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No smiles or luck of the Irish for Colleen Moore with this monumental flop.
Motion Picture News, June 1929
Date of Release: July 23, 1929
Studio: First National
Director: William A. Seiter
Screenplay: Tom J. Geraghty
Composers: Ray Perkins, Herman Ruby, Norman Spencer
Choreography: Larry Ceballos, Walter Wills, Carl McBride
Leading Actors: Colleen Moore (Kathleen O'Connor), James Hall (Rory O'More), Robert Homans (Shamus O'Connor), Claude Gillingwater (Michael O'Connor), Tom O'Brien ("Black Barney" O'Toole), Robert E. O'Connor (Sir Timothy Tyrone), Aggie Herring (Grandmother O'More), Betty Francisco (Frankie West), Julianne Johnston (Goldie De Vere), Edward Earle (George Prescott), Fred Kelsey (County fair manager), Barney Gilmore (His assistant), Charles McHugh (His assistant), Madame Bosocki (Fortune-teller), George Hayes (Taxi driver), Anne Schaefer (Landlady), John Beck (Sir Timothy's butler), Oscar Apfel (Max North), Otto Lederer (Izzy Levi), William Strauss (Moe Levi), Dave Thursby (Scotch barker), Dan Crimmins (The Trouble-maker)
Studio: First National
Director: William A. Seiter
Screenplay: Tom J. Geraghty
Composers: Ray Perkins, Herman Ruby, Norman Spencer
Choreography: Larry Ceballos, Walter Wills, Carl McBride
Leading Actors: Colleen Moore (Kathleen O'Connor), James Hall (Rory O'More), Robert Homans (Shamus O'Connor), Claude Gillingwater (Michael O'Connor), Tom O'Brien ("Black Barney" O'Toole), Robert E. O'Connor (Sir Timothy Tyrone), Aggie Herring (Grandmother O'More), Betty Francisco (Frankie West), Julianne Johnston (Goldie De Vere), Edward Earle (George Prescott), Fred Kelsey (County fair manager), Barney Gilmore (His assistant), Charles McHugh (His assistant), Madame Bosocki (Fortune-teller), George Hayes (Taxi driver), Anne Schaefer (Landlady), John Beck (Sir Timothy's butler), Oscar Apfel (Max North), Otto Lederer (Izzy Levi), William Strauss (Moe Levi), Dave Thursby (Scotch barker), Dan Crimmins (The Trouble-maker)
Motion Picture News (July 1929)
Smiling Irish Eyes was the first talkie of silent film star Colleen Moore. Heralded as one of the first screen flapper girls, and an early wearer of the bob haircut, Moore was an immensely popular silent film star noted for her versatility. She had started acting in film at just age 15, and appeared in over fifty silent films. There was much excitement for Moore’s first talkie and all the advertising featured images of Moore inviting the audience to come and see, and hear, her speaking and singing.
Apart from the usual print advertisements, various publicity stunts were employed to promote the film. As reported in Motion Picture News (Oct 19, 1929), the Broadway Theatre in Springfield, Massachusetts, created a “ballyhoo” with a “one hundred year old Irish jaunting car with mule” that toured the streets for four days carrying two people in traditional Irish costumes accompanied by a live pig. Meanwhile, the Algoma Theatre in Sualte St. Marie, Ontario, offered free tickets to any girl named Colleen.
Motion Picture News (July 27, 1929)
How anyone, with piece of box office material as valuable as the personality and following of this star, could permit so utterly a poor picture to be released is beyond comprehension. Not only is Miss Moore seen to disadvantage, but the story, the dialog, direction and support are all bad.”
Not even Colleen’s and pigs could help Smiling Irish Eyes. It was a total flop at the box office, and the critics gave scathing reviews. The Film Daily (July 28, 1929) berated the tired script and The Educational Screen (Oct 1929) called it “very sentimental old-fashioned stuff.”Variety (July 31, 1929) stated “it is pretty poor stuff, thoroughly obvious from the first reel on.”
Variety was highly critical of William Seiter’s direction. After starting out as an actor in silent comedies, Seiter finally hit his stride in the 1930s. His credits include Sons of the Desert (1933) featuring Laurel and Hardy, Roberta (1935) with Irene Dunne, Ginger Rogers, and Fred Astaire, and Dimples and Stowaway (1936) starring Shirley Temple.
Colleen Moore did not enjoy the same success. The critics were divided over her performance in Smiling Irish Eyes – either hailing it as one of her greatest performances, or, more frequently, her worst. Motion Picture News (July 27, 1929) wrote,
Variety was highly critical of William Seiter’s direction. After starting out as an actor in silent comedies, Seiter finally hit his stride in the 1930s. His credits include Sons of the Desert (1933) featuring Laurel and Hardy, Roberta (1935) with Irene Dunne, Ginger Rogers, and Fred Astaire, and Dimples and Stowaway (1936) starring Shirley Temple.
Colleen Moore did not enjoy the same success. The critics were divided over her performance in Smiling Irish Eyes – either hailing it as one of her greatest performances, or, more frequently, her worst. Motion Picture News (July 27, 1929) wrote,
Screenland, August 1929
Moore only made a few more films following Smiling Irish Eyes, and her star quickly faded. For the most part, the rest of the cast also faded into obscurity in the years following. Although many had been prominent silent stars and continued to perform, their roles were often small or uncredited.
Smiling Irish Eyes featured four songs, "A Wee Bit o' Love," "Then I'll Ride Home With You," "Old Killarney Fair," and the theme song “Smiling Irish Eyes." The score was composed by Ray Perkins, Herman Ruby, and Norman Spencer. Perkins served as head of music at Warner Bros and First National, and Norman Spencer went on to contribute scores to animated films, including the early Looney Tunes cartoons. The sheet music for the theme song was a best-seller, though the critics agreed the music was not memorable or noteworthy.
Although released in July, production of Smiling Irish Eyes had wrapped up a full six months before, in January. As Variety noted in July 1929, the industry had changed at a rapid pace in that time. Less than a year old, Smiling Irish Eyes was already a relic of the difficult transition period from silent to talkies. Perhaps if it had been released earlier, it would have fared better. As Sir Timothy laments in the film, “Contented? Don’t you know that an Irishman is never contented, except when he’s discontented.”
Smiling Irish Eyes featured four songs, "A Wee Bit o' Love," "Then I'll Ride Home With You," "Old Killarney Fair," and the theme song “Smiling Irish Eyes." The score was composed by Ray Perkins, Herman Ruby, and Norman Spencer. Perkins served as head of music at Warner Bros and First National, and Norman Spencer went on to contribute scores to animated films, including the early Looney Tunes cartoons. The sheet music for the theme song was a best-seller, though the critics agreed the music was not memorable or noteworthy.
Although released in July, production of Smiling Irish Eyes had wrapped up a full six months before, in January. As Variety noted in July 1929, the industry had changed at a rapid pace in that time. Less than a year old, Smiling Irish Eyes was already a relic of the difficult transition period from silent to talkies. Perhaps if it had been released earlier, it would have fared better. As Sir Timothy laments in the film, “Contented? Don’t you know that an Irishman is never contented, except when he’s discontented.”
Although the sound reels are held at the UCLA Film and Television Archive, Smiling Irish Eyes is considered a lost film.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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