Those who have grown up watching Cliff Richard in his heyday will no doubt love watching his third movie after ‘The Young Ones’ and ‘Summer Holiday’. Not really classic material, but this is probably his last in his series of film stints that he did alongside a majestic music career. The movie is something that you can add to your collection, especially if you are a Cliff Richard fan.

Thisa 1964 British film, shot in the Canary Islands of Spain. Cliff Richard (Johnnie) and The Shadows (Marvin, Welch, Bennett and Rostill), are tossed off a cruise ship and land in the Canary Islands, where by default Johnnie rescues a film's starlet Susan Hampshire (Jenny), not knowing she is in playing a shot for a movie set of a maniacal director Walter Slezak (Walter Slezak). Jenny is uneasy on the sets due to the ever demanding ways of Slezak. While there, Johnnie falls in love with Susan. He manages to get employment for himself and his friends, but he finds that the whole crew dislikes Slezak’s commanding attitude and disrespect for his actors. With time, Slezak's desert epic takes a downslide. Johnnie and his gang decide, secretly, to salvage the project by filming their own version of the movie, converting it into a musical, using the camera, sets, costumes, and actors from Slezak's doomed epic. The songs from this film are by and large enjoyable, and include hit songs like On the Beach, Imagination, to great choreography in the song All Kinds of People and a few others.

Don’t miss out the high point of the film ‘We Love the Movies/History of the Movies’ musical extravaganza, which dabbles into the history of cinema, movie genres, wherein Cliff takes a dig at Charlie Chaplin, Sean Connery, not forgetting the impressive moment when Susan Hampshire rises from the sea like Ursula Andress in 007’s ‘Goldfinger’.

Rating: ***1/2

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira