Alive and Kicking 1958

Dora Wilmot Sybil Thorndike is one of three residents of Sunset Home who decide to take fate into their own hands when they learn they will be split up—Mrs Wilmot, Miss Baker, and Miss Fife. They slip away on a motorboat, hoping to vanish from the system, but a series of mishaps soon propels them toward a much wilder horizon than they expected. They accidentally start the engine and, with limited fuel, push out to sea where their chances of turning back dwindle. A Russian freighter stops by, yet none of the crew speak English, leaving the trio to improvise in a tense, oddly comic struggle to stay afloat and out of sight. They insist on being dropped ashore as soon as possible, not wanting to return to Murmansk, and fate lands them on a small Irish island, Inishfada.

On the shore they discover three dilapidated cottages that look more like ruins than homes. The situation shifts when MacDonagh Stanley Holloway arrives and reveals he has bought the cottages for his retirement, casually mentioning a heart condition that shadows his cheerful exterior. A few moments later, he is gone—having fallen from a cliff into the sea. Dora Wilmot [Sybil Thorndike] is quick to propose a way out of this mess: the three women could pretend to be his nieces. Rosie [Kathleen Harrison] and Mabel [Estelle Winwood] agree, amused by the prospect of a new life that seems almost within reach. They are delighted when MacDonagh’s furniture is delivered, a tangible sign that their ruse might actually work.

But a boastful joke MacDonagh once shared with local children has left the islanders with a different impression: they believe he is married to all three women, an accusation that stirs a wary, outraged mob. The crowd’s anger threatens to turn violent, until Dora Wilmot’s quick, wary humor steps in. She asks if they have come to see her “uncle,” and the notion is defused enough to allow the tea-kettle to cool the tempers. The mood softens into a party, buoyed by two cases of MacDonagh’s 12-year-old whiskey, and the three women relish the unexpected hospitality.

At the party, a finely knitted sweater caught on a passerby’s shoulder stands out, sparking a plan that will change the island’s commerce. The next day Dora purchases a similar sweater and sends one to her cousin who runs a dress shop in London. The response is swift and profitable: an order for 300 more sweaters at £5 each. Dora organizes the operation with practical wit, offering the local women £4 10s for each sweater produced, and keeping the remaining 10s for herself and her friends. What began as a comical escape becomes a shrewd business venture that brings a new energy to the island.

Soon MacDonagh’s solicitor arrives, determined to see his client. MacDonagh’s John Salew presence forces the group to improvise once more, and the women refuse to reveal their “uncle.” The encounter escalates toward legal intervention when the solicitor moves to involve a policeman, but by then the true nature of the island’s community and the ladies’ clever resolve becomes clear. MacDonagh is not dead after all; he had been stranded on another uninhabited spot and has been found and brought back just in time. The reunion is heartfelt: MacDonagh, a native of the island who has returned after many years to help his people, is pleased to discover that the trio of women has already made a meaningful difference for him and his community.

In the end, the island’s response to these three unexpected visitors becomes a quiet testament to resilience and reinvention. MacDonagh’s return confirms his affection for his homeland, and he recognizes that the women’s bold attempt to secure a future for themselves inadvertently supports the larger good of Inishfada. The three women—now bound by an unusual adventure, practical enterprise, and a shared sense of purpose—find themselves part of a community that welcomes the unexpected and values courage, humor, and a bit of luck. The story closes on a note of mutual respect and gratitude: a small band of outsiders has touched a islander’s life, and a lifelong commitment to helping one another has quietly taken root.