THE HAPPY ROAD
UK, 1956, 100 minutes, Black and White.
Gene Kelly, Bobby Clark, Brigitte Fossey, Michael Redgrave.
Directed by Gene Kelly.
The Happy Road is a family film and charmingly entertaining. Gene Kelly produced, directed and starred in this simple story of two children (American boy, French girl) who run away from an expensive Swiss boarding school to be with their father and mother respectively. The comic adventures of the children as they make their way to Paris, and of the parents trying to find them, are background for some reflections on the part of their parents and for some funny tilts at the Americans, the French and the British (Michael Redgrave giving a very funny impersonation of a 'typical' British general). The film avoids the sentimental, and its best scenes are with the two children. The part of the girl is played by Brigitte Fossey, the little girl of Rene Clement's moving war drama Forbidden Games (Jeux Interdits). This could be an excellent film for introduction of film discussions to younger audiences.
1. Why did Danny and Jeanine run away from the boarding school?
2. Were they unhappy, or partly unhappy?
3. What impression did Danny's father make on the audience when they first saw him?
4. How was Mr. Andrews' behaviour (losing his temper, shouting, wanting only to get ahead in business and make money, unable to relax) a satire on the American way of life? What advice did the Pittsburgh MP give him? Did he take it?
5. What impression did Jeanine's mother make on you? Was she selfish? What decision did she make when she went off on the scooter to look for her daughter and ignore the Monte Carlo call?
6. Did you enjoy the British Army sequence? Why? Why was it included?
7. Discuss what you liked about: the children's picnic and their code for helping one another; the English aide giving them tea and cake while the parents were in the next room; the episode with the mute, and his kindness when they were frightened; the trick to get a lift with the reporters during the bike race.
8. Did you find the film happy? Sentimental? Just right?
