Summer Beach Movies - Ride The Wild Surf (1964)

I haven't seen this film yet, but it sounds pretty cool.

The story follows three surfers Jody Wallis (Fabian), Steamer Lane (Tab Hunter) and Chase Colton (Peter Brown), who come to Hawaii's Oahu Island to ride the world's biggest waves and compete against surfers from all over the world.

Steamer falls in love with Lily Kilua (Susan Hart), whose mother objects to the romance because she considers surfers to be "beach bums," because her husband -- a surfer -- left home and family to follow the surf circuit. Self-described college drop-out and surf bum Jody falls for the demure Brie Matthews (Shelley Fabares), who challenges him to return to college. In the case of the relatively straight-laced Chase, he finds himself pursued by the adventurous Augie Poole (Barbara Eden).

The main story, though, is the challenge to surf the monster waves at Waimea Bay, and fit in among the champion surfers there. Despite conflicts, injuries and rocky romances, Wallis, Chase and Steamer prove themselves brave -- or crazy -- enough to try to be the last one to ride in the highest wave.

Unlike most of the Hollywood beach movies - whose location was Southern California – Ride the Wild Surf was filmed in Hawaii in 1963 at a time when environmental conditions created exceptionally large waves. In November and December 1962, Waimea broke often. The jet stream had altered its course temporarily and huge west swell surfs became common all the way through the following February, which was when Columbia arrived to shoot the movie.

Blue Hawaii (1961).

Another one of my favorite beach movies is the film, Blue Hawaii (1961) a musical filmed in Hawaii. Cast: Elvis Presley. After two years in the Army, Chad Gates returns home to Hawaii, happy to be back with his surfboard and beach buddies.

He rebels against his wealthy and domineering parents by not going to work for the family pineapple business. Chad decides to go to work as a guide for the same tourist agency where Maile, his Hawaiian girl friend works. His first job is to show school teacher Abigail Prentace and four teen aged girls around the Hawaiian Island..


At a luau, Chad gets into a fight with a drunken tourist who is making inappropriate moves on one of the teenage girls. He is arrested and thrown in jail. Chad's mother blames the fight on Maile's bad influence. Maile is worried about Abigail's interest in Chad.

FUN FACTS:
The closing scene, was shot at the Coco Palms Resort on Kauai, where Elvis was staying when filming the movie. Cameo: (Hal B. Wallis) walking down the street.

The soundtrack for this movie is Elvis' most successful chart album, but it is also the number one album for (1961). "Blue Hawaii" spent 20 weeks at the #1 spot of the Billboard Top LP's chart in 1961-1962 (a record to be broken in (1977) by Fleetwood Macs "Rumors" album), which stayed on the charts for 79 weeks.

About seven minutes before the end of the film. Maile is peeking through the blinds, you will see a couple paddling a canoe. The blond woman seated up front, is singer Patti Page. Patti was then married to Charles O'Curran, a choreographer for many films produced by Hal B. Wallis, including "Blue Hawaii."

What I liked most about this fun film was the location and Angela Lansbury's performance as Elvis's crazy Southern Belle mama.

Big Wednesday(1978)

Big Wednesday (1978). Director: John Milius. Milius co-wrote Big Wednesday with Denny Aaberg, and it is loosely based on their own experiences at Malibu and a short story Aaberg had published in a 1974 Surfer Magazine entitled "No Pants Lance." Cast: Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt and Gary Busey. Beautiful surfing cinematography, also several world champion surfers were used as stunt performers.

Their surfing lives go back to the summer of 1962 to their attempts of dodging the Vietnam War draft in 1965, and in 1968 when one of their friends is killed in Vietnam. The three make the difficult transition to adulthood.

The friends reunite years later after Barlowe has served time in Vietnam. With this reunion the transitions in their lives becomes the end of what the 1960s meant to so many of us who grew up in the 60s and early 70s.

Some of the things I remembered about this movie is the The bond between these men. Jan Michael Vincent, Gary Busey (who makes appearance again in Point Break), and William Katt doing much of their own surfing.

Just in case you would like to see the film, Big Wednesday(1978), I posted the 1st of 11 videos. To help get you started. Enjoy.:)

Summer Beach Movie - Don't Make Waves (1967)

This is one of those movies not too many people may know about. I saw it the other night on TCM and liked it. It's not the usual 60's style sex beach comedy with tons of laughs or really much deep thought. Actually it's kinda weird in certain scenes but it held my interest the entire time. Tony Curtis plays New Yorker Carlo Cofield, newly arrived in Southern California, who while stopping at the local beach, has one hell of a day. He runs into quirky artist Laura (played by Claudia Cardinale) who manages to send Carlo's car running downhill off the side of the road, crashing and burning. He loses all his belongings and once Laura finds out it was her fault, does the only sensible thing...she takes him home with her. Of course Laura has a sugar daddy...a married executive named Rod Prescott (played by Robert Webber) who takes offense to Carlo being there. Well Rod kicks Carlo out, who has to sleep on the beach overnight. The next day Carlo goes swimming in the beach and gets promptly knocked out by oncoming surfers. He is pulled from the water and given CPR by a lovely girl named Malibu, who also happens to be a sky diver...it could happen (love the name and she is played by Sharon Tate). Carlo immediately is smitten with her and puts in motion a plan to seduce her. All he is to do is avoid her boyfriend Harry, a hulk of a body-builder. In the meantime, Carlo finagles his way into Rod's office and secures a job through blackmail. If Rod doesn't agree, Carlo goes straight to his wife Diane (wonderfully played by Joanna Barnes). So Carlo is now in the business of selling pools, which is very lucrative in California. And has to deal with three beguiling women. Everyone ends up at Carlo's hillside house during a severe rainstorm and eventual mudslide. A lot happens in this movie doesn't it? Like I said it's not the greatest but it does have it's moments. And the cast is very easy on the eyes. Curtis is in tip top shape as he has several scenes sans his shirt. And he gets most of the best lines in this movie. He even has a scene with Tate jumping from a airplane doing a skydive. Well Carlo passes out because he looses his parachute and it's one of the funniest reactions you will ever see. The women all are stunning especially Cardinale. Tate looks great too, but her part is very under-demanding. Joanna Barnes delivers the best performance of the three as the much put upon wife who is smarter than everyone else in the movie except maybe for Curtis. So all in all Don't Make Waves is a diverting comedy that will pass the time quite quickly at 97 minutes. Two sidenotes, the musical score is by Vic Mizzy, who did the Green Acres TV show score. And Jim Backus shows up with his wife and they play themselves in a cool little scene as Carlo tries to sell them a pool. Backus even gets to do a Mr. Magoo impression. Like I said a lot of stuff happens in this movie.

Beach Party(1963). The one that started it all!

Beach Party (1963), was the first of seven beach party films from American International Pictures. Director: William Asher and written by Lou Rusoff. Cast: Robert Cummings, Dorothy Malone, Frankie Avalon, and Annette Funicello. The film is about, a group of fun-loving teenagers who live on their own terms in summer houses along the beach. An anthropologist, Professor Robert Orwell Sutwell, is secretly studying the "wild mating habits" of Southern California teenagers who hang out at the beach. He temporarily paralyzes Eric Von Zipper, the leader of a motorcycle gang. Who was making unwanted advances on Dolores, who in turn develops a crush on the professor. Her boyfriend Frankie, the local Big Kahuna, becomes jealous and begins flirting with Ava, an Hungarian waitress. Von Zipper and his gang plot to get even with Sutwell.

For me this movie is pure Summer fun! With plenty of sand, surfing, rock 'n' roll. A wonderful supporting cast: Morey Amsterdam, Harvey Lembeck, John Ashley, Jody McCrea, Eva Six and even Vincent Price.

Although, a stunt surfer was used for long-shots, Robert Cummings was already a competent surfer himself by the time he starred in Beach Party. Films of him surfing in Hawaii on the Ken Murray's Hollywood television show a fit young Bob surfing on an old style long board.

Candy Johnson, is a singer and dancer who performed in several films in the 1960s. Her most notable films are the American International Pictures Beach Party films, in which she played Candy, the barefoot girl who could dance so hard it would literally knock the guys off their feet. In the first film in the series, Beach Party, she is credited as the "perpetual motion dancer."

Summer Movies At The Beach - Gidget (1959)

I decided to kick off me and Dawn's summer beach theme this month with that 1959 classic Gidget, starring the ever lovable Sandra Dee.

On a jaunt to the beach with her bikini-clad girlfriends, tomboy Frances Lawrence (Sandra Dee) meets surfer Moondoggie (James Darren). She quickly becomes infatuated with him, but he shows no romantic interest.
At home, Francie importunes her parents for a surfboard. Russ and Dorothy Lawrence (Arthur O"Connell and Mary LaRoche) grant their daughter's request and the excited youngster returns to the beach to surf. She associates with an all-male surfer gang led by the worldly beach bum, The Kahuna (Cliff Robertson). The gang dubs their female associate "Gidget", a portmanteau word based on 'girl' and 'midget'.

Hoping to make Moondoggie jealous, Gidget hires one of the other surfers in the gang to be her date to a Luau party on the beach. Her plan backfires when the surfer she hired pawned the job off on none other than Moondoggie, unaware that he was the one Gidget wanted to make jealous. Gidget lies and tells Moondoggie that it is Kahuna that she wants to make jealous, and they have a romantic evening at the Luau. Eventually Moondoggie says something that upsets Gidget, and she makes Kahuna take her to a nearby beach house. Alone with Kahuna, Gidget tries to make Kahuna take her virginity, but he is reluctant, and soon Gidget's worried parents show up with the police and take her home. Gidget's parents ground her for the rest of the summer for her disobedience.

In the end Mr. Lawrence arranges a date for Gidget with Jeffrey Matthews, the son of a friend. To her surprise, Matthews turns out to be none other than Moondoggie. He professes his love and, as an act of romantic devotion, asks Gidget to wear his class pin.

The surfer gang includes Robert Ellis as Hot Shot, Joby Baker as Judge, Tom Laughlin as Lover Boy, Burt Metcalfe as Lord Byron, and Doug McClure as Waikiki. Sue George plays Gidget's girlfriend Betty Louise, and the musical group, The Four Preps appear as themselves
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The studio wanted Elvis Presley to play the role of Moondoggie, but his fees were too expensive.


Malibu surfers Miki Dora and Mickey Munoz appear in the surfing scenes.

Fact and notes:

Sequels followed immediately but without Sandra Dee. Producers cast Deborah Walley for Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) and then Cindy Carol in Gidget Goes To Rome (1963). A TV series followed in 1965 starring newcomer Sally Field, which only lasted one season. A 1969 TV movie called Gidget Grows Up featured Karen Valentine in the title role. Two more TV movies followed: 1972's Gidget Gets Married with unknown Monie Ellis as Gidget and 1985's Gidget Summer Reunion starring Caryn Richman, which led to a fairly successful 2 season run. And other than Sandra Dee, I have to say Ms. Richman made a perfect Gidget, albeit one more adult, more still fun.

The film received a 1960 Golden Laurel nomination for Top Female Comedy Performance: Sandra Dee.

Point Break(1991).

After our family medical emergency, my plans for this week's blog changed. I did not get a chance to watch and review the movie, Barrett of Whinpole Street(1934). After reading Ricks Awesome blog, Ride the Wild Surf, at the "Cafe". I decided I would review one of my favorite "surf" movies. Point Break(1991). Director: Kathryn Bigelow.Cast: Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, and Gary Busey.

Johnny Utah, is a rookie FBI agent, who with his older partner, Angelo Pappas, are investigating several bank robberies by a gang known as the Ex-Presidents. who wear masks of former Presidents Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon B. Johnson, while robbing banks.

They soon believe the criminals are surfers. Utah goes undercover taking surf lessons from a girl named, Tyler. Utah develops a strong friendship with Bodhi, the leader of a gang of surfers, who all accept Utah when he proves he is a great athlete. Overtime, Utah finds himself drawn to the surfers adrenaline-charged lifestyle.

You will be sitting at the edge of your seat watching this action thriller with awesome stunts: parachuting scenes, bank robberies, car chases, police raids, martial arts, and breathtaking surf scenes. Keep a look out for the Red Hot Chillie Peppers as the gang in a very brutal police raid.

In my favorite scene in the movie, at Bells Beach in Australia where a record storm is producing huge waves, an event Bodhi had dreamed about experiencing. Will Utah allow Bodhi to ride the once-in-a-lifetime wave?

Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961)

Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961). Cast: Deborah Walley and James Darren in a sequel to the 1959 Sandra Dee "beach movie" Gidget. The sequel is about a high school surfer girl's romance with her college sweetheart Moondoggie. The film is the second of three Gidget films directed by Paul Wendkos. The screenplay was written by Ruth Brooks Flippen based on characters created by Frederick Kohner. Actor James Darren reprised his 1959 role of "Moondoggie", and another veteran of the 1959 film, Joby Baker, makes an appearance.

I just finished watching Gidget Goes Hawaiian, for the first time.. What a fun movie.. Now, I feel it is official.. Summer is here!!! The story begins when, Gidget Lawrence has an argument with her surfer boyfriend, Jeff Mather, when she tells him that her parents are taking her to Waikiki Beach. Her feelings are hurt when he congratulates her instead of being upset that she is going on a wonderful vacation without him. While on the plane the Lawrences become friends with Mitzi and Monty Stewart and their teen aged daughter, Abby. Gidget feels sorry for herself even though dancer Eddie Horner, has eyes for her.


Worried about Gidget, Mr. Lawrence sends for Jeff. At the same time Gidget decides to have fun. Jeff arrives just in time to see Gidget kissing Eddie and so begins one misunderstanding after another.