Compton Mackenzie's novel, on which the picture is based, is unfolded on a Hebridean island in 1943. Only sign of the war is the local Home Guard, but a major disaster occurs when the island runs out of whisky. After some days a freighter with 50,000 cases of Scotch runs aground off the island. The natives organize a midnight expedition and lay in a tremendous store for future consumption. Sustained comedy treatment successfully carries the film forward to the point where the islanders outwit the Home Guard captain who regards the adventure as the worst type of looting. The marvellous and irreplaceable Basil Radford gives a flawless performance of the misunderstood Home Guard chief whose zealousness leads to trouble in high quarters. Bruce Seton and Joan Greenwood as well as Gabrielle Blunt and Gordon Jackson provide the slight romances of the film. 5 STARS OUT OF 5 - UNMISSABLE Buy UK Dvd from this Site Trivia Perhaps 1949 was Ealing's greatest year as it not only released this jewel of a film in that year but also the classics Passport to Pimlico and Kind Hearts and Coronets The film was a commercial success when it was released which was just as well as at one time it was £20,000 over budget. Not a huge amount by today's standards but for Ealing at the time it was a hanging offence and for a time while shooting it was threatened with cancellation. The US title for the movie was Tight Little Island; the French, Whisky a Go-Go. Thus a dubious honour for the film was that it spawned the name of the famous Parisian nightclub. Not what the islanders would have ever dreamed of. Ages when the movie was shot in the summer of 1948: Basil Radford, 51; Catherine Lacey, 44; Bruce Seton, 39; Joan Greenwood, 27; Gordon Jackson, 25; John Gregson, 29; James Robertson-Justice, 43. 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. This at the end of the film when seen today is the only thing that doesn't ring true about the whole film though it has to be admitted if the film wasn't so funny and delightful the mens' obsession with whisky borders on alcoholism!! This was the first feature from director Alexander Mackendrick. The film was shot on the island of Barra and production was hampered by the fact that the summer of 1948 was of the worst on record. Shot in three months. Balcon chose Monja Danischewsky to produce the film. Based on a true story. The name of the real ship, that sunk Feb 5 1941 - during WWII - was S/S Politician. Having left Liverpool two days earlier, heading for Jamaica, it sank outside Eriskay, The Outer Hebrides, Scotland, in bad weather, containing 250,000 bottles of whisky. The locals gathered as many bottles as they could, before the proper authorities arrived, and even today, bottles are found in the sand or in the sea every other year. The ship was also carrying a sizeable amount of hard cash. Sequel - Rockets Galore! Whisky Galore! Buy UK Dvd (This Site) (Shipped from UK) Single Disc [1949] Actors: Basil Radford, Catherine Lacey Format: PAL Language: English Region: 2 (UK & Europe) Number of discs: 1 Classification: PG Studio: Optimum Releasing DVD Release Date: 13 Nov 2006 Run Time: 80 minutes DVD Features: Main Language: English Dvd also features a short commentary on the making on the film plus a few poster stills plus a few other bits and pieces. Not an awful amount of extras thogh what there is is better than nothing. Price: £7.99 UK Sterling (new) (excludes postage & packaging) To reserve this item please e-mail by clicking here and include country ordering from. I will then get back to you within 24 hours with availability, price including postage and methods of payment (paypal, cheque, which is preferred, po etc.). Also available: amazon.co.uk Sequel DVD - Rockets Galore! Whisky Galore! Buy UK Dvd (This Site) (Shipped from UK) 2 Disc [1949] Actors: Basil Radford, Catherine Lacey Format: Box set, PAL, Special Edition Language: English Region: 2 (UK & Europe) Number of discs: 2 Classification: PG Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment DVD Release Date: 10 Oct 2005 Run Time: 80 minutes DVD Features: Main Language: English Digitally Restored And Remastered Feature Introduction By George Perry Author Of Forever Ealing Audio Commentary By British Cinema Expert John Ellis Trailers Distilling Whisky Galore Documentary Including Interviews With Alexander Mackendrick And His Crew Whisky Galore A Personal History Recently Filmed Interview With Hilary Mackendrick Wife Of Alexander Mackendrick Price: £12.99 UK Sterling (new) (excludes postage & packaging) To reserve this item please e-mail by clicking here and include country ordering from. I will then get back to you within 24 hours with availability, price including postage and methods of payment (paypal, cheque, which is preferred, po etc.). Also available: amazon.co.uk Sequel DVD - Rockets Galore! Movie Review whisky galore! dvds | videos al pacino | michelle pfeiffer yul brynner | christopher plummer | romy schneider the godfather | the godfather part ii marlon brando | james caan | diane keaton | al pacino laurence olivier | clark gable | vivien leigh | leslie howard | alfred hitchcock | robert montgomery | grace kelly olivia de havilland | humphrey bogart | howard hawks | frank capra | charlie chaplin | lauren bacall | fritz lang jean harlow | greta garbo | ava gardner | audrey hepburn | edward g. robinson | john garfield erich von stroheim | wim wenders | madeleine carroll | marlene dietrich | rita hayworth alexander mackendrick dvds alexander mackendrick videos whisky galore! dvds | videos al pacino | michelle pfeiffer yul brynner | christopher plummer | romy schneider the godfather | the godfather part ii marlon brando | james caan | diane keaton | al pacino laurence olivier | clark gable | vivien leigh | leslie howard | alfred hitchcock | robert montgomery | grace kelly olivia de havilland | humphrey bogart | howard hawks | frank capra | charlie chaplin | lauren bacall | fritz lang jean harlow | greta garbo | ava gardner | audrey hepburn | edward g. robinson | john garfield erich von stroheim | wim wenders | madeleine carroll | marlene dietrich | rita hayworth Page created by: lenin@netcomuk.co.uk Changes last made: 2007