that Briany be reinstated, and arranges to meet Fallon and Briany that night at Biddy’s cabin in the Killeen woods. Biddy then tells the police that the Stone was stolen to cover up the murder of Hughie’s cousin. Everyone deserts Biddy to chase Cormac when he suddenly appears, but Hughie knocks out the boy sentry, Pearse O’Neill.

Hughie is about to strangle Biddy when Joe and Briany stop him, and he reveals that he murdered his cousin for the money. Hughie is arrested, and before he is taken away, he vows never to reveal where he hid the Stone. Biddy realizes that although Joe did not die, as it says that the singer will be struck down by violence, and the song will not be finished by a man. Pearse revives and everyone wanders away from Biddy’s cabin, taking a path past a 700-year-old chapel. When Briany sits down upon a large stone that moves, Conn marvels that a stone set so long ago would suddenly come loose. Joe realizes that Briany has discovered the Blarney Stone, and Briany is now hailed as a hero.

Soundtrack music:

„Top o’ the Morning“ – Music by Jimmy Van Heusen, Lyrics by Johnny Burke, Sung by Bing Crosby, Reprised by Crosby with Mary Field and by Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald and Ann Blyth
„When Irish Eyes Are Smiling“ – Music by Ernest Ball (1912), Lyrics by Chauncey Olcott and George Graff, sung by Bing Crosby
„Kitty of Coleraine“ (a/k/a „My Beautiful Kitty“) – Traditional Irish, Lyrics by Edward Lysaght, sung by Bing Crosby
„The Leprechaun“ – Traditional Irish tune, Danced in party scene
„The Donovans“ – by Francis Fahy, Walter Kent and Alicia Adélaide Needham, Sung by Barry Fitzgerald, Ann Blyth, Bing Crosby, John Costello and chorus
„You’re in Love with Someone“ – Music by Jimmy Van Heusen, Lyrics by Johnny Burke, Sung by Bing Crosby, and again by Bing Crosby and Ann Blyth
„Oh, ’Tis Sweet to Think“ – Written by Thomas Moore, Sung by Ann Blyth and Bing Crosby
„My Lagen Love“ – Written by Hamilton Harty and Seosamh MacCathmhaoil, Sung by Jimmy Hunt

Cast:

• Bing Crosby – Joe Mulqueen
• Ann Blyth – Conn McNaughton
• Barry Fitzgerald – Sergeant Briany McNaughton
• Hume Cronyn – Hughie Devine
• Eileen Crowe – Biddy O’Devlin
• John McIntire – Inspector Fallon
• Tudor Owen – Cormac Gillespie
• Jimmy Hunt – Pearse O’Neill
• Morgan Farley – Edwin Livesley
• John Eldredge – E. L. Larkin
• John „Skins“ Miller – Dowdler
• John Costello – Village Gossip
• Dick Ryan – Clark O’Ryan
• Bernard Cauley – Boy
• Paul Connelly – Boy
• John O’Brien – Boy
• Gus Taillon – Caretaker
• Mary Field – Maid
• Kasey Rogers – Larkin’s Secretary

„Top o' the Morning“ ist eine romantische Komödie in Schwarz-Weiß aus dem Jahr 1949 unter der Regie von David Miller nach einem Drehbuch von Edmund Beloin und Richard L. Breen.

In einer kleinen Stadt in der Nähe von Cork, Irland, alarmiert der städtische Wachmann Sergeant Briany McNaughton seinen Assistenten Hughie Devine, dass der berühmte Blarney-Stein aus dem Schloss gestohlen worden ist. Der Dorfbewohner Cormac Gillespie wurde in der Nacht zuvor in der Nähe des Schlosses gesehen. Chefinspektor Fallon von der irischen Polizei zieht Briany von dem Fall ab, aber Briany will das Verbrechen aufklären. Der Versicherungsdetektiv Joe Mulqueen aus New York City wird beauftragt, verdeckt nach dem Blarney-Stein zu suchen. Joe verbringt seinen ersten Tag in Irland in der Nähe von Blarney Castle und gibt sich als Maler aus. Er freundet sich mit einigen Jungen an, die ihn mit Brianys schöner Tochter Conn McNaughton bekannt machen.