Whisky Galore! (1949)

Director:

Alexander Mackendrick

Writers:

Compton MacKenzie (novel)
Compton MacKenzie (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 December 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

A Highland fling on a tight little island

Plot:

Scottish islanders try to plunder 50,000 cases of whisky from a stranded ship.

Plot Keywords:

Hebrides | Scotland | Home Guard | WWII | Ealing

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Basil Radford	...	Captain Paul Waggett
Catherine Lacey	...	Mrs Waggett
Bruce Seton	...	Sergeant Odd
Joan Greenwood	...	Peggy Macroon
Wylie Watson	...	Joseph Macroon
Gabrielle Blunt	...	Catriona Macroon
Gordon Jackson	...	George Campbell
Jean Cadell	...	Mrs Campbell
James Robertson Justice	...	Dr Maclaren
Morland Graham	...	The Biffer
John Gregson	...	Sammy MacCodrun
James Woodburn	...	Roderick MacRurie
James Anderson	...	Old Hector
Jameson Clark	...	Constable Macrae
Duncan Macrae	...	Angus McCormac

Also Known As:

Tight Little Island (USA)

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Scottish Gaelic

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:Approved (British Film Censors) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A

Filming Locations:

Allasdale, Barra, Western Isles, Scotland, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

American censors insisted on a coda being inserted at the end of the film, stating that the stolen whisky brought nothing but unhappiness to the islanders, even though quite the opposite was true in real life.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Captain Waggett telephones the Post Office, he is unable to get through to the switchboard operator. Seconds later, he is speaking to Mistress Campbell. He could not possibly do so without the Post Office switchboard connecting him.

Quotes:

Farquharson: My men are experts.
Captain Paul Waggett: So are the Todday people, at hiding whisky!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Best of British: Ealing Comedies (#5.12)" (1993)

Tight little plot drives a great script

Only the Home Guard stand between 50000 cases of whisky and the parched islanders. One of Compton Mackenzie's best scripts, and even features a humorous disclaimer concerning a similar incident with the SS Politician. My favourite scene (in which copious amounts of whisky are concealed in all manner of ways) is in the ten most amusing scenes I have ever watched. Not such a good advert for temperance, though.