| Back to the Beach | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Lyndall Hobbs |
| Produced by | Frank Mancuso Jr. |
| Written by | Peter Krikes Steve Meerson Christopher Thompson |
| Story by | James Komach Bruce Kirschbaum Bill L. Norton |
| Starring | Frankie Avalon Annette Funicello Lori Loughlin Connie Stevens Demian Slade |
| Music by | Steve Dorff |
| Cinematography | Bruce Surtees |
| Editing by | David Finter |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 7, 1987 (U.S.) |
| Running time | 92 mins. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Back to the Beach is a 1987 comedy film starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, directed by Lyndall Hobbs. The original music score is composed by Steve Dorff. The film generated a total domestic gross of $13,110,903. It received a "two thumbs up" rating from Siskel and Ebert.
The film is an open parody of the beach party movies made popular in the 1960s, especially those in which Avalon and Funicello had appeared. The plot is merely the means of connecting the various sight gags, homages and in-jokes. All character names are taken from those earlier films.
The film's soundtrack included covers of several well-known beach tunes, along with new songs by such artists as Aimee Mann and Private Domain.
Contents |
Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello are husband and wife living in Ohio — far from the surf and sand of their earlier lives together. Heading to California to visit their daughter Sandi (Lori Loughlin), Frankie and Annette are appalled to learn that she has been making time with surfer Michael (Tommy Hinkley). In time-honored fashion, our hero and heroine set about to make the beach safe for fun-lovers everywhere by driving out Michael's unsavory friends.
Along the way, Frankie faces a challenge to his title from the younger surfers, and nearly ruins his marriage by dallying with Connie Stevens — one of several pop-culture icons appearing in the film, including Fishbone, Don Adams, Bob Denver, Alan Hale, Jr., Edd Byrnes, Jerry Mathers, Tony Dow, Barbara Billingsley, Dick Dale, Stevie Ray Vaughan, O.J. Simpson, and Pee-wee Herman.
In the end, of course, The Big Kahuna proves that he is the king of surfers, and his title is safe.
The soundtrack for this film was released in 1987 on CBS Records (CK-40892). Track listing (key performers in parentheses):
Another song, "We'll Go on Forever", sung by the cast, is not included on the album.