The Luck of Ginger Coffey

Ginger Coffey (Robert Shaw) moves with his wife, Vera (Mary Ure, Shaw's real-life wife) from Dublin to Montreal, to make a new life for them and their daughter, Paulie (Libby McClintock). This film chronicles their struggle to gain acceptance, in a New World which doesn't immediately recognise Ginger's potential and leaves him to work at menial jobs to support his family.

Mary Ure made very few films during her short life, mainly working in the theatre, but here she is excellent as the worried wife who wants only the best for her family. As Ginger, Robert Shaw is excellent and fairly restrained when you compare this film with his later work which became something of self-parody. Montreal is also represented in an honest way within this film - it is a New World which has hope and opportunity, even as its immigrant population face their own problems and overcome them.

Little-seen these days, this black and white sixties gem is underrated and deserves wider exposure.

I'm writing this review as one of Mr. Robert Shaw's biggest fans. He utterly shines in this movie. This is one of his early, largely overlooked classics. When I need an overdose of RS, I put this one on. This film comes off raw, realistic and almost agonizing. Halfway through the movie, I feel so bad for Ginger and his impossible dreams. Shaw emotes Ginger's frustration and optimism with equal ease. Great location shooting, and Mary Ure always makes my heart wince. Excellent vehicle for the couple; Mr. and Mrs. Shaw shine in this one, folks! Simple Shaw before Quint, Treece and Kabakov came along.

tell it all! And what a wonderful, and completely factual appraisal of what a miracle the USA/Canada have been for Immigrants--"before Political Correctness" caused us to be very much less candid about the truth of the matter--and more concerned with the superficiality of the "acceptance" of the society.

The one aspect to the Quebecois' comment at the bar, was when Ginger was asked, "Do you speak French?" and Ginger's reply was, "Well, I can parlez vous enough to get by.."; the French-Canadian summed it up perfectly: "That's the problem with this country; we learn English, you never learn French-"! This is a wonderful movie- NOTE all of the US Built Automobiles in Quebec; much before they were manufacturing them in Canada as many of them are now.

Great Comment, Roxanne; and Wonderful Movie!

Robert Shaw is an Irish immigrant to Canada who's at a low point. Wife Mary Ure (his wife in real life) has had enough. He blarneys his way into an ill-paying job as a proof reader on a newspaper, and blarneys his wife into staying a little longer. But eventually she gives up and leaves. He holds onto his daughter, and gets a job as a delivery man for a diaper service, but his grandiose self-worth keeps getting in his own way.

It's a kitchen-sink drama with fine performances by the leads, and a first opportunity as a leading man for Shaw. He makes the most of it, and director Irvin Kershner gets some fine compositions out of the snowy Quebec location shooting. The story is a constant barrage of low-key misery that it soon becomes wearisome. With Liam Redmond, Tom Haarvey, and Leslie Yeo.

If I had not known the director's name, I could have thought it was a Tony Richardson, Lindsay Anderson or Karel Reisz, or even John Schlesinger's film, the lead film makers of the kitchen sink drama period of the UK film industry, typical of this period, kind of Ken Loach before ts time. But that takes place in Canada instead of Great Britain. Social and depressing dramas of course. And it's so interesting to watch Bob Shaw in one of his earliest performances. So delightful. A movie whoch the topic is so close to reality.