A Day at the Beach (1970)

Powerhouse Films

Mark Burns (Death in Venice) and Beatrice Edney (Highlander) star in A Day at the Beach, a downbeat tale of alcoholism written by Roman Polanski (Chinatown), produced by regular Polanski collaborator Gene Gutowski (Cul-de-Sac, The Pianist), and shot by celebrated cinematographer Gilbert Taylor (Repulsion, Star Wars).

When Bernie (Burns) takes a little girl, Winnie (Edney) – who may or may not be his niece or perhaps daughter – for a trip to a decrepit Danish seaside town on a day of heavy rain, he sets about cajoling the locals in a desperate quest for alcohol, leaving his young charge to fend for herself. 

The sole feature-film credit for director Simon Hesera, A Day at the Beach received scant distribution at the time of its production, but –  after having been lost for decades – it was eventually revived and re-released to critical acclaim, with audiences particularly interested to discover the charismatic cameo appearances by British comedy legends Peter Sellers (The Blockhouse, Hoffman) and Graham Stark (The Wrong Box).

Från IMDB:
Bernie, a self-destructive alcoholic, is given watch over his niece Winnie. He tests the patience of the various people he knows and Winnie is often left on her own.