''Patrick the Great'' is a 1945 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

starring

Donald O'Connor Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American dancer, singer and actor. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule. His b ...

Peggy Ryan Margaret O'Rene Ryan (August 28, 1924 – October 30, 2004) was an American dancer and actress, best known for starring in a series of movie musicals at Universal Pictures with Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean. Career Ryan joined her paren ...

, and

Frances Dee Frances Marion Dee (November 26, 1909 – March 6, 2004) was an American actress. Her first film was the musical ''Playboy of Paris'' (1930). She starred in the film '' An American Tragedy'' (1931). She is also known for starring in the 1943 ...

. This was the last film for O'Connor and Ryan together, who had been a teenage team for the past several years. This was also O'Connor's last film before he went to serve in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Plot

Pat Donahue (Donald O'Connor) is living and working in the highland region of western Massachusetts, but longs for a career in show business. The young, but talented, Donahue hears about an opening in New York, and travels to the auditions. He wins the role, but later finds out that it was originally intended for his father Patrick Donahue (Donald Cook). Judy Watkin (Peggy Ryan) considers the younger Donahue her boyfriend, but a New York sophisticated young lady Lynn Andrews (Frances Dee) catches the young man's eye. The young Donahue struggles with his reluctance to do what's right with respect to his father. Comedy and music are in abundant supply in this romp.

Cast

as Pat Donahue, Jr. *

as Judy Watkin *

as Lynn Andrews * Donald Cook as Pat Donahue, Sr. *

Eve Arden Eve Arden (born Eunice Mary Quedens, April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an American film, radio, stage and television actress. She performed in leading and supporting roles for nearly six decades. Beginning her film career in 1929 ...

as Jean Mathews *

Thomas Gomez Thomas Gomez (July 10, 1905 – June 18, 1971) was an American actor. Life and career Born Sabino Tomás Gómez, Jr., in New York City, Gomez began his acting career in theater in 1923, studying under actor Walter Hampden in a production of Cy ...

as Max Wilson * Gavin Muir as Prentis Johns *

Andrew Tombes Andrew Tombes (29 June 1885 – 17 March 1976) was an American comedian and character actor. Biography The son of a grocer, originally from Ashtabula, Ohio, Tombes was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy. Early in his career, he worked as a v ...

as Sam Bassett * Irving Bacon as Mr. Merney *

Emmett Vogan Charles Emmett Vogan (September 27, 1893 – October 6, 1969) was an American actor with almost 500 film appearances from 1934 to 1954, making him, along with Bess Flowers, one of the most prolific film actors of all time. In 1913, Vogan ...

as Alsop * unbilled players include

Neely Edwards Neely Edwards (born Cornelius Limbach; September 16, 1883 – July 10, 1965) was an American vaudeville performer and film actor. Biography Edwards appeared in 174 films between 1915 and 1959. The first was as an unbilled player in a Haro ...

, Lassie Lou Ahern and Ray Walker

External links

* 1945 films 1945 drama films American drama films Universal Pictures films Films scored by Hans J. Salter American black-and-white films Films directed by Frank Ryan 1940s American films {{1940s-drama-film-stub