Alive and Kicking

This piece of Irish whimsy makes "The Quiet Man" look like neo-realism. "Alive and Kicking" is a totally daft delight that finds old ladies Sybil Thorndike, Kathleen Harrison and Estelle Winwood 'escape' from their Old People's Home in England only to end up on an island off the Irish coast where, with the help of the locals, including a young Richard Harris, making his film debut, they set up a business knitting sweaters for the fashion market.

It's all very silly and, if you're Irish, probably deeply patronizing but it's also hugely likable. Harrison and Winwood are excellent but it is Thorndike who steals the show. This grand-dame of British theatre has a grand old time scurrying up and down cliffs in search of birds eggs or hunting rabbits with a shotgun, (well, at least her stand-in does). Stanley Holloway is in it, too as the rich Irish-American who proves to be their saviour. Ripe for rediscovery.

Dame Sybil Thorndike, Kathleen Harrison, and Estelle Winwood are three governesses who escape from a retirement home in England and wind up on a small island off Ireland. There they meet Stanley Holloway, just returned from America. When he goes over a cliff into the sea, they take over his new-bought property and pass themselves off as his nieces. They have no money, so they wind up organizing a sweater industry. But there's a reckoning coming.

The move veers from the three ladies to fits of zaniness, over to beautiful scenic photography and then into gusts of stereotypical humor. It's all carried off in good form, even a subplot about young lovers Richard Harris and Olive McFarland. The three ladies appear too old to carry a movie, especially Miss Winwood, who always looked as if a strong wind would carry her away. No such thing! Dame Sybil, for whom Shaw has written SAINT JOAN, lasted until the age of 93 eighteen years later. The frail Miss Winwood held out until 1983, and 101 years of age; and the ever blowzy Miss Harrison lived to 103, in the year 1995.

A rather exhausting farce probably inspired by 'The Ladykillers', showcasing three veteran actresses against a backdrop of Irish blarney.

Ironically Kathleen Harrison was eventually forced to come clean about having knocked six years off her age when 'outed' as a centenarian in 1992 (although that still made her by far the youngest of this trio); while very unusually Stanley Holloway actually ADDS five years to his real age by claiming to be 72 when he was really 67!

Richard Harris in his film debut begins as he will continue for the next forty years by being an abrasive young lover; all the appeal this pair musters residing in the charming Olive McFarland.

Whimsical comedy about three old ladies who run away from a nursing home in London and end up on an island off the coast of Ireland. They find a deserted and pass themselves off as the nieces of the owner whom they believe to be dead. The local town rallies around the old ladies, especially after the start a cottage industry for the beautiful sweaters the townswomen knit from wool from local sheep. Far-fetched but delightful as the old ladies rediscover the joy of life and in being busy.

The legendary Sybil Thorndike stars with Estelle Winwood and Kathleen Harrison as the nieces. Stanley Holloway is the dead uncle, Richard Harris (film debut) and Olive McFarland are the lovers, John Salew is the attorney, and Marjorie Rhodes the lead townswoman. Beautiful location shooting adds a lot, and there's a lively rendition of the title song with Thorndike pound away on a piano.

A delight.

No, the story isn't great - but the delivery is really quite good fun. Three elderly ladies, who are not yet ready to be consigned to the scrap heap, pinch a boat and escape from their retirement home. They alight on a tiny Irish island where they befriend the wealthy Stanley Holloway ("MacDonagh") and establish a thriving business with the locals knitting fine Aran sweaters. My personal favourite amongst the runaways was Estelle Winwood's "Mabel", but there are also amusing contributions from Dame Sybil Thorndike ("Dora") and Kathleen Harrison, who wasn't anywhere near her best, as "Rosie". What I had forgotten, too, was that Stanley Holloway had quite a good singing voice - though his delivery is a bit overly theatrical. Add some mischief and some bonhomie - especially with Russian fishing boat captain Eric Pohlmann, and we have an entertaining drama that shows the three having a lark - and that is contagious. Well worth a watch, this.