Five years after Jour de Fête Tati trades the figure Francois the postman in for Monsieur Hulot. The chosen location "St. Marc-sur-mer"; a small beach village that was mostly destroyed during the second World War. The film location, Hotel "de la Plage", stayed open during the shooting of the movie. That's why sometimes the guests were used as extras.
In Les Vacanes de Monsieur Hulot opens with a famous sight and sound gag. A station platform is seen in a long shot that manages to include the public address loudspeaker in the top right hand corner of the frame. People rush form platform A, down the subway stairs, and emerge on platform B, just as a train passes trough without stopping on track C. People rush back to the subway stairs and re-emerge on platform C as another train draws in to platform B. The voice track over this scene consists of incomprehensible squawking, half-way between the distorted sound of actual PA systems and a muted trumpet, with shades of the farmyard added in. It is of course a satire of the real difficulties we all have in understanding station announcers. A exaggeration of a real life problem. In Les Vacanes de Monsieur Hulot (the title says everything) Monsieur Hulot goes with his little car on holiday. Trough his special way of driving he causes time to times for panic. Also in the hotel by the French coast. Is it his silly way of walking ? The way he tries to lift his suitcase ? Or how he tries to start his car ? Surely, Hulot is not a very usual person.
Tati delivers with his part of Monsieur Hulot in Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot a character who doesn't know he's funny. Hulot get's stranded in all different kinds of comical situations.
On the tennis court Monsieur Hulot is a danger for the people around him.