Flight of the Doves

Flight of the Doves
Flight of the Doves
	Film Poster
Directed by	Ralph Nelson
Written by	Frank Gabrielson; Ralph Nelson
Based on	The Flight of the Doves; 1967 novel; by Walter Macken
Produced by	Ralph Nelson; William S. Gilmore;
Starring	Ron Moody; Jack Wild; Dorothy McGuire; Stanley Holloway; Noel Purcell; Dana Rosemary Scallon; Niall Tóibín; Brendan O'Reilly;
Cinematography	Harry Waxman
Edited by	John Jympson
Music by	Roy Budd
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	April 2, 1971; (USA) August 1, 1971; (UK)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Flight of the Doves is a 1971 British Eastmancolor children's film based on the novel by Irish writer Walter Macken.^[2] The film, based and filmed in Ireland, was written by Frank Gabrielson and Ralph Nelson, with Nelson also directing.^[3]

Plot

Two Liverpool children set out in search of love after many years of receiving abuse from their "Uncle" Toby Cromwell. Cromwell is stepfather to the Dove children, their mother having married Cromwell after the death of her first husband, the children's father. Cromwell was granted custody after her death.

Finn Dove and his sister Derval are tired of their stepfather's constant abuse and neglect, and they run away to Ireland to find their grandmother in County Galway. The children are unaware that they are heirs to their grandfather's estate and stand to inherit a large fortune, around $10,000 each, upon his death. However, if the children are either dead or missing, the money would go to their uncle "Hawk" Dove, an unsuccessful actor known for his temper, and he will do about anything to get what he wants. When Hawk discovers their fortune, he wants to make sure the Dove children never are seen again.

They arrive in Dublin on St Patrick's Day. The Dove children's journey across Ireland isn't easy, and they are discovered missing. Their stepfather had been informed of the inheritance (by Hawk Dove disguised as a lawyer). Toby decides to bring in the police, and Uncle Hawk and Uncle Toby are close on their trail. The chase takes them to a St Patrick's Day parade, a synagogue, Dublin's Ha'penny Bridge, a travellers' encampment, and other places.

Cast

Ron Moody as John Cyril Dove - "Hawk" / Maxwell Perdon / DCI Wolcott / Miss Heather Marblestone / Dermot Corcoran^[4]
Jack Wild as Finn Dove^[4]
Dorothy McGuire as Mary Magdalene St. Bridget O'Flaherty - "Granny"^[4]
Stanley Holloway as Judge Fenton Liffy^[4]
Helen Raye as Derval Dove
Willie Rushton as Tobias Cromwell - "Uncle Toby" (credited as William Rushton)
Brendan O'Reilly as Insp. Michael Roark
Dana as Sheila O'Ryan^[2]
John Molloy as Mickser
Noel Purcell as Rabbi
Tom Hickey as Garda Pat Flynn
Niall Tóibín as Sergeant O'Casey^[2]
Barry Keegan as Powder O'Ryan
Emmet Bergin as Paddy
Robert Rietti as Irish airport TV reporter (voice)

Production

Music

The film was scored by Roy Budd,^[5] who had made his film soundtrack debut in Ralph Nelson's previous film Soldier Blue. His score contains two songs: "You Don't Have to Be Irish to Be Irish", which is sung as the St Patrick's Day Parade song, and "The Far Off Place".^[2] The latter is sung by Dana, who plays the role of Sheila, an Irish Traveller, and the song is half in Irish and half in English.^[2] Both songs are about having dreams, reaching goals, and seeing "the far off place".^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "The 50 best Irish films ever made, in order". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 2 May 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Flight of the Doves deserves to be a national institution". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
^ "Flight of Doves' : Dublin Background for Tale of 2 Orphans". nytimes.com. New York Times. 3 April 1971. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Flight of the Doves (1971)". bfi.org.uk. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
^ "Flight Of The Doves". loc.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved 17 March 2022.