Today, August 29th, is the U.S. release date of the One Direction film. They are an Irish-English boy band. And I have nothing to say about them, but while I’m on the topic of film….The first indigenous sound film in Ireland was produced in Kerry between 1934 and 1935 by garage and cinema owner, Tom Cooper. Tom both adapted the script, directed and starred in the film, which was a passionate portrayal of the complexities of life and loyalties from the Fenian Uprising to the War of Independence. It had an all amateur cast of 250 locals and was filmed around Muckross House and Gardens. It was released in August 1936 in Dublin (obviously Tom even with his own Killarney Casino Cinema wanted a big city opening) and ran very successfully for three weeks, covering its running costs. Tom was also the uncle of Senator Susan O’Keefe who remembers watching from under the table at an early public showing of the film in his hotel. The film itself has aged fairly well, and while one has to get over the melodramatic acting, the tension and discomfort of watching a family riven by war is still palpable. It also avoids schmaltz – apart from one painful moment when the jolly locals are shown literally dancing at the crossroads. Generally it combines realism with romanticism. Which weirdly enough is what you will also get if you Google Thomas Cooper and Dawn and find the romantic painting The Dawn of Womanhood by Thomas Cooper Gotch. If, however, you want more film facts there just happens to be a class about them with West Cork College. What a surprise!
The Dawn of Cinema in Ireland
29 Thursday Aug 2013