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poster of Happy Ever After
Rating: 5.2/10 by 14 users

Happy Ever After (1954)

The whole village mourns when General O'Leary, owner of a hunting estate in South Ireland, is killed in an accident. His nephew, Jasper O'Leary, takes over the state and soon has aroused the displeasure of all, with the exception of Serena McGluskey, as much a schemer as he is a cad. Led by Thady O'Heggarty, the villagers plot to drive Jasper away. They use the occasion of "O'Leary Night", when the ghost of the first O'Leary walks the halls, to create general chaos.

Directing:
  • Mario Zampi
  • Elaine Schreyeck
  • Gus Agosti
Writing:
  • Jack Davies
  • Michael Pertwee
  • L.A.G. Strong
Stars:
Release Date: Tue, Jun 29, 1954

Rating: 5.2/10 by 14 users

Alternative Title:
Tonight's the Night - US
Esta noche es la noche - AR
Naar den bliksem met dat spook! - BE
Noches de Espanto - CL
Det spøger på slottet - DK
Oi, mikä yö - FI
Skandaliara hira kai klironomos - GR
Azután mindig boldogan - HU
En zij leefden lang en gelukkig - NL
Para Sempre Felizes - PT
I kväll smäller det - SE
Tonight's the Night - GB

Country:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 28 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0

Plot Keyword: small town, haunting, romantic rivalry, black and white, ireland, murder plot

CinemaSerf

It's quite unusual to see David Niven play what amounts to the baddie, but he does it quite enjoyably here in this story of rural Irish shenanigans. When the death-defying "Gen. O'Leary" (AE Matthews) goes hunting and finally fails with the defying bit, his estate falls to great-nephew "Jasper" (Niven) who arrives determined to shake things up. No more country balls, fêtes, community functions - all of that is to go the way of the dodo. The new squire is a pompous ass who's only interested in cash! With many of the locals now facing bankruptcy, it seems that only "Serena" (Yvonne De Carlo) will give him a second look. She likes his money. He likes his money - and to spend it on her, so the pair look like a match made in heaven. With the villagers facing ruination it might just be that their only recourse is to the legendary ghost of the mansion. Might it be able to thwart the venal ambitions of their new landlord? It's a whimsical adventure this with a decent effort from the star and from De Carlo, who gel quite well together as the story trots along for an admittedly overlong ninety minutes. It's quite wittily written now and again, though also a little prone to stereotyping too, and with engaging contributions from the always reliable Barry Fitzgerald and Liam Redmond, it makes for an amiable vehicle for a charismatic star going through the motions. Not great, no, but amiable enough.


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