The Maggie

Puffer tug The Maggie is on its last legs. It cant get a voyage or even a fare. The problem is that she has been superseded by everything with an engine. MacTaggart the ships captain has other ideas about its future. He goes to the local exchange for work. Though nothing is available, he lucks out. An American businessman needs equipment to the islands off the coast. The ship must go today but should be sea worthy and new. If it meets this he will pay for the privilege. They don't say a thing but agree to take the cargo. Now they are rumbled and its a race to get the goods safely to its destination!

Ealing made comedy gold in the 1940s and 1950s. They also made these films packed full of insight and commentary. This for instance is a film about American business and its post war brashness. It is also about how that mixed with Scotland's more antiquated ways. This comedy of others is profound and funny. Think an odd couple between ragged capitalism and tradition. In our modern world it speaks volumes about America and points the finger at British buccaneering which connect.

It has an abundance of laughs all considered but light in tone. The star of the show is the ship. I love how ramshackle a beast it is but how much you love it. You want it to win. You want its crew to succeed in an endeavour that is as foolish as it is funny. I feel you will love it if you love Ealing Comedies as clever as Hue and Cry and The lavender Hill Mob You also will love the naive way in which those with money and dreams have reality dump on them.
I only have a single misgiving. This was released almost in the same quality some ten years back. That version was sufficient and this rerelease is an embarrassment of riches at twice the price. Is it worth it?