Bikini Beach

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Bikini Beach
Directed by William Asher
Produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff
James H. Nicholson
Written by William Asher
Robert Dillon
Leo Townsend
Starring Frankie Avalon
Annette Funicello
Martha Hyer
Keenan Wynn
Harvey Lembeck
Music by Les Baxter
Alice Simms
Cinematography Floyd Crosby
Editing by Fred R. Feitshans, Jr.
Distributed by American International Pictures
Release date(s) 1964
Running time 100 min.
Country USA
Language English
Preceded by Muscle Beach Party
Followed by Pajama Party
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Bikini Beach is a 1964 teen film directed by William Asher and starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. The film belongs to the 'Beach Party' genre of movies, popular in the 1960s.

Contents

[edit] Plot

School is out and the teenagers head for the beach. All is well until millionaire Harvey Huntington Honeywagon III (Wynn) comes around, convinced that the beachgoers are so senselessly obsessed with sex that their mentality is below that of a primate – especially Honeywagon's wunderkind pet chimp Clyde, who can surf, drive, and watusi better than anyone on the beach. With the teenagers demoralized and discredited, Honeywagon plans to turn Bikini Beach into a senior citizens retirement home.

Meanwhile, foppish British rocker and dragster, The Potato Bug (played by Frankie Avalon in a dual role), has taken up residence on Bikini Beach. Annoyed by Frankie's reluctance to start their relationship towards marriage, Dee Dee becomes receptive to Potato Bug's advances. In a jealous rage, Frankie challenges The Potato Bug to a drag race, in hopes of winning Dee Dee back.

[edit] Cultural references

  • The Potato Bug is a loose reference to Beatlemania and the British Invasion's impact on American rock n' roll. The character of Potato Bug himself is a permutation of John Lennon, albeit with a persona based on British stereotypes as perceived by Americans.
  • Eric Von Zipper's motorcycle gang, the Rat Pack, bears reference to the famed 1950s supergroup the Rat Pack by way of Marlon Brando's leather clad biker gang in The Wild One.
  • The 1996 film That Thing You Do features a parody of 1960s beach movies such as Bikini Beach. In the film, a fictional singing group called The Wonders star as Cap'n Geech and The Shrimpshack Shooters. The movie within the movie is titled Weekend at Party Pier and features characters similar to Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.
  • In the Drag Racing scenes (shot at Pomona Raceway), the dragsters used in the scenes were very popular - and successful - at the time. They include: the Greer, Black and Prudhomme fuel dragster - driven by Don Prudhomme, 'TV' Tommy Ivo's fuel dragster and 'TV' Tommy Ivo's 4-Buick-engined "Showboat" dragster; that was the one Clyde drove to a new speed record.

[edit] Cameo performers

[edit] Cast

[edit] Songs

  • Bikini Beach (G. Hemric, J. Styner) - The Cast
  • Love's a Secret Weapon (G. Hemric, J. Styner) - Donna Loren
  • Gimme Your Love (G. Hemric, J. Styner) - Frankie Avalon
  • Record Run (G. Usher, R. Christian) - The Pyramids
  • How About That (G. Hemric, J. Styner) - Frankie Avalon and Frankie Avalon
  • Bikini Drag (G. Usher, R. Christian) - The Pyramids
  • Got You Where I Want You (J. Merrill, R. Gilson) - The Exciters Band
  • Because You're You (G. Hemric, J. Styner) - Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello
  • This Time It's Love (G. Hemric, J. Styner) - Annette Funicello
  • Dance & Shout (G. Hemric, J. Styner) - Little Stevie Wonder

[edit] External links

Bikini Beach at the Internet Movie Database