Summer Holiday (1963)

A fabulous 60s Musical - 4 London Bus mechanics strike up a deal with London Transport. They do up a double decker London Bus, drive it around Europe as a hotel and if they make it they ... See full summary »

Director:

Peter Yates

Writers:

Peter Myers (original story and screenplay), Ronald Cass (original story and screenplay)

Stars:

Cliff Richard, Lauri Peters, Melvyn Hayes

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cliff Richard	...	Don
Lauri Peters	...	Barbara
Melvyn Hayes	...	Cyril
Una Stubbs	...	Sandy
Teddy Green	...	Steve
Pamela Hart	...	Angie
Jeremy Bulloch	...	Edwin
Jacqueline Daryl	...	Mimsie
Madge Ryan	...	Stella
Lionel Murton	...	Jerry
Christine Lawson	...	Annie
Ron Moody	...	Orlando
David Kossoff	...	Magistrate
Wendy Barrie	...	Shepherdess / Dancer (as Wendy Barry)
Nicholas Phipps	...	Wrightmore

Storyline

A fabulous 60s Musical - 4 London Bus mechanics strike up a deal with London Transport. They do up a double decker London Bus, drive it around Europe as a hotel and if they make it they will own and be in charge of a whole fleet. While on the road in France they pick up 3 ladies whose car breaks down and offer to take them to their next singing job in Athens. They also pick up a stowaway. A young, American boy. Meanwhile, a young American female singer has gone missing. Her mother (who is a VERY ambitious woman) and her aid take the story to the press and it makes the front page. They do all they can to make the story run for as long as possible, including misdirecting the bus up an extremely steep Yugoslavian hill. We find out the young American boy is actually the young American girl who is missing. Mayhem ensues as the lead character, Don (Cliff Richard) falls for Barbara. Eventually, when the 8 bus riders reach Athens, they're arrested for kidnapping. In front of her mother and a ...

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Plot Keywords:

deception | american | bus | holiday | hotel | 

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Taglines:

From first KISS (in Paris)...to last BLUSH (in Greece)! (original 1-sheet poster)

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 February 1963 (UK)

Also Known As:

Vacaciones de verano

Filming Locations:

The Elstree Studios of Associated British Picture Corporation, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Elstree Distributors, Ivy Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White (opening sequence) Color (Colour by) (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Yugoslavian border guards are actually well known Greek actors.

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Goofs

When Bobby/Barbara settles down into the sleeping bag he/she still has his/her woman's shoes on.

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Quotes

Don, Cyril, Steve, Edwin: [singing] For as guys we're really qualified / There's no need to look terrified / For when you have tried, you will say "wide-eyed", we are just what the doctor specified / We are pleading please let us take you for a ride with us! / Ride with us!
[short music break in which the car backfires leaving everyone with black faces]
Don, Cyril, Steve, Edwin: Please let us take you for a ride!

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Crazy Credits

"The Shadows and their guitars" are credited in the opening credits.

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Connections

Featured in Perpetual Motion: The Routemaster Bus (1992)

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Soundtracks

Swinging Affair
By Peter Myers Ronald Cass
Sung by Cliff Richard and Grazina Frame (uncredited)

User Reviews

The holiday we all dream about.

A follow up of sorts to "The Young Ones", this time Cliff is a London bus driver who manages to convince the company to lend him and his mates a bus so they can cruise around Europe. A likeable cast with some great music, while the plot hardly matters it involves the boys picking up some girls, one of whom is a runaway.

Fabulous scenery and great fun on the sort of holiday everyone should have at 19.