Finian's Rainbow on February 2, 2010. Finian's Rainbow Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane, produced by Lee Sabinson. The original 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances, while a film version was released in 1968 and several revivals have followed. Finian moves to the southern United States (the fictional state of Missitucky is a combination of Mississippi and Kentucky) from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. Og, a leprechaun,
At the End of the Rainbow him home. The screenplay was written by Irish scenarist , who had also written the screenplay for "The Magic Christmas Tree" the previous year. Veteran actor served as both producer and director of the film, which would be the only directing or producing credit of his career. Selected to portray the film's young lead, Matthew O'Brien, was 12-year-old David Alan Bailey who, at the time, was best known for his various guest-starring roles on well-known television series of the time, including "Dennis the Menace", "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Bewitched" among others. British character actor was reportedly cast when producer-director