Cupido em Férias

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.

... and that is a big part of its charm. The Huggett family goes off on vacation - or holiday as they say in Britain - to a camp that somewhat took me aback. Being paired up with a total stranger as a roommate in cramped quarters, communal eating, everything so organized and regimented with that constant voice yammering over the loudspeaker reminds me more of going to work in swimwear than of anything I would call a vacation.

Rationing of certain candies that went on in Britain until ten years after the war, a young couple in love with a baby on the way with no practical way to get married, an eternally hopeful and tragically trusting woman looking for a man, and even a murderer on the run get thrown into this intriguing little film. And when Mr. And Mrs. Huggett manage a moment alone far from the madding crowd and she says that with all of these women so done up maybe she is getting a bit dowdy for him, what does Mr. Huggett say to boost her spirits? Something like "Always give me the plain ones inside the home"! And she finds that sweet and romantic??? My, the Brits did have low expectations after the war!

Still, very charming and well done and a great time capsule.

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

Holiday Camp shows a fascinating look a life in the late 40's. After the depravation of the war years, the first holiday camp to open was guaranteed to be a success. The story starts with Joe Huggett (Jack Warner ) and his family arriving at the camp ,and in next to no time he is involved with card sharps, a murderer on the run and a young couple who have left home, when the girl discovered she is pregnant. This particular story line was very daring considering when the film was made. All in all a very interesting look at life after the war, and well worth seeing.

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.