Whisky Galore! (1949)

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:

Roadblock | Scottish Island | Cargo | Salvage | Shipwreck

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)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Victory Films (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (UK) (VHS)

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:

Captain Paul Waggett: I want to speak to your son George.
Mrs Campbell: George is in his bedroom.
Captain Paul Waggett: Oh, not ill, I hope.
Mrs Campbell: He's locked in his bedroom with his Bible and some bread and cheese, and he'll not be out until tomorra' mornin'.
Captain Paul Waggett: I never heard of anything so preposterous!
Mrs Campbell: Did you ever hear of the Fourth Commandment?
Captain Paul Waggett: Of course, I have!
Mrs Campbell: Remember the...
Captain Paul Waggett: You needn't repeat it. I learned the Commandment years ago.
Mrs Campbell: More shame to you then that yeh should lead my son away from righteousness.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Norbert Smith, a Life (1989) (TV)

Have a drink!

A little town on a Scottish Isle suffers the most horrifying predicament, of which the outbreak of WWII in hindsight seemed to be an omen: they're out of whiskey! Everyone goes into an almost catatonic state until fortune takes a turn for the better: a ship is wrecked on a reef. The cargo: 50,000 cases of whiskey. But there's one do-gooder, the local militia leader, who just can't allow the cargo to be put to use. That, he says would lead to anarchy. Many well defined characters, good plot.