Big Red . . . A Star is Born

In Ireland the little FitzSimons girl was an athletic 'tom-boy' with bright red hair. Her father was an owner of the famous football team The Shamrock Rovers (soccer for us Yanks). The FitzSimmons girl might have been a professional athlete if she had been born a generation later, but her acting abilities earned her a position at the prestigious Abbey Theater and acting would be her future, and thankfully so, because one of the greatest actors of the twentieth century was about to begin her career.

Legendary British actor Charles Laughton was casting for his next movie Jamaica Inn, and was totally awed when he saw the screen test for this young red headed Irish lass. He immediately signed her to a movie contract and suggested that she change her name from Maureen FitzSimons to Maureen O'Hara, and a star was born. But a year before being discovered and skyrocketing to fame she appeared in her first motion picture . . . this one . . . in a bit part as the secretary for the owner of a London nightclub. This movie was first released in England under the name "Kicking the Moon Around," but in it's second go-round in England the name was changed to reflect the first song sung by Harry Richman, "Millionaire Merry-Go-Round." When the movie was released in the U.S. it was called, "The Playboy" but the version that I have for you is the second British release featuring London orchestra leader Bert Ambrose and his orchestra with popular singer Harry Richman surrounding a musical romantic drama between millionaire Bobbie Hawkes, played by Hal Thompson and the two women in his life, Florence Desmond and Evelyn Dall . . . oh . . . and don't forget that young red-haired Irish lass that plays the part of the nightclub owner's secretary, the soon to be very famous Maureen O'Hara. Pop a big bowl of white kernel popcorn with lots of warm melted butter drizzled over it and enjoy the show.

Bert Ambrose and Harry Richman	Bert Ambrose and Orchestra
Bert Ambrose	C. Denier Warren and Maureen O'Hara
C. Denier Warren	Davy Burnaby
	Davy Burnaby as the Magistrate
Davy Burnaby	Edward Rigby and Evelyn Dall
Evelyn Dall in Millionaire Merry-Go-Round	Evelyn Dall sings
Evelyn Dall as Pepper Martin	Florence Desmond, C. Denier Warren and Maureen O'Hara
Florence Desmond dances with Hal Thompson	Florence Desmond dumps Hal Thompson when she thinks that he is broke
Florence Desmond mugs for the camera as she tries to act
Florence Desmon in disguise, lies to Julian Vedey	Florence Desmond
George Carney	Hal Thompson and C. Denier Warren
Hal Thompson in Millionaire Merry-Go-Round	Hal Thompson dressed as a bum
Hal Thompson sings to Evelyn Dall	Hal Thompson
	Harry Richman and Florence Desmond
Harry Richman greets Florence Desmond	Harry Richman signs an autograph
Julian Vedey offers Evelyn Dall a contract	Maureen O'Hara