Whisky Galore!

Whisky Galore! is a charming comedy classic, though one that the passage of time has gnawed at considerably.

The narrative pace is brisk in this cosy story, set in an isolated island community in the Hebrides during the Second World War. The islanders live in modest circumstances. Their only luxury is a dram of whisky now and then, so when the war puts a stop to whisky deliveries, it is something of a catastrophe.

Then a ship with a hold full of whisky runs aground off the island, which gives rise to a game of cat and mouse, in which the cat is the dutiful Home Guard man Captain Waggett, who zealously sets out to ensure that no one helps themselves to the whisky. The island's thirsty menfolk, however, have other plans. They manage to salvage a large part of the cargo just before the ship sinks. Then the wild hunt for the stolen salvage begins, for Captain Waggett does not give up so easily.