The Panther Crawl

The comedies of Ealing Studios have a real charm and wit. They also have a soul. I got a box set from the library of their earlier, little shown films that I'm sure will enthrall me over the next few days.

First up, I watched Whisky Galore, the first film directed by Alexander Mackendrick, the director of one of my favorite films, The Ladykillers.

It's 1943 and a remote Scottish island has run out of whisky. Then, a cargo ship containing 50,000 cases of the nectar runs aground. Before it sinks, the residents of the island snatch a few cases for themselves.



The excise taxmen are brought in to investigate. There are a couple of sweet romances, an awesome scene in which the residents sing as they're getting drunk for the first time in a long while. It's a very funny movie. I'm not very familiar with the cast, but I did recognize Joan Greenwood. Can't wait to watch this again with my girl so she can translate some of it as the accents can be a bit thick which, combined with 1948 sound, can be a bit tough for me to pick out.

A few years ago, there was an attempt to remake this beloved film, it did not go over very well.

There are four more films to watch. Maybe over the weekend, or I'll wait a bit longer to savor these wonderful comedies.