- The Maggie
Infobox Film
name = The Maggie
imdb_id = 0047085
writer = Alexander Mackendrick (story)William Rose
starring =Alex Mackenzie
Paul Douglas
director =Alexander Mackendrick
producer =Michael Balcon Michael Truman
distributor =Ealing Studios
released = February 1954 (UK)August 30 1954 (US)
runtime = 92 min.
country = UK
language = English
music =
awards =
budget ="The Maggie" (released in the U.S. as "High and Dry") is a 1954 British
comedy film . Directed byAlexander Mackendrick and written by William Rose, it is a story of a clash of cultures between a hard-driving American businessman and a wily Scottish captain.It was produced by
Ealing Studios , at a time when ruralScotland was seen as a popular backdrop for light family entertainment (other examples include "Whisky Galore!" and "Geordie", andBritish Transport Films such as "The Coasts of Clyde").The story was inspired by Neil Munro's short stories of the "
Vital Spark " and her captain,Para Handy .Plot
The "Maggie" is a small, aged boat, a typical
Clyde puffer . Mactaggart (Alex Mackenzie ), a rascal of a captain, is in dire need of 300 pounds to renew his license. By chance, he meets Mr Pusey (Hubert Gregg ) at the office of a shipping firm. Pusey, a proper Englishman, complete withbowler hat and umbrella, is trying to arrange for the transportation of some personal furniture for his boss, American Calvin B. Marshall (Paul Douglas), but the big company has no ships immediately available. Mactaggart gets the job when Pusey mistakenly believes that he works for the reputable shipping company and that the more modern vessel docked next to the "Maggie" is Mactaggart's.Marshall eventually learns the truth and sets out in pursuit of the boat by aeroplane and hired car.When he catches up with Mactaggart, he puts Pusey on board to ensure the cargo is transferred to another boat. But his underling is no match for the captain; he ends up in jail on a charge of
poaching . Marshall realizes that he will have to handle the matter personally. After another costly chase, he boards the boat himself to spur its progress. However, the route and timing of the voyage is determined by local community priorities.Marshall's hostile attitude gradually softens somewhat. He is particularly touched by the loyalty of the "wee boy", Dougie (Tommy Kearins), to his captain. At one point, when Marshall threatens to buy the boat from the owner, Mactaggart's sister, and sell it for scrap, Dougie drops a board on him, knocking him unconscious.
At one of the stops, to attend the one hundredth birthday of a man, Marshall chats with a nineteen-year-old girl who is pondering her future. She has two suitors, an up-and-coming, ambitious storeowner and a poor fisherman. The American advises her to choose the former, but she believes she will marry the latter, explaining that he will give her his time, rather than just things. This strikes a chord with Marshall. He is having marital difficulties and the furniture is an attempt to patch things up with his wife.
As they finally near their destination, the engine stops working and the boat drifts onto some rocks. The only way to save the "Maggie" is to jettison the cargo. Despite this setback (and Mactaggart's failure to insure the furniture), Marshall allows him to keep the money he so desperately needs. In appreciation of his magnamity, Mactaggart renames his boat the "Calvin B. Marshall".
Cast
*
Alex Mackenzie as Captain Mactaggart
*Paul Douglas as Calvin B. Marshall
*Tommy Kearins as Dougie, the wee boy
*James Copeland as the Mate
*Abe Barker as the Engineer
*Hubert Gregg as Pusey
*Dorothy Alison as Miss Peters, the owner of the boat
*Geoffrey Keen as Campbell, the owner of the large shipping company
*Mark Dignam as the Laird who jails PuseyProduction
The "Maggie" was played by two Hays boats in the film, the "Boer" and the "Inca". Much of the film was shot on location at
Islay .DVD releases
The film is available as part of the Region 2 Ealing Comedy DVD Collection, released in April, 2003. Other movies in the set include "Whisky Galore!", "Champagne Charlie", and "It Always Rains on Sunday".
In Region 1, it is part of the Ealing Studios Comedy Collection, released in April, 2005, along with "Whisky Galore!", "
Passport to Pimlico ", "A Run for Your Money " and "The Titfield Thunderbolt ".External links
*imdb title|id=0047085|title=The Maggie
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