Movies - Whisky Galore!

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	Movies - Whisky Galore!

Whisky Galore is a novel written by Compton Mackenzie (1947) which was subsequently adapted for the cinema under the title Whisky Galore!.

Plot

During World War II, a cargo vessel (S.S. Cabinet Minister) is wrecked off a remote Scottish island group — Great Todday and Little Todday — with 50,000 cases of whisky aboard. Due to wartime rationing, the thirsty islanders had nearly run out of the "water of life" and see this as an unexpected godsend. They manage to salvage several hundred cases before the ship sinks. But it is not all clear sailing. They must thwart the efforts of the authorities to confiscate the liquor in the shape of a misguided, pompous English Home Guard captain. A hilarious cat-and-mouse battle of wits ensues.

The story was based on a real-life incident that occurred on the Hebridean island of Eriskay when the S.S. Politician ran aground.

About the book

Mackenzie's prose captures the various accents of the area in an illustrative way, and also includes much common Gaelic that was in use at the time. The book comes with a useful appendix of both meaning and approximate pronunciation of the language.

Mackenzie wrote a sequel, Rockets Galore.

About the film

The film version is a 1949 Ealing comedy written by Angus MacPhail and Compton Mackenzie and directed by Alexander Mackendrick. The cast included Basil Radford (as the Home Guard captain), Joan Greenwood, James Robertson Justice and John Gregson. It was shot on the island of Barra.

The Rank Organisation produced a less well-received sequel, Rockets Galore!, in 1958.

American versions

In the United States the novel and the film were titled Tight Little Island, as a ban existed on using the names of alcoholic drinks in titles.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Whisky Galore! ]

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