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.