Whisky Galore! (1949)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Alexander Mackendrick

Writers:

Compton MacKenzie (novel)
Compton MacKenzie (screenplay)
(more)

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:

Home Guard | Scottish Island | Scotland | WWII | Hebrides

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
Mary MacNeil	...	Mrs McCormac
Norman Macowan	...	Captain MacPhee
Alastair Hunter	...	Captain MacKechnie
Henry Mollison	...	Farquharson
Compton MacKenzie	...	Captain Buncher
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Finlay Currie	...	Narrator (uncredited)
A.E. Matthews	...	Colonel Linsey-Woolsey (uncredited)
Frank Webster	...	1st Mate (uncredited)

Directed by
Alexander Mackendrick

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Compton MacKenzie		novel
Compton MacKenzie		screenplay
Angus MacPhail		writer

Produced by
Michael Balcon	....	producer
Monja Danischewsky	....	associate producer (as M. Danischewsky)

Original Music by
Ernest Irving

Cinematography by
Gerald Gibbs

Film Editing by
Joseph Sterling
Charles Crichton		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Jim Morahan

Makeup Department
Barbara Barnard	....	hairdresser supervisor (uncredited)
Ernest Taylor	....	makeup supervisor (uncredited)

Production Management
Hal Mason	....	production supervisor
L.C. Rudkin	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry Kratz	....	assistant director
Richmond Harding	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
John Meadows	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Bert Davey	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Norman Dorme	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leonard Bulkley	....	sound recordist (as Leonard B. Bulkley)
Stephen Dalby	....	sound supervisor
Michael Stoll	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Geoffrey Dickinson	....	special effects
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator (as Chick Waterson)
Hal Britten	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Jack Dooley	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Harry Gillam	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Roy Gough	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Douglas Slocombe	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Herbert Smith	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Ken Westbury	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anthony Mendleson	....	wardrobe supervisor
Fred Birch	....	wardrobe master (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Roy Baker	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)
Robert Winter	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Ernest Irving	....	conductor

Other crew
Marjorie Owens	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Ealing Studios

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1949) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Victory Films (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV) (1966) (Finland) (TV)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV) (1993) (Finland) (TV) (MTV3)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (UK) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1979) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Philharmonia Orchestra, The  music played by

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:

Shot on the island of Barra, which boasts Britain's most unique airport - the runway is the beach.

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:

Dr Maclaren: It's a well known fact that some men were born two drinks below par.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Forever Ealing (2002) (TV)

Art and Entertainment Galore

Compton Mackenzie along with classical music certainly knew his stuff when he wrote Whisky Galore, basing it on true events that happened in 1941. I always preferred the film. The quality of the video I made from UK BBC2 on 28th Dec 1988 was excellent, but there are budget editions out there so be careful. This is one of Ealing's handful of timeless first class classics, one that is always shown on TV and has passed into British movie folklore. Its depiction of the Sabbath-keeping Scottish islanders is only just passing into history as the inhabitants of the Outer Hebrides are only gradually establishing Sunday communications with the mainland.

Insular isolated island runs out of whisky but a cargo ship with 50,000 cases of the muck runs aground nearby. Happy times return, against all the efforts of Basil Radford as the local snooty (English) Home Guard Captain. Bruce Seton was actually a rather weather-beaten 40 to Joan Greenwood's 28 but they surely made a splendid non whisky drinking couple especially at the dance. Favourite bits: The church clock striking for the arrival of Monday morning and the consequent sudden activity; The group of men singing lustily and relaxing with their first drink for ages; Hiding the muck from the Excise men, and so much more to watch and savour over and over again.

Ealing Sudios went to Barra in summer 1948 and filmed this in 3 months for £80,000 - over-budget, too! When I think of the enormous pleasure that it's given me and so many others over the decades I would think that it was money very well spent, unlike any that might be spent on a pointless remake.