That Riviera Touch (1966) User Reviews

Not bad,but the best was yet to come

[BJJManchester · 6/10 · 29 March 2008]

Of the three films Morecambe and Wise made in the mid-1960's,THAT RIVIERA TOUCH was perhaps the best,though as the cliché goes,it isn't saying that much.Eric and Ernie's brand of humour was never particularly suited towards plot or narrative (the crosstalk/sketch format seemed to accommodate them far more),and the story here (about jewel thieves on the French Riviera) is wispy and fluffy to the point of irrelevance.

What saves the film from total mediocrity is the location filming on the French Riviera itself (pleasantly photographed by the veteran Otto Heller),the inclusion of a capable comedy director (Cliff Owen),and occasionally some decent comic material which is just about good enough to take the mind off the mundane plot.Eric and Ern manage to produce some very funny moments despite some considerable flaws surrounding them;the supporting actors (predominately mainland European types) are mostly forgettable and contribute very little that is of note,and the climactic surfboard chase is reasonably well-staged,though is made less effective by some obvious back projection. Despite this,Morecambe and Wise come across as two very likable innocents abroad,and although the prosaic storyline,script and related characters interfere too often,there's still enough amusing bits of business (particularly during and after Eric wins a fortune,purely by accident,at a roulette table) to ensure at least total indifference never sets in.

That said,there is still a feeling of disappointment with THAT RIVIERA TOUCH,and Morecambe and Wise would soon find their proper comedic mode with their glorious BBC TV shows of the 1970's,where they were not distracted by plots,scripts or supporting characters that overtly inhibited them;THAT RIVIERA TOUCH only suggests in moments how truly great they could be,and indeed they did become,via (for them) the less constrained medium of television.

RATING:6 out of 10.

That Morecambe & Wise Touch

[michaelarmer · 7/10 · 31 May 2020]

This is not as funny as The Intelligence Men' but a better film and contains the gorgeous Suzanne Lloyd.

The French Riviera is the setting and its a good story about two bumbling blokes on holiday who get involved in a diamond theft, Its well acted and the stunts are good, at least they have French actors playing French characters.

The photography and scenery is very good and its well directed, ignore the negative reviews, they are idiots who don't know their arse from their elbows.

This is how comedy film should be made, with style.

An easy film to watch

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 28 January 2022]

Perhaps the most loved of the trilogy of films that the TV stars made. This one has a real lightness of touch in the story of a holiday that goes awry when our bumbling heroes get caught up in an unlikely spy ring. Not the funniest film I've ever seen, but the supporting cast is strong and if you like the stars then you'll like this one.

Great Movie

[ladybrit · 4 November 2001]

I saw this movie many years ago and it has remained my favourite comedy to this day, the two main characters of the movie are Eric and Ernie, great British comedians of their day. Eric can make me laugh just by looking at him. This movie is a classic and is well worth watching. Filmed on the Riviera, as the title infers, one funny thing after another befalls the pair, in the spy-like way of James Bond etc. Great fun non stop laughter,

Eric and Ernie flee the realm

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 18 November 2014]

The English comedy team of Morecambe&Wise made only a few film appearances and never even tried to break into the American market as did their contemporaries Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Having seen clips of their television work I can say that after watching That Riviera Touch they were strangely subdued for this film.

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise play a pair of traffic enforcement officers who decide to take an immediate holiday after ticketing Queen Elizabeth's own illegally parked vehicle. I guess that's one of the real perks of royalty.

When they get to the Riviera scheming Susanne Lloyd figures these two not too bright Englishmen are the perfect pigeons to hide and transport some stolen jewels. She's working for gang and another gang is also interested in the swag. Not to mention the authorities.

They convince Eric and Ernie to stay in a special villa that has trap doors and secret passages and tap water spigots that if turned the right way will kill you. A perfect place for a pair of tourist yokels.

The final scene with Eric on water skis and Ernie trying to rescue him is pretty funny and well executed. Still the film overall is not as good as some of the television material I've seen.

It's a good introduction though for American fans.

Funny.

[cwolf10 · 6/10 · 29 March 2019]

First time hearing about Eric & Ernie.

The two get mixed up with jewel thieves on their vacation in France.

Morecambe and Wise at their best...on the big screen that is

[studioAT · 4/10 · 16 July 2014]

Although Morecambe and Wise produced their best work for TV I think there is a lot of fun to be had in this, their second big screen outing.

Yes, the script is a bit wooden in places and the plot verges from being both over explained and then over the top at any given time, the real magic is just seeing these two very talented comedians just work together and be very funny.

The fact that the majority of it is shot on location (and a beautiful one at that) helps a great deal and while there is no doubt who the stars are, it is nice to see that the supporting cast actually get more to do than just support.

That Riviera Touch is not a classic film, but it is entertaining and good fun for any fan of Morecambe and Wise.

In which Eric and Ernie - unwisely - try their luck in the movies

[ianlouisiana · 6/10 · 16 August 2008]

If Sid Collin and Dick Hills had written this as a five minute sketch then the boys would have made something of it.As a full - length movie it is - sadly - very thin stuff.In 1966 they had yet to reach their peak as audience - pullers,but Eric and Ernie had already been around for a long time on Variety Halls,radio and TV when Rank decided to follow up the undistinguished "The Intelligence Men" with what they obviously hoped was going to be a happier and more successful second picture.Their optimism was ill - founded.Away from the intimacy and immediacy of a responsive audience the double act floundered badly.Having a guest star or two on a TV show was one thing.......sharing the screen with so many other people detracted from their ability to dominate - they weren't strong enough to make everybody else subordinate.Unlike their heroes Abbot and Costello,Morecambe and Wise just didn't fill the screen with their presence.Putting them in a "Haunted House" type scenario merely served to demonstrate their inferiority to the American cross - talking comics. The silly plot about some stolen jewellery is an irrelevance,an excuse to get the boys out of the studio (another mistake).You may take some slight pleasure in recognising references to their comedic roots Jacques Tati,Laurel and Hardy,Bud and Lou and even Norman Wisdom get a nod,but overall,"That Riviera Touch" is a wasted opportunity for two of England's most beloved comedians who,after the Subsequent "The Magnificent Two" never darkened the door of a movie studio again. Whether it was an excess of hubris or the promise of untold wealth that tempted them in the first place I don't know,but it is a matter of lasting regret that it never worked out.

Poor outing for one of UK TV's favourite comic pairs.

[karl-a-hughes · 2/10 · 27 May 2011]

As many have said, this is a woefully disappointing film. That two of UK's favourite TV comedians (albeit not two of my favourites) could appear in such an unfunny movie is a terrible shame. The script and comic situations quite simply fall short of the mark needed to be funny, and although Eric's boisterous on-screen personality sometimes lifts a laugh from the creaky material you are left wishing for some original witty lines to appear.

The supporting cast is almost entirely devoid of those stalwarts of British comedy films that help to glean laughs from mediocre material. Perhaps appearances from the like of John le Mesurier or Irene Handl would have helped to lift this film, but as things are we are left to a string of character actors that don't know how to play at comedy.

The score is by the masterful Ron Goodwin, and this adds some momentum to the proceedings; much needed but ultimately wasted.

In short, this film is really only for fans of Eric and Ernie, and even then, you'd be better searching out their TV material.

The best of the three

[neil-476 · 5/10 · 16 March 2011]

Morecambe and Wise's cinematic follow-up to The Intelligence Men was an improvement (and was also better than its successor The Magnificent Two), but it still joined their attempt to crack the USA on the Ed Sullivan Show as one of their few areas of failure.

The plot - two English losers played as patsies in a French Riviera criminal conspiracy - is barely sufficient to pass muster, even bolstered with the related "love interest" sub plot.

But it is colourful, and cheerful, with some attractive location work (and a lot of studio work), and Eric and Ernie work hard. And there are some funny moments, so I wouldn't write it off as being a complete disaster.

Great stuff from Eric and Ernie

[Elgroovio · 9/10 · 6 September 2004]

Maybe you have to be a Morecambe and Wise fan like me, but I loved this film so much. The comic duo find themselves in the midst of a jewel theft and a beautiful woman, Claudette. One of the most entertaining scenes in this film is when Morecambe accidentally wins a massive amount of money at a casino. Gags are plenty in this film, but occasionally, when Morecambe and Wise aren't on the screen, it gets ever so slightly over-serious. But this is just one tinsey handicap of a very funny film. If you get bored with Morecambe and Wise (not very likely) then you can enjoy the beautiful French Riviera scenery (the film was actually filmed there). Enjoy! 9/10

Same plot as Dumb and Dumber

[neilgodfreyyk1-209-875326 · 3/10 · 31 March 2018]

2 idiots find themselves cought up criminals while both trying to win the love of a lady. Hmmm very similar plot to Dumb and Dumber. Someone should be hung, drawn and quartered for this. I want vengeance.

yep another winner from M and W

[gorytus-20672 · 9/10 · 15 April 2021]

April 2021

That riviera touch, equally on par with the other 2 Morecambe and Wise films from the 1960s.

Why are the IMDB scores so low for them?

I think they are great.

See if you can spot Alexandra Bastedo from the Champions fame.

9 out of 10.

Classic Eric & Ernie

[londonderry-25590 · 8/10 · 26 December 2021]

1966 classic Eric and Ernie. For the those of us that love the duo it's brilliant. Typical comedy from the 1960's. If you don't like this family fun then I just don't know.

Almost a total waste of the talented double act

[bob the moo · 23 August 2004]

Having accidentally given a parking ticket to the Queen, traffic wardens Eric and Ernie decide that it is a good time to get away for a while and decide to take a holiday in the south of France. Arriving at the airport, the two are unwittingly selected by a gang of criminals to be used as patsies in a daring robbery of valuable jewels. The gang plan to hide the jewels on the pairs' car to get them out of the country unsuspected. With the gang guiding their every move, Eric and Ernie are seemingly unaware of the situation they find themselves in.

In the UK as with the US, small screen comedians will inevitably be given a shot at big screen success and forty odd years ago was no different, with Morecambe and Wise being given several bites at the cherry – of which this film was the second. As with all their films, the material is just not up to scratch – either in terms of plotting or in terms of laughs. The plot sees them involved in a crime caper but it is so badly handled that you never really care about what is happening or who is doing what to whom. This wouldn't have been a major problem if the film had been funny enough to cover it but it really isn't. There are few funny routines and mostly the film just seems to have a very basic script that relies on the abilities of its stars to make something out of nothing.

Of course when you are talking about Morecambe and Wise then it is rare that they will do nothing right and thus they manage to get some laughs even with little or no help from the material. Morecambe was always the funniest of the pair and he brings his stage personae to this film really well – he is responsible for poor material being funny and although this is miles away from their best, he and Ern deserve praise for preventing this being awful. Wise enjoys himself and gets laughs, showing that he is not just a straight man; he even gets to sing – something that Eric would never have let him get away with on the small screen! The support cast are all pretty poor, with none making an impression but I suppose the focus is on the stars.

Overall this is a poor film and is not the place to come to experience M&W at their best – in fact all of their films should be ignored if this is what you are looking for. The material is poor and the film is not very funny at all and it is only the talent of Eric and Ernie that prevent it from being a total waste of time.

Tholusithius!

[MaRX-3 · 18 January 1999]

MORECAMBE and Wise go to the South of France. The end. Inevitable jewel theft and synthetic glamour among the Stuyvesant smokers and James Bond extras who swarm to this allegedly exotic region.