Whisky Galore!

Whisky Galore! is not only based upon the novel by Compton Mackenzie but on a real event that happened on February 5th 1941.
The cargo ship ‚S/S Politician’ set sail from Liverpool direction Jamaica, but due to bad weather got shipwrecked by the coast of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Whilst the English population during that time could hardly imagine anything worse then getting bombed by Germans, the tiny population of Eniskay on the other hand could indeed imagine worse things to come: namely to run dry of their beloved whisky (which the Scottish and Irish people have baptised ‚the water of life’). Thank god for the shipwreck then, seeing how the freighter’s cargo consisted of an impressive 50,000 caskets of whisky bottles! In an attempt to rescue as much of the treasured liquid as possible, the locals rowed to the wrack in order to get their hands on as much whisky as possible before the arrival of the authorities from the mainland.

Alexander Mackendrick’s 1949 b/w movie retells this incredible event, and in a humorous manner, too. One of the funniest moments in the film is when a few old men ask the bartender in their local pub whether Winston Churchill might be aware of the awful fact that the Outer Hebrides soon will be out of whisky...
Basil Radford, Joan Greenwood, James Robertson Justice, Gordon Jackson as well as Catherine Lacey play some of the thirsty souls.
Optimum have just released the film digitally restored, with many Extras such as ‚The Real Whisky Galore! Docu’, ‚Distilling“ Original TV Docu’, Interviews, audio commentary as well as an English Language option (!) for those who might encounter problems with the film’s predominantly Scottish accents.

Whisky Galore! is available both on DVD as well as Bluray; in addition it is currently shown in selected cinemas across the country.