Trivia:
! One early attempt to film the musical was as an animated feature to be directed by
John Hubley. It was during development of this unfinished project that Hubley first collaborated with future wife
Faith Hubley (then Faith Elliot). * Adding further information One early attempt to film the musical was as an animated feature to be directed by
John Hubley. It was during development of this unfinished project that Hubley first collaborated with future wife
Faith Hubley (then Faith Elliot). The soundtrack for the animated film was already completed and the entire film had been storyboarded. The voice talents included Frank Sinatra (as Woody), Barry Fitzgerald (Finian), Jim Backus (Senator Rawkins), Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and from the original Broadway cast Ella Logan (Sharon) and David Wayne (Og). The project died when Hubley refused to "name names" when he testified before The House Un-American Activities Committee. Hubley was blacklisted and Chemical Bank, which was providing the financing, withdrew funding for the proposed film. Artwork done for the movie appears in the PBS documentary "Independent Spirits - The Faith and John Hubley Story" and the Sinatra prerecordings are available on the CD Box-set "Sinatra in Hollywood 1940-1964."
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Goofs:
Continuity: When Sharon has finished washing her father's shirt, the front of her dress is wet, but when she meets Og the Leprechaun in the well, her dress is dry.
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Quotes:
Senator Billboard Rawkins: I can't show my face.
Og: What's wrong with your face?
Senator Billboard Rawkins: Are you blind, boy? I'm black!
Og: I think it's very becoming.
Senator Billboard Rawkins: It is NOT! I'm a white man, dammit! A white man! At least I was, up until a couple of days ago.
Og: Well, that's a coincidence! I was green a couple of weeks ago! Don't you find the occasional change of color interesting?
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OnClick Pay 
(Complete credited cast)
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(Comment on this title) 
First, FINIAN'S RAINBOW does not take place in Tennessee. The movie only mentions Rainbow Valley, but onstage the valley is in Missitucky, home to Fort Knox and the gold depository that was thankfully saved by James Bond in later (for the movie, earlier) years.
The movie's flaws lie not so much in the updating to 1968 as in the eyes of today's viewers. We have sadly grown used to movies that are paced much faster than this one. As a result, those too young to have grown up with older movies will consider FINIAN'S RAINBOW very slow and overlong.
Fundamentally, though, FINIAN'S RAINBOW suffers the same afflictions all stage musicals suffer when transcribed to the big screen: Loss of intimacy. Hollywood always makes stage musicals 'way too big. They think musicals have to take place all over the continent. Oddly, a single stage worked for the play, and still does. (Possibly the rare exception to this is THE MUSIC MAN which was "opened up" only enough, not too much.) All movies are of their times, especially movie musicals. Accept that and enjoy FINIAN'S RAINBOW's wonderful score and excellent performances by the entire cast.