Produced by Britain's Hammer House of Horror, A Weekend With Lulu is a surprisingly good comedy that manages to be a bit edgy whilst remaining entirely family friendly. Bob Monkhouse plays cheeky chappy Fred Scrutton, an ice cream salesman who ends up chauffeuring his friend Tim (avuncular straight man Leslie Phillips) and his sexy fiancée Deirdre (beautious Shirley Eaton). Unfortunately for the love struck couple, Deirdre's Mum Flo (Irene Handl) invites herself and her pet dog along for the ride, which takes a shortcut on a B road that leads to a train trip to France. Once on the continent, Ted Lloyd's screenplay has a field day poking fun at the French, who are personified by a randy count (Alfred Marks) and buffoonish policemen. All the leads are very good, especially Handl, and Ken Hodges' cinematography is far better than a second feature deserves. All in all, a wonderful and nostalgic comedy that will leave you smiling if not laughing.
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JohnSeal5 June 2007
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crossbow010630 May 2011Basically a story about Tim (Leslie Phillips), who wants to spend quality time with his girl Dierdre (the very pretty Shirley Eaton). He rents "Lulu", which is a trailer hitched to an ice cream truck driven by Fred (Bob Monkhouse). Tim's plans are hampered when Dierdre's mom Florence (Irene Handl) comes along for the ride, her being stuffy and wary of Tim. They head to the seashore but take a wrong turn and end up on a freight train, where they are soon in France. What follows is a screwball comedy about how they are looking to get home. They end up having to dodge the police, stealing to get petrol and being in the middle of situations (including interrupting the Tour de France!). This is a fun, non-offensive comedy with good acting from these comedy legends, especially Irene Handl. While not essential, it puts a smile on your face and keeps your interest. If you like vintage British comedy, this will be definitely worth your time.
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graduatedan23 August 2007Although Hammer films is closely associated with the horror genre, the studio did produce other features, such as the crime drama Hell is a city and the wonderful comedy A Weekend with Lulu. The film stars Leslie Philips as a young man who wants to take his girlfriend (Shirley Eaton) to the seashore in a borrowed caravan. His friend Fred (Bob Monkhouse)is going to take them there, but in true comic fashion things don't go as planned and the group ends up stranded in France. Getting back to England is going to be difficult with no money and no petrol and these plot complications lead to one mishap after another. A fine comic cast, brisk pacing and a sweet natured approach to comedy that the British did so well in the 1950s and 60s make A Weekend with Lulu a very pleasant way to spend 90 minutes.
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austcent15 June 2002An excellent, "clean" film depiticing the best of British humour. Only saw it once (30 years ago) but it lives on. Would recommend it to all. How a simple "weekend away" can result in so much mayhem (unintentional of course) and result in absolute enjoyment for the viewer. No wonder so many "Carry On" movies followed.
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Leofwine_draca26 February 2018A WEEKEND WITH LULU is a Carry On-style British comedy feature made by Hammer Films, who were best known for their horror output. It actually reminded me a lot of CARRY ON CAMPING, albeit made a decade earlier. Those two reliable stars of the British screen, Bob Monkhouse and Leslie Phillips, play a couple of men who go off for a caraven holiday with the beautiful Shirley Eaton and her overbearing mother Irene Handl, in tow. Cue lots of mother-in-law jokes, character comedy, and vignettes involving the oddballs they meet along the way. They end up in France where fish-out-of-water humour ensues. Alfred Marks plays a slimy count, Graham Stark a comedic policeman, Kenneth Connor a tourist, and Sid James a gambler. Things pick up for the climax which ingeniously uses the Tour de France as a backdrop for the funny antics.
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mark.waltz28 February 2023It's ironic that character actress Irene Handl would appear the following year as the easy going, loveable aunt in "Watch It, Sailor!" where Marjorie Rhodes played the hag horror of all movie mothers, obviously directed to chew up the scenery and swallow it whole. As the meddlesome mother here of Shirley Eaton how to protect her daughter's innocence from being threatened by Bob Monkhouse, she's quite subtle and that makes her character much more likable and certainly more realistic. Rhodes should have toned it down a bit like Handl plays it in this, only raising her voice when necessary and actually quite funny as her character shows much more understanding even though she looks on the male companions on this vacation quite suspiciously.
This is a frenetic and fast moving comedy with lots of various kinds of gags, starting with the camper ending up somehow on a freight train then moving into some odd directions involving some eccentric strangers day meet along the way and ultimately ending up in the country with a very funny looking haystack and of course a commercial ditty being repeated over and over, eventually at a very fast speed. With some great British character actors here involved in some truly wacky situations (Monkhouse aided by Leslie Phillips and Alfred Marks), the situation isn't realistic in the least, but then again, this is burlesquing these kinds of characters and conflicts, and successfully avoids the obnoxiousness of the cliched stereotypical nagging mother. As a result, Handl steals every scene she's in, and Eaton is a lovely, if sex starved heroine, while the men get laughs for doing simply what men do even though they never really get very far even when Handl isn't around. Definitely one of the top notch sex comedies of the British Cinema outside of the carry-on movies. -
malcolmgsw10 November 2012I have to say that Irene Handel is one of the great British comedy actresses of the 20th century even if she only specialised in supporting parts.Her mere presence is guaranteed whenever she is on screen.When i did laugh at this film it was because of her.As for the rest well Leslie Phillips does his usual act,Bob Monkhouse his usual smarmy character who is so difficult to warm to and Shirley Eaaton's attributes are well to the fore.It is reasonably amusing for the first half hour then it starts to run out of ideas.By the end it is just silly rather than funny.I was interested to see the Silver City planes.I flew in those with my family on a couple of times and they were a quick way to get your car to France.
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richnew-6391927 January 2019One of the many British comedy's from the 60s. With many familiar faces and a few from the Carry on team. Accidently ending up in france it follows their exploits as they try to make their way home. A few funny moments ensue, but not as good as the carry on films.
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mesmeric29 April 2007Nothing funnier than four Brits (two blokes, a bird, and a matron) heading off for a weekend in the English countryside and mistakenly ending up in France, a country which they manage to turn on its head during the Tour de France. The ad executive and his fiancé hoped for a quiet weekend at the seashore in Lulu the caravan (that's a camper for the American reader), towed by his unscrupulous friend driving an ice cream truck (he has 200 wt of ice cream he hopes to sell down at the shore for some side money). Of course, the future mum-in-law invites herself along and her stodginess provides some of the best comedic moments.
Very well crafted film and still funny after all these years. Great cast including Sid James in a small role. Many other faces you'll recognize from the Carry On films, as well.
Shown on TCM on American cable television. -
Lucy-Lastic8 July 2019How btracyusa thought this one of the funniest films ever and where Monty Python might have got some of their ideas from is way beyond me as I found it a laboured bore.
Bit fan of Bob Monkhouse, but comedy actor he ain't I'm sorry to say and the only saving grace in this was Irene Handl.
Poor. -
crumpytv8 November 2021It really is hard to imagine the mindset of audiences back in 1961 if this is the sort of sexist pap that was being dished up in the name of humour.
I was squirming at the utter sexploitation of Shirley Eaton and the double entendre were more singular than plural.
Some of the dodgy pronunciation was geared at an adult audience. It may not have been profanity in name but it was there by insinuation.
It was also at least 30 minutes too long to sustain the farce.
The only saving grace was Irene Handle.
Cameos from Kenneth Connor and Syd James couldn't save it. -
btracyusa15 March 2003I saw this film in a drive-in theater in Massachusetts over 40 years ago. Lulu is the name of the camper and the movie lives very strong in my memory. If you like Monty Python, you'll love this. I think that they (Monty Python) might have gotten some ideas from this film.