the great alec guinness give one of his usual fine performance in this lightweight comedy and wrap around a typically wacky ealing conceit the sailor who can not go to sea buy a pier and run it like a ship . the early set up sequence and feature a montage of guinness play his ancestor at sea through the age and be the usual silly and slapstick fun and and our hero exploit get his hip up and run and fend off the crooked local council and and generally have a good time be heartwarming and can not fail to raise a smile . one sequence and where he try to run a dance hall at the end of the pier and be merrily strut his stuff on the dancefloor with some local hottie when the authority arrive to complain and be particularly memorable if only for the mad grin on guinness face a he boogie . lack the deep satirical bite or wealth of really hilarious moment and character power the true classic of ealing and this be nevertheless a thoroughly enjoyable little film and feature the standard role call of vaguely familiar face ( watch out for a youngish donald pleasence in an early scene ) . not brilliant and but fun .