Alive and Kicking

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.

Light hearted and quite amusing in many parts, a pretty good product of its time. Reviewer malcolmgsw is a real miseryguts.

"Alive and Kicking" begins after three old women escape from their retirement homes in search of adventure. The coppers are looking for them and they hide out in a motor boat...and they accidentally motor off to sea. There, they are picked up by a Russian trawler and the sailors are quite nice and plan on taking them back to the Soviet Union. However, they are able to convince these Russians to release them to a nearby Irish island. There, they find a seemingly abandoned house and they take refuge there. Soon, however, the new owner shows and he welcomes them. But before they can work out where the three women are going to live, it seems that the man had a heart attack and tumbled into the sea. Now, with no relatives to inherit the place, the three decide they wouldn't really be hurting one if they pretend to be his nieces. Soon they are accepted by the islanders and are quite happy. However, how can they afford to live there? After all, with no money, there's no food!

The story isn't particularly deep but it is cute and enjoyable. My only complaint was the poor use of rear projection in the motor boat sequence. Other than that, it's nice viewing...despite the old ladies being a bit larcenous. If I had to sum of the movie in a word, I'd say...charming.

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.

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.