Now that we’ve had picnics and fireworks, how can it not feel like summer? For many, summertime means getting in a vacation. Others may love heading to a beach and dreaming about summer never ending. In the second part of a four-part summer series, I’ve got just the movies lined up to give you both of those vibes as we travel back in time to the 1950s and 60s:

MOVIE: “Roman Holiday” (1953, NR, 118 min, watch it: DVD, Paramount+)

While they never explicitly share the time period the movie takes place in, they started filming this movie in June 1952 and Audrey Hepburn consumes gelato while wearing short sleeves, so I’m taking the liberty of claiming this as a summer movie. Beyond debating which season the story takes place in, this movie is a timeless classic and something modern audiences should have no trouble getting into despite being a black-and-white film.

The aforementioned Hepburn makes her American film debut here (and wins no less than four Best Actress awards for the role) as Princess Ann, royalty of an unmentioned nation who tires of her royal obligations and wants the freedom to do as she pleases instead of what she is told. Gregory Peck plays Joe Bradley, an American reporter down on his luck and stuck in a second-rate job in Italy. Their paths converge and… well, this is where things get really interesting. Those who have an extensive background watching romantic comedies probably have a checklist in their heads of what comes next in the story. Time and again, this movie subverts expectations and takes you on a fun journey with these characters that will leave you wondering where exactly the story leads right up to the end.

This film was shot entirely in Rome and they make sure to take you on a visual journey through the city. Whether you’ve been before and compare sights to what you remember or have never visited Rome and can take in the city fresh, the scenery is indeed stunning. You’ll be taken on a little vacation of your own, traveling to Italy with a story that will take you away from the norms of predictable movies.

MOVIE: “The Endless Summer” (1966, NR, 95 min, watch it: DVD, Prime, VUDU, plex, many others!)

I actually struggled for a little while, trying to find a summer themed movie from this decade, but every time I searched anything, “The Endless Summer” always came up. While I’d heard of it before, I’d never watched it as I have little interest in surfing. Still, this seemed to fit into the theme I was going for perfectly, so I gave it a try.

First thing you need to know about “The Endless Summer” is that it’s a documentary. Second thing you need to know is that writer/director Bruce Brown had next to no money to make this movie. Brown and two young surfers, Michael Hynson and Robert August, pack lightly and travel the world to find someplace to surf throughout the year. Leaving their native California, they travel to several destinations in Africa, Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand before heading to Hawaii, then eventually return to California. The scenery is simply amazing, as is the surfing prowess of both surfers. I’m used to seeing surfers just ride their boards on the waves, but these guys are literally dancing on their boards, running to the front while riding under the curl, going back to the middle or rear to balance things better as they come out of it. I was mesmerized.

Unfortunately, there is also the running commentary of Brown. As I mentioned, he had little money to do this and has little to no audio from their adventures. Instead of hearing either Hynson or August speaking, let alone any of the people they come across, you just hear Brown. Constantly. I’m used to watching special features and having the option of listening to commentary tracks, but that’s the only thing you get here! His stream-of-consciousness often ends up with distasteful comments, inappropriate even for 1966 sentimentalities. If you can get beyond those, he can otherwise be pretty amusing.

The surfing and the scenery are definitely the highlights and they leave me comfortable recommending the film for a watch. Australia has some of the most entertaining bits, especially when a bikini-clad woman joins the otherwise impeccable surfers Hynson and August, only to have them turning in circles on their boards and face-planting into the ocean in most uncharacteristic and amusing ways.

So, are either of these What2Watch tonight? Both of these movies have amazing scenery that will have you on your computer looking up ticket costs to fly away and see them in person. Just make sure you finish watching the movie before you book that flight.

Kent Kraft is someone who is a minimal world traveler and definitely not someone you’ll find surfing. However, he is absolutely someone who enjoys being transported to distant locales and trying things he’s never done himself through watching movies in the comfort of his own home. Every now and then, he even ventures out into that “real world” to experience things first hand.