Laxdale Hall
Laxdale Hall is a 1953 British romantic comedy film directed by John Eldridge and starring Ronald Squire, Kathleen Ryan, Raymond Huntley and Sebastian Shaw, with Prunella Scales and Fulton Mackay in early roles.[1] Released in the U.S. as Scotch on the Rocks, it was adapted from the 1951 novel Laxdale Hall by Eric Linklater.[2]
| Laxdale Hall | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | John Eldridge |
| Produced by | Alfred Shaughnessy |
| Written by | Alfred Shaughnessy John Eldridge |
| Based on | novel Laxdale Hall by Eric Linklater |
| Starring | Ronald Squire Kathleen Ryan Raymond Huntley Sebastian Shaw |
| Music by | Frank Spencer |
| Cinematography | Arthur Grant Ken Hodges |
| Edited by | Bernard Gribble |
Production company | Group 3 Films |
| Distributed by | Associated British-Pathé (UK) |
Release date |
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Running time | 77 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot summary
A British parliamentary delegation is dispatched to the village of Laxdale - a loosely disguised Applecross - in the Scottish Highlands where the residents are protesting at their poor links with the outside world. After a few days amongst them, and initial problems of interaction, the visitors begin to fully appreciate the locals' lifestyle.
Cast
- Ronald Squire as General Matheson
- Kathleen Ryan as Catriona Matheson
- Raymond Huntley as Samuel Pettigrew, M.P.
- Sebastian Shaw as Hugh Marvell, M.P.
- Fulton Mackay as Andrew Flett
- Jean Colin as Lucy Pettigrew
- Jameson Clark as Roderick McLeod
- Grace Gavin as Mrs. McLeod
- Keith Faulkner as Peter McLeod
- Prunella Scales as Morag McLeod
- Kynaston Reeves as Reverend Ian Macaulay
- Andrew Keir as McKellaig
- Nell Ballantyne as Nurse Connachy
- Roddy McMillan as Willie John Watt
- Rikki Fulton as First Poacher
- Eric Woodburn as Gamlie, leader of the Poachers
- Archie Duncan as Police Sergeant at Kyle of Lochalsh
- Ian MacNaughton as Police Constable
Critical reception
The Radio Times wrote, "The huge success of director Alexander Mackendrick's Whisky Galore! meant it was inevitable that film-makers would cast around for more stories of wily Scots running rings around the stiff-necked English. However, lightning didn't strike twice and this tale of the battle between Whitehall and a tiny Hebridean island, whose inhabitants won't pay a hated road tax, lacks the magic sparkle of Mackendrick's classic";[3] whereas TV Guide wrote, "The humor is subtle and gentle, but often very funny, in much the same way as that in Bill Forsyth's pictures (Local Hero, Comfort and Joy) three decades later."[4]