The Fighting Prince of Donegal (1966)
1h 50m | PG-13
Ireland 1587. Hugh O'Donnell inherits the title of The O'Donnell, the prince of Donegal, and tries to unite Ireland to make war on England. But then Hugh is kidnapped and imprisoned by the Viceroy of Ireland and held ransom for the Clans' good behavior. Hugh must escape prison and the Viceroy's villainous henchman, Captain Leeds, before he can fight.
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
Studio: Walt Disney Productions
Genre: Action, Adventure
Video: 720p
Cast
Peter McEnery
as Hugh O'Donnell
Susan Hampshire
as Kathleen McSweeney
Gordon Jackson
as Captain Leeds
Norman Wooland
as Sir John Perrott
Richard Leech
as Phelim O'Toole
Tom Adams
as Henry O'Neill
Reviews
Almost good, but <em>'The Fighting Prince of Donegal'</em> just falls short. It goes through too many peaks and troughs to be classed as enjoyable, but I do like the vibe of the film and the idea of the premise; which begins slowly, hits a purple patch before frustratingly reverting back immediately; quite literally given how the plot 'progresses'. The casting, meanwhile, is solid if not perfect. Peter McEnery (Hugh) and Susan Hampshire (Kathleen) both do impressive things in earlier 1960s productions <em>'The Moon-Spinners'</em> and <em>'The Three Lives of Thomasina'</em> respectively, but they don't work together here; I sense zero chemistry between them or their characters. Gordon Jackson (Capt. Leeds) is my pick of the rest. Should've been better. 3*.