The old days really were different. Don't believe me? Just watch this movie. It would be laughed out of the theaters today, and nobody believed it even back in 1963, but it's innocent in a way people wanted to believe in.Three guys (Fabian, Tab Hunter, Peter Brown) meet three girls (Shelly Fabares, Barbara Eden, Susan Hart). The guys are surfers who are in Hawaii to surf the big waves and find out who's the best. Will they also find true love and learn something about themselves in the process? You bet. It's as sappy as you think, but it's also great in its own way.
This isn't a Beach Party picture. It has some great surfing scenes, filmed on location with some of the world's best surfers at that time. The hair dye budget must have been huge, since the guys had to have their hair dyed to match that of their stunt doubles, and the women had to die theirs a different color from the guys'. Which explains why Barbara Eden is a brunette here.
The special effects in the surfing scenes in which the lead actors appear are worse than laughable. They're just like the ones in the Beach Party movies, where the actor stands in front of a green screen and tries to appear as if he's shooting the curls while someone hoses him down.
Jim Mitchum has a supporting role as a surfer known as Eskimo. He's a dead ringer for his dad, and you can imagine Robert Mitchum on a surfboard if you're so inclined.
You might hate it. I, however, love it. Watch the trailer. It'll give you a good idea of what you're in for.
11 comments:
Some days you just need a movie like this. And for me, as a girl at the time, the romance was the thing, not the surfing.
I have to wonder why they would be against Eden being blond, as well. The Hawaiian surfing scene as "wholesome," in the early '60s, is pretty amusing all by itself.
About all I remember is the title song by Jan & Dean, but then I never liked these stupid movies. Because of Jackie I've had to sit through the Gidget series (especially the first one) repeatedly over the years.
The first Gidget movie is okay, thanks to an appearance by the Four Preps. This one's a cut above the usual, though. Well, it is for me.
I haven't seen this in some time, but I recall the scene where one of the characters goads another (both male) into the latter shooting something (a pineapple?) off the former's head with a spear gun. The dialogue I recall, which became a running gag among my high school buddies, was "Hey, hot shot," as a part of that challenge. I haven't seen this since it first came out but it sounds like a wonderful revisit is in store.
Or you can just watch the trailer that's embedded below. That scene is included.
Jan and Dean were going to be in the movie, but one of their friends (associates) kidnapped Frank Sinatra Jr. at the time and they were booted from the film.
Seriously.
Now that I watched the trailer you're right about the hair dye budget. Not only was Barbara Eden a redhead, but Peter Brown and Shelley Fabares were blondes.
Not a good look for either, by the way. I've never gotten why so many good looking brunettes seem to believe the old "blondes have more fun" thing. It is almost never a good look and does not (to my mind) ever look as good as their real hair color, but then I've always preferred a redhead or brunette to a blonde.
Jeff
Bob, thanks for the great trivia.
Jeff, Barbara Eden would look great no matter what color her hair was.
I agree. I only mentioned Fabares and Brown in the "not look good" category. Red does look good on Barbara Eden. I'm sure Art Scott and George Kelley would agree.
Looks like I have a better memory than I thought! Now I gotta check the flick out to see if my "Hey hot shot" memory is on target (so to speak).
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