Holiday Camp (1948)

The Drummer in the Ballroom scenes ........is that Spike Milligan ?

The first of the Huggett series is actually not a full-blown comedy at all. It's best described as a comedy drama with the accent decidedly cast on the latter quality. In fact, it has a rather nasty twist in its tail – which brings it firmly into the film noir category. On the plus side, it's expertly acted by a first-rate cast in which Hazel Court and Jack Warner shine, and in which the director and his players manage to overcome most (though not all) of the twists in a somewhat clumsily constructed screenplay. On the negative front, true-to-life episodes are forced to jostle with comedy, romance and (briefly) horror. In fact, to re-iterate the splendid wording of Claytons TV commercial, Holiday Camp is the portmanteau film you have when you're not having a portmanteau film.

Isn't Jack Warner the wise Father and the nice man we all saw in the Dixon of Dock Green series in the 1950's. I spent some very happy moments as a teenager in the 1960's at Butilns Holiday Camp in North Wales. I can tell you it was in those days a very sophisticated place for a young lad out of a northern working class family. It was a magic place and seeing this movie brought it all back. Living in your very own (shared) "chalet". Coming home at night as late as you like and all activities laid on for FREE. I thought it was heaven. I loved the pretty daughter in the film and pleased to see on the IMDb that she is still alive and had a very eventful career in films. And Flora Robson giving more than a hint of the great actress she was. The blind announcer at the camp also played in many movies including the RED SHOES a classic film of the 1940's with Moira Shearer. (He played the conductor of the orchestra.) Loved the film and will see it again. regards, frank.

This is one of my favourite films, I first saw it when I was about 18. It reminds me of when I was young and used to go on holidays with my family. ( Not that I was around in the war, I'm to young ). Jack Warner is brilliant in it and so are the other cast members.It's about what family's should be like. The plot of the film is, Joe Huggett and his family go to an holiday camp for a week, while they are there is a murderer is on the loose, a teenage girl is on the run with her boyfriend and finds out she is going to have a baby and she is only 15, quite scandalous in those days. All in all this is a great film, the cast are great, and it's a feel good film, it should be released on DVD.