ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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This is a very unusual "spy thriller" — one which has no actual spy!

The hero is an insecure young man (played by Robert Wagner) who's in love with a very wealthy Jill St. John.

But her smug-and-superior father (Peter Lawford), along with her insufferably snobbish mother (Lola Albright), are critical and condescending towards the young suitor — so much in fact that poor Robert is constantly struggling to live up to their impossibly high standards!

The whole story focuses on Robert's desperate efforts to impress them while he's their guest aboard the wealthy family's luxury hi-tech yacht.

However, what keeps this from just being a soap opera is the fact that Robert begins to realize that the yacht is equipped to serve some strange, sinister purpose involving international intrigue!

So, while Robert is their guest aboard the vessel in the Mediterranean (while repeatably failing to win various sporting competitions against the unbeatable Mr. Lawford) he begins to make detailed notes, sketches, and photographs which document the family's questionable activities!

This is the most beautiful aspect of this made-for-TV movie. It was released theatrical in 1968, and I saw it at my Air Force base theater while I was stationed in Kunsan, South Korea!

Folks, think of poor, nervous Robert as a terribly "uncool" James Bond who receives nothing but disdain from his unsuspecting hosts. But this insecure young man is secretly collecting data which might help him eventually defeat the smug and insulting parents of Miss St. John in a competition far more important than the recreational activities Robert constantly looses!

Think of this story as a jittery "David" against a snide and over-confident "Goliath"!

But wait! There's a twist that elevates the tale even more!

Most of the story is told as a flashback which begins after Robert Wagner is taken to the mountaintop stronghold of a Bond-like supervillain played by . . . Walter Pigeon!

Mr. Pigeon questions Robert to make sure he's got all the incriminating data our nervous hero collected against the rich couple who are involved in Pigeon's own evil plans.

And then Mr. Pigeon casually destroys all the data!

Don't worry, folks — this is not a spoiler because it happens near the beginning of the movie, before the flashback even begins!

But after the long flash-back which comprises 90% of the movie, we get a climax that's definitely Bond quality. It impressed the hell out of me in 1968. I hadn't seen the movie again until I watched the YouTube video today below while writing this post.

And now that I've prepared your expectations, give it try. It's fun, it's new to All Sci-Fi, and I've handed it to you on silver platter!

_____ How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967)


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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If you're a big fan of Robert Wagner (which I am) and Jill St. John (ditto, her too) then you'll enjoy this charming interview with the two of them about how they were instrumental in turning Aspen, Colorado from a mining town established in the late 1800s into a beautiful ski resort and cultural center, the home of the Aspen Music Festival and School. (<— link)

Aspen has some of the most expensive real estate in the United States.

Just for the record, How I Spent my Summer Vacation is about a young man (played by Robert Wagner) who desperately wants be part of the elite world of the nouveau riche and marry the daughter (Jill St. John) of wealthy and powerful man.

But he discovers her families dark secrets and adopts the role of an amateur spy to acquire the evidence he needs to expose them!

Watching Robert and Jill discuss their real-world passion for the elite and prestigious community of Aspen is an ironic connection to their characters in the movie.

__Legends of Aspen - "Jill St. John and Robert Wagner"


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)