Holiday Camp

I can safely say that I have never been to an holiday camp - the BBC series "Hi-Di-HI" that ran in the UK in the 1980s always made sure that never happened. By then, though, we had international travel at our fingertips. In the late 1940s, people were still having their food rationed let alone being able to hop on a flight to Florida or Fuerteventura. The "Huggetts" - led by Jack Warner and the indomitable Kathleen Harrison take their family to one such camp for, ostensibly, a nice rest. Ha, well good luck with that - before long they are involved in dodgy card games, and absconded pair of expectant teenagers and a fleeing murderer. (You wonder why i never fancied such places?) The Huggetts were a famous cinema family in the 1940s, their decency and family values imbued well by the strong, likeable cast. Usually their efforts were all augmented by some guest stars - and here, with the rather lonely figure of Flora Robson and the distinctly caddish Dennis Price, is no different. It resonates now, as ever, because it is about ordinary people - not wealthy or profligate, just folks trying to keep their lives afloat after the war and there is plenty of pithy, quick witted comedy that, though dated and a little too stereotyped for 60 years on, is still enjoyable to watch.

Isn't Jack Warner the wise Father and the nice man we all saw in the Dixon of Dock Green series in the 1950's. I spent some very happy moments as a teenager in the 1960's at Butilns Holiday Camp in North Wales. I can tell you it was in those days a very sophisticated place for a young lad out of a northern working class family. It was a magic place and seeing this movie brought it all back. Living in your very own (shared) "chalet". Coming home at night as late as you like and all activities laid on for FREE. I thought it was heaven. I loved the pretty daughter in the film and pleased to see on the IMDb that she is still alive and had a very eventful career in films. And Flora Robson giving more than a hint of the great actress she was. The blind announcer at the camp also played in many movies including the RED SHOES a classic film of the 1940's with Moira Shearer. (He played the conductor of the orchestra.) Loved the film and will see it again. regards, frank.

Last time I saw this was 1972 and it was dated badly even by then, now it might as well portray life on another planet. A planet that is very appealing! The British working class long ago got more spare cash in their pockets to skedaddle off to more distant sunnier shores for their 2 weeks a year. Instead back then they had 1 week in an enormous regimented boot camp under dull skies, packed like sardines into shared chalets. Every picture frame must have at least 20 people in it.

The first Huggetts film has the family off to Farleigh Holiday Camp, where various little stories unfold about the guests good bad and sad, a more down to Earth Grand Hotel if you like. Jack Warner as Dad and Kathleen Harrison as Ma (who definitely hadn't got 8 eyes like an octopus) were perfectly ordinary straight folk with no side with 2 grown up kids - decidedly, in Hazel Court's case - all of them excellent and stereotypical role models for the viewers. And what's wrong with that in these days where only the seedy and vicious are held in esteem in movies? Jimmy Hanley was an ideal beau for the daughter, young War widow Huggett, an uncomplicated young man bent on pleasure but straight as a die. Unsurprisingly Good won out in all the threads, although in Dennis Price's and Esme Cannon's case it was a melancholic and ambiguously puzzling end.

It was filmed in the hellishly cold (Warner's words) studio at Lime Grove during the big freeze of '47, something to bear in mind when watching everyone sunning themselves. For a glimpse into a totally dead Britain, unbeatable. Also an entertaining 94 minutes for those like me who aren't serious or researching for their University dissertations about life in post-War Britain.

The Rank organisation enjoyed an enormous hit with this economy class 'Grand Hotel' depicting the lives of ordinary people newly freed of the constraints of the Second World War (although they still had to endure rationing) and like 'The Blue Lamp' (which also starred Jack Warner and Jimmy Handley) spawned a long-running series.

It reveals the darker aspects of austerity Britain: two men fight over a woman, another one gets pregnant, a pair of spivs prey on the eldest son losing him the then boggling sum of £19 and "that big nasty Denis Price" - as a friend once called him - preys on lonely women as a thinly disguised Neville Heath.

I had a copy of his film in the early 90's and still watch it now. Liking nostalgia, this film gives a good insight to British life just after the 2nd world war. Primitive it may look as to how the English enjoyed themselves on holiday, but charming in its naivety. Kathleen Harrison plays her part as only she could, dizzy, funny, as well as showing us how Strong her part is in keeping the Hugget family together in chaos along with her hubby Jack Warner, a strong father figure who wanting to teach his children a lesson in the ways of life, shows his softer side in coming to their aid.

With my love and interest in old English films, I do look at who make such films as well as who stars in them. Muriel and Sidney Box name appear in many films made in England in the 40s/50s. Holiday Camp Being a Huggets film. I am on the look out for the other Huggets films. Just hope someone releases them on DVD