If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium *** (1969, Suzanne Pleshette, Ian McShane, Mildred Natwick, Murray Hamilton, Michael Constantine, Sandy Baron, Norman Fell, Peggy Cass) – Classic Movie Review 11,772

Director Mel Stuart’s 1969 DeLuxe Color romantic comedy If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium is an affectionate, hard-to-dislike send-up of American tourists on a whirlwind trip round Europe. English amorous tour guide Charlie Cartwright (Ian McShane) has one eye on ‘birds’ and the other on Fred Ferguson (Murray Hamilton)’s family, Edna (Peggy Cass) and Shelly (Hilary Thompson).

Also on board are Harve Blakely (Norman Fell) and his wife Irma (Reva Rose), a pair of spinsters (Mildred Natwick and Pamela Britton), ex-GI army veteran Jack Harmon (Michael Constantine) and shop buyer Samantha Perkins (Suzanne Pleshette). Charlie has a special eye on Samantha.

It is a pity that it is all so carelessly done, but it is fun anyway.

It features many jolly cameos from the likes of Vittorio De Sica, Joan Collins, Anita Ekberg, Robert Vaughn, John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara, Virna Lisi, Elsa Martinelli, Catherine Spaak, Senta Berger, Donovan and Miss Belgium herself (Sonya Doumen).

Donovan sings his composition ‘Lord of the Reedy River’ and writes the title song, performed by J P Rags [aka Douglas Cox].

It is made by Wolper Pictures, released by United Artists, and filmed on location throughout Europe.

The title is taken from a 1957 New Yorker cartoon by Leonard Dove, showing a young woman near a tour bus and a bell tower, saying: ‘But if it’s Tuesday, it has to be Siena.’

The cast are Suzanne Pleshette, Ian McShane, Mildred Natwick, Murray Hamilton, Michael Constantine, Sandy Baron, Norman Fell, Peggy Cass, Pamela Britton, Reva Rose, Marty Ingels, Aubrey Morris, Hilary Thompson, Luke Halpin, Mario Carotenuto, Patricia Routledge, Marina Berti, Linda De Felice, Paul Esser, Jenny White, Sonya Doumen, Suzy Falk and Frank Latimore.

TV sequel in 1987, If It’s Tuesday, It Still Must be Belgium.

Locations: first: London; second: the Netherlands; third: Brussels and Bastogne, Belgium; fourth: Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany; fifth: Switzerland; and last: Venice and Rome.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,772

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