Holidays with Pay (1948)

Best Avoided

UK

Feature Film

Director: John E. Blakeley

Writers: Mavis Compston, Harry Jackson, Frank Randle, John E. Blakeley

Cinematographer: Ben R. Hart

Composer: Albert W. Stanbury

Cast: Frank Randle, Two Tonne Tessie O'Shea, Dan Young, Sally Barnes, Sonny Burke, Bert Tracy, Joyanne Bracewell

Cheap and unfortunately not very cheerful, this lacklustre, amateurish star vehicle for the oft sublime Randle – depicting a family holiday in Blackpool, taking in misadventurous trips to the theatre, the pier, the beach, and a haunted mansion (amongst other forgettable episodes) – feels like most of it was improvised (badly) on camera rather than in rehearsals (like the delightfully anarchic It's a Grand Life). Iain.Stott