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!
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 and at EMI-MGM EIstree Studios, Hertfordshire, England
Technicolor 85 mins
Filming Began: 10th May 1973
UK Release: 26th December 1973
Studio:
Elstree Studios of Associated British Picture Corporation, 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
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Art Director | Don Picton | 57 | 22 Feb 1916 | Nov 1981 | 65 | 15 | 2 | 17 | |
Assistant Director | Ken Baker | 23 | 23 | ||||||
Camera Operator | Chic (Rodney) Anstiss | 42 | 1 Feb 1931 | 30 Jun 2011 | 80 | 13 | 13 | ||
Choreographer | Malcolm Clare | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Construction Manager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-banks/# | 19 | 29 | 48 | |||||
Continuity | Sally Ball (Jones) | 28 | 1945 | Oct 2009 | 64 | 5 | 5 | ||
Director | Bryan Izzard | 37 | 4 Jul 1936 | 27 Apr 2006 | 69 | 1 | 1 | ||
Director of Photography | Brian Probyn BSc | 53 | 30 Nov 1920 | 25 Nov 1982 | 61 | 6 | 6 | ||
Dubbing Mixer | Bill Rowe | 42 | 2 Feb 1931 | 29 Sep 1992 | 61 | 10 | 10 | ||
Film Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/james-needs/# | 54 | 17 Oct 1919 | 4 Feb 2003 | 83 | 113 | 1 | 114 | |
Gaffer | Ted Hallows | 60 | 1913 | 2007 | 94 | 3 | 3 | ||
Hairdressing Supervisor | Elaine Bowerbank | 28 | 1945 | 01.01.1945 | 79 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Make-up Supervisor | Ricky Rickerby | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Music Composer | Denis King | 34 | 25 Jul 1939 | 25.07.1939 | 85 | 1 | 1 | ||
Musical Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/philip-martell/# | 66 | 6 Oct 1907 | 11 Aug 1993 | 85 | 104 | 1 | 105 | |
Producer | Ronald Chesney | 53 | 4 May 1920 | 12 Apr 2018 | 97 | 6 | 6 | ||
Producer | Ronald Wolfe | 51 | 8 Aug 1922 | 18 Dec 2011 | 89 | 6 | 6 | ||
Production Manager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/ron-jackson/# | 38 | 1935 | 1993 | 58 | 34 | 1 | 35 | |
Production Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-skeggs/# | 39 | Apr 1934 | 29 Dec 2018 | 84 | 45 | 2 | 47 | |
Recording Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/aw-lumkin/# | 60 | 1 Feb 1913 | 25 Oct 1985 | 72 | 30 | 30 | ||
Sound Camera Operator | Chris Munro | 21 | 1952 | 01.01.1952 | 72 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
Sound Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-hyde/# | 53 | 15 Feb 1920 | 28 Jun 1985 | 65 | 30 | 1 | 31 | |
Sound Recordist | Claude Hitchcock | 55 | 8 Nov 1918 | 4 Oct 2010 | 91 | 14 | 4 | 18 | |
Sound Recordist | Malcolm Davies | Feb 2019 | 2 | 2 | |||||
Special Effects | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/les-bowie/# | 60 | 10 Nov 1913 | 27 Jan 1979 | 65 | 30 | 13 | 43 | |
Wardrobe Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/laura-nightingale/# | 35 | 35 | ||||||
Writer | Ronald Chesney | 53 | 4 May 1920 | 12 Apr 2018 | 97 | 6 | 6 | ||
Writer | Ronald Wolfe | 51 | 8 Aug 1922 | 18 Dec 2011 | 89 | 6 | 6 | ||
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Arthur, his Brother-in-Law | Michael Robbins | 43 | 14 Nov 1930 | 11 Dec 1992 | 62 | 5 | 5 | ||
Bert | Wilfrid Brambell | 61 | 22 Mar 1912 | 18 Jan 1985 | 72 | 1 | 1 | ||
Betty | Annette Long | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Blakey, his Inspector | Stephen Lewis | 47 | 17 Dec 1926 | 12 Aug 2015 | 88 | 3 | 3 | ||
Bus Driver | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/harry-fielder/# | 33 | 26 Apr 1940 | 6 Feb 2021 | 80 | 10 | 10 | ||
Camp Manager | Henry McGee | 45 | 14 May 1928 | 28 Jan 2006 | 77 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Depot Manager | Michael Sheard | 35 | 18 Jun 1938 | 31 Aug 2005 | 67 | 1 | 1 | ||
Doreen | Carolae Donoghe | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Jack, his Conductor | Bob Grant | 41 | 14 Apr 1932 | 8 Nov 2003 | 71 | 3 | 3 | ||
Job Seeker | Eric Kent | 36 | 16 Jul 1937 | 5 Dec 2012 | 75 | 6 | 6 | ||
Joyce | Tara Lynn | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Little Arthur | Adam Rhodes | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Luigi | Franco Deosa | 29 | 16 Jul 1944 | 16.07.1944 | 80 | 1 | 1 | ||
Maria | Gigi Gatti | 37 | 1936 | 25 Mar 2003 | 67 | 1 | 1 | ||
Mavis | Maureen Sweeney | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Mr Briggs | Arthur Mullard | 63 | 19 Sep 1910 | 11 Dec 1995 | 85 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
Mrs Briggs | Queenie Watts | 50 | 21 Jul 1923 | 25 Jan 1980 | 56 | 1 | 1 | ||
Mrs Coombs | Hal Dyer | 38 | 1935 | 7 Dec 2011 | 76 | 1 | 1 | ||
Mrs Hudson | Eunice Black | 59 | 23 Oct 1914 | 27 Aug 2007 | 92 | 2 | 2 | ||
Nurse | Kate Williams | 32 | 12 Dec 1941 | 12.12.1941 | 82 | 2 | 2 | ||
Olive, his Sister | Anna Karen | 37 | 19 Sep 1936 | 22 Feb 2022 | 85 | 3 | 3 | ||
Patient | Alex Munro | 62 | 6 Mar 1911 | 20 Jan 1986 | 74 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sandra | Sandra Bryant | 28 | 30 Sep 1945 | 30.09.1945 | 79 | 1 | 1 | ||
Stan Butler | Reg Varney | 57 | 11 Jul 1916 | 16 Nov 2008 | 92 | 3 | 3 | ||
Stans Mum | Doris Hare | 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.