SUMMER HOLIDAY

UK, 1962, 109 Minutes, Colour,
Cliff Richard, Laurie Peters, Melvyn Hayes, Una Stubbs, Teddy Green.
Directed by Peter Yates.

Summer Holiday was one of several vehicles to popularise Cliff Richard in the early '60s. The Young Ones, Finders Keepers were other films for him. The films also gave opportunities for young directors to make British musicals e.g. Sidney J. Furie and with this film Peter Yates. They later had strong careers in Hollywood, especially Yates with such hits as Bullitt, Murphy's War, The Hot Rock, For Pete's Sake. Cliff Richard has been a durable British singer for more than two decades and the film is very pleasant obvious entertainment with production numbers, European locations, Cinemascope and colour. The film has a strong supporting cast including Ron Moody and David Kossoff. Very much a product of its time, interesting as an example of a British musical, the work of Peter Yates, a focus on the talent of Cliff Richard.

1. What is the main appeal of a musical? what audiences like musicals? This as an example of the 60s? Its appeal and impact now?

2. The appeal of Cliff Richard, the young audience, the youthful characters, colour, wide-screen etc.?

3. The use of locations, the tour of Europe, the varying cinematic and editorial styles, especially for the choreography and the travel?

4. The journey structure of the film and its continued interest? Athens as the goal, the initial preparations, the accident with the girls, stowaway, crises and climax, success? Easy audience involvement?

5. How real did the characters and situations seem to be? How unreal or contrived for the musical genre? Audience response to these contrived characters?

6. The quality of the music, songs and lyrics, choreography? The use of locations for the choreography? How well did the film use musical conventions?

7. The atmosphere of the opening, the preparations of the bus, the theme of the summer holiday?

8. How interesting were the boys as characters? Serious, humorous? The comparison with the girls? The initial dance, the different characters amongst the girls? Barbara and her first appearance as a boy, the revelation of the truth?

9. The presentation of youthful affection and the discussion of falling in love?

10. The satire on Barbara's lover and her possessiveness, her ambitions? Her bossing the agent around? The devious ways to stop the bus? The humour of the French court, walking up the mountain etc.?

11. How interesting and entertaining was the incident in Yugoslavia? The mistake about the bread, the marriage routine?

12. The climax and everything coming to a head in Athens? The British consul and his help? The humour of the press conference, the mother making the best out of very situation?

13. The appropriate happy ending? The entertainment value of musicals? The ordinary values that they appeal to in the ordinary audience?