Cliff Richard made a series of four lighthearted pop films in the early 1960s
- Summer Holiday, Finders Keepers, The Young Ones and this film - that
likely are lumped into the same category as the other British Invasion band
films of the period. Films from Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Dave Clark
5, The Spencer-Davis Band and of course the Beatles. But he is not a neat
fit. For one thing he came before those bands and he never was that successful
over in America. In England they loved him (and still do) but his music that
stylistically fell between Brit pop and music hall never appealed to Americans.
He barely ever appeared on the US charts. In the late 1950's he was an Elvis
imitator - released one single titled Moving On that Lennon said was the
first British rock song - but by the time of Summer Holiday in 1964 he was
Mr. Mellow in his musical approach. A velvety voice, a sincere delivery and
good looks.
On one level the films are quite awful, on another they are wonderful. The
plots are just silly and paper thin barely held together by a rubber band.
But they are saved by some very good musical numbers that are heads above
the films of the other Brit bands. They are closer to being legit musicals
with strong choreography, fine dancers, a solid budget and good performances
from Cliff and The Shadows. The songs are very middle of the road but melodic
and charming. There is nothing in these films that a parent would have objected
to back in 1964. Young love and pop. Cliff is almost insufferably polite
and respectful. His Elvis image was long in the past. The purpose of the
plot is to get you to the next song and you never have to wait long. This
has about 15 songs in it. And a few of them are big production numbers with
extras and dancers. They do a nice old fashioned tribute to the movies, a
number on the beach, in a restaurant and pretty much anywhere they are.
As to the so-called plot. Cliff and the boys are working on a liner and get
booted off on a rubber dingy after wrecking the ship's electronic system.
They paddle to the Canary Islands where most of the outside shooting was
done. They are walking in the desert - I had no idea the Canary Islands had
a desert - when they come across a film production being directed by Walter
Slezak that is a Foreign Legion epic. They get jobs, Cliff falls for the
leading lady played by Susan Hampshire who is apparently a big deal in British
TV and they decide to make their own movie on the sly. That is it but its
even goofier than it sounds. But you are there for the music and the very
polished Cliff Richard. I have my doubts that these films of his would appeal
to anyone under 65 - they feel like they were put into a time capsule - way
more so than musicals from 30 years before these were made - but I enjoy
them and went so far as to buy Cliff's cd with his movie songs on them. Apparently,
the film was a bomb. It is directed by Sidney J Furie who had also directed
The Young Ones and he went on to make The Ipcress File right after this one.
