Mubi Monday: Whisky Galore! (1949)

Known as the film about the little Scottish island that ends up receiving an unexpected windfall of whisky, hence the title, Whisky Galore! holds a place in the hearts of many who have seen it in the intervening decades since it was first release. Like many other Ealing Studios films, it taps into a particularly sweet vein of Britishness, mixed with great comedy and a dash of pathos. But it also has a bunch of Scottish people doing whatever it takes to keep hold of a surprise "delivery" of precious whisky.

The small island of Todday doesn't have too much going on. That doesn't stop Captain Waggett (Basil Radford), commander of the local Home Guard, from trying to keep everything done by the letter of the law. Military maneuvres are practiced, and everyone needs to be ready to do their bit for the greater good. It turns out that Captain Waggett and the islanders have very different ideas of what conssitutes the greater good when a ship containing 50,000 cases of whisky crashes near the island. Waggett wants that cargo kept safe, but everyone else wants to enjoy drinking it.

Based on a real-life incident that happened on the island of Eriskay, Whisky Galore! benefits from a great cast, solid direction from Alexander Mackendrick, and a wonderfully warm and witty screenplay by Compton Mackenzie (adapting his own novel) and Angus MacPhail. It has a brief 82-minute runtime, and brilliantly establishes a large selection of main characters who all end up playing vital roles in the third act set-piece that shows people finding imaginative hiding places for their whisky bottles.

Although he's mainly the villain of the piece, Radford is quite a delight in the role of Waggett. He's all about the precision and standards, no matter how unpopular that makes him on the island. Wylie Watson is also very good as Joseph Macroon, the father of two daughters, Peggy (Joan Greenwood) and Catriona (Gabrielle Blunt), who have caught the hearts of Sergeant Odd (Bruce Seton) and George Campbell (Gordon Jackson), respectively. Greenwood and Blunt light up the screen, Seton gets to break away from the stiffness of his character as he sides with the islanders, due to being compromised by his feelings, and Jackson is fantastic as a man living in fear of his domineering mother (Jean Cadell, delivering one unforgettable matriarchal turn).

There's a wonderful score, an occasional blast of the bagpipes, some traditional dancing, and some trickery employed to try and make the sinking ship and precious cargo seem as real as possible. The comedy is gentle, but there's no real tension (although that may be down to familiarity with the material). It doesn't matter though. You get to spend time with a great assortment of characters that you want to see achieve a small, but meaningful, victory for "the little man". Sometimes you need one stroke of good luck to turn your fortunes around. Sometimes you need much more than that. And sometimes you just need a wee dram.

9/10

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The Sword And The Rose (1953)

A Disney swashbuckler with little swash or buckle, The Sword And The Rose somehow remains a good adventure yarn that takes a number of liberties with some historical figures.

It is the reign of Henry VIII (James Robertson Justice) and he is determined to send his sister, Princess Mary Tudor (Glynis Johns), to wed Louis XII (Jean Mercure). But Princess Mary Tudor has other plans, she is headstrong anyway and this is made worse when she falls for Charles Brandon (Richard Todd). Of course, any plans that the good lady has to be with Charles, a common man, places them both in severe jeopardy and the situation is worsened by the scheming of the smitten Duke Of Buckingham (Michael Gough).

Directed by Ken Annakin, with a screenplay by Lawrence Edward Watkin based on the novel "When Knighthood Was In Flower" by Charles Major, there's a lot here to enjoy even if nothing stands out as truly great.

The biggest bonus for the film comes from the performances. Todd is a fine hero and Johns is both beautiful and sassy. James Robertson Justice is highly entertaining as Henry VIII and Michael Gough makes a great, scheming villain.

It also runs for a brisk 92 minutes and so never outstays its welcome. As an outright adventure it may not have quite enough energy or derring-do but as an entertaining tale that mixes romance, comedy, treachery and some grand feats I'd have to say that this edges ahead of the similiar treatment that director and writer gave to the Robin Hood story. It's a mix of tunics, tights, technicolor and even one or two amusingly risque (for the time) moments that will keep you entertained for the duration.

Oh, one last thing, the scene in which Glynis Johns tries to pass herself off as a boy in order to stay close to Richard Todd is, surely, one of the most unconvincing attempts by a woman to appear as a man and also an inspiration for the great use of the character "Bob" in a number of Blackadder episodes. Watch the movie and tell me I'm wrong.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rose-1953-region-Richard-Directed-Annakin/dp/788588385X/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1339755907&sr=1-1

The Story Of Robin Hood And His Merrie Men (1952)

The first take on the Robin Hood tale by Disney is a live action effort that makes for an enjoyable enough viewing but suffers from one major failing, it's surpassed by almost every other Robin Hood movie ever made, including the animated Disney outing.

Everyone knows the tale of Robin Hood, the details may differ but the basics remain the same in most tellings - Robin (Richard Todd takes the role here) is an accomplished bowman who becomes an outlaw after the king he is loyal to embarks on the crusades and leaves a conniving prince in charge (Hubert Gregg), he has an ongoing nemesis in the shape of the Sheriff Of Nottingham (Peter Finch) but is always helped by his band of merry men, including Little John (James Robertson Justice), Friar Tuck (James Hayter) and Will Scarlet (Anthony Forwood). He also has a bit of chemistry with Maid Marian (Joan Rice).

Enjoyable enough for what it is, this movie simply disappoints for what it isn't. It's not a swashbuckler in the style of THE great Robin Hood movie, it's not a slice of far-fetched fun in the style of the animated version, it's got no grit (the light treatment is to be expected, of course, what with this being a Disney family movie) and although it has a few great cast members it lacks the star power that we've seen in certain notable blockbuster interpretations.

The script by Lawrence Edward Watkin and the direction by Ken Annakin are both perfectly reasonable for the style of the movie. There's nothing bad here, it's just that there's nothing special either. No sense of excitement during the moments of daring, no tension, no real thrills. It's all just decidedly average.

The cast are, overall, suited to their roles. Richard Todd is likeable enough in the lead role while Peter Finch is an enjoyable weasel of a villain. James Robertson Justice, Anthony Forwood and Hubert Gregg all do well while James Hayter ends up being a bit irritating, more due to the writing of his character than any major flaw in his performance. There are also good turns from Patrick Barr, Michael Hordern, Martita Hunt, Hal Osmond and Bill Owen. But I've saved the best praise for last, the lovely Joan Rice certainly ranks up there as one of the most beautiful Maid Marians ever and her presence lifts the movie out of the doldrums and makes the love story between Marian and Robin very easy to believe in.

I guess the movie holds up as something that would easily pass the time on a rainy afternoon but it's a Robin Hood film that languishes buried beneath a pile of superior Robin Hood films.

6/10

http://www.amazon.com/Story-Robin-Hood-Peter-Finch/dp/B001TPGNBK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337518111&sr=8-2