If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Mel Stuart

Writer:

David Shaw (writer)

Release Date:

24 April 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Europe sent us Dutch Elm Disease, German Measles and Russian Roulette. We sent them World-Wind Vacation tour #225. Now we're even.

Plot:

A group of travelers from the United States race through seven countries in 18 days. Included in the group are Samantha Perkins...

Plot Keywords:

Apostrophe In Title | Fondue | Country Name In Title | Family Relationships | Punctuation In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Suzanne Pleshette	...	Samantha Perkins
Ian McShane	...	Charlie Cartwright
Mildred Natwick	...	Jenny Grant
Murray Hamilton	...	Fred Ferguson
Sandy Baron	...	John Marino
Michael Constantine	...	Jack Harmon
Norman Fell	...	Harve Blakely
Peggy Cass	...	Edna Ferguson
Marty Ingels	...	Bert Greenfield
Pamela Britton	...	Freda
Reva Rose	...	Irma Blakely
Aubrey Morris	...	Harry Dix
Hilary Thompson	...	Shelly Ferguson (as Hilarie Thompson)
Luke Halpin	...	Bo
Mario Carotenuto	...	Giuseppe

Runtime:

Argentina:105 min | USA:99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | UK:A (original rating) | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | USA:G (edited for re-rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:M (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Wolper Pictures

Trivia:

During one of the interludes that Shelly Ferguson (Hilary Thompson) spends with the free-spirited Bo (Luke Halpin), she admires the slogan "Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came" that he has displayed on his motorcycle. That phrase is also the title of the next (and last) movie in which their co-star, Pamela Britton, appeared before her untimely death in 1974.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where he first meets Hilarie Thompson, Luke Halpin is shown wearing regular street clothes and shoes. When he mounts his motorcycle, the camera cuts away to someone wearing brown riding boots, kicking the motorcycle to start. Then as he drives away, he's back in his original footwear.

Quotes:

Fred Ferguson: [angrily frustrated, to a clueless Italian cobbler] Tan! Y'understand tan?

Movie Connections:

Followed by If It's Tuesday, It Still Must Be Belgium (1987) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Lord Of The Reedy River

This movie has to come out on DVD!

Even though I was born a couple of decades after this movie was released, I wanted to watch it when it played on TV because it was given a perfect 5/5 rating by my local newspaper's TV listings. When I tuned in, I was even more excited when I found out that it was a David Wolper and Mel Stuart collaboration because I really loved 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.' It's a shame that 'If It's Tuesday This Must Be Belgium' is not available on DVD. Even though it was made about 30 years ago, the misadventures of the ensemble cast are as funny as ever. The fine balance between the witty humor and acerbic banter in this movie is something that is rare in movies today. The only movies that come close are a few of Wes Anderson's (Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic), but instead of being faux retro, 'If It's Tuesday This Must Be Belgium' really is retro. It shows all of Europe's fabled landmarks in the tongue-and-cheek manner that you can't get from any movie unless it really was made in 1969. I liked the part when the group was at a cheese market in Amsterdam and the tour guide says, "There's an auction of gouda cheeses and edam cheeses. And pretty good-a edam cheeses they are." That is like so corny it's funny. After watching this movie, I actually did want to take a European bus tour! But the best thing about this movie is its great cast, particularly the beautiful Suzanne Pleshette and the devilishly handsome Ian McShane.