Comedy

Hear My Song

- There's definitely magic in the air

Singer Josef Locke fled to Ireland 25 years ago to escape the clutches of the tax man and police Chief Jim Abbott. What he also left behind was the love of his life Cathleen Doyle. Now, Micky O’Neill is desperate to save both his ailing Liverpool nightclub ‘Heartly’s’ and his failing relationship with the beautiful Nancy, Cathleen’s daughter. The solution? Book the infamous Josef Locke.

Release Date : 1991-12-27

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : MiramaxFilm4 Productions

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Josef Locke

Original Name : Ned Beatty

Gender : Male

Character Name : Micky O'Neill

Original Name : Adrian Dunbar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nancy Doyle

Original Name : Tara Fitzgerald

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr. X

Original Name : William Hootkins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cathleen Doyle

Original Name : Shirley Anne Field

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jim Abbott

Original Name : David McCallum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fintan O'Donnell

Original Name : James Nesbitt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Derek

Original Name : John Dair

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gordon

Original Name : Stephen Marcus

Gender : Male

Character Name : Molly

Original Name : Laurie Morton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kitty Ryan

Original Name : Britta Smith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Grandma Ryan

Original Name : Gladys Sheehan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brenda Ryan

Original Name : Gina Moxley

Gender : Female

Character Name : Grandson Ryan

Original Name : Rúaidhrí Conroy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Himself

Original Name : Norman Vaughan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Benny Rose

Original Name : Harold Berens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Librarian

Original Name : Mary MacLeod

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jo's Boys 1

Original Name : Jimmy Keogh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jo's Boys 2

Original Name : Liam O'Callaghan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jo's Boys 3

Original Name : Paddy Cole

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jo's Boys 4

Original Name : Maurice Blake

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jo's Boys 5

Original Name : Tony Morando

Gender : Male

Character Name : Barman

Original Name : Brian McGrath

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs McGlinchy

Original Name : Anna Manahan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Receptionist

Original Name : Agnes Bernelle

Gender : Female

Character Name : Franc Cinatra

Original Name : Joe Cuddy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Taxi Driver 1

Original Name : Pat Laffan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Taxi Driver 2

Original Name : Frank Kelly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Taxi Driver 3

Original Name : David Beggs

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Musician

Original Name : Tommy Lack

Gender : Male

Character Name : Josef Locke (voice)

Original Name : Vernon Midgley

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-03-27

I’m not sure I’d ever have had Ned Beatty down as an opera singer, but he holds that role down well in this breezy comedy. It is his Josef Locke who is on the run from HM Inland Revenue and from the doughty policeman “Abbott” (David McCallum) and so finds himself in Eire just as struggling nightclub owner “Mickey” (Adrian Dunbar) is looking for an act to breath some life into his failing business enterprise. After a few escapades involving a rather abruptly terminated sexual experience; some fraudsters and a little semi-slapstick comedy, “Mickey” manages to get to Locke but can he get him onto the stage before, well, any number of complications thwart his plan to entertain the masses, get back his gal (Tara Fitzgerald) and save his business? For some reason, I couldn’t get “Whisky Galore” out of my head watching this. Not because there is anything at all similar about the plots or characters, but because it offers a bit of Celtic whimsy. It’s entertaining in a daft, slightly surreal, manner with a denouement that’s clearly dubbed and a Dunbar who doesn’t exactly get off to a flying start, but does quite engagingly ease himself into the part. It also takes the gentlest of pings at the whole theatrical paraphernalia - epitomised here by Beatty’s white scarf and indoor fedora, and the songs are very much delivered in a rousing vein even if they are sung in a language nobody would have understood but everyone enjoyed - rapturously. It’s a light-hearted and fluffy story that I probably won’t remember, but is one of those films that the UK’s Channel Four creatively backed, is well written and it works well.