''Gidget Goes Hawaiian'' is a 1961 American

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typic ...

musical film starring

James Darren James William Ercolani (born June 8, 1936) known by his stage name James Darren, is an American television and film actor, television director, and singer. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had notable starring and supporting roles in fi ...

, Michael Callan and

Deborah Walley Deborah Walley (August 12, 1941May 10, 2001) was an American actress noted for playing the title role in '' Gidget Goes Hawaiian'' (1961) and appearing in several beach party films. Early years Walley was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Ic ...

. Released by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multi ...

, the film is a sequel to the 1959 Sandra Dee beach film vehicle ''

Gidget Gidget () is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner (based on his teenaged daughter, Kathy) in his 1957 novel, ''Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas''. The novel follows the adventures of a teenaged girl and her surfing fr ...

''. Dee was under contract to Universal for the rival series film ''

Tammy Tell Me True ''Tammy Tell Me True'' is a 1961 American Eastmancolor comedy film directed by Harry Keller and starring Sandra Dee and John Gavin, Charles Drake, Virginia Grey and Julia Meade. The film was based on Cid Ricketts Sumner's 1959 novel of th ...

'' (1961) and would not be released to Columbia to reprise her hit role. The sequel expands the archetypal high school teen surfer girl's romance with her college sweetheart Moondoggie. The film is the second of three

films directed by Paul Wendkos. The screenplay was written by Ruth Brooks Flippen based on characters created by Frederick Kohner, who wrote the

novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...

of the film in 1961.

reprised his 1959 role of Moondoggie. A third film, '' Gidget Goes to Rome'', followed in 1963. ''Gidget Goes Hawaiian'' has been released to VHS and DVD.

Plot

Gidget's father announces that they are going to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

for two weeks. On the plane to Hawaii, Gidget meets Abby Stewart and her parents, popular dancer Eddie Horner, and several more boys. Missing her boyfriend Jeff "Moondoggie" Matthews, Gidget mopes in her room. Her father sends for Jeff, suggesting that he come to Hawaii to surprise Gidget. That night, Abby invites Gidget to join her and Eddie. When Gidget makes a big hit with the boys and dances with Eddie, she inadvertently becomes Abby's rival. Gidget makes an even bigger impression surfing the next day, leading to an unexpected kiss from Eddie just as Jeff arrives. The two argue and finally decide to go their separate ways. That night at dinner, Jeff arrives with Abby and Gidget retaliates by flirting with Eddie. The contest continues through water-skiing and other activities until Abby, fed up and jealous, decides to spread a rumor that Gidget has slept with Eddie and other guys. Abby's mother relays this gossip to Gidget's mother, quickly leading to arguments between the two, between Gidget and her parents, and finally between both married couples. Gidget's father finds himself drinking with Abby's mother in the hotel bar, while Abby's father and Gidget's mother also make peace. The two mismatched couples eventually meet and resolve their respective disputes. At the Luau, Abby tells Jeff about the rumor that Gidget sleeps around, admitting that it's a lie. Jeff and Gidget reconcile on the beach and head back to the hotel to straighten everything out with the adults. Through a few mix-ups, Gidget believes her parents are cheating on each other with Abby's parents, and Gidget's parents believe Gidget's gone missing. Soon, everybody is gathered in Gidget's room, unaware that Gidget is just down the hall in her parents' suite with Jeff waiting for them. Gidget tries to cover for each of her parents' apparent indiscretions, but soon all misunderstandings are cleared up. Gidget and Jeff also explain their relationship to Eddie and the rest of the gang. The next day, as punishment for spreading the rumor, the guys drag a terrified Abby into the ocean and place her on Gidget's surfboard. When the surf comes rolling in, Abby frantically clings on for dear life while Gidget and Jeff enjoy riding the waves.

Cast

Production notes

From over 150 actresses, Columbia chose Deborah Walley for her screen debut as the new Gidget. Agent Joyce Selznick discovered Walley performing in an off Broadway production of Chekhov's '' Three Sisters''. Director Paul Wendkos established Walley as the new Gidget with some scenes from the first film re-shot using the new cast as flashbacks. The film was shot on location at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Deborah Walley was doubled in surfing by

Linda Benson Linda may refer to: As a name * Linda (given name), a female given name (including a list of people and fictional characters so named) * Linda (singer) (born 1977), stage name of Svetlana Geiman, a Russian singer * Anita Linda (born Alice Lake i ...

. Not long after the Lawrence family arrives in Hawaii, Gidget's father, Russ Lawrence, realizes that Gidget is sad because she misses her boyfriend Moondoggie (Jeffrey Mathews). At about 24 minutes into the movie, Lawrence sends a

Western Union The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services company, headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the company ch ...

radiogram to Moondoggie, who is staying with his friend Clay Anderson for the summer. Lawrence's goal is to encourage Moondoggie to come to Hawaii ("Gidget is miserable, please..."). The radiogram is addressed as follows: "Jeffrey Mathews, c/o Andersons, 1000 Linda Flora Dr., Los Angeles". 1000 Linda Flora Dr. was the address of the house in Los Angeles where Ruth Brooks Flippen, who wrote the screenplay for the movie, lived with her husband, actor Jay C. Flippen.

Notes

External links

* * * * {{Paul Wendkos 1961 films 1961 musical comedy films 1961 romantic comedy films 1960s teen films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films American sequel films American teen comedy films American teen romance films Columbia Pictures films 1960s English-language films Films scored by George Duning Films directed by Paul Wendkos Films set in Hawaii Films shot in Honolulu Gidget films American surfing films 1960s American films