Don't Make Waves

Don't Make Waves

original movie poster
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick
Produced by John Calley
Martin Ransohoff
Ira Wallach
Starring Tony Curtis
Claudia Cardinale
Sharon Tate
Robert Webber>br>Dave Draper
Cinematography Philip H. Lathrop
Editing by Rita Roland
Thomas Stanford
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s) 1967
Running time 97 min.

Don't Make Waves (1967) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer sex farce (with elements of the beach party genre) which starred Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale, Dave Draper and Sharon Tate. The film is based on the 1959 novel, Muscle Beach, by Ira Wallach, who also wrote the screenplay.

Directed by Alexander Mackendrick, the film depicted a series of romantic triangles between different groupings of the principal cast and supporting players among several backdrops involving Southern California culture (swimming pools, bodybuilding, beach life, fantastic real estate, mudslides, metaphysical gurus, etc.).

During the previous few years, films and pop music which related to California beach culture had proved very popular, although by the late 1960s, the popularity of Tony Curtis as a matinee idol was beginning to wane. In recent times the film has received more positive comments from reviewers, such as Leonard Maltin who describes it as "a gem", and makes note of the "fine direction and funny performance by Sharon Tate".

Contents

Music

The score was composed by Vic Mizzy. Jim McGuinn and Chris Hillman wrote the title song, "Don't Make Waves," performed by The Byrds over the opening credits.

Production notes

Sharon Tate told her husband Roman Polanski that her experience working on this film was not particularly enjoyable. The production atmosphere was tense, and it was worsened when an uncredited stuntman drowned when he parachuted into the Pacific Ocean.[1]

The film was Sharon Tate's third to be produced, but as it was the first to be released in cinemas, it is generally considered to be her debut. MGM mounted an extensive publicity campaign upon its release that was based largely on Tate and her character, Malibu, and life-sized cardboard cutouts of Tate wearing a bikini were placed in cinema foyers throughout the United States. It was also linked to a widespread advertising campaign by Coppertone which also featured Tate, but the film received generally poor reviews and failed to achieve success at the box office.

The Malibu Barbie doll, first produced in 1973, may have been based on Tate and her character, Malibu.

Dave Draper, who plays Malibu's boyfriend Harry, was the 1965 IFBB Mr. America and the 1966 IFBB Mr. Universe.

1966 NABBA Mr. Universe bodybuilder Chester Yorton, who plays Ted Gunder, made one other film - in 1964's Muscle Beach Party, he plays the character named Hulk.

In American Prince, his 2009 autobiography, Tony Curtis wrote of making Don't Make Waves: "The plot was utterly ridiculous, but I agreed to appear in the film because I got a percentage of the gross."

Cast

Actors Characters info
Tony Curtis Carlo Cofield
Claudia Cardinale Laura Califatti
Sharon Tate Malibu
David Draper Harry Hollard
Joanna Barnes Diane Prescott
Robert Webber Rod Prescott
Reg Lewis Monster
Mort Sahl Sam Lingonberry
Edgar Bergen Madame Lavinia
Dub Taylor Electrician
Mary Grace Canfield Seamstress
Holly Haze Myrna
Sarah Selby Ethyl
Julie Payne Helen
Douglass Henderson Henderson
Chester Yorton Ted Gunder
Ann Elder Millie Gunder
Marc London Fred Barker
Paul Barselou Pilot as Paul Barselow
George Tyne Newspaperman
David Fresco Newspaperman
Gilbert Green Newspaperman as Gil Green
Eduardo Tirello Decorator
Jim Backus Himself uncredited
Henny Backus Herself uncredited
China Lee Topless swimmer uncredited
Joanne Hashimoto Female Gymnast uncredited

References

  1. ^ Polanski, Roman (1984). Roman. New York: William Morrow & Company. p. 261. ISBN 0-688-02621-4. 

External links