SanEat
A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."
cmdahoust
I have heard of this film for a number of years, but finally had to opportunity to see it via DVR. The title of this film has always intrigued me and made me curious about this film. I really enjoy movies from the 60's & 70's and this one was no exception. As other's have mentioned it's a great time capsule from the 1960's and for baby boomers it will take you back. Yes, it is dated but holds up well. Some of the things that stood out to me were the circumstances the characters got themselves into that would not happen today (the man loosing his wife for a few days - i.e. no cell phones). Having traveled to Europe several times, I enjoyed this film because it brought me back to places I have seen and makes me want to go back again sometime for some new experiences.
The remark by the character played by Peggy Cass at the beginning of the tour about Europe being so different than the U.S. reminded me of John Travolta in Pulp Fiction comparing Europe to the U.S. 'They have the same things we have, only their things are a little different. ..~ Chow.
Anthony
When I first saw this movie in 1969 I was 11 years old and was already realizing my own sexual preference. watching a young Ian McShane was very stimulating to my desires but the one that stole my heart was Luke Halpin who in this movie was 22 years old. I had more butterflies in my stomach watching him then i ever did in my life. The whole movie is very well done and its the kind of movie everybody in the family could watch with total ease and enjoyment..movies like this are not made anymore. The world was a different place back then.. and its sad we today have lost that way of simple living in America..
JLRMovieReviews
Suzanne Pleshette and an all-star cast go on a bus tour through Europe and try to squeeze in everything possible. Ian McShane is their tour guide, who obviously falls for Suzanne. In fact, any and all male viewers watching this will fall for Suzanne. She is at her most beautiful in this movie. If you've never seen this movie and you are a Suzanne Pleshette fan, then you need to see it. She is stunning.Other passengers include Mildred Natwick, Marty Ingels, Michael Constantine, Sandy Baron, Peggy Cass, Murray Hamilton, Aubrey Morris, Norman Fell and Reva Rose, with a few others. Mildred Natwick, who's a great comedic actress, really had nothing to do, as well as a few wives.But, most of the male characters are more defined and interesting: one of them stopping in Italy to see family and getting in an arranged marriage, of whom he tries thereon to avoid; one who was in WWII goes to see his old flame; one who's taking pictures of all the dames to claim conquests; one who wants a pair of Italian shoes and orders them from a Italian shoemaker (a particular highlight with director Vittorio de Sica as the shoemaker); one carries an empty suitcase to take something from each country back with him; and one husband loses his wife, when she gets on the wrong tour bus. From thereon, it was a running joke, "My wife would have loved this," referring to unusual sights, and another husband had a running joke about getting a refund and getting on the next plane back home. They even get a tour of a museum, with Patricia Routledge (Hyacinth Bucket from "Keeping Up Appearances") as their perky museum tour guide, wherein the husband responds to his wife, "So help me, if it takes forever, I will get you for this."An added plus is the presence by celebrities, who are likely to pop up anytime, like Robert Vaughn, John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara, Anita Ekberg, Joan Collins, and Virna Lisi. A great time with many laughs. So, if you can't travel because you're short of funds, then find this and you'll get the abridged version and see the sights with a fun crew and the beautiful Suzanne Pleshette.
bkoganbing
Though the nominal stars of If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium are Suzanne Pleshette and Ian McShane have a nice romantic fling in the film, the real entertainment value lies in the varied group of American tourists roaming the continent. If these are typical no wonder our image is so bad.Ian McShane plays the guide for our two week tour and Pleshette is traveling to Europe alone to get away for a bit and ponder the marriage proposal from good old reliable Frank Latimore. It takes a while, but she falls for tour guide McShane. He's however not a person to settle down, it's why he has the job he does.But the rest of the members of her tour are a grand collection of character players. Norman Fell loses wife Reva Rose to another tour of Japanese touring the continent where she makes the biggest contribution to American-Japanese friendship since MacArthur. Michael Constantine is interested in reliving the best time of his life which he spent in Europe during World War II. Marty Ingels with camera in hand is looking to get pictures of beautiful women from each country to show how he's scoring to his buddies. Best of all is Murray Hamilton and Pamela Britton. She wants to go to Europe for herself and to get daughter Hilarie Thompson's mind off boys, this was the Sixties you know. Hamilton goes kicking and screaming. And Hilarie finds American student Luke Halpin abroad and he's better than what she left in the states.Hamilton is great as the ultimate American Philistine. I could see coming out of his mouth a comment that William Frawley made on an I Love Lucy episode when the Ricardos and Mertzes are in Rome. Frawley was singularly unimpressed with the Colosseum, saying that Joe DiMaggio would hit 80 home runs a year in that band box of a ballpark. Stuff like that comes out of Hamilton regularly.In fact he has a very funny encounter with an Italian shoemaker in Rome, played by Vittorio DeSica. Language problems and all each eventually gets his message across.I hope in real life we don't get as many laughs as this crowd does. Less laughs would do wonders for our image.
