Summer means a break from high school for Wes Stern (as Kenny Leeds), Ricky Kelman (as Mike Decker), and Wink Roberts (as Tommy Kingsley). The three young men ride bikes, go swimming, and think about having sex. After his widowed father goes off on a pleasure trip with a sexy secretary, Mr. Stern is sent to live with his grandparents, in Buffalo. Meanwhile, Mr. Kelman and Mr. Roberts are sent to summer camp.

Stern is lonely, and writes to his friends about traveling across the border to Canada (at Niagara Falls), where claims to be a regular customer at a whorehouse he calls "Rosie's". Naturally, Kelman and Roberts want a piece of the action, and surprise Stern with a visit. The lads are eager to sample the prostitutes Stern has bragged about - but, of course, the brothel doesn't exist. After seeing the more asexual Canadian sights, the three pick-up beautiful Jacqueline Bisset (as Anna), and take her to their hotel room…

Just ridiculous. Stern, the leading man, is supposed to be playing a young teenager (he will be returning to high school in the fall). He is obviously too old, but has a goofy quality that helps make the movie's "coming-of-age" theme bearable. Stern's plaintive questions to Ms. Bisset about why girls don't like him is nicely played. Bisset has about one and a half sexy scenes (you'll see a lot more of Niagara Falls). So, why would Bisset's English accent be a problem at the Canadian border?

**** The First Time (6/11/69) James Neilson ~ Wes Stern, Jacqueline Bisset, Ricky Kelman, Wink Roberts

When young Wes Stern is forced to leave his school and two best friends behind, literally shuffling off to Buffalo, he finds himself lost and bored in a new town. But not for long. He's soon joined by pal Rickey Kelman and Winky Roberts to head over a barrel to Niagra Falls (the Canadian side) to go to a bordello that Stern has claimed in his letters he's frequented. But after seeing all the major tourist traps, the visiting pals demand to be taken to Rosie's which turns out to be closed (much to Stern's delight), and they set out to find others. By chance they meet the classy Jacqueline Bisset whom they believe to be a bordello worker and agree to help her cross the border illegally with the hopes of going further.

It's not as perverted as it sounds because it's quite sweetly done and Stern is delightfully naive and kind. Bisset, absolutely gorgeous, is a real lady of mystery, and her character, obviously not whom they believe her to be, is suspicious of their motives at first but later comes to like them, especially Stern who seems embarrassed by the search for sex.

With that swinging 60's sound and nice shots of Niagra Falls and the tourist traps, this is a good coming of age film that shows that even though boys may be boys, not all of them are monsters even though the two other boys seem intent on getting what they want. But there's a lot of surprises along the way that show what these young men really are in spite of how they come off on the surface.

Bisset's grin when she gets the idea of what they want indicates that she's able to take care of herself yet flattered by their attention even if nothing is going to happen. Certainly dated as far as certain themes are concerned, you can tell that these boys are going to learn a lesson about how to treat a lady and to never make assumptions. The fact that when alone these boys find that they're unable to take advantage of her is written on their face and makes for a nice twist.

Three big-talking teenage boys from New York, randy with bravado but no sexual experience, cross the Canadian border at Niagara Falls in search of prostitutes; instead, they chance upon a lovely young British woman they assume is a prostitute but who isn't. Amiable piffle from former-Disney director James Neilson and screenwriters Jo Heims and Roger Smith (who also co-produced) isn't very bright or witty, but has a certain shuffling charm--it's also not the last time Jacqueline Bisset would find herself between the sheets with a younger man. The boys' collective misunderstanding of the distressed girl's background isn't belabored...and when she realizes they thought she was for hire, she doesn't make a fuss, either. Still, this trio of would-be studs is rather colorless--one of the boys leers a lot while the other two look petrified--though heavy-lidded Wes Stern has a nicely low-keyed personality and Bisset seems genuinely touched by his youthful confusion. Neilson waits until nearly the end to turn the lights down low; in the meantime, we are treated to a tour of the Falls and downtown Ontario, which is fine for those seeking a nostalgic trip back in time rather than a movie with a substantial plot. ** from ****