| Beach Blanket Bingo | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | William Asher |
| Produced by | Samuel Z. Arkoff James H. Nicholson |
| Written by | Leo Townsend Sher Townsend William Asher |
| Starring | Frankie Avalon Annette Funicello |
| Music by | Les Baxter |
| Cinematography | Floyd Crosby, ASC |
| Distributed by | American International |
| Release date(s) | April 14, 1965 |
| Running time | 98 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Beach Blanket Bingo is an American International Pictures beach party film, released in 1965 and was directed by William Asher. It is the fifth film in the beach party film series. The film starred Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello and also featured cameos by Paul Lynde, Don Rickles and Buster Keaton.
The other films in this series are Beach Party (1963), Muscle Beach Party (1964), Bikini Beach (1964), Pajama Party (1964), How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965), and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966).
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A singer, Sugar Kane (Linda Evans), is unwittingly being used for publicity stunts for her latest album by her agent (Paul Lynde), for example, faking a sky diving stunt, actually performed by Bonnie (Deborah Walley). Meanwhile, Frankie (Frankie Avalon), (duped into thinking he rescued Sugar Kane), takes up skydiving, prompted by Bonnie, who secretly wants to make her boyfriend, Steve (John Ashley) jealous. This, of course, prompts Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) to also try free-falling. Eric Von Zipper and his Malibu Rat Pack bikers also show up, with Von Zipper falling madly in love with Sugar Kane. To top all this, Bonehead (Jody McCrea) falls in love with a mermaid (Marta Kristen). Eventually, Von Zipper "puts the snatch" on Sugar Kane. The film takes a The Perils of Pauline-like twist, with the evil South Dakota Slim (Timothy Carey) kidnapping Sugar and tying her to a buzz-saw.
Dell Comics published a 12 cent comic book version of Beach Blanket Bingo in conjunction with the movie's release.[1]
This is Frankie Avalon's last "starring role" in the Beach Party films. He appears for only a few minutes in the next film, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, and not at all in the last film The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini.
Jody McCrea, who played "Deadhead" in Beach Party, Muscle Beach Party and Bikini Beach, is now called "Bonehead" in this film, as AIP had decided the term "Deadhead" was a so-called 'bankable noun' and had decided to cast Avalon as the title character of their upcoming Sergeant Dead Head.[2]
John Ashley, who played "Ken" in Beach Party, and "Johnny" in both Muscle Beach Party and Bikini Beach, returns in this film as "Steve," playing opposite his real-life wife Deborah Walley.
Rat Pack leader Harvey Lembeck (Eric Von Zipper) is given more screen time than ever before in this third film to feature his character. He even gets to sing his own song titled "Follow Your Leader" (which he reprises as "I Am My Ideal" for the follow-up How to Stuff a Wild Bikini).
The part of Sugar Kane, played by Linda Evans, was originally intended for Nancy Sinatra. This change was due in part to the fact that the plot involved a kidnapping, which was somewhat reminiscent of her brother Frank Sinatra, Jr.'s kidnapping a few months before shooting began and it made her uncomfortable causing her to drop out.[2]
Donna Michelle, who portrays Animal, was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Year for 1964.
(This sequence can still be seen in 16mm prints and television broadcasts of Beach Blanket Bingo, but the Region 1 MGM DVD omits it. See Music section below)
The score for this fifth film, like the four preceding it, was composed by Les Baxter.
Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner wrote seven songs for the film: “Beach Blanket Bingo” sung by Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello with the cast; the duet “I Think You Think” performed by Avalon and Funicello; “These Are the Good Times” sung by Avalon; “It Only Hurts When I Cry” sung by Donna Loren; “Follow Your Leader” sung by Harvey Lembeck with the “Rat Pack;” and the two songs “New Love” and “Fly Boy” – both of which were sung by studio call vocalist Jackie Ward off-screen – and lip-synched by Linda Evans onscreen.
Gary Usher and Roger Christian wrote three songs, “Cycle Set” and the instrumental “Freeway” - both performed by the Hondells; and “I'll Never Change Him” performed by Annette Funicello. (“I'll Never Change Him” was included in initial prints, but later excised for wide release when the decision was made to feature the song as "We'll Never Change Them" in Ski Party.)
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