One of the great Ealing comedies Whisky Galore! was the first film by one of Ealing's most celebrated directors Alexander McKendrick, who would later go on to make beloved classics like The Man In The White Suit and The Ladykillers. Based upon the true story of the SS Politician, a cargo ship that sank off the north coast of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides. The "Polly" as it was known happened to be carrying 28,000 cases of malt whisky, given the unspoken rules of salvage in the islands and the fact that wartime rationing had depleted the whisky supply, the islanders took to helping themselves, until falling foul of the spoilsport customs authorities. Whisky Galore! fictionalises the story to tell the tale of the SS Cabinet Minister which runs aground off the Isle of Todday. Like most Ealing films Whisky Galore! is a comfort film that should be watched on rainy Sunday afternoons, with a tumbler of whisky in hand.
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