I've just seen this on Talking Pictures TV. I politely disagree with those who say it's like Ealing comedies. It's less energetic and hasn't the dark undertones of such films as The Ladykillers and Kind Hearts and Coronets; this doesn't mean it's less good or effective. Also it's not really farcical. In several places it easily could have been, e.g. the sequence with Pettigrew in the hearse.
It does touch on the villagers' quality of life, with an account of the lack of mod cons, the teacher shortage and the subplot of the man who's trying to find a wife through an agency whose services he can't afford. And, of course, the poor road access and the crumbled-away pier, which are the basis of the story.
No other reviewer has yet mentioned the outstanding performance of Huntley as the utterly humourless millionaire who knows what's best for everyone else and whose wife feels sorry for him. Not fun, not flamboyant, but pitch-perfect and essential to the success of the film.
The ending deserves attention. There are two ways for such stories to end: the villagers get what they want by cleverly outwitting the London bigshot; or he becomes humanised and recognises the values they embody. But neither of these happens. And he promises them a new road, but we've already been told that such promises have been worthless in the past. Why should this one be any different? Nothing he's said previously has been sincere.
Review of Scotch on the Rocks
