Bon Voyage!

I just streamed this title and I still continue to like it so much. I first saw it in 1962 at age seven. I still find it good and entertaining. I think this title is the "most" underrated of ALL the Walt Disney live action feature films of the 1960's. What I like about it is that it is not just aimed at children but also grown ups too! Fred MacMurray has never received the acting credit he deserved except for "Double Indemnity" directed by Billy Wilder. He was a very gifted actor and is fun to watch with his family in this film. Deborah Walley is so good in this film, Kevin Corcoran is good as his small son Skipper and Tommy Kirk gives a good performance. Jane Wyman was likeable to me and was a good match for Fred MacMurray in this film. It's sentimental and it's sort of like the "National Lampoon Vacation" movies of the 1980's when everything goes wrong on a vacation. Michael Callan also was so good in this film and learned from the Willard family how a family should be. A family that really cared and loved each other and it's refreshing to see this. You don't see this much today at all in today's movies The transfer is very good from mint 35mm pre-print. The resolution is extremely good and it has clarity and depth. The Technicolor shines. So many of the actor's are gone now to heaven. God Bless Them All. I think it was good that Walt Disney took a chance and tried a different type of Disney film. The cinematography also is beautiful and well done. It continues to be my personal favorite of the Walt Disney feature films of the 1960's. When Fred and Kevin go underground for the tours of the Paris sewer system Fred get's lost. It still is extremely entertaining and funny to watch these scenes. Plus Fred and Kevin going up in the cargo net at the very beginning of the film. That really caught my attention when I was age seven way back in 1962. I never thought one day in the year 2019 I would be watching this movie on a computer. I find the entire film very entertaining and likeable. Mainly because it is a different type of Walt Disney film. I am glad this was made and Walt Disney took a chance to make something different. The critics were not kind to it in 1962 but I think audiences enjoyed it then. For being a different type of Disney film. I give it an A+. It's is still amusing after ALL of these years.

I loved this movie as a child and now my children get to love it. It is a classic! Kind of like Chevy Chase's Vacation movies, but cleaner for children.

BEHIND THE SCENES & TRIVIA: Directed by James Nielson. filmed both on location in Europe and at the Disney Studio. At the studio, a recreation of the Paris sewer where Harry takes a tour and gets lost was filmed. The hotel suites were also created there on the soundstages and interiors of the cruise ship. The outdoor footage on the cruise ship was shot on a real ship, the "S.S. United States" while it was actually en transit to Europe.. But the casino was a real one, the Palm Beach Casino on the French Riviera and the casino staff got to sit in as themselves. Exteriors of the hotels were shot at Salon Kleber. Walt Disney went to Paris to check on the filming of the movie.The opening credit sequence is very entertaining, and was put together by Disney animators Bill Justice and X. Atencio. The titles are faux postcards of Europe, interspersed with footage from actual sites like Paris and Monte Carlo. The jaunty title song is by the Sherman Brothers, after Walt vetoed their slow pretty waltz they offered and requested a more upbeat song like "California Here I Come", but for Europe. This was their fourth filmThe film was not well received by critics at the time, but it did well enough with the public. They felt it was too slow and long for starters and there was not enough to keep smaller children interested. It is a little long and goes back and forth in the storyline a few times, clocking in at 2 hours and 10 minutes. It was nominated for two Academy Awards ®, one for Best Sound for studio sound veteran Robert Cook, and one for Best Costume Design for Bill Thomas. I think those were for the dresses worn by Jane Wyman in the movie. Emile Curry probably should have gotten a nod for his lavish design of the hotel suites, he was in charge of set design on nearly every Disney movie while Walt was alive. The screenplay was by Bill Walsh, based upon the book of the same title by Marrijane & Joseph Hayes. The film premiered in theatres on May 17, 1962. Almost 8 years later it was shown on the "Wonderful World Of Disney" television show in 3 parts over 3 consecutive Sunday nights, starting on January 11, 1970 and did not air on the show again. It was first released to VHS in 1987, and to DVD in 2007.It does not appear that Disney re-mastered the film for this DVD, but it was well preserved and has good color for the period, and does not have noticeable scratches or sound problems. However, when we blew it up on a high quality projection system we could see some strange background cross-hatching now and then. It is in full screen mode, but Disney Studios made quite a few films that way during the 1960's. The sound is mono, as originally recorded. There are no extras on the DVD, but I can think of a few from the Disney vault that would have been nice without costing new production dollars. Disney made a series of featurettes on travel called "People and Places" in the 1950's. It would have been nice to see one of these travelogues, and maybe a short cartoon. The film trailer should have been included, and they could have put some trailers in for other films from the period, it would only help them sell more DVD's.Overall, if you are a big Disney fan like me, who appreciates their huge library of lesser known family films I recommend it. But I also recommend that Disney put a bit more effort into their DVD releases for the price.THE STORY: This Walt Disney live action movie stars Fred MacMurray as Harry Willard, Jane Wyman as his wife Deborah, Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran as their sons Elliott and Scooter, Deborah Walley as their 18 year old daughter, and her love interest "Nick" is played Michael Callan. Beautiful French scenery, some drama, comedy and romance. Deborah Willard has been planning a trip to Europe by boat for 22 year, and now her husband Harry and 3 kids are finally going. Harry is a very loyal husband, a good father and owns a plumbing contracting business. They take a ship to France, and one the jourey their older children meet some romantic counterparts. They visit Paris and Monte Carlo, and Deborah is preyed upon by a local man until Fred finally punches him out shooting him halfway across the casino after getting unexpectedly drunk. Mr. Willard gets lost in the Paris Subways when his son drags him there for a tour. Elliott is hilarious as he tries different disguises and tricks in order to pick up local girls. A scene that raised eyebrows was when a French call girl attempted to pick up Mr. Willard, and later his unwitting son, (not your typical Disney). Harry has to come to his son's rescue when a local hustler attempts to blackmail the family on false charges that his son Elliott has taken advantage of their young daughter. In the end the parents everyone finally gets what they want form their dream vacation.

We tried watching this for a family movie night (kids ages 5 & 7), and there were definitely some adult themes in there that they didn't get and were uncomfortable to watch with them. We ended up turning it off and the grown ups finished watching it later. Mildly entertaining. Things to be aware of with young children: The oldest son has a real attitude problem throughout. Lots of drinking, smoking, partying. Disrespect toward parents. Infidelity misunderstandings. Dad getting completely drunk and passing out. Just things to be aware of if turning on with really young kids and thinking this is going to be a family Disney movie - maybe with teens? Disturbing that the very controlling/verbally abusive boyfriend still ends up getting the girl in the end. Sends the wrong message to teenage girls. There were some funny parts though - like when the dad gets lost in the sewers underground, then tries to get help by sticking his finger up a sewer cover hole and wiggling it around - watching everyone's confusion on street level was pretty funny!

This was Disney at his best as the old Hollywood royalty who cast "Bon Voyage" lead you on a fun filled family romp through France. Fred MacMurry is hilarious as the father from Indianna who is giving his beautiful wife, played by Jane Wyman, the trip of her dreams. This is almost like a second honeymoon for them except they brought their children along. The daughter finds a playboy for a boyfriend, the son is a wolf, and the youngest son, played by Kevin Cochran, is your typical Moochie. Watch for the part in the Paris sewers it is especially funny.

leider nicht mit deutscher sprache erhältlich

I enjoyed this film very much...love Tommy Kirk - so cute!

This is the story of a family with 3 children whose parents decide and at last succeed to leave for Europe in a long dreamed-of trip-sort of late honeymoon postponed year after year by either the birth of another child or financial restrains.Harry(the father,Bill MacMurray)and Katie(the mother,Jane Wyman)pack up their kids and leave for France but this trip includes some unforeseen adventures:first, right after they are aboard the ship Katie's family threw an unexpectedly party where everyone invited looks down their noses at Harry-the unworthy son in law "Who works in plumbing" and poor Katie (who is, by the way, perfectly happy and very much in love with her husband after 22 years of marriage).After arrival in Paris, Katie is pursued by a Hungarian admirer, their daughter Amy is still in love with a brash young playboy that she met on the ship, Elliott -their older son is playing the young , rich and cosmopolitan playboy and the mischievous younger son manages to lose his father while on a tour of the Paris sewer system! A nice, heartwarming film about the relations between parents and children and hilarious too into the bargain!

Lots of fun -- reminds me of family vacations from years gone by.

Fred MacMurray became a regular at Disney Studios from the late-50s portraying a bumbling father in a series of 'light' comedies.(THE SHAGGY DOG, ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR etc.). Here he takes his family, wife Jane Wyman, sons Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran and daughter Deborah Walley, on a dream holiday to France. Naturally, all sorts of comical adventures occur during their vacation. His wife is persued by a Hungarian, his daughter by smoothie Michael Callan and his elder son by gold-digging mother and daughter. The humour is largely light-weight though enjoyable, the highlight probably a sequence where MacMurray finds himself lost in the sewers of Paris! Not top-notch Disney maybe, but harmless fun. Picture (1.33:1)and sound (mono)quality are of the usual Disney standard. The disc does not include any 'extras'. Sad footnote, Tommy Kirk, 'Elliott', passed away aged 79 in 2021. Kevin Corcoran, 'Skipper' in 2015 aged 66.