The Happy Road
British quad poster
Directed by	Gene Kelly
Written by	Arthur Julian Harry Kurnitz Joe Morhaim
Produced by	Gene Kelly
Starring	Gene Kelly Barbara Laage Brigitte Fossey Bobby Clark Michael Redgrave
Cinematography	Robert Juillard
Edited by	Borys Lewin
Music by	Georges Van Parys
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	June 20, 1957 (1957-06-20)
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$575,000[1]
Box office	$950,000[1]

The Happy Road is a 1957 French-American comedy film starring Gene Kelly, Barbara Laage, Michael Redgrave and Bobby Clark.^[2] The plot involves two runaway students and the efforts of their respective parents to locate them.

Plot

Two students (a boy and girl) escape from their Swiss private school and make for Paris. Their respective parents, an American father and a French mother, together embark on a wide journey around the countryside, getting local police involved in finding them, with many whimsical situations, including riding on a police motorcycle, and encountering military maneuvers and a bicycle race.

Cast

• Mike Andrews — Gene Kelly
• Suzanne Duval — Barbara Laage
• Danny Andrews — Bobby Clark
• Janine Duval — Brigitte Fossey
• General Medworth — Michael Redgrave
• Doctor Salaise — Roger Tréville
• Hélène — Colette Dereal
• Madame Fallière — Maryse Martin
• Motorcycle Officer — Van Doude
• Armbruster — Colin Mann
• The Woodcutter — Alexandre Rignault
• David, Earl of Bardingham — T. Bartlett
• Carpenter — Paul Préboist

Critical reception

Allmovie wrote, "The Happy Road tends to bludgeon its audience with whimsy at time," but noted, "Gene Kelly, as always, is charming, and less affected than usual" ;^[3] while The New York Times praised the film as "a lively and charming little tale" concluding, "Mr. Kelly rates a good hand for this picture. So does Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer."^[4]

Box office

According to MGM records, the film earned $325,000 in the US and Canada and $625,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $117,000.^[1]