Sra. Brown, ¡que guapa es su hija!

"Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter," was filmed two years too late to have any real box office success in the US.

Then again, it wasn't anything like the loopy, goofy, rollicking Brit Invasion silliness associated with their 1966 MGM film, "Hold On." The people who expected "Hold On Again" are totally clueless about this film.

This was a small, simple, charming decidedly very British film that probably wasn't intended for much of an American release. I never saw it until a few years ago when it was on Turner Classic Movies.

The group's hits dried up here in 1967. No hits in a year was a big deal that usually meant the end of the ride. However, the group continued to hit the charts quite nicely in the UK and Europe (as the Kinks did before their American comeback in 1969). This film was for them.

And if any Americans appreciate it, all the better! It is a nice quaint little film with nice little ditties.

This movie has some fun scenes and I enjoyed some of the character actors, but it never finds a narrative drive to make it fully engaging. Still, I like seeing pieces of swinging London, as well as the parts of England that weren't swinging at all. My favorite bit is when Peter No one is running about looking for the missing Mrs. Brown, and the rest of the Hermits jam on a somewhat psychedelic number in front of a bunch of hippies grooving to the beat. It was almost like the Hermits were playing the UFO Club. Early on the advertising scenes were sort of funny but the film never follows through with this part of the story which seemed typical of the film as a whole.

In the second of two films that the English band Herman's Hermits made, Herman aka Peter No one, inherits a greyhound racing dog and appropriately it's named Mrs. Brown. After their big hit what else would you call it, except maybe Henry VIII.

Though the band has long broken up, Peter No one remains active today on the nostalgia circuit on both sides of the pond. The boys from this band are even joined by another generation of Music Hall performers with Stanley Holloway as the produce tycoon who has not lost his common touch. Holloway looked like he was having a great old time performing with Herman's Hermits. Holloway has a daughter in the film and his name is Brown and of course she likes Peter.

No need to dwell on the plot, there isn't much of one. If you're of the generation of Herman's Hermits, just sit back and listen and watch Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter.

I have always loved Herman's Hermits, and I really liked this movie. I don't suppose that I would have liked it when it first came out because it would have been bunched in with all of the other `rock' musicals of it's time, trying to compete for the `young' in-crowd. Nevertheless, as I look at it now, I see it as a charming film from another era.

The plot itself is very interesting and different. It is not your typical `garage band goes to the big city and gets discovered' type of film. They are looking for fame and fortune by way of the champion Greyhound, Mrs. Brown. The rock band thing was just a side interest in this film, much different from other rock musicals of its time. Other `rock' star films of that era were used merely as a publicity showcase for the band to play their music. This film actually had a decent story with some music in it.

The cinematography was fabulous in this film. If for anything at all, you should watch it for this aspect alone. I enjoyed the whole film, but the ending was a bit vague. I was able to figure it out after a while, but it jumped from scene to scene without smooth transitions of ideas.

I'd never heard of this film before TCM started screening it as a late night filler - and initially woke up in the middle of it when Holloway and co were singing the poignant and totally unexpected The World is for the Young. I actually couldn't get the song out of my head for several days.

After that I kept stumbling across bits of it on different screenings and each time I said to my wife "I kinda like this movie" Tonight I finally managed to watch it from the start and although as a film it doesn't really amount to much it's such a good natured, sweet and enjoyably off kilter movie that it just makes me feel good to see it.

I wanted to see what other people thought and it seems a few reviewers do get it - whereas some others seem to get strangely vindictive and offended.

Yes it's completely out of jaunt with it's year and the Hermits were anachronisms by 1968 but Peter No one (I tried to make his surname come out correct) is perfectly fine in the lead, the supporting cast is great, the brightly coloured widescreen is a pleasure to the eyes.

Guilty pleasure or not I've really warmed to this.