
The top o’ the morning to you, colleens and lads! As regular readers of PEPS know, our main focus here is the Motion Picture Production Code and its enforcement for twenty years by the Production Code Administration, which was headed by Joseph I. Breen from 1934 to 1954. Both the Code’s principle author, Martin J. Quigley, and its greatest enforcer, Mr. Breen, were proud Irish-Americans, which prompted filmmakers to frequently include Irish characters and themes in their stories in hopes of gaining Mr. Breen’s favor. It didn’t work, but it resulted in a lot of enjoyable blarney!

According to Joe Breen’s grandson Jack Benton, there were two “tribes” in classic Hollywood, the Jews and the Irish. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the official Irish holiday, we are hosting The Luck o’ the Irish Blogathon. This is a chance for writers to celebrate all things Irish in movies. Since St. Patrick’s Day is on Wednesday this year, we are making the blogathon a long weekend event, beginning on Wednesday, March 17, and ending on Sunday, March 21. We can’t wait for you to join us for this five-day celebration of Hibernian Hollywood!

Here are the guidelines of topics which are appropriate for this blogathon, along with examples in parentheses:
- Movies with an Irish theme (The Irish in Us, Going My Way)
- Movies set in Ireland (The Top of the Morning, The Quiet Man)
- An overview of an Irish actor’s career and life (James Cagney, Maureen O’Hara, etc.)
- A review of a particular film starring an Irish actor (Pat O’Brien, Gene Kelly), overseen by an Irish director (Leo McCarey, John Ford), or presented by an Irish producer (John Ford, Leo McCarey)
- An article about the life, career, or an individual film involving any member of the film industry of Irish descent (screenwriters, costumers, PCA members, etc.)
- Any other concept related to Ireland in Hollywood of which you can think!

If you would like to join this fest of shamrocks and blarney, please scroll down to review the rules:
- There is no limit on duplicates, since we are interested in different opinions.
- Writers can contribute as many articles as they choose.
- If you are interested in joining, please leave a comment below and specify your topic.
- If you want to join this blogathon but don’t have a website, you can still join! Email us your article, and we will publish it here on PEPS for you.
- Please use the beautiful banners below, which Rebekah made, to help us promote this blogathon!
- Don’t forget to include a poster and the link to the roster in your posts!








The Roster so Far:
- Tiffany Brannan of PEPS – The Irish in Us (1935)
More Coming Soon!

The luck o’ the Irish be with you until March!
Please join our three other upcoming blogathons!

The 2nd Happy Holidays Blogathon!

The Sunset Boulevard Blogathon!
and

The Unhappy Valentines Blogathon!
Follow us to bring back the Code and save the arts in America!
We are lifting our voices in classical song to help the sun rise on a new day of pure entertainment!
Hello! I’d be interested in participating in the blogathon if you’ll have me.
I’d like to write about Charles Manley, an Irish-born actor in American films working for Edison at the beginning of the 20th century.
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Wonderful! We look forward to it! That’s a great topic.
Yours Hopefully,
Tiffany Brannan
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Hello Brannan sisters! May I join the blogathon by reviewing the 2012 Hallmark movie, ‘Chasing Leprechauns’? It’s the only movie from the network that either takes place in or was filmed in Ireland that I haven’t seen.
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Dear Sally,
Please do! That sounds like a wonderful topic! We look forward to it.
Yours Hopefully,
Tiffany Brannan
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I’m so glad someone asked about the era of the movie! I know the Breen era ended in 1954, but the movie I want to write about was made in 1959. So glad I still can! Please put me down for Darby O’Gill and the Little People! That is the most Irish movie I know.. except that Sean Connery is actually Scottish! Haha 🙂
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Hey, Brannans!
I have a question, do entries this blogathon have to be about films or people from the PCA era, or can they be from any time? Before I pick a topic I want to be sure that I have all the rules straight. Thanks!
MovieCritic | Movies Meet Their Match
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I have the same question…? Don’t want to write about something that doesn’t fall into the correct era…
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I should have made that clearer. You can write about a topic from any era. Thank you for your interest!
Yours Hopefully,
Tiffany Brannan
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Awesome. Please can you put me down for Cillian Murphy.
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I should have made that clearer. You can write about a topic from any era. Thank you for your interest!
Yours Hopefully,
Tiffany Brannan
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Hi again, ladies! I’m sending a message on behalf of Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews–she’s tried to comment on the blog several times and keeps getting put in the spam folder or something. Anyway, she’d like to join your blogathons–Harold and Maude (February) and Tiffin (March). Thanks, hope you’re doing all right.
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Dear Rebecca,
That’s great! Thank you. We’re sorry for that problem. We’ll put her on the roster.
Yours Hopefully,
Tiffany Brannan
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Hi, Tiffany, and thanks. It’s not your fault–Wordpress has been a little wacky lately. Hope you all have a great Christmas and New Year! 🙂
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Dear Rebecca,
Thank you! Merry Christmas to you, too!
Yours Hopefully,
Tiffany Brannan
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Hi Tiffany, would you consider John Huston to be Irish? Or is that pushing it?
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Dear Ruth,
John Huston is a great topic. According to Wikipedia, he was part Irish, so he qualifies. We look forward to your participation!
Yours Hopefully,
Tiffany Brannan
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Thanks, Tiffany. I’d like to do a brief overview of his life, based on his memoirs.
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Dear Ruth,
That sounds great! I’ll put you on the roster.
Yours Hopefully,
Tiffany Brannan
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Hi, ladies! I’d like to write about “Going My Way,” if that’s all right. Lots of Irish people in that one. 🙂
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Dear Rebecca,
That’s a great idea! You can’t get much more Irish than that! I’ll add you to the roster.
Yours Hopefully,
Tiffany Brannan
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Thanks, Tiffany–looking forward to this. 🙂
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