Holiday on the Buses

When Stan, Jack and Blakey all get the sack from the bus company, Blakey could not be more pleased; after all, now at least he will not have to work with the two layabouts who have been a pain in his neck for so long. He gets a job as a security man at a Welsh holiday camp, then, to his horror, discovers that Stan and Jack have found work there as well on the leisure buses. Add in Stan’s family, who descend on the place on holiday, and you have a sure recipe for more comic chaos!

Original trailer

Production Details

A Hammer production presented by Nat Cohen for Anglo-EMI Film Distributors Limited Copyright MCMLXXIII Hammer Film Productions Limited – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate

The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character, or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional

RCA Sound Recording
Made on location in Wales
Technicolor 85 mins

Filming dates: 10th May 1973
UK Release: 26th December 1973

Studio:
EMI-MGM EIstree Studios, Hertfordshire

Location:
Station Road Bridge, Rhuddlan Castle, Wales – Bridge near to Castle where the family’s luggage goes into the river
Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales – Beginning of Mystery tour including sea front and bridge
Dyserth Falls, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales
Gwrych Castle, Abergele, Conwy, Wales – Main part of mystery tour; grounds only shown
Pontins Holiday Camp, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales

Stills from film

Click an image for enlarged slideshow

Cast & Crew

Cast & Crew – Verified complete

CREW	NAME	CREDITED	AGE AT RELEASE	BIRTH	Hidden	DEATH	AGE	CREDITS	UNCREDITED	TOTAL HAMMER
Art Director	Don Picton	Yes	57	22 Feb 1916		Nov 1981	65	15	2	17
Assistant Director	Ken Baker	Yes						23		23
Camera Operator	Chic (Rodney) Anstiss	Yes	42	1 Feb 1931		30 Jun 2011	80	13		13
Choreographer	Malcolm Clare	Yes						1		1
Construction Manager	Arthur Banks	Yes						19	29	48
Continuity	Sally Ball (Jones)	Yes	28	1945		Oct 2009	64	5		5
Director	Bryan Izzard	Yes	37	4 Jul 1936		27 Apr 2006	69	1		1
Director of Photography	Brian Probyn BSc	Yes	53	30 Nov 1920		25 Nov 1982	61	6		6
Dubbing Mixer	Bill Rowe	Yes	42	2 Feb 1931		29 Sep 1992	61	10		10
Film Editor	James Needs	Yes	54	17 Oct 1919		4 Feb 2003	83	113	1	114
Gaffer	Ted Hallows	Yes	60	1913		2007	94	3		3
Hairdressing Supervisor	Elaine Bowerbank	Yes	28	1945	01/01/1945		80	2	1	3
Make-up Supervisor	Ricky Rickaby	Yes						1		1
Music Composer	Denis King	Yes	34	25 Jul 1939			86	1		1
Musical Supervisor	Philip Martell	Yes	66	6 Oct 1907		11 Aug 1993	85	104	1	105
Producer	Ronald Chesney	Yes	53	4 May 1920		12 Apr 2018	97	6		6
Producer	Ronald Wolfe	Yes	51	8 Aug 1922		18 Dec 2011	89	6		6
Production Manager	Ron Jackson	Yes	38	1935		1993	58	34	1	35
Production Supervisor	Roy Skeggs	Yes	39	Apr 34		29 Dec 2018	84	45	2	47
Recording Director	A.W. Lumkin	Yes	60	1 Feb 1913		25 Oct 1985	72	30		30
Sound Camera Operator	Chris Munro	Yes	21	1952	01/01/1952		73	1	4	5
Sound Editor	Roy Hyde	Yes	53	15 Feb 1920		28 Jun 1985	65	30	1	31
Sound Recordist	Claude Hitchcock	No	55	8 Nov 1918		4 Oct 2010	91	14	4	18
Sound Recordist	Malcolm Davies	Yes				Feb 2019			2	2
Special Effects	Les Bowie	Yes	60	10 Nov 1913		27 Jan 1979	65	30	13	43
Wardrobe Supervisor	Laura Nightingale	Yes						35		35
Writer	Ronald Chesney	Yes	53	4 May 1920		12 Apr 2018	97	6		6
Writer	Ronald Wolfe	Yes	51	8 Aug 1922		18 Dec 2011	89	6		6
CAST
Arthur, his Brother-in-Law	Michael Robbins	Yes	43	14 Nov 1930		11 Dec 1992	62	5		5
Bert	Wilfrid Brambell	Yes	61	22 Mar 1912		18 Jan 1985	72	1		1
Betty	Annette Long	No							1	1
Blakey, his Inspector	Stephen Lewis	Yes	47	17 Dec 1926		12 Aug 2015	88	3		3
Bus Driver	Harry Fielder	No	33	26 Apr 1940		6 Feb 2021	80		10	10
Camp Manager	Henry McGee	Yes	45	14 May 1928		28 Jan 2006	77	1	1	2
Depot Manager	Michael Sheard	Yes	35	18 Jun 1938		31 Aug 2005	67	1		1
Doreen	Carolae Donoghe	Yes						1		1
Jack, his Conductor	Bob Grant	Yes	41	14 Apr 1932		8 Nov 2003	71	3		3
Job Seeker	Eric Kent	No	36	16 Jul 1937		5 Dec 2012	75		6	6
Joyce	Tara Lynn	Yes						1		1
Little Arthur	Adam Rhodes	Yes						1		1
Luigi	Franco De Rosa	Yes	29	16 Jul 1944			81	1		1
Maria	Gigi Gatti	Yes	37	1936		25 Mar 2003	67	1		1
Mavis	Maureen Sweeney	Yes						1		1
Mr Briggs	Arthur Mullard	Yes	63	19 Sep 1910		11 Dec 1995	85	1	3	4
Mrs Briggs	Queenie Watts	Yes	50	21 Jul 1923		25 Jan 1980	56	1		1
Mrs Coombs	Hal Dyer	Yes	38	1935		7 Dec 2011	76	1		1
Mrs Hudson	Eunice Black	Yes	59	23 Oct 1914		27 Aug 2007	92	2		2
Nurse	Kate Williams	Yes	32	12 Dec 1941			83	2		2
Olive, his Sister	Anna Karen	Yes	37	19 Sep 1936		22 Feb 2022	85	3		3
Patient	Alex Munro	Yes	62	6 Mar 1911		20 Jan 1986	74	1		1
Sandra	Sandra Bryant	Yes	28	30 Sep 1945			79	1		1
Stan Butler	Reg Varney	Yes	57	11 Jul 1916		16 Nov 2008	92	3		3
Stans Mum	Doris Hare	Yes	68	1 Mar 1905		30 May 2000	95	3		3

Original Poster

Click to enlarge

Footnotes

By this time, even Hammer’s buses were running unreliably and a fourth film was cancelled.

Another milestone in Hammer’s history was reached about this time and it was one which did not bode well for the future – James Carreras, whose showmanship had carried the Company for so long, finally retired in 1973, leaving his son Michael in sole charge.

The guest stars are all from television comedies of the time – Wilfrid Brambell from Steptoe and Son, Kate Williams from Love thy Neighbour, Arthur Mullard and Queenie Watts from Queenie’s Castle and Henry McGee was the butt of many a joke in The Benny Hill Show.

This was last Hammer film to be edited by James Needs, who started with them in 1949.

1973 BBFC Cert. “A”

Production Details

Stills from film

Cast & Crew

Original Poster

Footnotes

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