MovieChat Forums > Whisky Galore! (1949) Discussion > How would Guinness have done in the lead...

How would Guinness have done in the lead?

posted 19 years ago by Whisky_Galore
9 replies | jump to latest

Whisky Galore is one of my favourite films, and I always wonder what would have happened if Guinness has taken the lead, or a part.

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[–] seoulless 19 years ago

Well first they'd have had to change the title to Ale Galore... But seriously, I think it would have been a mistake. A star of Guinness's stature would have overwhelmed the rest of the picture. We'd always be distracted by his presence. With the exception of James R. Justice and Gordon Jackson, the rest of the cast is cheerfully anonymous and this adds to the movie's charm.

[–] slokes 19 years ago

I doubt he would have been an improvement over Basil Radford, since Radford's the closest to the lead here, even if he plays the bad guy and comic foil. We have Guinness in a classic stick-in-the-mud performance anyway as Col. Nicholson in "Bridge Over The River Kwai." Radford comes across as light enough; I wonder if Guinness would have given his character such gravity as to make the film less enjoyable.

[–] Ankh-Morpork 18 years ago

This movie might be old but its an excellent movie :) love it!

[–] peterkk 17 years ago

Naw. I think it was better to go with Whisky Galore sides Guinness Galore does'nt even sound right....Peader

[–] Mimi38 17 years ago

That's funny, when I first saw the lead I thought he was Guinness, just for a second.

[–] Steamcarrot 17 years ago

Had Alec Guinness been in it we would have still loved it as we wouldn't know anything else. He was such a great actor I believe he would have fitted in just perfectly.

[–] Xcalat3 16 years ago

would have been great to see him in this

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[–] stevem-26 14 years ago

What lead would that be?
I'm not sure this film has a lead in the usual since.
Waggett stands out, but I can't consider him a leading character.
This film is an example of a good balanced ensemble.

[–] jacksflicks 14 years ago

Well, this is a six-year-old thread, but I just saw the movie again and still chuckle. Don't mean to be pedantic, but the "lead" seems to be the "tight little island." I suppose the part for Guinness would have been the mousy school teacher, but I think Gordon Jackson filled the bill quite effectively.

While we're dream casting, and although he was still in knee breeches in '49, Peter Sellers, in his "I'm All Right, Jack" character, would have been super in the Basil Radford spot.