THAT RIVIERA TOUCH (1966, UK, 98m, U) ***
Comedy
dist. J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors; pr co. The Rank Organisation; d. Cliff Owen; w. Sidney Green, Richard Hills, Peter Blackmore; pr. Hugh Stewart; ph. Otto Heller (Eastmancolor | 1.66:1); m. Ron Goodwin; ed. Gerry Hambling; ad. John Blezard.
cast: Eric Morecambe (Eric Simpson), Ernie Wise (Ernie Clarke), Suzanne Lloyd (Claudette Dubois), Paul Stassino (Le Pirate), Armand Mestral (Inspector Duval), Gerald Lawson (Coco), George Eugeniou (Marcel), George Pastell (Ali), Alexandra Bastedo (Girl at Roulette Table), Nicole Shelby (Woman in Casino), Peter Jeffrey (Mauron), Francis Matthews (Hotel Manager), Michael Forrest (Pierre), Clive Cazes (Renard (uncredited)), Paul Danquah (Hassim (uncredited)), Valerie Leon (Girl in Bikini (uncredited)).
The second, and best, of three feature films Morecambe & Wise made for The Rank Organsiation in the mid-1960s sees the pair go on vacation and get mixed up with crooks plotting a jewel heist on the French Riviera. Whilst filmed on a limited budget, with location work switching between authentic French locations and Pinewood Studios, the film has an innocent charm and sense of fun that sustains interest for most of the running time. The comic duo do their best to bring a hokey story to life and there are several funny sequences for their fans to appreciate, as well as nods to Abbott & Costello and Laurel & Hardy. Followed by THE MAGNIFICENT TWO (1967).
