THE MAGGIE
UK, 1954, 92 minutes, Black and white.
Paul Douglas, Alex Mackenzie, James Copeland, Hubert Gregg, Geoffrey Keen, Dorothy Alison, Andrew Keir, Mark Dignam.
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick.
The Maggie is a small, less well-known example of Ealing Studios comedy of the early 1950s. Alexander Mackendrick, American-born, made a number of these films including the very successful Whisky Galore, The Man in the White Suit and The Ladykillers. He was to make The Sweet Smell of Success back in the United States but did not have a flourishing career and made his last film, Don’t Make Waves with Tony Curtis and Claudia Cardinale.
American import, Paul Douglas, appears as an American trying to hire a ship. He is conned into hiring a coal ship which sails up the Scottish coast – there is humorous dialogue, humorous characterisations, especially in the Scottish style.
1. What was the quality of this film? As a drama, comedy, look at Scottish life, human interest?
2. Comment on the quality of the black and white photography? The nature of the dialogue, the use of the Scottish background, dialogue and customs? The quality of the incidents portrayed? The emphasis on Scottish simplicity and shrewdness?
3. What insight into Scotland and the Scots did the film give? Their traditions, the characteristics of their character and temperament? Their attitude towards the law, to leisure, to shrewdness, to sentiment? Their attitudes towards the Americans?
4. Comment on the gentle aspects of Scottish comedy and humour? Comment on the harder aspects of Scottish life: stubbornness, self-centredness, the presumption that others are less good than themselves etc? Which aspect prevailed? How were they embodied in the Captain?
5. How was the Maggie itself central to the film? A symbol of Scotland past and present? Audience attitude towards the Maggie itself? The endearing qualities of a small ship? Yet an unreliable ship? The charm for visitors? The hazards for business? The captain himself and his relationship to the Maggie? His shrewdness, the Captain's outwitting the Americans and the police, his being outwitted? The hard background of his life, his drinking, time meaning nothing, traditions?
6. Should the Maggie have been preserved? The effect of the Maggie on Marshall? on the Captain's sister?
7. How important for the success of the film was the portrayal of Mr Marshall? The American, his understanding of time and money, the big American style, the clash with the Scots, the fact that he was hard done by, the journalists and their curiosity and headlines? the clash with the Captain, the sentiments, the talking with Sheena? How did the Maggie change Marshall's attitude towards life?
8. The comedy and the observation of the Campbells and people who work in Scottish offices?
9. The satire on Puessy and his ineptness? Not being able to control the ship, hiring the Maggie, being caught with the wee boy and the poaching? How did this humour add to the quality of the film?
10. The character of the wee boy? Audience responses to wee boys? His admiration of the Captain, his liking for Marshall. his involvement in the life of the Maggie eg his knocking out Marshall to save the Captain etc?
11. What had been achieved by the end of the film? That insight had been given into the way human nature works and human interactions?
