The Maggie (1954)

Director:

Alexander Mackendrick

Writers:

Alexander Mackendrick (story)
William Rose (writer)

Release Date:

February 1954 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

A Scotch Mist...A Girl Never Kissed...A Yank Who Missed...and Landed HIGH AND DRY

Plot:

An American businessman in Scotland is conned into shipping a valuable load of cargo to a Scottish island via a coal powered boat.

Plot Keywords:

Vessel | Scotland | Crew | Poaching | Centenarian

Awards:

Nominated for 3 BAFTA Film Awards.

Cast

Paul Douglas	...	Calvin B. Marshall, the American
Alex Mackenzie	...	Mactaggart, the skipper
James Copeland	...	Mate
Abe Barker	...	Engineer
Tommy Kearins	...	Dougie, the wee boy
Hubert Gregg	...	Pusey
Geoffrey Keen	...	Campbell
Dorothy Alison	...	Miss Peters
Andrew Keir	...	Reporter
Meg Buchanan	...	Sarah
Mark Dignam	...	The Laird
Jameson Clark	...	Dirty Dan, the publican
Moultrie Kelsall	...	C.S.S. skipper
Fiona Clyne	...	Sheena
Sheila Shand Gibbs	...	Barmaid

Also Known As:

High and Dry (USA)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (British Film Censors) | Iceland:L | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Crinan, Argyll, Scotland, UK

Company:

Michael Balcon Productions

Trivia:

Tommy Kearins, who plays Dougie, was selected for the role after being spotted in a Scouts "Gang Show", working backstage. After being interviewed by Ealing, he spent 3 months filming on Islay. He was paid 3 times what his father made in the Clyde shipyards.

Quotes:

Mactaggart, the skipper: [to prosperous merchantmen in a pub] You're very smug with your gold braid and your conventions and your five days a week, but you're no better than hirelings standing like wee bairns in front of Mr. Campbell's big Tess down yonder. You havwn't the freedom of operations that I have. You haven't the dignity of your own command. Less than my boat, there's not a finer vessel in the coastal trade! There's not a finer vessel anywhere!

Excellent scottish comedy film of its genre , much underated.

"The Maggie" represents the best of the gentle scots comedies of the 50s. In my opinion it is a better film than "Whisky Galore" by the same Director. Many of the locations in the film are little changed such as the splendid crinan canal in Argyll, scotland and the island of Islay. Most of the cast are no more but Mr Pusey, the lawyer, played by Hubert Gregg hosts Thanks for the Memory, a show on British Radio 2 for afficianados of music from the 20s-40s. Hubert Gregg is an octogenerian! Of the other cast members Tommy Kearins "the wee boy" may still be alive but I have been unable to trace details. Another film in this favourite format is "Laxdale Hall" filmed at Applecross village, scotland.