| It's a Bikini World | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Stephanie Rothman |
| Produced by | Charles S. Swartz |
| Written by | Stephanie Rothman Charles S. Swartz |
| Starring | Deborah Walley Tommy Kirk Bobby Pickett Suzie Kaye Jack Bernardi |
| Music by | Mike Curb Bob Summers |
| Cinematography | Alan Stensvold |
| Editing by | Leo H. Shreve |
| Distributed by | Trans American |
| Release date(s) | April 14, 1967 |
| Running time | 86 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It's a Bikini World is an American musical comedy film released in 1967 starring Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley and Bobby "Boris" Pickett of "Monster Mash" fame. The film features cameos by the music groups The Gentrys, The Animals, Pat & Lolly Vegas, The Castaways and R&B girl group The Toys. Featuring a pro-feminist plotline, this film also has the distinction of being the only movie in the beach party genre to be directed by a woman.
This film, along with Catalina Caper (which also starred Tommy Kirk), is among the very last of the Beach Party films. The mainstay of the once-popular genre was the series of films by American International Pictures (AIP), starting with the surprise hit Beach Party in 1963 and ending with The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (a box-office flop) in 1966.
Although AIP picked up the distribution of this film, it was not an AIP film. It was actually produced and originally distributed by Trans American Films under the title, The Girl in Daddy's Bikini. A new 35mm print with this title was screened at the American Cinematheque in Hollywood on August 1, 2009.
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Young surfer Mike Samson (Kirk), the local beach jock, is quite the ladies man until he meets Delilah Dawes (Walley). At first, he tries to add her to his harem, but she rejects him because she finds him chauvinistic and shallow; so he disguises himself as a nerdy twin brother "Herbert".
In the meantime, publisher Harvey Pulp (Jack Bernardi) plans to start a new magazine called “Teen Scream” and joins forces with “Daddy” (Sid Haig), car, surfboard, skateboard, etc. customizer - and the owner of the local music club, The Dungeon - to publicize the venture. Pulp and Daddy organize a series of contests, and Delilah competes against "Mike" with the encouragement of "Herbert" in various events and loses each time. However, Mike finds that he is falling in love with her. Eventually, Delilah finds out about the deception and soon the two of them compete in a final race using various vehicles.
It's a Bikini World was shot in the Winter of 1965, but not released until Spring of 1967.[1] That the film was shot off-season (when the beaches were less crowded, which was typical for beach party films) is noticeable from the autumn foliage and the Hollywood Boulevard Christmas decorations appearing onscreen.
Although unsuccessful, Trans American made an effort to copy AIP's style - both Tommy Kirk and Deborah Walley had appeared in previous AIP films - Kirk in Pajama Party, and Walley in both Beach Blanket Bingo and Ski Party (both would eventually star together in an AIP film when they appeared in The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini); Bobby Pickett's character, Woody, with his goofy hats and dim wit, is a riff on the character Deadhead/Bonehead that Jody McCrea portrayed in several of the AIP beach party films; Sid Haig's character, Daddy, with his Kustom Kulture design merchandise empire, is a take-off on Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, whose designs were tied to the AIP films as well (for example, Roth's trademark hat, - aka Hillbilly Crash Helmet - was worn by McCrea in a couple AIP films and Roth's Surfite custom car appears in AIP's Beach Blanket Bingo).
The location used for Daddy's "Dungeon" in the film is the notorious Hollywood Boulevard club, “The Haunted House,” notable for its bizarre stage in the shape of a mouth of a giant fanged monster. (The club also appears as the setting for Ted V. Mikels’ Go-Go exploitation film, Girl in Gold Boots released a year later in 1968).
Surfboards used in the film were provided by Hobie.
The Animals perform their hit "We Gotta Get out of This Place," and teen garage punks The Castaways perform their hit "Liar, Liar." The Toys perform "Attack," The Gentrys (who had a hit with "Keep on Dancing") perform "Spread It On Thick", and Pat & Lolly Vegas perform "Walk On (Right Out of My Life)."
The soundtrack is by Mike Curb and features an early Moog synthesizer cut. The kinetic surf instrumental used over the opening and closing credits, and as a signature throughout the film, is by Bob Summers.[2]