Starring Bobby Vinton, Patricia Morrow, Jackie DeShannon, and Lory Patrick
Directed by Maury Dexter
Music by Jimmie Haskell; Lyrics by Bobby Beverly and By Dunham
Having looked at the original Beach Party movies, this week we're going to cover two of the films that followed in their wake. This is considered to be the first true Beach Party imitation, though it still owes a great deal to the earlier drama Where the Boys Are. Vinton and DeShannon were popular singers at this point making their acting debuts, backed by a cast of young hopefuls from the small and big screen. How does this lower budget tropical shindig stand up to the ones from AIP? Let's begin with Terry (Morrow), Junior (DeShannon), and Sylvia (Patrick) on their way from Arizona to Malibu Beach, California with their RV and find out...
The Story: The girls are there to learn how to surf and spend time with Terry's older brother Skeet (Jerry Summers) at his palatial beach house. They no sooner arrive in town than they run afoul of Sergeant Wayne Neal (Richard Crane), a no-nonsense cop who blames the surfers for all of the violence and noise in the town and forbids surfers from riding the waves under the pier. New young surfer Milo (Ken Miller) is desperate to join "The Lodge," Skeet's rebellious surfing club, and keeps ignoring Neal and trying to go under the pier.
Len (Vinton), the operator of the local surf shop, is more concerned that if Neal closes the beach, he'll lose his business. Matters come to a head when Milo breaks a shoulder running into the pier and Len and Skeet start a fight at Casey's Surfer Cafe. To make matters worse, Skeet's not the big shot he claims to be, and Neal is breathing down his back and waiting for him to make any kind of mistake that'll let him get these surfers out of his hair for good.
The Song and Dance: For the first teen surf movie released after Beach Party, I was expecting something closer to Frankie and Annette than Where the Boys Are. This is actually pretty dark for these movies. Not only is a cop involved, he's not there for comic relief. There's two fistfights, it's insinuated that Sylvia and Skeet had or are about to have sex, and we actually see how dangerous surfing can be in the wrong place when Milo gets injured and it's not laughed off or treated like a joke. The three ladies are the stand outs as the girls who find themselves stuck between the Lodge, Len and his business, and the no-nonsense cop who wants them all to behave, or else..
Favorite Number: The girls get the first number in their trailer as they prepare for bed and they claim they're "Never Coming Back." Vinton sings "If I Were an Artist" twice, in his shop after the girls come to rent surfboards, and later towards the end of the movie right before they leave. Our first instrumental dance number is "Crack Up," performed with vigor by the Routers. The Astronauts, a genuine surf rock group, get the title song and "Fire Water." Wistful Terry sings "That's What Love Is" along with the radio in the RV as she tries to figure out her relationship with Len. Milo sings about the "Pearly Shells" he gives Junior as a necklace at Skeet's party. Junior leads Milo and the chorus in the gospel-style "Glory Wave" directly after.
What I Don't Like: Though this low-budget melodrama does have some nice photography on the real Malibu Beach, it lacks the genuine feeling of Where the Boys Are and the entertaining camp of the Beach Party films. When the movie isn't on the beach, it looks as cheap as it is. Fox couldn't have at least sprung for color? None of the men register, including Vinton beyond his one song. They're all so interchangeable, you wonder how the girls can tell them apart, let alone worry about them fighting each other. The songs are equally forgettable.
The Big Finale: An unusually dark and realistic plot for a 60's teen film is done in by the low budget and indifferent cast. Worth seeing only if you're a fan of Vinton or DeShannon or are looking for something different in your beach party movies.
Home Media: On DVD from the 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives.
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