Summer Holiday Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Summer Holiday Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 22, 2019

Peter Yates' "Summer Holiday" (1963) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional and production materials for the film; audio commentary by the director; shot film by Christopher Miles; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

On the road to Athens

It is tempting to speculate that Peter Yates’ Summer Holiday might have been at least partially responsible for the arrival of Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort. Yates’ film was released in 1963, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg had its premiere in 1964, and The Young Girls of Rochefort opened theatrically in 1967. More importantly, there are some quite interesting thematic and stylistic similarities between these films that suddenly make the speculation look somewhat legit. All three for instance place romance at the center of their narratives, and again all three use it to evolve into something else. They become genuine musicals with a contemporary -- for its time of course -- attitude that essentially open up and alter the classic identity that the ‘old’ musicals were required to have. How do they do it? By being casual, whenever possible even spontaneous. Unsurprisingly, the singing and dancing look and feel like natural extensions of their narratives, not the special events that made the ‘old’ musicals memorable.

On a lousy summer day in England, four young mechanics -- Don (Cliff Richard), Cyril (Melvyn Hayes), Steve (Teddy Green), and Edwin (Jeremy Bulloch) -- strike a deal with London Transport that allows them to fix a beat-up double-decker bus and then go on a long journey through the heart of Europe and all the way down to sunny Athens. Under Don’s direction, the bus is then loaded with everything that is needed to survive the journey and they hit the road.

In France, the mechanics encounter Sandy, Angie and Mimsie (Una Stubbs, Pamela Hart and Jacqueline Daryl), whose car has broken down but they are desperate to continue their journey. Rather reluctantly, the girls get on the bus and only hours later forget about their destination.

Further down the road the group welcomes an American runaway singer (Lauri Peters) disguised as a boy whose mad mother (Madge Ryan) and seriously concerned agent create a seemingly endless string of troubles for them. A goofy dog also joins the party. The road to Athens proves to be a bumpy one, but the bus keeps on moving and no one complains.

The story of Summer Holiday is silly but because the entire film is essentially one big party it does not matter. From the moment the boys get on the bus, the singing, dancing and energy before the camera become the focus of attention -- it is all about the party atmosphere, and the more exuberant it grows, the more charming the film becomes.

Something else that is very much worth underscoring is how sincere and innocent the fun is, which is quite an accomplishment in a film like this where so much of the exterior is in fact manufactured. For example, neither the French court room nor the Yugoslavian border appear even remotely legit, but the mere presence of the travelers and the purity of energy instantly makes these locations look like the logical stops that the film needs them to be.

Richard and his group The Shadows recorded the soundtrack for the film, and its primary goal really was to expand the star’s international appeal. In fact, this is the very reason why there are quite a few sequences where he does his best to imitate Elvis Presley.

Summer Holiday Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Peter Yates' Summer Holiday arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The release is sourced from a brand new 4K restoration that is an absolute stunner. I have viewed it twice since last week and I am tempted to declare it the studio's best restoration job this year. Indeed, when projected, the film looks incredible -- depth, clarity, and delineation are as good as they can be in 1080p. There are a few areas where transitions have small density fluctuations and momentary color bumps, but these transitions are undoubtedly as they appear on the original elements that were accessed during the restoration. It is way, way too easy to see/tell that it is so. Color reproduction is stunning. The primaries are lush and wonderfully balanced, while the supporting nuances are super healthy. With all the sun and picturesque locations, this film is often pure eye-candy. There are no traces of problematic digital work. Debris, cuts, damage marks, and stains have been thoroughly removed as well. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Summer Holiday Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The lossless track has been fully remixed, which is why clarity, depth, and stability are excellent. There are lovely dynamic nuances as well, which are crucial for the big soundtrack. (Listen to The Shadows perform at the party around 19.00-minute mark). The dialog is clean and very easy to follow.

Summer Holiday Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Bob Stanley - in this new program, Bob Stanley, author of Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop, discusses the enormous impact that Cliff Richard had on pop culture in the United Kingdom and the conception of Summer Holiday as well as its classic 'Britishness'. The interview was conducted exclusively for StudioCanal. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Cliff Rides a London Bus (1962) - this vintage piece showing Cliff getting acquainted with the big double-decker bus comes courtesy of British Pathe. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• First Night to Remember (1963) - presented here is archival footage from the theatrical premiere of Summer Holiday in London. Courtesy of British Pathe. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Rhythm 'N' Greens (1964) - a very nice short featuring The Shadows, directed by Christopher Miles, and narrated by Robert Morley. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• Stills Gallery - a collection of vintage production and promotional materials for Summer Holiday. (2 min).

• Audio Commentary - this archival audio commentary with the late director Peter Yates was included on the old DVD release of Summer Holiday. It offers a great deal of factual information about the conception of the film, its visual style (including the black-and-white prologue), the use of music, the various locations where parts of the journey were shot, etc. It is a wonderful commentary, so if you enjoy the film, you should find the time to listen to it in its entirety.

• Cards - four exclusive art/lobby cards.

Summer Holiday Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Peter Yates' directorial debut, Summer Holiday, has such incredible energy that occasionally it feels like its characters may actually figure out a way to jump through the screen. It looks incredible too, like a beautiful vivid dream that has come alive. From start to finish, I had a great time with it. If you have seen and enjoyed Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort, place your order now. I guarantee you won't be disappointed with your purchase. StudioCanal's release is sourced from a very beautiful new 4K restoration, and amongst its special features you will find a great archival commentary with director Yates as well as Robert Morley's charmer Rhythm 'N' Greens. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.