Summer Holiday

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Summer Holiday - 1963 | 107 mins | Musical | Colour

The Production Team

Director: Peter Yates.
Producer: Kenneth Harper.
Script: Ronald Cass and Peter Myers.
Cinematography: John Wilcox.
Film Editing: Jack Slade.
Art Direction: Syd Cain.
Makeup Department: John O'Gorman and Eileen Warwick.
Sound Department: A.W. Lumkin, Wally Milner and Len Shilton.
Original Music: Stanley Black.

The Cast

Cliff Richard - Don
Lauri Peters - Barbara Winters
Melvyn Hayes - Cyril
Una Stubbs - Sandy
Teddy Green - Steve
Pamela Hart - Angie
Jeremy Bulloch - Edwin
Jacqueline Daryl - Mimsie
Madge Ryan - Stella Winters
Lionel Murton - Jerry
Christine Lawson - Annie
Ron Moody - The Great Orlando
David Kossoff - Magistrate
Wendy Barrie - Shepardess
Nicholas Phipps - Mr. Wrightmore
Hank B. Marvin - Himself (as The Shadows)
Brian Locking - Himself (as The Shadows)
Brian Bennett - Himself (as The Shadows)
Bruce Welch - Himself (as The Shadows)

Plot Synopsis

Upon its release in 1963, Summer Holiday broke all British box office records and sealed Cliff Richard's clean-cut reputation as England's best-loved entertainer. This infectious musical adventure features Cliff's well-integrated musical hits "Summer Holiday," "Bachelor Boy and “Dancing Shoes", as well as the #1 instrumental smash "Foot Tapper" by his virtuoso backing band The Shadows. Debut director Peter Yates ensures this high-spirited romp sticks to an archetypal family formula and the minimal plot is just an excuse for a succession of Herbert Ross choreographed musical numbers and glimpses of stunning European scenery.

Garage mechanic Don (Cliff Richard) is one of four mechanics who persuades London Transport to loan him a double-decker bus for a trial run of a proposed travel service across the European continent. Don and his mates transform the bus into a hotel on wheels for the road trip across Europe. In France, they hook-up with an all-female musical trio “Do Re Me”, and after writing-off their car, offer to drive the girl’s to Athens. But when beautiful runaway American pop star Barbara (Lauri Peters) stows away on board disguised as a boy; Don and Barbara are soon are in love. Barbara just wants a vacation to relax from her taxing schedule, but her mother and agent accuse the mechanic of abducting her daughter.