The Maggie (1954) - film review

Calvin B. Marshall is a wealthy American businessman who is desperate to have his personal property transported to his holiday retreat on a remote Scottish island.  Mactaggart is the captain of a clapped out steam barge, The Maggie, who is in desperate need of cash to make repairs to the vessel so that its licence can be renewed.  A conspiracy of circumstances brings the two men together in what appears at first sight to be a mutually advantageous arrangement.  However, when he sees the dismal condition of The Maggie, Marshall is outraged at having been hoodwinked by Mactaggart and is determined to recover his valuable property.  The wily Mactaggart has other ideas...

One of the later films to be made by the British film company Ealing Studios, The Maggie has an emotional depth and authenticity that set it apart from the other great Ealing comedies, which tended to be more concerned with entertaining an audience than in addressing moral issues.   Although it is far less well-known than other Ealing offerings, The Maggie is easily one of the best films to come out of the studio in its declining years.  It was directed by Alexander Mackendrick – regarded by some as one of Britain’s top filmmakers – who had already scored one notable success with Whisky Galore! (1949) and who would go on to direct Ealing’s best known comedy, The Ladykillers (1955).   

Mackendrick’s dual nationality (he was born in the United States but, being the son of Scottish parents, grew up in Scotland) made him the perfect choice to direct this clash of the cultures comedy which pits dogged materialism and big bucks against the more basic human vices and virtues.  On the one side there is Mactaggart, a lovable Scottish rogue who seems to be the living embodiment of almost every Scottish stereotype.  On the other there is Calvin B. Marshall, the archetypal American executive who thinks that money is the answer to every problem.   Whilst both characters are portrayed sympathetically, the audience is ultimately forced to side with the beleaguered American, who is visibly transformed by what he has to suffer at the hands of the crafty Mactaggart.  

The Maggie may not be the most sophisticated film that Ealing made but its homespun charm and truthful performances give it a warmth and sincerity that make up for that.  The sumptuous location photography captures the essence of the Scottish setting, giving the film a realism and lyrical quality which was pretty rare in British cinema at the time.  For all its whimsy, the film does have a serious moral subtext, namely that there is far more to life than the acquisition of material wealth.  Mackendrick gets this message across very effectively, particularly in one highly poignant scene where a young woman is ruminating on whether she should marry for love or for profit.  Mackendrick would revisit some of these themes, but from a far more cynical and pessimistic perspective, in Sweet Smell of Success (1957), which he made in Hollywood immediately after The Ladykillers.

© James Travers 2008

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