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Title: FISHERMAN AND THE DJINN, the

Reference number: 1226

Date: 1947

Director: filmed by Frank M. Marshall

Production company: [ Fidelity Film Unit]

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: col

Fiction: fiction

Running time: 38.23 mins

Description: Story of the efforts of a drunken fisherman to ensure his country's success in an international yacht race.

A prize-winning film at the 1948 Scottish Amateur Film Festival.

Credits: p. Merricks Arnott
p. unit J. Mair Bronwlie, J W Fairbain, E B Livingston, O R Filer, A M Watt, Robert Easton.
cast
Fisherman David McLean
His son Sandy Watt
American John R Young,
His girl Anne Gratton

Shotlist: [shot-listed from mini DV - manual control track]

[Reel 1]
FIDELITY presents - title - shots of fisherman trying to mend net, but throws it away in disgust, takes a bottle of whisky in his pocket and heads off to his boat on the shore - he uses the whisky to mix with paint and paints his son's toy yacht (1.24) the boy Sandy lies on the boat writing a letter to his absent mother - the boy comes ashore at a pier and meets an American woman and her daughter Anne and rows them to their yacht (2.24) "Well, boy, what do you think of our Djinn?" - shot of boat - "My Dad says she's a tough nut to crack." - woman and Anne climb on to yacht - c/u extract from boy's letter to mother - shot of Anne and father at boating pond in Largs, Sandy runs up to meet them - "Your boat is British Defender. Anne's is the Djinn. The race is for the model Seawanhaka Cup." - the children put the yachts in the water and watch them - the father goes over to the pond kiosk and buys a model cup and returns to the race (4.29) Sandy's drunken Dad drinks beer in a pub - Sandy's yacht wins the race - Sandy's Dad staggers out of the pub - "The more drink I have aboard the better I sail." - "If I was the helmsman of the Defender I'd show the Yanks a thing or two!" - he staggers to the boating pond and meets Sandy and the girl - "I'm racing the American and it's a draw. The one who wins this race gets the cup." - American family approach - "This is my Dad!" - all shake hands, but Americans look wary - Dad challenges American father to model yacht race - American yacht wins and Dad smashes up Sandy's yacht in a rage - the children cry and Dad threatens American man - "I'll take good care you don't win the real races!" - Sandy's Dad hauls him away and they all leave (8.42) Dad and Sandy climb down from harbour into boat and sail away, watched by concerned Americans - "Don't worry. He's a fisherman. He knows what he's about!" - "Oh yea!" - the boat capsizes - Anne and father get into speedboat and go out to rescue Sandy and Dad from water (12.02) 396ft

[Reel 2]
shots of yachts sailing past and Sandy in speedboat - c/u shot of Sandy's letter, 'The Djinn won again and if she wins the third race the cup goes to America. Dash it.' - shots of Sandy and Anne on boat watching yachts race - Anne cheers as the Djinn wins (1.45) Sandy writes letter to his mother saying 'Dad will be mad' - Sandy and Dad look at newspaper report about the race and Dad throws it away in disgust - "This would drive anybody to drink!" - they leave the house and Sandy waits outside the Kilmany Bar beside poster for 'Grimsting - the Sporting Spirit' - Dad sits in the pub drinking beer and imagines a tiger's head in his glass - his friend comes in and they drink whisky - he imagines a monkey's head in his glass - he orders more drink and sees the monkey's head again - he gets annoyed at his friend and chases him out of the pub, where Sandy tries to calm him down - "I tell you - the Djinn has won her last race!" - they stagger off up the street but duck into an alley as his friend comes back with a policeman - they go off down a lane and end up on the beach (5.33) Anne and her parents relax on their yacht - she watches through binoculars as Sandy's Dad approaches the Djinn in a boat - "Look! The fisherman's going to ram the Djinn!" - Sandy struggles with his Dad at the wheel to try to stop him ramming the yacht, and is knocked out, but then recovers and gets off the boat and swims away - his Dad jumps in after him and they are rescued once again by the American in a rowing boat - "Your boy has saved you disgracing your country. I tell you if you don't stop drinking you'll be the death of your boy!" (10.45) 302ft

[Reel 3]
The fisherman comes out of the house and goes to the Post Office - c/u of telegram to his wife reading 'Come home at once - Sandy very ill' - Sandy lies in his bed in a fever, and his Dad reads the doctor's note, then gives him tablets - Dad sits by the bed worrying as Sandy mutters in his fever - "God bless Dad and help him put the Djinn back in the bottle!" - Dad gives Sandy more tablets - the candle on the bedside table gutters and agin Sandy mutters "God bless Dad and help him put the Djinn back in the bottle!" - Dad picks up Sandy's book, 'The Fisherman and the Djinn' and starts reading (4.24) sequence in which Sandy enacts the part of the boy in the book, finding a brass bottle on the beach - he breaks it open with a stone and lets loose the demon Djinn in a flash of smoke, who assumes the form of his demonic Dad - Dad puts down the book in frustration and stares at a picture on the wall reading 'The Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save' - he gets down on his knees and prays for Sandy as the sun rises (6.29) he comes out of the house and throws his whisky bottles into the sea - c/u of letter from Sandy to Anne inviting her to the house - car drives past as Sandy's Dad repairs his boat on the shore - she comes down to meet him with her model yacht - Sandy comes home from school and hurries to meet them - "That's to take the place of the boat that got broken!" - she gives the yacht to Sandy and they all walk back to the cottage - Sandy goes to the car to meet Anne's father and they shake hands - Sandy comes out of the cottage with a model sailing ship - "Please take this from Dad and me." - he gives it to her and they show it to the parents - "Come and see what Dad has given me." - they go down to the pier and get into Sandy's own boat and sail off - You are doing very well at the fishing. Keep it up!" - both fathers laugh - "I've mended the biggest hole in my net." - Sandy and Anne sail off in his boat - The End (10.54) 301ft