''Sergeant Deadhead'' is a 1965 American

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

film directed by

Norman Taurog Norman Rae Taurog (February 23, 1899 – April 7, 1981) was an American film director and screenwriter. From 1920 to 1968, Taurog directed 180 films. At the age of 32, he received the Academy Award for Best Director for ''Skippy (film), Skippy' ...

and starring

Frankie Avalon Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American singer, actor and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including Record ...

. It features many cast members who appeared in the '' Beach Party'' movies.

Plot

Sergeant Deadhead is a bumbling soldier who is sent to the guardhouse for blowing up a model rocket on the parade ground of the air base where he is stationed. His fiancée, Airman Lucy Turner despairs of ever marrying him because of him being constantly disciplined for his antics. She is worried that she will have to marry him while he is in the guardhouse. Together with Private McEvoy, Sergeant Deadhead escapes from the guardhouse. Private McEvoy decides to break back in, but Sergeant Deadhead hides in a nearby space rocket, not knowing it is set to blast off with a chimpanzee aboard. He falls asleep in the rocket's control room and is accidentally blasted into space, together with the chimpanzee. When Sergeant Deadhead is discovered to be aboard the rocket, General Fogg decides to spin the facts and say that Sergeant Deadhead volunteered for the mission. He and Navy Captain Weiskopf also decide that Sergeant Deadhead and Airman Turner will have a well publicized wedding on the air base when Sergeant Deadhead returns to earth. When Sergeant Deadhead returns home he is a national hero but has also developed a massive ego due to space travel causing his personality to blend with that of the chimpanzee, and the realization that he has become a media sensation. A soldier who looks exactly like him, Sergeant Donovan, is found to take his place. When the smooth talking Sergeant Donovan is set to take Sergeant Deadhead's place at the altar, Sergeant Deadhead breaks out of the guardhouse, starts to recover his personality, and switches places with Sergeant Donovan. When the leadership realizes he has escaped the guardhouse, he runs away. Sergeant Deadhead finds out about Sergeant Donovan, and goes to the hotel where the wedding reception and honeymoon are taking place. There he switches places with Sergeant Donovan to enjoy his honeymoon. However, General Fogg and the others find Donovan and take him back to the honeymoon suite, looking for Deadhead. Thinking Donovan is Deadhead, Airman Turner chases them out. When Airman Turner is preparing a bath for Donovan, Deadhead sneaks in the window and coldcocks Donovan with a vase, knocking him out. Fogg, Weiskopf and the others show up again at the door, claiming to have a message from the President. Thinking that Deadhead is Donovan, Fogg and Weiskopf have two MP's escort Deadhead and Turner to the airport to fly to see the President. Donovan awakes alone in the closet, then goes back to base where Fogg and Weiskopf discover that Deadhead is with Turner and going to meet the President. Deadhead and Turner enjoy the rest of their honeymoon and their meeting with the President. Two marines appear to arrest Deadhead but mistakenly arrest the President, who is trying on Deadhead's space helmet. Deadhead and Turner escape in a White House helicopter. Fogg, Weiskopf and the others end up in the guardhouse.

Cast

as Sgt. O. K. Deadhead/Sergeant Donovan * Deborah Walley as Airman Lucy Turner *

Cesar Romero César Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost 60 years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lover (stereotype), Latin lovers, historical ...

as Admiral Stoneham *

Fred Clark Frederick Leonard Clark (March 19, 1914 – December 5, 1968) was an American movie and television character actor, often playing in authoritative roles. Early years Born in Lincoln, California, Clark was the son of Fred Clark Sr. He attended S ...

as Gen. Rufus Fogg *

Gale Gordon Gale Gordon (born Charles Thomas Aldrich Jr., February 20, 1906 – June 30, 1995) was an American character actor who was Lucille Ball's longtime television foil, particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfisted bank executive Theodore J ...

as Captain Weiskopf *

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 ...

as Private McEvoy * John Ashley as Private Filroy *

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

as Private Blinken * Reginald Gardiner as Lieutenant Commander Talbott *

Eve Arden Eve Arden (born Eunice Mary Quedens, April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an American film, radio, stage and television actress. She performed in leading and supporting roles for nearly six decades. Beginning her film career in 1929 an ...

as Lieutenant Kinsey *

Pat Buttram Maxwell Emmett "Pat" Buttram (June 19, 1915 – January 8, 1994) was an American character actor. Buttram was known for playing the sidekick of Gene Autry and for playing the character of Mr. Haney in the television series ''Green Acres''. He had ...

as The President * Donna Loren as Susan Numerous other '' Beach Party'' regulars also appear in small roles throughout the film; Dwayne Hickman, Alberta Nelson,

Michael Nader Michael Nader (February 19, 1945 – August 23, 2021) was an American actor, known for his roles as Dex Dexter on the ABC primetime soap opera ''Dynasty'' from 1983 to 1989, and Dimitri Marick on the ABC daytime soap opera ''All My Children'' ...

, Luree Holmes, Patti Chandler, Andy Romano and Bobbi Shaw.

Production

The film was the first in a two-picture deal AIP signed with Norman Taurog in 1964.Michael A. Hoey, ''Elvis' Favorite Director: The Amazing 52-Film Career of Norman Taurog'', Bear Manor Media 2013 On 10 March 1965 it was announced that Tommy Kirk would star. However

ended up taking the role instead. While making the film AIP would exercise its option on Avalon's services to make two films a year for them over four years. Filming began in May 1965, following completion of '' How to Stuff a Wild Bikini''. Location work took place at the San Fernando Valley. The script by Deke Heyward would not write in gags for Buster Keaton. It would simply say "Buster does a bit here" and Keaton would come up with something on his own and show it to the director. Before the film came out, plans for a sequel (never actually produced) were announced – ''Sergeant Deadhead Goes to Mars'', meant to start 13 April 1966.

Reception

Box office

AIP made the film hoping that military comedies would provide them with a genre as popular as the beach party movies but it proved a commercial disappointment, Samuel Z Arkoff claiming it "bombed out". Norman Taurog's biographer claimed the film managed to recoup its costs and make a small profit for the studio.

Critical

''Diabolique'' magazine said the movie was the only one in the AIP beach cycle where John Ashley did not play it straight; here he "put on glasses and plays a geeky soldier; it’s disconcerting – it feels as though the role was originally written for Jody McCrea – and helps sink what is already a poor movie." ''Variety'' called it "entertaining" with "a script that touches all bases." ''Filmink'' argued "the mix" of AIP and service comedies "didn't work."

Songs

All the songs in the film were written by Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner: *"Hurry Up and Wait" – sung by female cast over the opening credits *"How Can You Tell" – sung by Deborah Walley, Donna Loren and Bobbi Shaw *"You Should've Seen the One That Got Away" – sung by Eve Arden *"Two Timin' Angel" – sung by Donna Loren *"Let's Play Love" – sung by Deborah Walley and Frankie Avalon *"Let's Play Love (Reprise)" – sung by Deborah Walley and Frankie Avalon *"The Difference in Me Is You" – sung by Frankie Avalon Score by Les Baxter.

References

External links

* *
''Sergeant Deadhead'' review
at

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

Soundtrack review
at Beach Party movies {{Beach Party series American International Pictures films 1965 films 1965 musical comedy films Animals in space American musical comedy films Military comedy films Films about space programs Films about the United States Air Force Films directed by Norman Taurog Films scored by Les Baxter Films shot in Los Angeles County, California 1960s English-language films 1960s American films English-language musical comedy films