The Bridal Path

A real gem of a movie.

Funny, filled with many 'weel kent' faces, beautiful scenery and music.

No smut, violence, or anything nasty.

Leaves a good feel factor after watching.

A classic in my opinion.

A very funny film depicting the exploits of a Hebridean Scotsman and his search for a wife on the Scottish mainland. Though the dialog and comments by the characters often made me feel that you had to be either a Scottish Highlander or from Cape Breton Island in Canada to get some of the jokes (which are hilarious), I found the depiction of the locals to be both truthful and exaggerated, depending on the character. A previous commenter made reference to the "Irish" sound of the characters' speech. It is my experience that the Hebredians DO speak English in a rather Irish sounding way and not with the "burr" of the mainlanders. This to me makes the film easier to understand. I recommend the film highly.

The story of a simpleton being sent from an island to the mainland to look for a bride who is not a Catholic nor a Campbell and has a good pair of legs for climbing the hills does not sound very promising. But the story works fairly well.

In the chase by the police across a midgeless Highlands, one is minded of the police chasing Hannay in Hitchcock's The 39 Steps. But as this is a comedy, the chase lacks any tension.

However, the performances are pretty good. George Cole came across well as a Scotsman.

Some of the humour is quite amusing; and even if the comedy situation is a bit silly, the dialogue is not.

The scenery is beautifully shot, and coupling it with the choir from Campbelltown is a masterstroke.

The film is enjoyable and well worth watching.

Few films are consistently nominated as the "funniest film ever made". "The Bridal Path" should rank high on such a list in the English-speaking world for many reasons. Its story is deceptively simple to set forth, however. Ewan MacEwan needs a wife. He lives on the remote Scottish island of Eorsa, his wife has died and his children need someone too. So he sets out for the mainland, to find a mate. What happens to him then should not happen to a nice, sincere and out-of-place wife-hunter--but it does, in spades. Bill Travers is in top form as Ewan, aided by a very large case of players who flit in and out of his misadventures; their numbers include George Cole, Gordon Jackson, Fiona Clyde and lovely Bernadette O'Farrell of the "Robin Hood" TV series' fame. This remarkable and memorable bit of whimsy and Scottish humor was served up by British comedy veteran FranK Launder. He and Geoffrey Williams adapted an hilarious novel to the screen, one which offers brushes with police and irate citizens, the old country-boy-misunderstands-the city caper, the troubles Ewan gets into trying to bring up the subject of a wife--and his exact list of requirements for the position--and much much more. The production is lovely in full-color, breezy, swift-paced or leisurely just where it needs to be one or the other. How Ewan finally finds the wife he has been looking for in his own backyard when he has to return home provides a perfect climax and happy ending to one of the best-loved comedies ever to be sent to the US as a bundle from Britain. An utter delight, and much less known than it deserves to be.

On a small Scottish island a ruling is made by the elders that no more first cousins will be allowed to marry in order to stop inbreeding and all that comes with it. Sadly for Ewan he is due to marry his first cousin. With the romance off Ewan travels to the mainland in order to get himself a wife. However several cases of mistaken intentions and mistaken identity find Ewan on the run from the police and trying to get back home.

I found this o the backwaters of channel 4 at about 4 am! I taped it as I always try to see as many different things as I can, rather than just relying on my multiplex to show me what exists in the cinematic world. The plot is very basic and a bit strange in that it admits that the islanders are inbred. However our hero is a huge man who appears strapping and not inbred at all! He sets off to find a wife but instead only fins whimsical misunderstandings and innocent humour. It's all very slight and never very funny but it has an affable mood about it and is warming if not hilarious.

Some of the accents are a bit off but most are OK. Travers plays the giant hero well and is as innocent a man as the role required. People like Cole and Terry Thomas with Scottish accents are a bit iffy but are amusing – especially Cole who was an old hand in film by 1959, having been a child actor.

Overall this is enjoyable and is interesting to see now because it's a type of film not made any more. I can't think of a single film that is recent that is as whimsical as this. The photography is great and Scotland looks beautiful in the constant sun (really – that's how it is!). An enjoyable, if slight, experience.