Gene Kelly produced, directed and starred in "The Happy Road". According to TCM when they aired it, Kelly had no work despite being under contract with MGM and so he made this movie in Europe. In hindsight, I think he should have just gone there on vacation.
The story begins with two kids sneaking away from their boarding school in Switzerland. Danny (Bobby Clark) is running away because he misses his father (Kelly) who is working in Paris. Janine (Brigitte Fossey) tags along because she thinks Danny is wonderful! Soon, the frightened parents spring into action and go in search of their kids.
There are many problems with the film--and they boil down to the script. The children and their parts worked well...the adults, on the other hand, were written badly...particularly Kelly's role. He played an overly stereotypical ugly American--who constantly was angry because the French didn't act just like Americans. Annoying, to say the least...but so was much of the interaction between the adults. The script was just not particularly good nor interesting when it came to these parents...and the nice moments with the kids wasn't enough to save this one.
The story begins with two kids sneaking away from their boarding school in Switzerland. Danny (Bobby Clark) is running away because he misses his father (Kelly) who is working in Paris. Janine (Brigitte Fossey) tags along because she thinks Danny is wonderful! Soon, the frightened parents spring into action and go in search of their kids.
There are many problems with the film--and they boil down to the script. The children and their parts worked well...the adults, on the other hand, were written badly...particularly Kelly's role. He played an overly stereotypical ugly American--who constantly was angry because the French didn't act just like Americans. Annoying, to say the least...but so was much of the interaction between the adults. The script was just not particularly good nor interesting when it came to these parents...and the nice moments with the kids wasn't enough to save this one.