A quickie retread of 'Roman Holiday' and 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' with musical numbers resembling those of a Cliff Richard vehicle (complete with the late Una Stubbs). Not exactly good, but rather charming it offers views of London as it looked in 1965 (complete with the Post Office Tower nearing completion) and the unique spectacle - if this is a recommendation - of Sid James singing and dancing.
10 Reviews
Brief outline of the film
davegary15 September 2002
Saw this film as a child. About a girl who wants to collect three hats around London.First hat is a Bowler ,second hat is a Busby , and third and most difficult is a Police hat. She is helped by Joe Brown .Una Stubbs and Sid James who plays a taxi driver. Quite entertaining.
No wonder musicals were becoming extinct
malcolmgsw24 July 2016
This film is a dismal attempt to make pop star Joe Brown into a film star.It failed on all counts.You don't expect musicals to have a great story and this film is no exception.However you hope that the music and the dancing will be good.It is difficult to find an adjective to describe just how bad they are.There is not even one musical number that is memorable.The dancing must be amongst the worst ever put on film.The only worthwhile moment is Sid James singing and dancing.He did serve in a concert party in the war.Difficult to realise given his comment character that he was born in South Africa.Seeing London in colour all those years ago is very nostalgic.Finally the process work in the taxi is as amateurish as the rest of the film.
Deserves a re-working called ONE DAY IN London
ptb-814 May 2017
Keep the songs and ditch the story and as with KINKY BOOTS, here is an outdated 60s musical that deserves having its dance routines and songs rescued and livened up into a new musical, swinging 60s style. There is room this century to look again at some quite terrific 60s tunes and imagery and see them reach a new audience. THREE HATS FOR LISA is a lame title for what is a full blown original screen musical. A funny idea, and very good songs and amazing orchestrations, this musical from 1965 would have been outdated by 1967 but the foundation and dance/music is all there as a solid big musical should be. Joe Brown and his character are irritating and basically immature and silly, but the girls: Sophie hardy and Una Stubbs are wonderful as is Dave Nelson, who is the 'Frankie Avalon' on the group. Sid James and his music hall patter is OK. It looks to want to be a Tommy Steele musical. I admire this film a lot and wish to see the songs reworked into a better stronger story line and re titles as a stage show called London. or ONE DAY IN London.
Awful, dated movie
tishco19 February 2014
With a few very well known faces of British film and TV and many has- beens the only good thing about this movie is the 60's scenery around what was then a very run down and dirty London.
British films were in a huge slump and many of these terrible teen movies were made to try and attract the young people to the movie theatres.
If I had been one of them I would have asked for a refund.
The choreography is OK, the songs twee and forgettable, the editing is horrific.
The best parts of this are the great fashions and the welcome end titles.
British films were in a huge slump and many of these terrible teen movies were made to try and attract the young people to the movie theatres.
If I had been one of them I would have asked for a refund.
The choreography is OK, the songs twee and forgettable, the editing is horrific.
The best parts of this are the great fashions and the welcome end titles.
Great snapshot of 60's London
simon-89422 October 2006
I saw this movie on TV about 25 years ago and it stuck in my mind as a great feel good movie and a wonderful representation of 60's London. I can remember some of the songs even now, although I doubt if any have ever been released. There's some brilliant street 'dance' scenes set to the songs and the whole thing moves along with great pace and energy. The main players; Joe Brown, Una Stubbs, Sid James & Sophie Hardy are all excellent and work together well. I notice that Eric Rodgers wrote the music, he of 'Carry On' Fame which explains the compelling soundtrack. I 've not seen this movie since, which I assume means it's not that popular and that's a shame.
London times
Chase_Witherspoon5 August 2011
Energetic, musical-inspired comedy in which high-born Italian visitor (Hardy) takes a break from the stuffy savoy and is treated to a day out in London by a trio of friends, facilitated by initially reluctant cab-driver, the inimitable Sid James. Along the way the quintet decides to acquire three hats in daring pranks to give Hardy a memento of her mischievous day out.
Some location work interspersed with sets paints a nostalgic picture of mid-sixties London on which to reminisce, while the musical numbers and choreography isn't bad for a light comedy (even old cad James manages to kick up his heels, in time). Peter Bowles features in a minor supporting role as Hardy's English sponsor, a dour, stiff upper-lipped type serving to contrast Hardy's new found radicalism; the dark and sultry Una Stubbs plays one of trio.
It's very low key, good humoured without the sexual innuendo you might expect from James (considering he was in the thick of "Carry-On" when this was made), suitable for kids and a pleasant postcard of London and the English 'riviera' in the pop culture era.
Some location work interspersed with sets paints a nostalgic picture of mid-sixties London on which to reminisce, while the musical numbers and choreography isn't bad for a light comedy (even old cad James manages to kick up his heels, in time). Peter Bowles features in a minor supporting role as Hardy's English sponsor, a dour, stiff upper-lipped type serving to contrast Hardy's new found radicalism; the dark and sultry Una Stubbs plays one of trio.
It's very low key, good humoured without the sexual innuendo you might expect from James (considering he was in the thick of "Carry-On" when this was made), suitable for kids and a pleasant postcard of London and the English 'riviera' in the pop culture era.
Three hats for Lisa
ruffykins8128 January 2007
I saw this movie as a child and loved it! I never knew what it was called until I Googled it today, been trying to fond out for 20 years! We've always referred to it as that hat movie! It would be dodgy by today's standards for sure, but I still remember it and I haven't seen it since I was 10. I even remember my mum ringing me up at a friends house to tell me the movie was on. I ran home so I could watch it (this in the days before VCRs). If you want to see a movie in the vein of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Around the World in Eightly Days, Magnificent Men, etc; one that contains good, clean wholesome adventure, I can't recommend this enough.
A happy little film and great nostalgia
parcdelagrange20 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Joe Brown was a pop star of the early 60's, he was also quite a good actor, although the plot of this film is rather flimsy, an Italian heiress on holiday in the London of the swinging 60's who is obsessed with collecting hats, the pace and energy and catchy little songs (Three Hats for Lisa, Two Cockney Kids), make it an entertaining little romp, and for those of us who grew up in 60's London a nostalgic look back to London when it was a great city. Joe Brown, Una Stubbs, Sid James make a good team and work well together. This film was made in the days when musical films starring British pop stars of the day were the norm (Cliff Richards with 'The Young Ones', 'Summer Holiday', etc. Tommy Steele with 'The Duke wore Jeans', 'Tommy the Toreadore', etc. Billy Fury with 'I got a Horse', The Beatles with 'Hard Days Night', 'Help', Dave Clarke Five with 'Catch us if you can', Hermans Hermits with 'Mrs Brown you have a lovely daughter' and etc etc etc), and as such were never meant to be taken seriously. Joe Brown also had a previous film 'What a crazy world', and as far as these pop films go, Three hats has to be rated as one of the better ones.
Huh?
outnaway6 October 2008
I saw this movie twenty years ago on TV at 3:00 AM stoned out of my mind with my other stoner friends. This is the strangest piece of 60's crap ever... the plot makes no sense, stoned or not. My only hope was that the old MST-3K show would have picked this one up. There's a lot of really bad gay choreography in it too... the whole thing was filmed outside so they didn't have to make any sets... only really memorable thing was the goofy 60's Carnanby Street clothing, all the pin stripes on the guys and little vinyl stewardess hats on the women... definitely a late night drunk-out-of-your-mind laugh fest.
I'm clean and sober now though...
I'm clean and sober now though...
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