The Maggie

1954

1h 33m

Comedy

List

83%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

65%

Audience Score

100+ Ratings

Calvin B. Marshall (Paul Douglas), a wealthy American, plans to surprise his wife with a summer residence in the British Isles. Arrogantly certain that he can make a shrewd deal, he charters a small, rundown transport boat, "The Maggie," to carry his furnishings to the new property. Pilot Capt. McTaggert (Alex Mackenzie) desperately needs the job to save his boat -- but he and the crew of two men and a boy nevertheless plan to get the most out of Marshall on their most unorthodox journey.

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Kate Muir

Times (UK)

[Boasts] sly wit, charm and gorgeous black-and-white Scottish seascapes.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 20, 2015

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

Gorgeously shot, whimsically scripted and acted, a dated delight from start to finish.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 27, 2020

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

...Mackendrick allows no illusions that the crew of The Maggie are anything but criminals.

Mar 25, 2020

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Ealing films stand out because the wit has bite and consequently the stories have sting. Rarely, though, are they mean-spirited, which isn't the case with The Maggie.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 14, 2020

Full Review

MFB Critics

Monthly Film Bulletin

Here the director has been very successful in capturing the particular mixture of canniness and humour, petty deceitfulness and honesty.

Feb 6, 2018

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The Ealing comedy is gentle sailing.

Rated: B-

Oct 20, 2015

Full Review

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Stephen C

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Excellent view of a way of life in the Scottish Highlands and Islands which was already passing i to history life which

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Like many Ealing films a surprising depth that stays with you. The New World battles with the wiley natives of the Scottish Isles, ancient and eternal. Themes to be amplified years later in the Oscar Winning Local Hero. This is a gem of a film and not to be missed.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

simon d

A very Scottish film, not always easy to follow the dialect. Similar to Whiskey Galore it's set back in the day when the Scotts were a friendly people. Has some funny moments and could be one of the very few loch and canal versions of a "road movie".

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Maggie is one of Ealing Studios finest comedies. It is director Alexander MacKendrick's take on modern versus traditional views in Scotland after the 2d WW and on American corporate values in Britain. The interplay is quite interesting, when one considers that MacKendrick was an American who was raised in Scotland and eventually returned to live in the U.S. One senses a longing on the part of the writer, William Rose, for a vanishing coastal Scotland, and all the values that were incorporated by that rural society. The story began as others in Glasgow represented new values and the Captain of the Maggie, played by Alex MacKenzie, and his crew encountered problems in this urban atmosphere in which they were so out of play. The lead character, called the American and played Paul Douglas, was an even greater displacement for the crew of the Maggie but could even be seen as pushing along his own employees as he referred to some as being incompetent and one mentioned that when she sought to leave he doubled her salary. He believed that his modern fixations with time being an obsession and money being of paramount importance were even somewhat much for the Scottish in Glasgow of the early 1950s. The comedy works because, the American and his employees are forced to adopt to a mode of life in which we can all empathize. Although the Maggie's captain is a bit of a scoundrel, his purpose is never self profit, it is merely to keep his ship operating. The American who is defrauded, and he is without a doubt, has vindictive motives, is overbearing and does not gain any sympathy until he undergoes a series of humiliating experiences, most of which are surprisingly instigated by the cabin boy, who would be the hero if there was one. Some comments regarding the cabin boy. The lad certainly is the catalyst for much of the action that causes the plot to move. To reveal too much would be inappropriate, however, it suffices to say that the arrest of the assistant, the dock, the washboard and so forth were all at this instigation. It does make the one weakness in the plot construction as it is a bit too convenient and easy for my taste. That said, it does work doesn't it. All in all, a wonderful movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Wonderful little film about the old steam 'puffers' that used to ply their trade up and down Scotland's west (and possibly east) coast. It's a slow-burner and none the worse for that. Let the film and the glorious scenery take you away in its own good time, which after all is the central point of the movie, along with a few subtle things to say about brash, fast-paced life. It includes a memorable scene of a Céilidh (gathering, often with music and dance) that is a genuine rarity in its authenticity. Film lovers may be more familiar with better known classics like Whisky Galore (also directed by Alexander MacKendrick) and Powell & Pressburger's I Know Where I'm Going, but The Maggie is not to be dismissed. Just make sure you're not in a rush. Make yourself a drink and put your feet up. Sweetly whimsical, it's a rare gem.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

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Alexander Mackendrick

Director

Paul Douglas

Calvin B Marshall

Alex Mackenzie

Mactaggart, the Skipper

James Copeland

Mate

Abe Barker

The Engineer

Hubert Gregg

Pusey

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Synopsis

Calvin B. Marshall (Paul Douglas), a wealthy American, plans to surprise his wife with a summer residence in the British Isles. Arrogantly certain that he can make a shrewd deal, he charters a small, rundown transport boat, "The Maggie," to carry his furnishings to the new property. Pilot Capt. McTaggert (Alex Mackenzie) desperately needs the job to save his boat -- but he and the crew of two men and a boy nevertheless plan to get the most out of Marshall on their most unorthodox journey.

Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Producer: Michael Balcon
Screenwriter: Alexander Mackendrick, William Rose
Production Co: Ealing Studios
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2020
Runtime: 1h 33m

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