Mardi?... C'est donc la Belgique

Suzanne Pleshette stars and looks great here. Lots of good character actors, including Michael Constantine. One thing I notice, like other 1960's movies, this one doesn't mind basing gags on the concept of pretty young women and lecherous older guys who would like to chase them.

Taking the movie as a whole, it's worth watching once: for Suzanne, the European scenery, the sometimes funny scenes, and a few affecting ones. Murray Hamilton stands out as especially good in this movie. I bought this on DVD; to me, it is more of a catch-it-on-cable type movie, in terms of value.

Comedy about a group of Americans on a 18 day (I think) tour of Europe.

Unlike some previous posters, I've never been to Europe, so watching this film was not like reliving old memories. On its own, this was a very pleasant movie. The script is not bad and the jokes are pretty funny. There are some real groaners too, but the good ones far outweigh them. And the cast is full of talented character actors giving their all.

The movie basically concentrates on a romance between the tour guide Charlie Cartwright (Ian McShane) and tourist Samantha Perkins (Suzanne Pleshette). Usually romance subplots in comedies are the kiss of death, but this one works. McShane is very handsome and Pleshette incredibly beautiful; the dialogue is well-written; they both give good performances and they have great chemistry with each other. It also is a good excuse to show all the romantic places in Europe (this was shot on location). And the romance has a surprising, realistic ending.

Another point of interest is an 18 year old girl Shelly (Hilary Thompson) meeting a guy her age Bo (Luke Halpin). Their fashions are VERY 60s and the dialoge is SO old-fashioned...but it's all interesting. Also a visit to Canaby Street in London (which was the place to be in the late 60s) is visually fascinating. Also Murray Hamilton's one liners throughout the movie are frequently hilarious.

They visit London, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Venice and end in Rome. I saw a widescreen print on TV in strong color and the movie just looked beautiful. Sometime it was like seeing a travelogue but an INTERESTING travelogue.

It's not a great movie but a pleasant one. You could do worse! Recommended.

What makes this 1969 movie so entertaining is the collection of character actors who are given an opportunity to showcase their talents. Lots of little stories about a group of American tourist who are essentially barnstorming their way through Europe on a tour bus make up the plot. Each one of them has some special experience in one of their many tour stops.

This is one of those movies that can be watched over and over and never gets old. It is doubtful that a film like this could be made now because there just doesn't seem to be the same kind of character actors today who could appear and deliver in small scenes like the performers in this movie do.

This movie is even more enjoyable for people who have been on a very similar trip, as I did in 1966, with Overland; however, it took five days from Belgium to Rome. I am a believer in happy endings, but Charlie ended up being treated the same way as he treated countless girls. I felt for him, because I also fell for a girl on the bus, but having previously also treated girls the same way, I paid the price, like Charlie. The characters in the movie reminded me of the characters on my bus. There is a very impressive list of character actors and guest stars which proves that the salaries then were far more reasonable than they are today. They don't make comedies like this anymore, unfortunately.

Even though I was born a couple of decades after this movie was released, I wanted to watch it when it played on TV because it was given a perfect 5/5 rating by my local newspaper's TV listings. When I tuned in, I was even more excited when I found out that it was a David Wolper and Mel Stuart collaboration because I really loved 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.' It's a shame that 'If It's Tuesday This Must Be Belgium' is not available on DVD. Even though it was made about 30 years ago, the misadventures of the ensemble cast are as funny as ever. The fine balance between the witty humor and acerbic banter in this movie is something that is rare in movies today. The only movies that come close are a few of Wes Anderson's (Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic), but instead of being faux retro, 'If It's Tuesday This Must Be Belgium' really is retro. It shows all of Europe's fabled landmarks in the tongue-and-cheek manner that you can't get from any movie unless it really was made in 1969. I liked the part when the group was at a cheese market in Amsterdam and the tour guide says, "There's an auction of gouda cheeses and edam cheeses. And pretty good-a edam cheeses they are." That is like so corny it's funny. After watching this movie, I actually did want to take a European bus tour! But the best thing about this movie is its great cast, particularly the beautiful Suzanne Pleshette and the devilishly handsome Ian McShane.