Alive and Kicking

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.

"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.

In an age when most movies are noisy, violent, oversexed, bloody and generally don't do much to provide an enjoyable experience, this old black and white one is gold. No violence, funny acting, memorable characters and a simple plot that keeps you rooting for the people in it. A very enjoyable hour and a half well spent, leaving me with a smile on my face.

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.