''Holiday Camp'' is a 1947 British

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Ken Annakin, starring

Flora Robson Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from q ...

, Jack Warner, Dennis Price, and

Hazel Court Hazel Court (10 February 1926 – 15 April 2008) was an English actress. She is known for her roles in British and American horror films during the 1950s and early 1960s, including Terence Fisher's ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' (1957) and ...

, and also features Kathleen Harrison and

Jimmy Hanley Jimmy Hanley (22 October 1918 – 13 January 1970) was an English actor who appeared in the popular Huggetts film series, and in ITV's most popular advertising magazine programme, ''Jim's Inn'', from 1957 to 1963. Early life Born in Norwich, No ...

. It is set at one of the then-popular holiday camps. It resonated with post-war audiences and was very successful. It was the first film to feature the Huggett family, who went on to star in "The Huggetts" film series.

Synopsis

Set in a Butlin's-style holiday camp on the English coast in contremporary post-war Britain, a working class London family have their first visit to a summer holiday camp. It was the first film to feature the Huggett family, who went on to star in "The Huggetts" film series. The film is a kaleidoscope of events involving the Huggetts and others, including a pregnant young girl and her boyfriend, a sailor whose girlfriend has jilted him, a girl looking for a husband, a spinster, a pair of dishonest

card sharps A card sharp (also cardsharp, card shark or cardshark, sometimes hyphenated) is a person who uses skill and/or deception to win at poker or other card games. "Sharp" and "shark" spellings have varied over time and by region. The label is n ...

, and a murderer on the run. It captures the round of organised leisure activities at the crowded camp and the ever present camp announcements. As one of the more unusual subplots Esther, a woman holidaying alone and sharing with a stranger Elsie, recognises the voice of the camp announcer, as a former boyfriend. When she eventually finds him, she discovers the correct person, but he was blinded in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He explains he lost his sight and memory in 1918. Joan Hugget wins the beauty contest and is immediately targeted by Binky, who appears to be one of the more upper-class campers. He then claims to be an investigator looking for the "Mannequin Murderer" but ultimately proves to be the actual killer. Harry Hugget loses a lot of money playing cards against two swindlers, ending up owing them more money than he has. However, his dad Joe wins all the money back a few days later.

Cast

as Esther Harman * Dennis Price as Binky Hardwick (aka Jeffrey Baker) an ex-RAF officer * Jack Warner as Joe Huggett *

as Joan Martin (née Huggett) * Emrys Jones as Michael Halliday * Kathleen Harrison as Ethel Huggett *

Yvonne Owen Maire Yvonne Owen (28 July 1923 – December 1990) was a British stage and film actress. Life and career Born in London in 1923, she was married to Alan Badel for 40 years; they had a daughter Sarah. In 1946 she appeared in the West End melo ...

as Angela Kirby * Esmond Knight as Camp Announcer *

as Jimmy Gardner * Peter Hammond as Harry Huggett *

Esma Cannon Esma Ellen Charlotte Littmann (née Cannon) (27 December 1905 – 18 October 1972), credited as Esme or Esma Cannon, was a diminutive () Australian-born character actress and comedian, who moved to Britain in the early 1930s. Although she freque ...

as Elsie Dawson * John Blythe as Steve *Jeannette Tregarthen as Valerie Thompson * Beatrice Varley as Valerie's Aunt * Susan Shaw as Patsy Crawford *Pamela Bramah as Beauty Queen * Alfie Bass as a redcoat *

M. E. Clifton James Meyrick Edward Clifton James (April 1898 – 8 May 1963) was an actor and soldier, with a resemblance to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. That was used by British intelligence as part of a deception campaign during the Second World War. Earl ...

as himself (Monty's Double) * Patricia Roc, Cheerful Charlie Chester, and Gerry Wilmot as themselves (entertaining the campers) and a young Diana Dors dances the Jitterbug.

Development

The film was directed by Ken Annakin, who had made a number of documentaries for producer Sydney Box. When Box took over Gainsborough Pictures he hired Annakin to make ''Holiday Camp''. It was part of Box's initial slate of pictures for the company, others including '' Jassy'' and '' Good Time Girl''. The original story was by magazine writer Godfrey Winn. He went to a Butlin's holiday camp at

Filey Filey () is a seaside town and civil parish in the Borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the East Riding of Yorkshire, it is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on Filey Bay. Although it was a fishing ...

with Annakin to research. Annakin remembers Winn "put together a very good story" but Sydney and Muriel Box "decided we should add extra elements".McFarlane p 25 He says Muriel Box worked on the Dennis Price character, inspired by the Heath Murders, then they held a round table conference with

Ted Willis Edward Henry Willis, Baron Willis (13 January 1914 – 22 December 1992) was an English playwright, novelist and screenwriter who was also politically active in support of the Labour Party. In 1941 he became the General Secretary of the Young Co ...

, Peter Rogers and Mabel Constanduros. "Godfrey wasn't terribly happy about it because he thought he was going to have a single screen credit", says Annakin. Peter Rogers had worked as Muriel Box's assistant. He says he wrote "the screenplay and most of the stories... but Mabel Constanduros and one or two other people had little ideas. Sydney oxwas always on the side of writers and always gave writers credit, even if they just had two lines in the script."McFarlane p 493 Rogers claims it was his idea to introduce the Dennis Price character and "the only bit that Mabel Constanduros contributed was the scene between Jack Warner and Kathleen Harrison on the cliffs."

Production

Camp exteriors were shot at Butlin's, Filey. The opening scenes of a train arriving at a seaside cliff-top station and of the passengers boarding buses outside the station were filmed at Sandsend railway station. Sydney Box used the film to introduce a number of new actors, including Susan Shaw and Hazel Court. It was Diana Dors' second film appearance. Some brief moments of Warner and Harrison exercising from the film, (and Michael Shepley playing golf), were re-used at the beginning of

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Reception

Box office

The film was the sixth most popular movie at the British box office in 1947. According to ''Kinematograph Weekly'' the 'biggest winner' at the box office in 1947 Britain was ''

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'', with "runners up" being '' The Jolson Story'', ''

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'', '' Odd Man Out'', '' Frieda'', ''Holiday Camp'' and '' Duel in the Sun''. Annakin attributed this in part "perhaps because I had come from documentary and British cinema at that time was very artificial. The Huggetts absolutely caught the spirit and feeling that existed after the war... People didn't want more fairy stories; they wanted something in which they could recognise themselves. Being of lower-middle-class origins myself, I felt at home with these people who were having a fine holiday in a very cheap place which provided wonderful entertainment. I think I caught the spirit of the holiday camps and we had a very warm, natural cast." Peter Rogers thought the film was a hit "the same way that the ''

Carry On Carry On may refer to: * ''Carry On'' (franchise), a British comedy media franchise *Carry-on luggage or hand luggage, luggage that is carried into the passenger compartment * ''Carry On'' (film), a 1927 British silent film * ''Carry On'' (novel), ...

''s caught on – you've got ordinary people doing amusing things." The film made a reported profit of £16,000.

Critical

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an enginee ...

'' wrote, "Time has mellowed the documentary quality of the film, and location shooting and authentic detail now seem less important than the presence of the whole range of British acting talent, from

Dame Flora Robson Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from q ...

to Cheerful Charlie Chester, among the cast of thousands."RMy
Holiday Camp
''Time Out London'' "I'm not embarrassed about ''Holiday Camp''", said Annakin years later, "although the later Huggett films don't hold up well."

References

*Brian McFarlane, ''An Autobiography of British Cinema'', Methuem Film, 1997

External links

*
''Holiday Camp''
at British Film Institute
Review of film
at ''Variety'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Holiday Camp (Film) 1947 films 1947 comedy-drama films Films about vacationing Films directed by Ken Annakin Gainsborough Pictures films Films produced by Sydney Box Films with screenplays by Muriel Box Films with screenplays by Sydney Box Films with screenplays by Peter Rogers Films with screenplays by Ted Willis, Baron Willis British black-and-white films British comedy-drama films Films shot in North Yorkshire The Huggetts (film series) 1947 directorial debut films 1940s English-language films 1940s British films