The Films of Petula Clark Finian's Rainbow

In rehearsal
Dancing with Fred Astaire	With Fred and Don Francks
Director Coppola was determined that each member of the company master the special flavor and feeling of the whole of "Finian's Rainbow" before one single scene was shot. He wanted to develop what he called "an ensemble sense of performance." The solution: an extraordinary five solid weeks of pre-production rehearsal. Then a final test before shooting--a complete performance of the film before a live audience on a studio sound stage.       After that, the picture was off and winging to 18 principal locations, as well as a score of studio sets. To trace the footloose adventuring of Finian McLonergan and friends, the Panavision-Technicolor cameras spanned the continent to shoot scenes from the Statue of Liberty to the Golden Gate Bridge, with waystops at Mount Rushmore and the Grand Canyon. Some of the action swept over the mountains, meadows and woodlands of California. At the Warner Bros-Seven Arts studio, more than nine full acres of backlot were turned into Rainbow Valley town, complete with narrow-gauge railroad, schoolhouse, general store, postoffice and barns.
On the set
"BEAUTY & THE BEAST" - With Director Francis Ford Coppola	Family Wolff: Claude, Bara, Petula and Kate
Director Francis Ford Coppola, Petula, Don Francks, Fred Astaire, Producer Joseph Landon, Tommy Steele

Film Stills & Promotion
Opening sequence featuring Finian and Sharon.	"Something in your eyes I see soon begins betwitching me." Woody and Sharon experience that old devil moon.
Petula and Tommy Steele Og, pursuing his purloined crock of gold, now drops in on Sharon, right down the well. Rapidly approaching the human state and fearful of losing his supernatural status, Og is quickly smitten by Sharon's charms.	PET'S WET: Petula Clark, the vivacious songstress, makes a big splash in her first Hollywood film, "Finian's Rainbow," opposite Fred Astaire, Tommy Steele and Don Francks. In this sequence from the Warner Bros.-Seven Arts musical, Miss Clark find Francks is a big drip in a picnic battle with water-filled baloons. Francis Ford Coppola directed the Technicolor-Panavision film, produced by Joseph Landon. The reserved-seat presentation is in 70mm. and six-track stereophonic sound. From top to bottom, it's ready, aim--splat!
[Click on photo for Petula's bio]	Mexican lobby card
- More publicity -

The London Premiere
Petula with her husband Claude Wolff arriving at the premiere of the new musical "Finian's Rainbow" Thursday, 10 October, 1968 at the Odeon, Marble Arch, London. Petula is the leading lady in the film and other stars are Tommy Steele and Fred Astaire.	Premiere ticket	Variety Soundtrack promotion

Memorabilia
Poster was included in many of Petula's Warner Bros. LPs at the time.	Paperback Videos Laser disc PAL releases First release - NTSC video

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: IMDb link

Video CD version released only in the Philippines. [Plays in Region 1 & 2 DVD players. Often available on eBay.]