Whisky Galore!

Wartime rationing has left a small Scottish island without whisky, and the shortage has drained the life out of the place: the older men have lost their appetite for existence and the younger ones have lost interest in romance. When a cargo ship runs aground nearby with thousands of cases of whisky aboard, the islanders see a chance to restore their supplies. Salvaging the cargo means outwitting the local customs and excise officer, who is determined to stop them.

Directed by Alexander Mackendrick, this was his first feature and the opening entry in a run that continued with The Man in the White Suit, The 'Maggie', The Ladykillers and Sweet Smell of Success. Compton MacKenzie and Angus MacPhail wrote the screenplay from MacKenzie's novel, and Michael Balcon produced for Ealing Studios. Basil Radford plays Captain Paul Waggett, with Bruce Seton, Gordon Jackson, Wylie Watson, Morland Graham and John Gregson among a credited cast of twenty-five. The story draws on a real wreck: a ship carrying whisky that went down off the Outer Hebrides during the Second World War.

The film runs eighty-two minutes. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.1 from around 7,300 votes, while on TMDB it has a 6.8 from roughly 156 votes, so viewers there are somewhat less enthusiastic than the larger IMDb sample.