MovieChat Forums > Captain Lightfoot (1955) Discussion > Jeff Morrow was a great talent who shine...

Jeff Morrow was a great talent who shines in this classic

posted 14 years ago by Dejael
8 replies | jump to latest

It was my pleasure to know the star of this film, Jeff Morrow, for many years.
Jeff was full-bred Irish in real life, like many of his co-stars, including Rock Hudson (whose real legal name was Roy Fitzgerald).
Third-billed Jeff really shines in this film in his role as Captain Thunderbolt, whose film-title protege Michael Martin's real life actor, Rock Hudson, obviously benefited from this as a starring vehicle.
Filmed almost entirely in Ireland, this wide-screen CinemaScope Technicolor historical adventure-romance was one of the first films made by Universal overseas, far away from Universal City, California.
Jeff told me he had a wonderful time making this film, got on very well with everyone in the cast and crew, and enjoyed this production enormously. He trained in the rapier sword under the distinguished tutorship of British movie star Basil Rathbone, who also at about the same time was engaging actor Rex Reason in similar swordsmanship lessons for his movie "KISS OF FIRE"(1955).
Jeff brought his wife Anna Karen Morrow over to Ireland for the shoot, and their daughter, Lissa Megan Morrow, of course joined them as well.
Jeff said this was the second time he had lessons from Rathbone, for he had previously been trained in the Roman broadsword in tandem with movie star Richard Burton for his swordfight scenes in the Biblical epic "THE ROBE"(1953) as the Roman centurion Paulus.

Dejael

[–] niallahearne 14 years ago

Hello Dejael,
I have read your post about Jeff Morrow and Captain Boycott with interest, I haven't seen that excellent Douglas Sirk film for many years. I always liked Jeff and as as a youngster and teenager growing up in the Ireland of the 60s and early 70s I used to watch out for him when he guested in many TV series shown over here. I had no idea until now that Jeff was Irish, which now adds to my interest! Thanks for all your info. I notice also that you are interested in film music, me too,and I usually post on the Film Score Monthly discussion board. Are you also a member of the FSM board ?
Niall.

[–] Dejael 14 years ago

Hello Niall,

Captain Boycott??? Where did that come from?

Jeff told me the people of Clogherhead, Ireland were very hospitable to him and his family and to the entire film crew and cast during filming. They made him feel like family, to the point that his Irish accent, adapted for the role, became second nature to him and he found himself speaking with an Irish accent after he left Ireland to return home. Jeff really enjoyed acting with Rock Hudson, who he described completely complimentary as a true professional, and of course, lovely Barbara Rush, who was known in the 1950s as "Miss Technicolor lips", and the assembled cast of Irish folk were all in their element. Jeff said only Finlay Currie seemed out of place because he was a Scotsman.
Jeff made several vacation trips back to the Emerald Isle with his wife over the next few decades. Jeff felt like Ireland was his home, even though he was a New Yorker by birth. His family came from County Clare in Ireland, the Morrow (or Murraugh in Gaelic) clan. His parents were both born in Ireland.
His parents gave him the name 'Leslie Irving' but he didn't like it, he wanted a more Irish sounding name, that's why he changed his first name to Jeff in 1937.
He said his parents gave him a name they thought would blend in with New York and be less conspicuously Irish as a young man growing up, since the Irish of New York had a hard time getting work in the early 20th Century.
Jeff was always conscious of Irish issues and I recall him raving about the movie "In The Name of the Father" when it came out.
Yes, I visit the FSM board on occasion, and am an active member of the Bernard Herrmann Society Talking Forum, and the Miklos Rozsa Forum.
I was a close personal friend of film composer Herman Stein, who worked on this picture, and many others at Universal in the 1950s.

Dejael

[–] niallahearne 14 years ago

Captain Boycott! Ah yes, I must have gotten out of bed too early this morning!
Niall.

[–] Dejael 14 years ago

Aye, a slip o' the tongue, eh? Perhaps a wee bit of the brew at the pub last night too? LOL!

'Tis grand makin' your acquaintance on the IMDB. I am a quarter Irish myself, my grandfather and his family were all Irish. Are you in Ireland?

Dejael

[–] niallahearne 14 years ago

Brain damage more likely after too many nights on the booze! But, no, actually I wasn't out last night but I will be tonight to inflict some more punishment, ha ha! I am in Dublin, but from Waterford originally. What part of Ireland was your grandfather's family from ?

Interesting you mentioning Herman Stein, I would love to see some more of his film music get a release. Growing up in the 50s and 60s I used to go and see lots of those Universal Pictures movies, Audie Murphy was my favourite, but of course I loved all westerns!
Niall.

[–] Dejael 14 years ago

My grandfather on my father's side was from Longford County Township, Longford, Ireland. His parents were both from Dingle, and they were fishing folk on Dingle Bay.
My favourite Herman Stein music score is THIS ISLAND EARTH (1955). He wrote 70% of the score, with Hans J. Salter doing 20% and Henry Mancini (yes, THAT Mancini) doing the remaining 10%, ALL uncredited, with Joseph Gershenson getting the screen credit as Music Director.

Jeff Morrow said he loved being in Ireland for this film's shooting, and Douglas Sirk was an excellent director, who always got precisely what he wanted out of his actors. Jeff knew this movie was Rock Hudson's first as an international film star, so he didn't mind playing second fiddle, as long as Barbara Rush was between them!

Dejael

[–] lmcassidy140 14 years ago

Where could I get a DVD this film. I can't get a copy of this film in either Ireland or Scotland. I was born in Co. Louth where the film was shot.

[–] Dejael 14 years ago

You can purchase it online with credit card from TCM (Turner Classic Movies) and Universal Studios.
However it is Region 1 USA and not Region 2 UK. There may be a British release of this in Region 2 UK format. There is a Spanish DVD release. Check online.

Dejael