The owner of a low rent English music hall finds himself in hot water after booking a legendary (but fraudulent) Irish tenor, prompting a desperate visit to the Emerald Isle in search of the genuine article, not an easy assignment since no one has seen the man in 25 years. Maybe it makes a difference that the film was made on the far side of the Atlantic Ocean, but it succeeds as a genuinely charming and disarming romantic comedy without the expected formula plotting or trendy visual hype, and (perhaps not surprisingly) without the box office benefit of brand name stars. The climax is somewhat overwrought, but by then director Peter Chelsum is working from a surplus of good-natured blarney and local brogue, with some gorgeous Irish scenery added almost as an afterthought. And where else can you expect to see a movie hero declare his love to a girl while clutching a whippet?
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mjneu5926 November 2010
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lastliberal-853-25370814 September 2013I have been watching Waking the Dead, and thought I would explore other works done by it's stars. I'm starting with Eve (Tara Fitzgerald).
This is a great one for Ms. Fitzgerald, as we see all she has to offer as she jumps out of bed with Adrian Dunbar, after he fails to say he loves her. Unfortunately, her role is little more than that, as Dunbar is the star.
When you mention Irish tenors, people immediately think of Finbar Wright, Anthony Kearns, and Ronan Tynan. But long before, there was Joseph McLaughlin, better known as Josef Locke. This film is loosely based upon his life.
It really gets funny as Micky O'Neill (Dunbar) goes broke trying to fake everyone out with Franc Cinatra, and then with a Mister X, who pretends to be Locke, and goes chasing around Ireland to find the real Josef Locke and bring him back to England. Locke is played by Ned Beatty.
He manages to come to the realization that he really loves Nancy (Fitzgerald), and gets Locke to return.
What an ending! -
larcher-210 September 1999An awkward start, then a charming movie; part of the emerging genre of Irish fairy tales, complete with the mystical village of Tully More. One early scene has an entirely unnecessary bit of fairly explicit sex and brief nudity; this, like most of the first half-hour or so, flounders. The story finally hits its comic stride when the semi-hero goes off to Ireland to search for a reclusive tenor. The movie flattens out at the end, turning utterly sentimental and entirely predictable. Certainly worth watching, but basically nice fluff.
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RondoHatton8 June 2002Gee, good story. Great scenery. Excellent acting. Great music. Tara Fitzgerald unclothed. Well, Tara's nude scene was less than germane to the plot, though I think she's totally yummy. Ned Beatty actually pulled the role of Jo Locke off quite well, not going over the top trying to lay on the old Irish brogue bit too heavy. The Locke vocals were sung by Vernon Midgely, & since I had never heard music like that before, I was knocked out. The trad Irish "diddly-diddly" tunes in the soundtrack are by Patrick Street, one of the best contemp Irish bands you can find. Adrian Dunbar, who co-wrote the screenplay with author Peter Chelsom, was wonderful, as semi-crooked music hall manager Mickey O'Neill. Tara Fitzgerald portrayed Nancy Doyle, O'Neill's "fiancee", & brings the role off very well. James Nesbitt, who may be known from "Ballykissangel", plays O'Neill's best friend back in Ireland. Shirley Anne Field, one of Britain's true beauties of the 60's, plays Fitzgerald's mother, a flame left behind by Beatty's Jo Locke, when he left England as a tax exile in the '50's. I just wish we could get a Director's Cut here in the States, as the US theatrical & video releases list actors(Brian Flanagan as "Young Mickey", Constane Cowley as "Nurse, and Marie Mullen as "Mickey's Mum") in the credits which for some inexplicable reason were cut from the North American release. This scene has to do with why Mickey O'Neill can't tell someone he loves them(i.e. Tara Fitzgerald as Nancy). Rumour has it "Hear My Song" will be re-released on DVD in the UK in July '09....but a US release is still delayed so DVD makers can press more boxed sets of "Dog, The Bounty Hunter", anime, and Hannah Montana(whose "movie" was actually directed by Peter Chelsom, who directed and wrote "Hear My Song") Still, this is a wonderful movie,
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aknk17 March 2002Micky O'Neill, a sleazy Irish entertainment promoter has about run his course offering pseudo-acts like Franc Cinatra. The Ryan family that owns the theater is about ready to throw him out when they ask who his next performer is "Bing Crosby spelled with a K"?, but Micky O'Neill comes up with the name of Josef Locke and the Ryan's gasp as Josef Locke is supposedly out of the country, because of tax fraud or something. So Micky is given a reprieve until it becomes known that the Josef Locke he has booked is a fraud, Since his girlfriend's mother once had a fling with Jo and has been duped by the fake Jo, Micky has been outcast by the Ryan family, his girlfriend and especially his girlfriend's mother. He hops a ride on a boat to Ireland where he meets up with his friend Fintan, a concert promoter, and the two of them ride through the Irish countryside in search of the real Josef Locke in an effort to convince him to return to England to perform. When they find him, the Irish comedy really begins, and also the Irish singing. The tenor voice is spectacular and when Jo sings, women weep.......
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henry8-319 January 2022Nightclub owner Mickey (Adrian Dunbar) is in trouble when it is discovered that Josef Locke, the legendary Irish tenor he had booked is in fact an impersonator. Now broke he heads to Ireland to track down the real Locke (Ned Beatty) who is there avoiding the UK tax authorities.
Fun, quasi fairytale story, similar in tone to 'Local Hero' and featuring many wonderful larger than life characters which all add to the fanciful, amusing mix. Dunbar and Nesbit are lively, fun companions and Beatty is fine as the tough Locke - not found until half way through the film. It all adds up to a rather silly but enjoyable climax which will leave you smiling. -
EdgarST2 May 2004I don't think Peter Chelsom's appreciation will grow much today, with audiences and critics more inclined to pyrotechnics, flamboyant styles and cynic approach to mankind's troubles. Chelsom is a skilled filmmaker, but for today's tastes his cinema seems too close to the audience's soft hearts, and that is probably his less attractive trait.
I like a few of his movies: "The Mighty", "Serendipity" as predictable as it is, and my favorites "Funny Bones" and "Hear My Song" which he also wrote. Both deal with a search and possess a frenetic and funny approach to human foibles, and in this case an enthusiastic leading character, as played by Adrian Dunbar who also co-wrote.
Dunbar plays a nightclub administrator who keeps cheating on his patrons, bringing mediocre artists to perform. When he brings a fake tenor who humiliates his future mother-in-law (Shirley-Ann Field, who had an affair with the real tenor), he embarks on the almost impossible: finding the real singer, who cannot step on Irish soil due to tax evasion. Ned Beatty gives the performance of his life (and that's a lot to say) as the singer, leading the story to a moving conclusion. -
malcolmgsw20 October 2022For some reason every film set in Ireland relies on whimsy to sustain the film,and this is no exception.
It also uses a sex scene at the begining to presumably make it more interesting to the under 25 age group.
Now i have no objection to sex scenes,particularly when they involve the delectable Tara Fitzgerald. However i have to say that it is difficult to find a reason,other than i have stated above for its inclusion.
I forget who is responsible for the signing but i felt that it was absoloutely marvellous. It is worth seeing the film for this if for nothing else. Good to see Shirley Anne Field in a supporting part. -
I saw this film at the Toronto International Film Festival and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I screeched with laughter, and cried real tears. The audience reception was rapturous, one of the most responsive I've ever witnessed at the festival. Director Peter Chelsom was reduced to tears, and when Ned Beatty made a surprise appearance in his Joseph Locke fedora and cloak the crowd went crazy. Since then, I make a point of watching this wonderful film in the dark days of February, the dreariest part of a Toronto winter. It never fails to restore my spirit.
As a final note, I think Chelsom is a very talented director. Who can ever forget the image of those Irish lady owners crammed onto one couch? The film is filled with glorious visuals like this one. I've liked every movie Chelsom has made since, but he seems to get a bum rap from the press. Nonetheless, he will always be remembered for giving us this treasure. -
davyd-022375 July 2021We went through an hour of this and actually could not work out what was going on. Then if we did hear the script correctly, "the mr locke" disappeared in 58, which 26 years later would give us 1983. But, the ambience, the cars and everything else suggested it was much earlier. The language is quite disgusting, with several profanities which add nothing to the film whatsoever and are a huge turn off. It also wasnt clear why Dunbars character was dumped early on by his girlfriend during a sexual encounter. A very odd offering!
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staffba313 January 2005Hear My Song (1991) is a bit of Irish whimsy about a fast talking London theatrical promoter, (Adrian Dunbar) who books legendary Irish tenor Joseph Locke When the tenor is revealed as an impostor, and Dunbar loses both his theater and his fiancée (Tara Fitzgerald). He then sets forth on an odyssey to Ireland to find the real Joseph Locke, bring him back to London, save the theater, and win back the girl. Of course, the whole point of every epic quest from Homer on down is for the hero to finally realize why he left in the first place (this realization occurs while Dunbar is dangled off the side of a very high cliff). The cast is amazing, especially David McCallum as a police inspector obsessed with capturing Locke, and Ned Beatty gives a very credible and warmhearted performance as Joseph Locke (although the singing is dubbed). The Irish countryside is breathtaking--as is Tara Fitzgerald--and the story is great fun in the tradition of Local Hero and Eat the Peach.
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NChri6 April 1999Attempts to find a somewhat quirk, offbeat rhythm but fails to establish a tone as the script, camera work, acting and general direction veer off into all different directions. Way too uneven. Simply put: this movie could-a, would-a and should-a, but wasn't.
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Unlike Larcher-2 who also has a comment on this film, l did see Josef Locke, l can remember my mother took me to see him when l was a young boy and was drawn to his type of sining.
It is well known that Mr Locke was a ladies man, but that did not detract from his voice, and Ned Beatty does a remarkable job of playing Josef Locke, dubbed in Mr Lockes own voice.
This is a great film, Adrian Dunbar plays his role as a seedy agent well and David McCallum as the policeman always trying to get Mr Locke is a gem...
The "tooth" scene is a great laugh....Please watch this film, if you know nothing of Mr Locke try to find out about him first then you will enjoy it better, and understand the title...
I give this film 8 out of 10... -
I was charmed by more than the fact that I couldn't take my eyes off Tara Fitzgerald. A lovely whimsical plot, painting a picture of Irish fantasy, fairies and all, over the true life background of a great singer. And a beautiful soundtrack featuring original Locke recordings reminds us of just how moving a pure tenor voice can be. Who on earth needs techno and rap?
None of the other correspondents has yet picked up on the fact that Josef Locke (born Joseph McLaughlin 1917, died 1999) was alongside John McCormack as one of the two great Irish tenors (one correspondent has even written that he was a baritone -were you actually listening??) of the 20th century, and that he retired to rural life in Co Kildare in 1958 after the British Inland Revenue began to pursue him for large but disputed amounts of tax. That much is established fact, but this story of his comeback performance and the events surrounding it is indeed fantasy, with a happy feelgood ending. But what's so wrong with that? I like to be entertained, and unlike your more dismal correspondents I don't need to be intellectually challenged to thoroughly enjoy a movie. Nine out of ten, and I thought seriously about giving it ten as a gesture of eternal devotion to the stunningly beautiful Tara. -
hausrathman30 November 2002A shady liverpool concert promoter, Adrian Dunbar, goes to Ireland to find and bring back an elusive tenor, Ned Beatty, who is wanted by the law for tax evasion, in order to restore his reputation and win back his girl. This romantic comedy is so charming I am surprised anyone could dislike it. Director Peter Chelson does an wonderful job. He displays a real feel for the characters, and the small details which give the film its sense of authenticity. The leading actors are excellent, particularly Ned Beatty, who gives the performance of his career, but they have to compete with a host of colorful minor characters. Give it a look. You shant be disappointed.
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sphinx-76 March 2000The film is full of charm and amusement and I love the plot-line. The characters are witty and warm and likeable. It's quirky and some times the plot is hard to follow, but again, the characters are so real and likeable, they draw you in.
Then there's the music. I never knew I liked Irish tenors until I saw this movie.
The only truly confusing thing is that it is hard to tell when the movie is set. It seems almost timeless and yet there is a definite timeframe referred to in the film.
Adrian Dunbar is a wonderful actor and carries the film along, although Ned Beatty succeeds in stealing it half-way through! Tara Fitzgerald is underutilized as the romantic cause of the hero's journey, but does well with what she's given. The actor who plays the hero's friend is also quite wonderful. -
jdberkley3 July 2002This movie never got the attention or box office it deserved, but it's one of my all-time favorites. Ned Beatty is wonderful as Joe Locke, the exiled Irish singer returned to the stage by impresario Adrian Dunbar. A little movie with heart, wit, and charm, definitely worth repeat viewings.
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alli_katz3 June 2001This movie was so much fun. Such imagination went into it. The film tells its story really well. The way in which the imitation Joseph Locke is discovered in the first half of the film forced me to hit stop, and go to the bathroom, because I laughed so hard I almost peed myself. All the major characters are wonderful, and the minor characters are better. When Beatty finally does appear as the real Locke, his star quality takes the entire cast to an even higher level. I can't say more without taking some of the fun away from you. Also, old "Man From Uncle" co-star, David McCallum, is marvelous in his small supporting role. Very amusing film with surprising twists and turns and an incredible amount of whimsy.
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ianlouisiana14 August 2008When I listened to the wireless in the 1940s and 50s Mr Locke was a regular on the Light Programme,constantly appearing as a guest of such luminaries as Henry Hall or Vic Oliver on their radio shows.He topped the bill at Variety Theatres all over the country for years then disappeared off the radar - "Got some girl in trouble I'll be bound",was my father's comment which went a bit above my head at the age of 13.So clearly his reputation had reached even the leafy lanes of Surrey by that time,if not the real reason for his vanishing.My mother was inconsolable until she discovered Mario Lanza who was Italian and much more exciting. "Hear my song" tells of the search by a cut- price impresario for the elusive Irish tenor.Like "The Commitments" it presents the Irish as they really are rather than how the Americans choose to portray them - as refugees from a John Ford movie. Ned Beatty is splendid as the reluctant recluse, a man still capable of charming the birds out of the trees.He has the voice of an angel - so he does.My personal favourite Miss Shirley Anne Field makes a very welcome appearance,and the circle is closed by Mr Harold Behrens in a small role rounding off the connection to post - war BBC radio where he was a regular on "Ignorance is Bliss". Appearing unheralded on the horizon out of nowhere - as it were - "Hear my Song" is a beautifully crafted little film,a masterpiece in miniature and anyone whose love for movies is more than skin deep will adore it.
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movie pimp11 January 2000I stumbled on to this film by accident, and ended up absolutely loving it. The cast is first-rate in this tale of a music promoter who is trying to find a disgraced tenor from years ago. Ned Beatty is wonderful as the tenor, and the comedy in the film just seems to click - such as the great scene with the cow. This film is highly recommended to anyone who is looking for a hidden little gem to pass on to friends.
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g-hbe18 March 2013Spoiler warning! A superb low-budget fantasy film about a down-at-heel club that just clings on by booking cheap, crummy look-a-like acts. When manager Mickey O' Neill (Dunbar) looks like losing his girl, he decides to impress her by booking the legendary tax-dodger Josef Locke and hopes to save his club into the bargain. What he ends up with is not what he imagined, and the search begins...
We've watched this film a couple of times since it was first shown on TV and it gets better with every viewing. The characters are great and the almost magical atmosphere conjured up in some scenes is incredible. *Spoiler alert again* Locke's triumphant performance is the climax, and I admit to getting very touched by 'Count your Blessings', delivered in that wonderful tenor voice (supplied by Vernon Midgeley). What a film! -
ashfordr2 June 2014This is one of my family's all-time favorites, and I am so happy it Finally made it to DVD. Adrian Dunbar is fantastic as the slippery concert promoter who drags cheap acts into his Liverpool club. Possibly Tara Fitzgerald's best role. Ned Beatty makes a wonderful Irish tenor, although clearly lip-syncing. (Original Josef Locke CDs still available for those who want the real thing, more than adequately provisioned with hearts and flowers.) Maybe the reason I love this movie SO much are the supporting actors, from Dunbar's two tubby bouncer/idea-men, to Locke's original English back-up band, to his incomparable Irish cronies: Favorite line-"Sure, I'd rather be in jail, than in love again!"
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Amateur-227 May 1999A great film with a lot of little great, random touches. I've watched this film many times, and always find it both funny and strange. Definitely worth renting.
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donofthedial29 October 2008Jolly fun as we get to see and hear Franc Sinatra, plus the potential of seeing Bing Krosby "with a "K"" as a disgruntled Franc Sinatra concert goer calls out from their seat.
A...ummm....'crafty' young music promoter must keep his girlfriend happy by finding the reclusive and out of country tenor Josef Locke who had romanced her mother (voted "Miss Dairy Goodness of 1952") back in the day and wishes to see him again.
The promoter heads for Ireland to find Locke and convince him to do just one more performance in England.
Problem is Locke cant come back to England because of a huge tax debt and a very eager and waiting tax collector.
Result = much fun and quite a bit of excitement.
Fine performances by all.
I saw this film once or twice about a decade ago, so please forgive and small diversions from the actual plot due to memory. -
This is a stunning delightful story of one man's quest to do right by his girlfriend and his community. The Irish humour is great. The writing is tight. The performances are both touching and funny. One to watch more than once.