Some deliciously droll visuals open this film as sea captain Alec Guennis tells his family history, going back to the caveman days up to his father's time, and you'll want to see that scene over again just to make sure you didn't miss anything. It seems like the seasick Captain William Horatio Ambrose is from a long line of seamen with great experience in nautical disaster of the most comical kind, and even on land, he turns things upside down, using a bank as a bar and eventually taking over a delapitated seaside pier where he insights the wrath of the locals, particularly local moral majority manipulator Irene Browne. His desire to turn an ancient theater into a dance hall sets Browne into motion, but the younger town leaders use her complaint as an excuse to get rid of her seaside bathhouses for plans of their own.
So what does a prim and proper matron like Browne do when her plans work against her? Join forces with Guennis, that's what, and all it takes is for the tea totaling Browne to have one sip of liquor to lighten up and join forces with him to keep the waterfront property as well. Even her wardrobe changes as she begins to dress up in a sparkling, youthening wardrobe, and pretty soon she's having as much fun as the local youngsters who have made Captain Ambrose their hero.
A cast of well-known British veteran actors up here in other roles, and this is a light-hearted farce that will have you in hysterics. Release the same year as "The Bridge on the River Kwai", this is another obscure Guennis sleeper that even features a young Jackie Collins as well as Donald Pleasance. There are a lot of surprises throughout, especially the reappearance of his ancestors spirits who aide him as he fights against the town. A light-hearted, fast moving script and delightful art direction and a charming musical score aids this in keeping you entertained. I particularly like the lopsided house that Guinness takes residence up in.
So what does a prim and proper matron like Browne do when her plans work against her? Join forces with Guennis, that's what, and all it takes is for the tea totaling Browne to have one sip of liquor to lighten up and join forces with him to keep the waterfront property as well. Even her wardrobe changes as she begins to dress up in a sparkling, youthening wardrobe, and pretty soon she's having as much fun as the local youngsters who have made Captain Ambrose their hero.
A cast of well-known British veteran actors up here in other roles, and this is a light-hearted farce that will have you in hysterics. Release the same year as "The Bridge on the River Kwai", this is another obscure Guennis sleeper that even features a young Jackie Collins as well as Donald Pleasance. There are a lot of surprises throughout, especially the reappearance of his ancestors spirits who aide him as he fights against the town. A light-hearted, fast moving script and delightful art direction and a charming musical score aids this in keeping you entertained. I particularly like the lopsided house that Guinness takes residence up in.