A Weekend with Lulu

An excellent, "clean" film depiticing the best of British humour. Only saw it once (30 years ago) but it lives on. Would recommend it to all. How a simple "weekend away" can result in so much mayhem (unintentional of course) and result in absolute enjoyment for the viewer. No wonder so many "Carry On" movies followed.

Oh boy! I've been watching films along with the "House of Hammer" podcast for quite a while and nothing from their horror canon can prove to be more terrifying than the thought of yet another comedy. This, like all of them so far, is terrible.

Eager for a romantic weekend away with his girlfriend, Timothy Gray (Leslie Phillips) rents Lulu, a caravan, from his friend Fred Scrutton (Bob Monkhouse). Fred will be coming on the trip them as the driver, but unfortunately for Timothy, at departure time Deirdre's (Shirley Eaton) mother, Florence (Irene Handl) invites herself along on the trip too. Taking a wrong turn to avoid traffic they end up bedding down in the dark countryside, only to wake up the following morning on the back of a train, already in France.

So, look. I've said this before in my reviews - comedy is a particularly subjective genre at the best of times, and comedic taste from sixty years ago perhaps shouldn't be the same as it is today. All that said - this was largely a mirthless time. We're in the world of "proto-Carry On's" here so whilst it's not quite a sex comedy, it's on the way, with both Phillips and Monkhouse enjoying an ogle at Shirley Eaton getting dressed and Alfred Marks as a French Count who also propositions her at his Chateau.

Leslie Phillip's is already playing the sort of "ding dong" character that he would become associated with. Monkhouse is fine, though it's clearly not what he's particularly strong at and I can see why stand up and presenting would find him much more fame. There are smaller roles for Sid James and Syndey Tafler and a cameo for Russ Conway that's as inexplicable as it is unwelcome.

In all truthfulness, this was better than some of the other comedies that we've seen in recent months but still I'd describe it as being more tedious than anything else.

Basically a story about Tim (Leslie Phillips), who wants to spend quality time with his girl Dierdre (the very pretty Shirley Eaton). He rents "Lulu", which is a trailer hitched to an ice cream truck driven by Fred (Bob Monkhouse). Tim's plans are hampered when Dierdre's mom Florence (Irene Handl) comes along for the ride, her being stuffy and wary of Tim. They head to the seashore but take a wrong turn and end up on a freight train, where they are soon in France. What follows is a screwball comedy about how they are looking to get home. They end up having to dodge the police, stealing to get petrol and being in the middle of situations (including interrupting the Tour de France!). This is a fun, non-offensive comedy with good acting from these comedy legends, especially Irene Handl. While not essential, it puts a smile on your face and keeps your interest. If you like vintage British comedy, this will be definitely worth your time.

I saw this film in a drive-in theater in Massachusetts over 40 years ago. Lulu is the name of the camper and the movie lives very strong in my memory. If you like Monty Python, you'll love this. I think that they (Monty Python) might have gotten some ideas from this film.

Although Hammer films is closely associated with the horror genre, the studio did produce other features, such as the crime drama Hell is a city and the wonderful comedy A Weekend with Lulu. The film stars Leslie Philips as a young man who wants to take his girlfriend (Shirley Eaton) to the seashore in a borrowed caravan. His friend Fred (Bob Monkhouse)is going to take them there, but in true comic fashion things don't go as planned and the group ends up stranded in France. Getting back to England is going to be difficult with no money and no petrol and these plot complications lead to one mishap after another. A fine comic cast, brisk pacing and a sweet natured approach to comedy that the British did so well in the 1950s and 60s make A Weekend with Lulu a very pleasant way to spend 90 minutes.