'Ballybrando' recalls greatest Irish film never made
Marlon Brando: had base in Ballymaloe
Monday November 02 2009
MARLON Brando and his unfinished Irish film, 'Divine Rapture', is the focus of a new documentary.
The Cork seaside village of Ballycotton thought it had won the lottery in 1994 when it was confirmed that the Hollywood film was to be shot on location there.
The movie -- planned by US firm CineFin and set to be distributed by Orion Pictures -- featured a jaw-dropping cast, including Brando, Johnny Depp and Debra Winger.
The film revolved around the tale of an elderly priest who believed in miracles, and was so eagerly anticipated that Depp, then one of Hollywood's hottest properties, agreed to work for a reduced salary just for the chance to feature alongside Brando.
But 'Divine Rapture' was quickly re-dubbed 'Divine Rupture' after the film ran into financial difficulties less than three weeks into its Cork shooting schedule.
Despite desperate efforts to sort out a finance package, the entire set was shut down and all operations ceased. Marlon Brando -- who was based in Ballymaloe -- packed up and flew back to Los Angeles.
It later emerged that just 24 minutes of film footage had been secured before the schedule was suspended.
It was a disaster for Ballycotton which had hoped that 'Divine Rapture' would do for its tourism industry what 'The Quiet Man' had done for Cong in Co Mayo. At one point, a local man erected a mock headstone in Ballycotton inscribed: 'Divine Rapture RIP'. It later emerged that for two days cameras had been rolling on the set with no film loaded. But now an Irish film company is making a documentary on 'Divine Rapture' and Brando's ill-fated time in Ireland.
Produced by Hot Shot Films, 'Ballybrando' will be a nostalgic tribute to the greatest film never made in Ireland and is expected to hit TV screens over Christmas. Hot Shot Films arranged for several of the 'Divine Rapture' crew to fly back to Ballycotton for a nostalgic chat with locals about the move-that-never-was.
Singer Darragh McGann was an extra on 'Divine Rapture' and now credits his singing success to a morale-boosting chat he had with Brando. "When Marlon praised my singing after a break in filming and told me I should make a career out of it, I believed him. I have never looked back since," he said.
- RALPH RIEGEL
Irish Independent
