''Beach Party'' is a 1963 American film and the first of seven
beach party films from
American International Pictures
American International Pictures (AIP) is an American motion picture production label of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing fi ...
(AIP) aimed at a
teen
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...
audience.
[Smith, Gary A. Smith (2009) ''The American International Pictures Video Guide'', McFarland p.21] This film is often credited with creating the
beach party film genre.
[McParland, p.21][Burns, p. 47][Betrock, pp.100-05][Warshaw, pp.270-71]
Plot
Frankie and Dolores are two young lovebirds heading to the beach for what Frankie assumes is a private romantic getaway. However, dissatisfied with her relationship and unwilling to be alone with Frankie, Dolores has invited several of the couple's friends to stay at the beach house with them. Frankie is intensely upset at finding other people at the beach house and feels betrayed that Dolores misled him. Meanwhile, an
anthropologist
An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...
, Professor Robert Orville Sutwell, is staying at the beach house next door, secretly studying the "wild mating habits" of
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
teenagers who hang out at the beach and speak in strange surfing jargon.
Frankie, on the advice of his friends, decides to begin flirting with Ava, a
Hungarian waitress at the local restaurant. Upset by his flirting, Dolores accidentally stumbles into the lap of Eric Von Zipper, the leader of the local
outlaw motorcycle club
An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of Cruiser (motorcycle), cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and chopper (motorcycle), choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate fre ...
, The Rats. Eric refuses to let Dolores go, despite her repeated direct demands to release her, until professor Sutwell intervenes. Eric threatens Sutwell, but Sutwell uses a secret finger technique to paralyze him; he and Dolores escape.
Dolores develops a crush on the professor. Frankie becomes jealous and escalates the flirting with Ava. Sutwell attempts to develop a professional relationship with Dolores to help him understand the culture of the young surfers; she in turn interprets his professional interest in a sexual and romantic way. Ava develops sincere feelings for Frankie, who is merely using her to make Dolores jealous. Frankie tires of the games, and decides to confess his love to Dolores, who accepts and kisses him; however, when Ava intervenes and says that Frankie also told her that he loves her, Dolores breaks things off with him. Meanwhile, Sutwell's assistant Marianne also has romantic interest in the Professor, who is oblivious to her hints.
Dolores introduces Sutwell to her friends, who tease him and mock him but also inadvertently help him learn to surf. One evening, Frankie goes off alone with Ava, but refuses her physical advances. Meanwhile, Sutwell shaves his beard off at Dolores's request in an attempt to appear younger, and once again remains oblivious to Dolores's romantic advances, instead focusing on his research. Von Zipper and his gang plot to bring down Sutwell, but accidentally sneak into Dolores's room where she is home alone. By chance, Sutwell hears Dolores screaming and again disables Von Zipper. He hugs Dolores to console her, only to be confronted by the surfing teenagers who were also running in to check on the screaming Dolores. They, like his assistant Marianne, assume that there has been sexual contact between Sutwell and Dolores.
After returning to his office, Sutwell finally realizes the feelings that Dolores has for him and realizes both that Marianne has feelings for him and that he in turn has feelings for her. He kisses Marianne just as Dolores visits him, ending Dolores's attraction to him. After Dolores storms off, heartbroken, Frankie becomes angry, and brings his friends with him to confront Sutwell. They discover Sutwell's notes that he has been taking as he studies them, and are infuriated at being the subjects of his research. Sutwell escapes to the very restaurant where Ava works, but is discovered there by Frankie, Dolores, and all the other surfers. Frankie accuses Sutwell of playing with Dolores's heart. Sutwell then declares that Dolores was only using him in the same way that Frankie was using Ava, merely as a scheme to make the other jealous. Dolores, catching on to Sutwell's ruse, agrees.
Just as a peace is being made, Eric and his biker gang enter and attack Sutwell. The surfers protect him, and a large-scale fight breaks out. After the surfers win, Sutwell offers to take Marianne with him to study in the North Pacific, and Frankie and Dolores reaffirm their love for one another.
Cast
*
Bob Cummings
Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings (June 9, 1910 – December 2, 1990) was an American film and television actor who appeared in roles in comedy films such as ''The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941) and ''Princess O'Rourke'' (1943), and in d ...
as Professor Sutwell
*
Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone (born Mary Dorothy Maloney; January 29, 1924 – January 19, 2018) was an American actress.
Her film career began in 1943, and in her early years, she played small roles, mainly in B-movies, with the exception of a supporting role ...
as Marianne
*
Frankie Avalon
Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American actor, singer, and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including number one hits, "Venus" an ...
as Frankie
*
Annette Funicello
Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve. She was one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the orig ...
as Dolores
*
Morey Amsterdam
Moritz "Morey" Amsterdam (December 14, 1908 – October 28, 1996) was an American actor, comedian, writer and producer. He played Buddy Sorrell on CBS's ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' from 1961 to 1966.
Early life
Amsterdam was born in Chicago ...
as Cappy
*
Harvey Lembeck
Harvey Lembeck (April 15, 1923 – January 5, 1982) was an American comedic actor best remembered for his role as Cpl. Rocco Barbella on ''The Phil Silvers Show'' (a.k.a. ''Sgt. Bilko'', a.k.a. ''You'll Never Get Rich'') in the late 1950s, and a ...
as Eric Von Zipper
*
Eva Six
Eva Six (born 1937, died 2000s) was a Hungarian born actress who achieved some fame in the early 1960s as a Zsa Zsa Gabor type.
Biography
She was born Éva Klein in Budapest, Hungary, to a Jewish father and Catholic mother. Her father died duri ...
as Ava
*
John Ashley as Ken
*
Jody McCrea
Joel Dee "Jody" McCrea (September 6, 1934 – April 4, 2009) was an American actor. He was the son of actors Joel McCrea and Frances Dee.
Early life
McCrea was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of actors Joel McCrea and Frances Dee. ...
as Deadhead
*
Dick Dale
Richard Anthony Monsour (May 4, 1937 – March 16, 2019), known professionally as Dick Dale, was an American rock guitarist. He was a pioneer of surf music, drawing on Middle Eastern music scale (music), scales and experimenting with reverb eff ...
as himself
*
The Del Tones as themselves
*
Andy Romano
Andrew Romano (June 15, 1941 – September 14, 2022) was an American actor, known for playing "J.D.", an outlaw motorcyclist and right-hand henchman of the character Eric von Zipper (played by Harvey Lembeck) in the 1960s Beach Party movies (wh ...
as J. D.
* The Ratz and The Mice:
** Jerry Brutsche
** Bob Harvey
** John Macchia
**
Alberta Nelson
Alberta Nelson (August 14, 1937 – April 29, 2006) was an American television and film actress. After several dramatic parts in television in the early 1960s, she made five guest appearances on ''The Andy Griffith Show''.
Early years
Nelson ...
** Linda Rogers
* David Landfield as Ed
*
Valora Noland
Valora Noland (born Valor Baum; December 8, 1941 – March 27, 2022) was an American actress, notable for her 1960s movie and television work, and, in her later years, photographer and author.
Biography
Noland was born in Seattle, Washington, a ...
as Rhonda
*
Bobby Pane
Bob Payne is an American puppeteer and puppet builder. He is also known as Robert Payne and Bobby Payne.
History
Payne, a native of Washington, D.C., was a college friend of Jim Henson and Jane Henson. He first worked with them on Jim Henson's s ...
as Tom
* Pam Colbert as Surfer
*
Delores Wells
Delores Marie Wells (October 17, 1937 – February 9, 2016) was an American model and actress. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for its June 1960 issue and was one the cover models in January 1961.
Early life
Wells was fro ...
as Sue
* John Fain as Surfer
*
Meredith MacRae
Meredith Lynn MacRae (May 30, 1944 – July 14, 2000) was an American actress, singer and talk show host. She is most remembered for her roles as Sally Morrison on ''My Three Sons'' (1963–1965) and as Billie Jo Bradley on ''Petticoat Junction ...
as Beach girl
* John Beach as Beach boy
* Lorie Summers as Beach girl
* Roger Bacon as Beach boy
* Luree Nicholson as Beach girl
*
Mike Nader
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and docume ...
as Beach boy
* Laura Nicholson as Beach girl
*
Mickey Dora
Miklos Sandor Dora III (August 11, 1934 – January 3, 2002), known professionally as Miki Dora was a noted surfer of the 1950s and 1960s in Malibu, California.
Dora received numerous nicknames and aliases during his life, including "Mickey Dor ...
as Beach boy
* Donna Russell as Surfer
* Eddie Garner as Surfer
*
Candy Johnson as Dancer
*
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...
as Big Daddy
*
Gary Usher
Gary Lee Usher (December 14, 1938 – May 25, 1990) was an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer, who worked with numerous California acts in the 1960s, including the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and Dick Dale. Usher also produced fict ...
(uncredited) as Beach Boy
*
Roger Christian (uncredited) as Beach Boy
*
Yvette Vickers
Yvette Vickers (born Yvette Iola Vedder; August 26, 1928 – ) was an American actress, pin-up model and singer.
Early life and career
Vickers was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of jazz musician Charles Vedder. During her youth, s ...
(uncredited) as Blonde Yoga Girl
*
Ashlyn Martin (uncredited) as Surfer
Development
Scripting
In the summer of 1962 Samuel Arkoff and Jim Nicholson were watching films in Italy with a view to purchasing some for release in the US. They saw one about a middle-aged man who falls in love with a young woman who spends all her time at a beach resort. They did not like the movie but were attracted by the setting, and commissioned
Lou Rusoff
Lou Rusoff (August 3, 1911 – June 29, 1963) was a Canadian-born screenwriter and producer best known for his work with American International Pictures.
He was brother-in-law to Sam Arkoff and was the screenwriter for many of Roger Corman's f ...
to write a film set at the beach.
[ Arkoff, Samuel Z. & Turbo, Richard (1992) ''Flying Through Hollywood By the Seat of My Pants'', Birch Lane Press, pp.127-34] The film was announced in July 1962. It was part of AIP's policy of "mass entertainment on a frankly escapist level."
[Thompson, Howard (July 14, 1962) "Montreal Lists 13 Lands' Films: Festival in August to Show Shorts and Features"] '']The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' p.11
Rusoff's script was apparently more in line with AIP's traditional fare of children getting in trouble with their parents. It was shown to
William Asher
William Milton Asher (August 8, 1921 – July 16, 2012) was an American television and film producer, film director, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific early television directors, producing or directing over two dozen series.
Wit ...
who agreed to make the movie if it became more of a musical comedy about teenagers having a good time and not getting in trouble.
[McGee, Mark (1996) ''Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures'', McFarland, pp.221-27] Arkoff and Nicholson agreed so Asher rewrote the script with Robert Dillon. He was asked not to take credit by
Samuel Arkoff who told them that
Lou Rusoff
Lou Rusoff (August 3, 1911 – June 29, 1963) was a Canadian-born screenwriter and producer best known for his work with American International Pictures.
He was brother-in-law to Sam Arkoff and was the screenwriter for many of Roger Corman's f ...
was dying of brain cancer. Asher agreed and Rusoff has sole credit; he died in June 1963.
Casting
Annette Funicello
Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve. She was one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the orig ...
was always first choice for the female lead, although Asher says they were worried because she was under contract to
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
:
Funicello says other producers had tried to hire her before but Disney had said no. However "something about ''Beach Party'' appealed to him," she later wrote.
[Funicello p 138] She says Disney told her the film was "good, clean fun" but asked her not to expose her navel.
Arkoff says that AIP tried to get
Fabian Forte
Fabian Forte (born Fabiano Anthony Forte, February 6, 1943), professionally known as Fabian, is an American singer and actor.
Forte rose to national prominence after performing several times on '' American Bandstand''. He became a teen idol o ...
to play opposite her but he was under contract to
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
so
Frankie Avalon
Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American actor, singer, and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including number one hits, "Venus" an ...
was cast instead.
In July 1962 it was announced Avalon would play the lead with Funicello "probably" appearing alongside him.
Avalon had made ''
Panic in the Year Zero'' for AIP and was friendly with Lou Rousoff. He says they would talk about doing a picture about young people, then Rousoff wrote ''Beach Party''. "It was about young guys on a beach with their girls," Avalon says. "The next thing I knew, they cast this girl on loan from Disney called Annette Funicello. The director was Bill Asher. I had worked with Bill when he was doing a lot of specials for television. We talked about the project, and sooner or later we were on the set doing it. And it just worked."
John Ashley had made a number of movies for American International and was cast to play Avalon's best friend.
Production
The film was shot over three weeks starting in March 1963.
Locations included Newport, Balboa, Laguna and Malibu Beach.
"We were constantly filming," says Avalon. "We were doing 28 setups a day. I would say to Bill Asher ... 'I don't think my character Frankie would say this.' And he'd say, 'What are you talking about? Just say the line. Let's have fun with it.'"
John Ashley later recalled:
Funicello says she had constant pressure during the film to show her navel. She refused and later argued she felt audiences responded positively to her character because they could sense her determination.
Although
Mickey Dora
Miklos Sandor Dora III (August 11, 1934 – January 3, 2002), known professionally as Miki Dora was a noted surfer of the 1950s and 1960s in Malibu, California.
Dora received numerous nicknames and aliases during his life, including "Mickey Dor ...
was Bob Cummings' stunt surfer for long-shots, Cummings was already a competent surfer himself by the time he starred in ''Beach Party'' as the ungainly Professor. Films of him surfing in Hawaii on the ''Ken Murray's Hollywood'' television show feature a muscular young Bob cruising along comfortably on an old style long board.
William Asher had directed Robert Cummings earlier in his career but says during ''Beach Party'' he noticed the actor "had changed". Asher attributed this later to Cummings' addiction to methamphetamine (although he was unaware of this during the shoot.)
Contrary to the popular opinion that Annette Funicello was not allowed to be seen in a
bikini
A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features two triangles of fabric on top that cover the breasts, and two triangles of fabric on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but exposing the navel, and the back coveri ...
bathing suit in these films for AIP (or that she was not even allowed to wear a two-piece suit or show her navel), Funicello does indeed wear a pink two-piece in this very first film, shows her navel in a two-piece in ''
Muscle Beach Party
''Muscle Beach Party'' is the second of seven beach party films produced by American International Pictures. It stars Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello and was directed by William Asher, who also directed four other films in this series.
...
'', and wears a bikini in ''
Bikini Beach
''Bikini Beach'' is a 1964 American teen film directed by William Asher and starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. The film belongs to the beach party genre of movies, popular in the 1960s. This is the third in the series of seven films ...
''.
In one of the first instances of film
cross-selling
Cross-selling is a sales technique involving the selling of an additional product or service to an existing customer. In practice, businesses define cross-selling in many different ways. Elements that might influence the definition might includ ...
, AIP took advantage of the target demographic of this film to promote another in a different genre, when at the very end of the credits – after giving "A Special thanks" to
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...
for appearing as Big Daddy – the title reads "Soon to be seen in
Edgar Allan Poe's ''Haunted Palace'', an AIP horror film that would be released on August 28, 1963 – just weeks after the release of ''Beach Party''. Price's line, "The Pit… Bring me my pendulum, kiddies, I feel like swinging…", is a jocular reference to AIP's 1961 Price vehicle, ''
The Pit and the Pendulum
"The Pit and the Pendulum" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1842 in the literary annual ''The Gift: A Christmas and New Year's Present for 1843''. The story is about the torments endured by a prisoner of ...
'', directed by
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...
.
Music
The music in ''Beach Party'' was written specifically for the film and directed by Kaylen Mandry and featured a score that picked up several cues from the songs used – a common move for most musicals, but a rarity for a B-grade studio teen film filled with pop songs – even today.
[Mars] Les Baxter
Leslie Thompson "Les" Baxter (March 14, 1922 – January 15, 1996) was a best-selling American musician and composer. After working as an arranger and composer for swing bands, he developed his own style of easy listening music, known as exotica ...
composed this score, as well as most of the films that followed, including ''
Sergeant Deadhead
''Sergeant Deadhead'' is a 1965 musical comedy film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Frankie Avalon. It features many cast members who appeared in the ''Beach Party'' movies.
Plot
Sergeant Deadhead is a bumbling soldier who is sent to the g ...
,'' ''
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine
''Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine'' is a 1965 American International Pictures comedy film, made in Pathécolor, directed by Norman Taurog. It stars Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Susan Hart and Jack Mullaney, and features F ...
'' and ''
Fireball 500
''Fireball 500'' is a 1966 stock car racing film, blended with the beach party film genre. A vehicle for stars Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, and Fabian, it was one of a string of similar racing films from the 1960s. Written by William Ashe ...
''.
Gary Usher
Gary Lee Usher (December 14, 1938 – May 25, 1990) was an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer, who worked with numerous California acts in the 1960s, including the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and Dick Dale. Usher also produced fict ...
and
Roger Christian wrote three songs that appear in the film: the title track, performed by Avalon and Funicello; and "Swingin' and a-Surfin'" and "Secret Surfing Spot", both performed by
Dick Dale and the Del Tones.
Bob Marcucci and Russ Faith wrote "Don't Stop Now", performed by Avalon.
Guy Hemric and
Jerry Styner
Jerry Howard Styner (born June 18, 1936) is an American songwriter, musician, and former record producer. He has written scores for or had his compositions featured in over 30 films. Some of the artists he has worked with include Chet Baker for h ...
wrote two songs for Funicello featured in the film: "Treat Him Nicely", which Funicello performs while harmonizing with herself; and "Promise Me Anything (But Give Me Love)" performed off-screen and presented as
source music.
Songs
* "Beach Party Tonight" – Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello
* "Secret Surfin' Spot" – Dick Dale
* "Swingin' and Surfin'" – Dick Dale
* "Don't Stop Now" – Frankie Avalon
* "Treat Him Nicely" – Annette Funicello
* "Promise Me Anything (But Give Me Love)" – Annette Funicello
Cultural references
The Rat Pack
motorcycle gang
An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, ...
is largely a parody of ''
The Wild One
''The Wild One'' is a 1953 American crime film directed by László Benedek and produced by Stanley Kramer. The picture is most noted for the character of Johnny Strabler, portrayed by Marlon Brando, whose persona became a cultural icon of the 1 ...
'' (1953); Harvey Lembeck's "Eric Von Zipper" spoofs
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
's performance as the leader of the gang; however, unlike the Brando character he is generally clumsy and inept.
Big Daddy's club in this film (and Cappy's Place in ''
Muscle Beach Party
''Muscle Beach Party'' is the second of seven beach party films produced by American International Pictures. It stars Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello and was directed by William Asher, who also directed four other films in this series.
...
'') is a reference to Southern California beach coffeehouses in general and
Cafe Frankenstein The Café Frankenstein was a coffee house in Laguna Beach, California, United States.Morgan 1963, p. 129.
From 1958-62, the Café Frankenstein was seen as sort of a "den of iniquity" amongst the semi-conservative Orange County, California art commu ...
in particular.
Reception
Box office
''Beach Party'' was the highest-grossing film AIP had made to that date, earning more during its opening weekend than any of its competition.
[Arkoff, p.130]
Critical
Howard Thompson of ''The New York Times'' wrote "The real trouble is that almost the entire cast emerges as the dullest bunch ever, with the old folks even sillier than the kids—a nice looking lot, too. We suspect that the youngsters in the audience may find it all pretty laughable." ''Variety'' described the film as "a bouncy bit of lightweight fluff" with "the kind of direct, simple-minded cheeriness which should prove well nigh irresistible to those teenagers who have no desire to escape the emptiness of their lives."
Philip K. Scheuer of the ''Los Angeles Times'' called it "a rather harmless little effort, really, which may amuse the stomp set which it is about, while the older folks do a sit-along that isn't too painful."
''
The Monthly Film Bulletin
''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with ''Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a ...
'' wrote "Bob Cummings and Dorothy Malone, in particular, underplay with a nice relaxed edge, and the teenagers are slightly less awful than usual. But perhaps the film's main virtue lies in its friendly, lightly satirical tone; there is no heavy moralising, the potential violence of Eric von Zipper's gang is turned into farce (rather messy, this, with an over-abundance of custard pies) and the pop numbers are pleasantly handled."
The
Golden Laurel
The Laurel Awards was an American cinema awards system established to honor films, actors, actresses, producers, directors, and composers. This award was created by the ''Motion Picture Exhibitor'' magazine, and ran from 1948 to 1971 (with the ...
, which had no ceremony but published its award results in the trade magazine ''
Motion Picture Exhibitor'' from 1958 to 1971, gave this film ''The Golden Laurel for Sleeper of the Year'' in 1964.
Funicello says this film was her personal favorite of the series.
Cultural impact
With this film, AIP created a new subgenre – the
beach party film. Several other studios attempted to imitate the AIP Beach Party formula, but never with equal success.
[McParland, p.21] Films of the genre include: ''Surf Party'', ''
Ride the Wild Surf
''Ride the Wild Surf'' is a 1964 American romantic drama film. It was filmed in 1963 and distributed in 1964. Unlike the beach party movies of the era, this was a departure from the typical Hollywood approach to surfing as it was a drama, not a ...
'', and ''
For Those Who Think Young'' (all from 1964), ''A Swingin' Summer'' and ''Beach Ball'' (both 1965), ''
Catalina Caper
''Catalina Caper'', also known as ''Never Steal Anything Wet'', is a 1967 comedy musical mystery film starring Tommy Kirk. It blends the beach party format with a standard crime-caper comedy. It was shot on and around Santa Catalina Island, Cal ...
'' and ''
It's a Bikini World
''It's a Bikini World'' is a 1967 American musical comedy film starring Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley and Bobby Pickett. The film features cameos by the music groups the Gentrys, the Animals, Pat & Lolly Vegas, the Castaways and R&B girl g ...
'' (from 1967).
The 1996 film ''
That Thing You Do!
''That Thing You Do!'' is a 1996 American comedy film co-starring, written, and directed by Tom Hanks, in his feature writing and directorial debut. It tells the story of the rise and fall of a fictional 1960s one-hit wonder pop band, and sta ...
'' features a parody of 1960s beach movies. In the film, the fictional singing group called The Wonders star as "Cap'n Geech and The Shrimpshack Shooters." The movie within the movie is titled ''Weekend at Party Pier'' and features characters similar to those played by
Frankie Avalon
Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American actor, singer, and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including number one hits, "Venus" an ...
and
Annette Funicello
Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve. She was one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the orig ...
.
William Asher later said that "the key to these pictures is lots of flesh but no sex. It's all good clean fun. No hearts are broken and virginity prevails."
Films in the series
Many of the same cast – and much of the same crew – were involved in the AIP films that followed. Sometimes character names changed (like in ''Pajama Party'', ''Ski Party'' and ''Sergeant Deadhead''), and not all were beach-based (''Ski Party'' in the mountains, ''Ghost in the Invisible Bikini'' in a haunted house), but the basic elements and tone remained the same:
* ''Beach Party'' (1963)
* ''
Muscle Beach Party
''Muscle Beach Party'' is the second of seven beach party films produced by American International Pictures. It stars Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello and was directed by William Asher, who also directed four other films in this series.
...
'' (1964)
* ''
Bikini Beach
''Bikini Beach'' is a 1964 American teen film directed by William Asher and starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. The film belongs to the beach party genre of movies, popular in the 1960s. This is the third in the series of seven films ...
'' (1964)
* ''
Pajama Party'' (1964)
* ''
Beach Blanket Bingo
''Beach Blanket Bingo'' is a 1965 American beach party film directed by William Asher. It is the fifth film in the Beach Party film series. The film stars Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Linda Evans, Deborah Walley, Paul Lynde, and Don Rickl ...
'' (1965)
* ''
Ski Party
''Ski Party'' is a 1965 American musical-comedy film directed by Alan Rafkin and starring Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman. It was released by American International Pictures (AIP). ''Ski Party'' is considered as a beach party film spin-off, wi ...
'' (1965)
* ''
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini
''How to Stuff a Wild Bikini'' is a 1965 Pathécolor beach party film from American International Pictures. The sixth entry in a seven-film series, the movie features Mickey Rooney, Annette Funicello, Dwayne Hickman, Brian Donlevy, and Beverly ...
'' (1965)
* ''
Sergeant Deadhead
''Sergeant Deadhead'' is a 1965 musical comedy film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Frankie Avalon. It features many cast members who appeared in the ''Beach Party'' movies.
Plot
Sergeant Deadhead is a bumbling soldier who is sent to the g ...
'' (1965)*
* ''
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine
''Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine'' is a 1965 American International Pictures comedy film, made in Pathécolor, directed by Norman Taurog. It stars Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Susan Hart and Jack Mullaney, and features F ...
'' (1965)
* ''
The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
''Ghost in the Invisible Bikini'' is the seventh and last of American International Pictures' beach party films. Released in 1966, the film features the cast cavorting in and around a haunted house and the adjacent swimming pool. No beach appea ...
'' (1966)*
* ''
Fireball 500
''Fireball 500'' is a 1966 stock car racing film, blended with the beach party film genre. A vehicle for stars Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, and Fabian, it was one of a string of similar racing films from the 1960s. Written by William Ashe ...
'' (1966)
* ''
Thunder Alley'' (1967)*
* Avalon appeared in every film except ''The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini,'' and ''Thunder Alley''. Funicello appeared in every film except ''Sergeant Deadhead'' and ''The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini''.
In 1987, Avalon and Funicello starred in the sequel/parody film ''
Back to the Beach
''Back to the Beach'' is a 1987 American comedy film starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, directed by Lyndall Hobbs. The original music score is composed by Steve Dorff. The film generated a total domestic gross of $13,110,903. It r ...
''.
At one point there was talk of a ''Beach Party'' TV series but this never came about.
[Scheuer, Philip K. (January 22, 1965) "Christus Portrayal No Longer 'Types': Own Career Cited by Hunter; Happy Days for Freelancers" '']Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' p.C11
See also
*
List of American films of 1963
A list of American films released in 1963.
''Cleopatra'' - the highest-grossing film of 1963.
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A-C
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H-M
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T-Z
See also
* 1964 in the United States
External links
1963 filmsat the Internet Movie Database
{{DEFAULTSO ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
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Original trailerat
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasti ...
{{Beach Party series
Films directed by William Asher
1963 films
Beach party films
American International Pictures films
American surfing films
1963 comedy films
1960s teen comedy films
Films set in California
American teen comedy films
Films scored by Les Baxter
Films shot in Los Angeles County, California
1960s English-language films
1960s American films