That Riviera Touch ** (1966, Eric Morecambe, Ernie Wise, Suzanne Lloyd) – Classic Movie Review 6573

Director Cliff Owen’s 1966 French Riviera caper comedy is the second of only three films from beloved British comic duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise.

Following The Intelligence Men (1965), Morecambe and Wise’s second attempt (of three) to become big-screen stars finds them in a strained comedy thriller yarn, again written by their then regular TV scriptwriters, Sid [Sidney] C Green and Dick [Richard] M Hills).

Sid and Dick’s script is again based on a story by Peter Blackmore, this time about a reformed French girl called Claudette (Suzanne Lloyd) helping out two silly English tourists Eric Simpson and Ernest Clark (Eric and Ernie), to combat foreign jewel thieves in the South of France.

That magic touch they showed on TV is missing because they are saddled with a plot and do not have an audience, as with their TV shows. But, still, Morecambe is one of the all-time great comedians, Wise is one of the all-time great foils or straight men. And there are laughs in Sid and Dick’s script, and director Owen knows his business.

Also in the cast are Paul Stassino, Armand Mestral, George Eugeniou, George Pastell, Peter Jeffrey, Gerald Lawson, Michael Forrest, Paul Danquah, Francis Matthews, George Moon, Alexandra Bastedo, Nicole Shelby and Michael Forrest.

It is shot in Eastmancolor by Otto Heller, produced by Hugh Stewart and scored by Ron Goodwin.

The Magnificent Two followed in 1967.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6573

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