Catalina Caper
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''Catalina Caper'', also known as ''Never Steal Anything Wet'', is a 1967
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...
starring
Tommy Kirk Thomas Lee Kirk (December 10, 1941 – September 28, 2021) was an American actor, best known for his performances in films made by Walt Disney Studios such as '' Old Yeller'', '' The Shaggy Dog'', ''Swiss Family Robinson'', '' The Absent-Minded ...
. It blends the
beach party ''Beach Party'' is a 1963 American film and the first of seven beach party films from American International Pictures (AIP) aimed at a teen audience.Smith, Gary A. Smith (2009) ''The American International Pictures Video Guide'', McFarland p.21 ...
format with a standard crime-caper comedy. It was shot on and around
Santa Catalina Island, California Santa Catalina Island ( xgf, Pimuu'nga or ; es, Isla Santa Catalina) is a rocky island off the coast of Southern California in the Gulf of Santa Catalina. The island name is often shortened to Catalina Island or just Catalina. The island is l ...
.


Plot

An ancient Chinese scroll is stolen from a museum in Los Angeles. The thief and teenager Don Pringle arrive on Catalina Island on the same boat. About half of the film involves swimsuit-clad adolescents dancing on yachts in various montages set to the singing of
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
, Carol Connors and The Cascades. When they are not dancing, Pringle and his friends investigate the scroll's theft and discover that the parents of one of the boys are responsible. They also attempt to woo a mysteriously depressed young woman, Katrina Corelli, from her vaguely threatening fiancé Angelo. After wrestling the scroll away from Angelo and his cohorts, bent on more dangerous results (in an underwater scuba-diving action scene), the boys secretly return the scroll to the museum to the relief of the repentant parents.


Cast

*
Tommy Kirk Thomas Lee Kirk (December 10, 1941 – September 28, 2021) was an American actor, best known for his performances in films made by Walt Disney Studios such as '' Old Yeller'', '' The Shaggy Dog'', ''Swiss Family Robinson'', '' The Absent-Minded ...
as Don Pringle, a friend of Charlie Moss' from college. Don is used to living in a desert environment in Phoenix and has never seen the Pacific Ocean. He develops a crush on Katrina. *
Del Moore Marion Delbridge Moore (May 14, 1916 – August 30, 1970) professionally Del Moore, was an American actor, comedian and radio announcer. Life and career Moore was born on May 14, 1916, in Pensacola, Florida, he began his career in radio before m ...
as Arthur Duval, a businessman vacationing with his wife and son. He plans to pass a fake scroll off to Lakopolous. *
Peter Duryea Peter Duryea (July 14, 1939 – March 24, 2013) was an American actor. He is best known for appearing in a pilot episode of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', " The Cage" (1964), of which most of his scenes were reused in " The Menagerie" (1 ...
as Tad Duval, Arthur and Anne's son. He suspects that his parents are on Catalina as part of a shady scheme, even though his parents deny it. *
Robert Donner Robert Donner (April 27, 1931 – June 8, 2006) was an American television and film actor. Early life and career Donner was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, Michigan and Texas. He spent four years in the United States Navy ...
as Fingers O'Toole, a pratfalling agent who tails Larry to Catalina Island, hoping to catch Arthur Duval red-handed with the stolen scroll. *
Ulla Strömstedt Ulla Strömstedt (; 27 November 1939 – 13 June 1986) was a Swedish-born actress who appeared in several films and television shows. Career Strömstedt's most memorable acting credits include her role in the TV series, '' Flipper'' (1965–66) ...
as Katrina Corelli, Angelo's girlfriend and a visitor to Catalina. Something about her also makes her appealing to a number of guys on the island. * Jim Begg as Larry, the Duvals' henchman, who steals the scroll that Arthur and Anne plan to create a duplicate of. * Sue Casey as Anne Duval, Arthur's wife. She plans to duplicate the stolen scroll. * Venita Wolf as Tina Moss, Charlie's sister. Assigned to show Don a good time, she takes him scuba-diving, and develops a crush on Don. She grows jealous about his affections toward Katrina. * Brian Cutler as Charlie Moss, a friend of Don's, whom he met in college. A resident of Catalina, Charlie happily takes Don to have fun. Charlie is also a popular ladies' man, and has a group of three young women fawning over him the moment he returns to the island. * Peter Mamakos as Borman, Lakopolous' assistant. He tries to steal the scroll from Duval. *
Lyle Waggoner Lyle Wesley Waggoner (; April 13, 1935 – March 17, 2020) was an American actor, sculptor, presenter, travel trailer salesman and model, known for his work on ''The Carol Burnett Show'' from 1967 to 1974 and for playing the role of Steve Trevor ...
as Angelo, Katrina's boyfriend who is on Catalina under the employ of Borman and Lakopolous. He has a quick temper, and is willing to kill to obtain the scroll for his employer. * Lee Deane as Lakopolous, a wealthy foreign man with a thick accent, who is known to collect rare antiquities. He comes to Catalina to retrieve the scroll from Arthur Duval. * Mike Blodgett as Bob Draper, a member of the Catalina Island Harbor Patrol who is caught up in the scheme of the Duval's. He works with Don and Tad to hatch a plan. * Bonnie Lomann as redheaded girl * Britt Nilsson as brunette girl * Donna Russell as blonde girl * James Almanzar as Sid * Carol Connors as herself *
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
as himself * The Cascades as themselves


Production

Both ''Never Steal Anything Wet'' and ''Scuba Party'' were working titles, before ''Catalina Caper'' was chosen. Produced by Executive Pictures Corporation, formed by Bond Blackman and Jack Barlett, it started filming in September 1965, on Catalina Island. Tommy Kirk was signed to a four-picture contract, of which this was to be the first. Kirk was announced for ''Scuba Party'' in August 1965, but he did not wind up making any of the other films. Kirk appeared in four other films in the beach party genre: ''
Village of the Giants ''Village of the Giants'' is a 1965 American teensploitation comedy science fiction film produced, directed and written by Bert I. Gordon. Based loosely on H. G. Wells's 1904 book ''The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth'', it contains el ...
'' (1965); two AIP features, '' Pajama Party'' (1965) and ''
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); 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 grou ...
'' (1967). Sue Casey was seen earlier as one of the female leads in another beach party film, 1965's ''
The Beach Girls and the Monster ''The Beach Girls and the Monster'' (aka ''Monster from the Surf'') is a horror and beach party film, released in 1965, directed by and starring Jon Hall. Plot Young Richard Lindsay (Arnold Lessing) has given up his career in science in favo ...
''.
Ted V. Mikels Ted V. Mikels (born Theodore Vincent Mikacevich; April 29, 1929 – October 16, 2016) was an American independent filmmaker primarily of the horror cult film genre. Movies that he both produced and directed include ''Girl in Gold Boots'' (196 ...
recalls "I loved shooting that... Little Richard did whatever I suggested. I didn’t direct him though. He was very pleasant to work with. He was just another performer.”


Music

''Catalina Caper'' composer Jerry Long also wrote the music for another beach party film, ''
Wild Wild Winter ''Wild Wild Winter'' is a 1966 Universal Pictures beach party comedy film directed by standup comedian Lennie Weinrib and starring Gary Clarke and Chris Noel. It was produced by Bart Patton and is notable for featuring Jay and the Americans and t ...
.'' The two films are his only onscreen credits. Long also wrote two songs for the film, "Never Steal Anything Wet," heard over the opening/closing credits and performed by
Mary Wells Mary Esther Wells (May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992) was an American singer, who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s. Along with The Supremes, The Miracles, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the F ...
; and "Scuba Party," performed onscreen by
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
, who is also credited as a co-writer on the song. The Cascades perform "There's a New World Just Opening For Me," written by
Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing voca ...
of
The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...
, and Carol Connors performs "Book of Love," which was written by Connors and Roger Christian.


In popular culture

* ''Catalina Caper'' featured in the fourth episode of the second season of the movie-mocking television show ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. ...
'' (MST3K).


DVD releases

* The ''MST3K'' version of the film, which was accompanied by the uncut, unriffed version as a bonus feature, was released by
Rhino Home Video Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded in 1978, Rhino was originall ...
as part of the ''Collection, Volume 1'' DVD set, which is out-of-print as of January 2010. The set was reissued by
Shout! Factory Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy ...
with additional features (but without the uncut film) in September 2015.


See also

* ''
The Boatniks ''The Boatniks'' is a 1970 American comedy film directed by Norman Tokar and starring Robert Morse, Stefanie Powers, Don Ameche and Phil Silvers. It was made by Walt Disney Productions, released by Buena Vista Distribution. Young and awkward, Co ...
'' (1970)


References


External links

* * * * * {{IMDb title, 0061456 1967 films 1967 musical comedy films American heist films American musical comedy films Beach party films 1960s comedy mystery films Crown International Pictures films 1960s English-language films Santa Catalina Island (California) American comedy mystery films 1960s American films