Movie review - "Young Cassidy" (1965) ***

Not very popular bio of Irish playwright Sean O'Casey mostly notable for Rod Taylor's performance in the lead. John Whiting’s script is intelligent but falls down in a few places: it ambles along in a this-happened-then-that-happened way without really giving a sense of what is important and why. Cassidy’s life and career is sort-of tied in with Irish developments at the time and sort-of tied in with “theatre for the people”, but it never feels focused. Also Cassidy’s climactic sacrifice at the end seems to come in a rush. On the positive side the support cast are excellent as is the period flavour. Young Cassidy lacks the spark and inspiration of a great film, but it is an intelligent, well-made one, and a reminder of what its star was capable of.