Whisky Galore! (Restored) (Blu-ray) Blu-ray, 1949

One of the best-loved comedies from the Ealing Studios, Whisky Galore! was based on the true story of the SS Politician, a ship that went down off the coast of the Hebrides in 1941 along with its cargo of 22,000 cases of whisky. It was filmed on location on the island of Barra where established stars such as Joan Greenwood, Wylie Watson and James Robertson Justice took their place among the islanders who acted as extras in the film. The theme is a familiar Ealing one of a battle against petty officialdom, here in the guise of the stuffed-up Sassenach, Home Guard Captain Waggett, who sees it as his duty to prevent the salvage of the wrecked cargo by the whisky-starved islanders and hence the robbing of the rightful income of the Inland Revenue. Much to the islander’s amusement, he is justly rewarded for his trouble – it is after all, a ‘moral’ story. The dialogue, from Compton Mackenzie and Angus McPhail is beautifully barbed and listening to Joan Greenwood rolling the sound of the Scots around her tongue is an absolute delight.

Graeme Hobbs on 16th September 2005
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Whisky Galore! ranks among one of the most popular Ealing titles ever made and the BFI included it in a list of the best 100 British films of the 20th Century. This mu... more >

Whisky Galore! ranks among one of the most popular Ealing titles ever made and the BFI included it in a list of the best 100 British films of the 20th Century. This much-loved classic is available on special edition 2 disc DVD including the documentary Distilling Whisky Galore. The film takes place on the remote island of Todday in the outer Hebrides -- blissfully untouched by the ravages of WWII until the island's wartime ration of whisky or 'the water of life', dries up completely -- leaving the locals in a state of devastation. < less

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