Details

Release year: 1991

Storyline

The owner of a failing club seeks infamous Irish singer Josef Locke in order to bring business and success to his club.

Top credits

Directors

Peter Chelsom

Writers

Cast

Ned Beatty — Josef Locke
Adrian Dunbar — Micky O'Neill
Brian Flanagan — Young Micky O'Neill
Constance Cowley — Nurse

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Awards

0 wins & 2 nominations

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Did you know

• The film cost less than £2 million to make and was shot in Ireland in under 6 weeks. Then first time director Peter Chelsom and co-writer/ star Adrian Dunbar took it to the Cannes Film Festival in search of a buyer. There, Harvey Weinstein snapped up the American distribution rights for Miramax, thus ensuring the film of a high degree of visibility. This duly paid off with its success at the American and UK box office, and a Golden Globe nomination for Ned Beatty.

• Josef Locke was a real Irish tenor who enjoyed great success after the Second World War, to the extent that, in 1948, he was earning approximately £2,000 a week. Then in the 1950s the tax-man became interested in his earnings and Locke subsequently disappeared. Around about the same time, a new singer of similar build and vocal style called Mr X started appearing in clubs and everyone started to believe that this was in fact Locke under a new guise. Among those who were particularly convinced were the legions of women whom Locke had reputedly slept with, as the man had an enviable reputation as a lady-killer.

• David McCallum portrays Detective Constable Jim Abbott, who is trying to track down Josef Locke for non-payment of UK income tax. In real life McCallum's father, David McCallum Snr, was a violinist in the London Philharmonic and actually played in the orchestra for the real Josef Locke. McCallum Jnr mentioned this fact during publicity interviews when the film was released.