A Weekend with Lulu

It really is hard to imagine the mindset of audiences back in 1961 if this is the sort of sexist pap that was being dished up in the name of humour.

I was squirming at the utter sexploitation of Shirley Eaton and the double entendre were more singular than plural.

Some of the dodgy pronunciation was geared at an adult audience. It may not have been profanity in name but it was there by insinuation.

It was also at least 30 minutes too long to sustain the farce.

The only saving grace was Irene Handle.

Cameos from Kenneth Connor and Syd James couldn't save it.

Nothing funnier than four Brits (two blokes, a bird, and a matron) heading off for a weekend in the English countryside and mistakenly ending up in France, a country which they manage to turn on its head during the Tour de France. The ad executive and his fiancé hoped for a quiet weekend at the seashore in Lulu the caravan (that's a camper for the American reader), towed by his unscrupulous friend driving an ice cream truck (he has 200 wt of ice cream he hopes to sell down at the shore for some side money). Of course, the future mum-in-law invites herself along and her stodginess provides some of the best comedic moments.

Very well crafted film and still funny after all these years. Great cast including Sid James in a small role. Many other faces you'll recognize from the Carry On films, as well.

Shown on TCM on American cable television.

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.

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.

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.