As the whole film had to shot on location, the interior shots were shot locally as well so that the spirit wasn't lost back at the studio in London. In short, everybody involved (director apart) had a whale of time making the film and this comes across. Even Compton Mackenzie got a part in the film - his acting debut and final performance in one.
Incidentally the film had an interesting linguistic influence as well. It popularised the word "Galore" outside Scotland (Gu leòr - 'plenty of') - one of the few borrowings English makes of Gaelic. It also provided a cliché: 'something Galore!' is widely used in journalistic English to this day - "Problems Galore!", "Landfill sites galore!" scream tabloid headlines worldwide. Try doing it Net Search on the word "Galore" and see what turns up.
(Adapted from original text by Scott Hatton)
Whisky Galore [1949]- Directed by Alexander Mackendrick
The classic Ealing comedy Whisky Galore. A ship loaded with whisky is wrecked on a Scottish island. The locals attempt to conceal the haul from the Customs and Excise man.
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Polly: The True Story Behind Whiskey Galore - by Roger Hutchinson Using eyewitness accounts, historical papers and official documents, this book tells the story of the SS Politician and the circus that surrounded her, from islanders in small skiffs to wartime excise officers and the final solution to the problem of the vessel affectionately known as the "Polly". To read some of the book online just click on the amazon.co.uk link below.
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Whisky Galore
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