Holiday (1957)

Review in Monthly Film Bulletin - March 1958
The success of this film must, one supposes, be credited largely to Ralph Sheldon, whose imaginative and creative editing are responsible for most of its very considerable zest and wit. 'Holiday' is a candid camera view of some aspects of holiday life in Blackpool, and sets out for a more intimate and humble view than that of, say, a Butlin commercial. There is little written dialogue, the sound track being mostly provided by the Chris Barber band. Music and action are integrated with an affectionate sense of the comic and ludicrous, so that the Bathing Beauties parade to a jazz march, a sunburnt woman soothes her frizzled shoulders to the strains of the blues and divers hit the water of the swimming pool coincidentally with the breaks in 'High Society'. Such a light, unpretentious, warm view of frolicking humanity does considerable credit to British Transport Films, who are often associated with a less informal kind of glossy travelogue.


An extract from this film may be viewed online at YouTube courtesy of the BFI:-