If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Mel Stuart

Writer:

David Shaw (writer)

Release Date:

24 April 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Europe sent us Dutch Elm Disease, German Measles and Russian Roulette. We sent them World-Wind Vacation tour #225. Now we're even.

Plot:

A group of travelers from the United States race through seven countries in 18 days. Included in the group are Samantha Perkins...

Plot Keywords:

Apostrophe In Title | Fondue | Country Name In Title | Family Relationships | Punctuation In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Suzanne Pleshette	...	Samantha Perkins
Ian McShane	...	Charlie Cartwright
Mildred Natwick	...	Jenny Grant
Murray Hamilton	...	Fred Ferguson
Sandy Baron	...	John Marino
Michael Constantine	...	Jack Harmon
Norman Fell	...	Harve Blakely
Peggy Cass	...	Edna Ferguson
Marty Ingels	...	Bert Greenfield
Pamela Britton	...	Freda
Reva Rose	...	Irma Blakely
Aubrey Morris	...	Harry Dix
Hilary Thompson	...	Shelly Ferguson (as Hilarie Thompson)
Luke Halpin	...	Bo
Mario Carotenuto	...	Giuseppe

Runtime:

Argentina:105 min | USA:99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | UK:A (original rating) | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | USA:G (edited for re-rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:M (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Wolper Pictures

Trivia:

During one of the interludes that Shelly Ferguson (Hilary Thompson) spends with the free-spirited Bo (Luke Halpin), she admires the slogan "Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came" that he has displayed on his motorcycle. That phrase is also the title of the next (and last) movie in which their co-star, Pamela Britton, appeared before her untimely death in 1974.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where he first meets Hilarie Thompson, Luke Halpin is shown wearing regular street clothes and shoes. When he mounts his motorcycle, the camera cuts away to someone wearing brown riding boots, kicking the motorcycle to start. Then as he drives away, he's back in his original footwear.

Quotes:

Fred Ferguson: [angrily frustrated, to a clueless Italian cobbler] Tan! Y'understand tan?

Movie Connections:

Followed by If It's Tuesday, It Still Must Be Belgium (1987) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Row Row Your Boat

Wallace Arnold tours meets 'Its a MAD MAD MAD World'

Well when I last saw this one I was wearing Green check trousers and an Orange nylon jumper. Got to be at least 25 years. Ouch. But this one has worn rather better than me.

From memory I was expecting a sort of American Carry On movie - and I suppose this isn't a bad comparison. But the jokes are still funny - quite sharp infact at times. The acting isn't too OTT - no Kenneth Williams mugging here - and the scenery of an as yet unspoilt Europe was a nice reminder of what Europe used to be like.

Yes - the plot is pretty 'souffle' (light, sags in the middle) - but Ian McShane holds it together. Infact , both me and the wife were at a loss as to why I.M. never made it mega-big. He had a lot going for him back then, and he's aged well.

Worth a watch - should bring back some memories for any who first got to know Europe on a coach tour (Wallace Arnold as in my case).