October 28, 1965
Columbia
Comedy, Drama, Musical
VHS
C
I was thinking of giving this a C, like Ski Party, before we got to the character of the giggling Chinese cook. And while the sexism isn't as hostile as in Ski P, the interview question of a girl's measurements has dated in a bad way. But the movie was saved from a C- by an increase in funny drama. You know the kind, where characters have lines like "You're a great girl and maybe someday you'll be the real you and get over whatever's hurting you inside." Or this double-entendrous exchange (I'm paraphrasing since I don't take notes)--
VILLAIN: You can get hurt playing both sides of the fence.
REFORMED HENCHMAN: I like to go where the action is.
VILLAIN: Well, you're fooling around with the wrong guy.
It's pretty sad when the Nooney Rickett Four are your most famous musical act, other than the Hondells, who, yes, sing the theme song with it's oh so '60s title. One of the dance numbers, however, looks like the grandmother of "Jingle Bell Rock" in Mean Girls, the costumes especially. As for the comedy, well, when a joke about "CA" for "Cokes Anonymous" is only funny because this is 17 years before Cocaine Anonymous was founded, well, I start to get impatient for the next dramatic scene.
GIRL #1: (during one of the fight scenes) They'll kill each other!
GIRL #2: I can't watch this!
There are, not surprisingly, some crossovers in the casts of AIP movies and Elvis movies. Beverly Adams ("Jo") was Cassandra in How to Stuff a Wild Bikini. Carey Foster was in Pajama Party. Linda Rogers ("Penny") was the auburn-haired Mouse in the earlier Beach Party movies. Nancy Czar ("Jonesy") was in Girl Happy and would be in Spinout, costarring with Arlene Charles again. Julie Parrish ("Dee Dee") would be in Fireball 500.
No comments:
Post a Comment