| Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Norman Taurog |
| Produced by | Samuel Z. Arkoff James H. Nicholson |
| Written by | Short Story Author: James Hartford Screenwriters: Robert Kaufman Elwood Ullman |
| Starring | Vincent Price Frankie Avalon Dwayne Hickman Susan Hart Jack Mullaney |
| Music by | Les Baxter |
| Cinematography | Sam Leavitt |
| Editing by | Eve Newman Ronald Sinclair |
| Release date(s) | November 6, 1965 |
| Running time | 88 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine is a 1965 American International Pictures film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Susan Hart and Deborah Walley. This is a parody of the then-popular spy film trend, particularly the 1964 James Bond hit Goldfinger.
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Price plays the titular mad scientist who, with the questionable assistance of his resurrected flunky Mullaney, builds a gang of female robots who are then dispatched to seduce and rob wealthy men. (Goldfoot's name reflects his and his robots' choice in footwear.) Avalon and Hickman play the bumbling heroes who attempt to thwart Goldfoot's scheme. The film's climax is an extended car–bike–cable car–boat-on-wheels chase through the streets of San Francisco.
Despite its low production values, the film has achieved a certain cult status for the appearance of Price and other AIP Beach Party film alumni, its in-jokes and over-the-top sexism, the claymation title sequence designed by Art Clokey, and a title song performed by The Supremes. (The lyrics of the song use the phrase "Dr. Goldfoot and his bikini machine", reflecting the film's original title, which was changed before release.)
Vincent Price stated in a 1987 interview with David Del Valle that the original script was a camp musical, comparing it to Little Shop of Horrors. Price stated, "It could have been fun, but they cut all the music out", though he is not clear whether the footage was actually shot or the idea was abandoned during production. An AIP Television special that appeared on Shindig! in November 1965 called The Wild Weird World of Dr. Goldfoot featured many songs that may have been cut from the cinema release. The title of the television show may have been inspired by the November 1965 The Incredible World of James Bond designed to give publicity to the upcoming release of Thunderball.
The film is notable for its scenic photography of San Francisco, California. The cablecar scene is filmed at the West Portal tunnel.
Susan Hart's hair was done by Jon Peters.
In Britain this film was released as Dr. G. and the Bikini Machine due to legal action by a London-based Doctor Goldfoot.
One of Goldfoot's bikini-clad female robots is played by Deanna Lund, three years before joining the cast of Irwin Allen's science fiction series Land of the Giants. Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman play the same characters they did in the previous year's Ski Party.
Vincent Price returned for the 1966 sequel, Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs, directed by Mario Bava.