There's really only one reason to watch The Monkey's Uncle, unless you're a big fan of Annette's, Tommy Kirk's, or Monkeys. Luckily for those not interested in any of the aforementioned, you can catch the real reason to watch The Monkey's Uncle in the first few minutes of the movie. That's when Annette and The Beach Boys duet on the title song....heck you don't even have to watch the movie at all, since that clip is on Youtube.
The title tune is a catchy little number written by The Sherman Brothers, who wrote many of Annette's songs. The Beach Boys look like they're having fun performing with Annette, and Brian Wilson has said it was a real thrill. Mike Love even gets to do a little bit of dancing with Annette. I'm not sure all of "the boys" thought it was as thrilling as Brian, if you check out the studio photo below. Dennis appears to be wishing he was somewhere else, while Carl studies the floor and Mike appears to be using his time to study the bored Dennis and Carl. Only Brian and Al Jardine appear to be engaged in the process.
The rest of the film is made up of what is basically three different movies. First, we have Tommy Kirk becoming the guardian for Stanley, the monkey, so he can raise him in his home. Kirk uses sleep learning on the monkey, which leads into the second part of the movie, where Kirk uses the same methods on some "not so bright" football players to enable them to pass their exams. After that The Monkey's Uncle moves into its third act, with Kirk trying to win a $10 million dollar endowment for the college, if he can prove a man can fly on his own power.
The movie isn't bad and some of the plot for the film was obviously taken from "the beach party films", which were still pretty popular at the time. Not only does The Monkey's Uncle have the club scene at the first, but the first part of the film also has Annette talking marriage, pouting when Kirk doesn't show her enough attention, and jealousy over the monkey's baby sitter becoming too chummy with Kirk....all of these things could have been part of the plot of any of Annette's "beach party films". About half way into the film, most of this is dropped and you get your basic Disney family movie. So check out the first of the movie for The Beach Boys and Annette's song, and if you've got nothing better to do and you're in the mood for some mindless entertainment, stick around for the rest of the film
As I started to watch How To Stuff A Wild Bikini, all I could think was: Is it possible to get physically sick watching a "Beach Party Movie"? I don't know if it was the sight of John Ashley carrying an electric guitar around the beach, which he obviously wasn't playing, OR if it was when the whole cast jumped in and sang along with him (a trend which continued for the whole film). All I know is, my stomach was saying "I can't take too much of this".
What a shame since there was a great opening claymation title sequence by Art Clokely (creator of Gumby) which made it looked like this was going to be another light romp with the Beach Party Gang. After I accepted that this was not going to a fun hour and a half, my nausea abated and just turned into a dull headache. All the songs in the film, with just a couple of exceptions, are incorporated like a standard musical into the storyline....and I should mention listening to these songs sucked the life right out of me. The
only reason, and I mean THE ONLY REASON, to watch this movie is to see
The Kingsmen perform "Give Her Lovin", since this is their only big
screen appearance. Annette also sings two songs in the film "The Perfect Boy" and
"Better Be Ready".
One major thing (amongst many, many, many minor things) wrong with How To Stuff A Wild Bikini was casting Frankie Avalon in a bit part. My understanding is he asked for more money and was cut to only a supporting role as punishment. Trying to replace Frankie with Dwayne Hickman (a nice enough guy) was a good try, but it just makes you realize how great Annette and Frankie were when paired together. There just wasn't the same chemistry between Annette and Dwayne.
One final note: There has been some confusion about Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys being in this film. While there is a Brian Wilson in the movie, he is NOT Beach Boy Brian Wilson, but rather an heir of the Wilson Leather Company.
Ski Party is the beach party entry into the "Some Like It Hot" category, since Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman spend a good part of the film in drag. Frankie and Dwayne are college buddies who are losers with their gals (Deborah Walley and Yvonne Craig). Speaking of gals, Annette has a cameo as a professor at the school. Were Frankie and Dwayne so dumb that by the time they made it to college, Annette had already graduated and became a professor? Anyway, watch for a pretty good gag with Annette in the film... Back to the story...when Frankie & Dwayne hear there's going to be a ski trip sponsored by the school's playboy, they decide to tag along and see if they can change their luck. On the trip up, Lesley Gore is on the bus and sings the infectious "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows" and everyone else on the bus joins in on the chorus.
Once at the ski lodge, which just happens to have a heated pool, all the girls get into their bikinis, and Frankie sings a nice upbeat song "Lots, Lots More" as he lies on the diving board. Frankie doesn't fare as well on his other number, which also includes Hickman, Walley and Craig, entitled "Paintin' the Town", which is just a terrible song and doesn't match up to the quality of any of the other songs in the film. Later, Walley and Craig sing "We'll Never Change Them," which almost sounds like a song left off an old Ronnettes album. It was actually previously titled "I'll Never Change Him" and sung by Annette in the initial release of Beach Blanket Bingo, but the song was cut from all home movie releases.
And now we come to the THE BEST REASON to watch Ski Party... James Brown. James has a comedic skit as a ski ranger and then sings "I Got You" with The Flames as his backup dancers. At the end of the song, he dances out the door and does a split as his finale. This is the highlight of the movie and you really owe it to yourself to check it out. If you don't won't to watch the whole film for his performance, it's on youtube just google "james brown ski party". A bit of trivia I gleaned from imdb "James Brown said out of all the times he did splits, the only time he ever ripped his pants was in this movie."
At the end of the film, the gang winds up back at the beach where The Hondells (who also sing the title song of the movie, but do not perform it in the film) are hanging out on the beach singing "The Gasser", a pretty decent surf/hot rod song. Of course, this gives the filmmakers another chance to have girls dancing in bikinis. At the end of Ski Party there's a note to stay on the lookout for the next film in the series "Cruise Party", a film that was never made, since "the beach party series" had pretty much run its course by 1965/66.
Thunder Alley was the last movie Annette Funicello made for American International Pictures, purveyor of The Beach Party Movies, and except for a bit part in Head, she didn't appear in another major motion picture until 20 years later when she re-teamed with Frankie Avalon for Back To The Beach. Annette wasn't idle during that period, she made appearances in numerous TV shows. Her appearance in Thunder Alley was her most adult role in any of the AIP films, even more so than in Fireball 500, and like that movie, Thunder Alley has a stock car racing theme. This time out her usual co-star/love interest Frankie Avalon was replaced with Fabian
Like Avalon in Fireball 500, Fabian also tools around in a George Barris customized car. As you can see from the above photo, his Dodge Charger is a pretty ugly piece of machinery. It seems Fabian always gets black-outs when he gets boxed in during a race and his last black-out caused the death of another racer. He finds the only person who will hire him is Jan Murray, who runs a Thrill Show (similar to Joie Chitwood's Thrill Show) and can use another driver.
Annette plays Jan Murray's daughter and she also drives in his Thrill Show. As you would expect, Annette and Fabian, at first, can't stand each other, but eventually fall in love. Both Annette and Fabian did great with their parts, with one exception. Part of the plot called for Annette to get drunk and whether Annette had never been drunk or just didn't have the acting chops to play drunk is undecidable. However, this is the only weak spot in Annette's acting in Thunder Alley.
Fabian has no songs in Thunder Alley and Annette sings only one song, "When You Get What You Want", a very slow and plaintive song, accompanied by The Band Without A Name (who later changed their name to The American Revolution). The Band Without A Name also does the title song to the movie "Thunder Alley".
I found Thunder Alley to be the least enjoyable of any of the Beach Party offshoots. It moved slow and the story was predictable. I would recommend it only to anyone interested in seeing some vintage stock car racing and/or Thrill Show footage.
Back To The Beach opens with an intro blending the world of movies and TV with real life. We are told all about Frankie being a teen idol and that he was once a great surfer and that Annette used to belong to a cult known as The Mickey Mouse Club and has an addiction to Peanut Butter (she once did commercials for Skippy). This was a nice touch and is probably the way those who grew up with Frankie and Annette could actually jumble reality and fantasy in the deep recesses of their minds. On a side note, the name "Frankie" is never used in Back To The Beach due to some legality with the original series. Avalon is always referred to as either The Big Kahuna or some play off that name and the end credits list him simply as Annette's husband.
Back To The Beach's plot is on par with the original Beach Party Movies and pokes gentle fun at all the tropes from those movies. Frankie and Annette live in Ohio and decide to take a vacation. They'll stop in California and visit their daughter for a couple of hours. Of course this visit turns into an extended stay and, as if you couldn't guess, Frankie and Annette wind up becoming jealous of one another, have a spat and, of course, get back together before the end of the movie.
Even with the recycled plot, Back To The Beach is a fun movie. Not only did I get to revisit with Frankie and Annette, but Back To The Beach is filled with cameos: Bob Denver and Alan Hale Jr. from Gilligan's Island, Barbara Billingsley, Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow from Leave It To Beaver, Ed "Kookie: Byrnes from 77 Sunset Strip, plus Don Adams of Get Smart fame has an extended role. I should also mention that everyone's favorite football star/convict, O.J. Simpson, makes an appearance spoofing his old Hertz commercials.
On to the musicians: Dick Dale, Frankie, and Connie Stevens sing "California Sun", Fishbone and Annette sing "Jamaica Ska", Stevie Ray Vaughn and Dick Dale perform "Pipeline", Pee Wee Herman rocks out on "Surfin Bird" and Frankie, Annette and the cast all sing "Some Things Go On Forever". Plus, the soundtrack from the movie is loaded with other great "feel good" songs.
I really enjoyed Back To The Beach and I think you will too, if you enjoyed the original Beach Party Movies. So, check out Back To The Beach, I don't think you'll be disappointed and you'll probably have a smile on your face when the movie is finished.
Fireball 500 on the surface appears to be a continuation of the Beach Party movies, since it stars Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon and co-stars Harvey Lembeck. Besides featuring those three actors, the film has little to do with the Beach Party series. I say little, since Frankie does sing over the opening and closing credits, along with another song in the middle of the movie and Annette also gets to do one song.
Frankie is a famous race car driver who tools around in a George Barris customized 1966 Plymouth Barracuda, towing his race car behind him. He winds up in a town with a stock car race sponsored by Harvey Lembeck. The racetrack has an attached carnival where Annette works for her father Chill Wills, who runs a "hoochie coochie" show. Fabian (who inexplicably doesn't sing in the movie) is Annette's main squeeze. In a plot throwback to the beach movies, Annette wants Fabian to settle down and quit his wild racing ways. I guess it goes without saying that Fabian and Frankie become rivals, not only for Annette, but also on the racetrack.
Fireball 500 has a subplot about moonshine running (shades of Thunder Road) and while Fabian has no problem running "shine", Frankie gets tricked into taking a moonshine run. When the revenuers threaten Frankie with jail time, he has to help them arrest the suppliers.
Fireball 500 is a lot more adult in theme than the movies normally associated with Frankie and Annette. Annette still maintains her "goody two shoes" image for most of the movie, the exception being when she sings "Step Right Up" for her father's girlie show. Frankie, on the other hand, drinks hard liquor and even though the movie only gives you a hint of what happens, it's pretty obvious he has shacked up with a woman in his hotel room.
While it was good to see some old-style stock car racing footage, as opposed to the boring NASCAR professional racing of today, Fireball 500 wasn't very entertaining. Some of the supporting actors were so good it made Annette and Frankie's acting look pretty amateurish, although Fabian held his own with the rest of the cast. The plot mash-up of beach movie with the previously mentioned Thunder Road was weak and even the songs were insipid. Given the choice I'd watch any of Annette and Frankie's beach movies over Fireball 500.
Beach Blanket Bingo (BBB) was the fourth or fifth entry into the"beach party" series, depending on whether you count Pajama Party (which I don't). BBB still holds up today as good lightweight entertainment with stress on the word lightweight. As usual, there's some jealous tension between Frankie and Dee Dee (Annette) that will be resolved before the end of the movie, there's a featured musical group (The Hondells) , there's a simple plot to hold everything together, there's some dancing, some surfing, a slapstick chase, and most importantly there are lots of pretty girls in bikinis. The funny thing is when I was younger, I knew the girls in the movie were too old for me....and now I'm too damn old for them!
Linda Evans (Dynasty) plays a budding singer named Sugar Kane and her manager is Paul Lynne. He cooks up a publicity scheme to make it appear Sugar Kane is diving out of a plane over the ocean, when actually it's Deborah Walley doing the skydiving (well a stunt woman, but it's supposed to be Walley). When she lands in the water, she'll need to be rescued and this will generate some news according to Lynne's plan. Frankie Avalon is the hero of the day when he saves Sugar and, of course, Annette gets jealous about Sugar and Frankie. The real trouble comes when Frankie decides to try skydiving and tells Annette it's for guys only, she belongs in the kitchen (oh, how times have changed). Besides Annette being mad at Frankie over this remark, the skydiving outfit run by Big Drop (Don Rickles in his last "beach party" movie) employs two pilot/skydivers: John Ashley and Deborah Walley (who in real life were married to each other) who set their sights respectively on Annette and Frankie. Deborah isn't really that interested in Frankie she only wants to make John jealous. I think John was digging on Annette's lacquered hair and thought they could share cans of hairspray.
As far as the music in BBB, Frankie and Annette sing the title tune "Beach Blanket Bingo" as the movie opens. After some plot development, we see Donna Loren back at the beach house singing a terrific song called "It Only Hurts When I Cry". The gang gets invited to a party to hear Sugar Kane/Linda Evans "sing" (her songs were actually done by Robin "Wonderful Summer" Ward) and she performs "New Love" with The Hondells backing her up. Frankie then sings "These Are The Good Times" at the same party.
Later after some skydiving and other plot development, Frankie and Annette have once again reconciled and during a moonlight stroll on the beach, they sing a really sweet song called " I Think, You Think". Back at the club, The Hondells perform "The Cycle Set" as the gang dances along and Buster Keaton chases around a blond bombshell (Bobbi Shaw). This is followed by Sugar Kane/Linda Evans "singing" "He's My Fly Boy".
As Eric Von Zipper schemes on how to get his new love Sugar Kane, he performs a Broadway show type tune called "Follow Your Leader". As the movie ends and the credits roll we get more of Buster Keaton chasing Bobbi Shaw, taking the place normally occupied by Candy Johnson who left the series or was forced out after Pajama Party. Maybe it was because it was also Don Rickles last appearance in the series, but in a scene at the party, he gets to go into his nightclub "putdown act" on the gang. I won't spoil all the good lines he has, but he starts off by calling Frankie and Annette "43 year old yo-yo's". This scene is a highlight in BBB, which was already one of the best of the "beach party movies".
Bikini Beach (BB) was the third entry in the "beach party" series and spoofs The British Invasion in its main storyline. Frankie Avalon plays dual roles - Frankie and Peter Royce Bentley aka Potato Bug, (get it! Bug instead of "Beatle"....the out of touch adults who wrote this movie, must have thought that was hilarious!). Annette, who wants to get married (doesn't she always), uses Potato Bug to make Frankie jealous....but don't worry, they'll be back together before the end of the film. The secondary plot of BB concerns Keenan Wynn trying to make the beach gang seem insignificant, by showing that his pet ape can do everything they can.....YES, you read that correctly....his pet ape can surf, drive a car and dance! Once he gets the teenagers off the beach, he can expand his old folks home and make more money....but don't worry, he'll see the error of his ways before the end of the movie.
BB opens with the gang rolling down the highway singing the theme song to the movie, "Bikini Beach". After Frankie and Annette have their usual spat, Donna Loren gets a solo number (she did a duet with Dick Dale in Muscle Beach Party) and sings "Love's A Secret Weapon" while the beach gang all dance along. BB moves us along and introduces us to Potato Bug who sings "Gimme Your Love" (which includes a lot of "Yeah Yeah Yeahs" in the song) for all his young female admirers.
After some drag racing, the gang goes to what used to be Morey Amsterdam's club, now owned by Don Rickles and called Big Drag's. At the club, we get a second dig at The Beatles when The Pyramids (replacing Dick Dale and The Del-Tones) all have their mop-top wigs fly off revealing that they are bald....comedy gold....sorry I had to be sarcastic for a moment....now back to the music....as the The Pyramids perform "Record Run". After some comedy from Eric Von Zipper (who we last saw in Beach Party) where, as usual, he winds up giving himself "The Finger", Potato Bug obliges his female fans by singing "How About That". For some reason The Pyramids are replaced by Candy Johnson's band The Exciters who shout out "It's Watusi Time" and play "Gotcha Where I Wantcha".
We next see Frankie and Annette taking a moonlight stroll and singing the love ballad "Because You're You". Later that evening, Frankie disguises himself as Potato Bug to find out Annette's true feelings. He gets busted when the real Potato Bug shows up, but Annette winds up mad at both of them. BB gets one more dig in at The Beatles when Annette calls Potato Bug “you beetle-eyed bug”. Annette winds up alone on the beach and sings a plaintively "This Time It's Love".
Eric Von Zipper and Gang decide to sabotage Potato Bug's dragster in the hopes everyone will think Frankie was the culprit, but being Von Zipper and Gang, they sabotage Frankie's car by mistake and it crashes at the big race. When it's revealed Von Zipper was the cause of the dragster crash, everyone takes off after Von Zipper. At this point, BB turns into a silent movie car chase, which is followed by a big slapstick fight back at Big Drags. After the Rats and Mice are defeated, Stevie Wonder (once again billed as "Little") starts singing "Happy Feelin' Dance and Shout", but unfortunately his song here is ruined as the credits roll over his performance.
Several small things to watch for in BB: Boris Karloff has a short cameo (as Vincent Price did in Muscle Beach Party). Near the end of the movie when Von Zipper and Gang are in the pool hall inexplicably there's a teenage werewolf, research shows this was the winner of a contest put on by Famous Monsters of Filmland. First prize was a part in BB, the best part of the whole story....the second place winner was Rick Baker. One final note about BB, Director William Asher claims that The Beatles were supposed to be in the movie, but when they declined, the character of Potato Bug was created. I can find no evidence of anyone but Asher stating this fact and I find this highly doubtful and only wishful thinking on Asher's part.
Back once again are Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello in the second of the "beach party series", Muscle Beach Party (MBP). The movie opens with Frankie and Annette in one car followed by the rest of the gang in several more cars as they all sing "Surfer's Holiday". Not too long after their arrival at the beach the gang goes surfing and in MPB we not only "see" Frankie surfing, but also Annette and Dick Dale catching some waves.
After the surfing scene, we get to the two plot points of the movie. First up is the arrival of Jack Fanny (Don Rickles in his first of four "beach party" movies) and his stable of bodybuilders, featuring Mr. Galaxy (Peter Lupus of Mission Impossible fame who is listed in the credits as Rock Stevens, since he had been convinced by producer Samuel Z. Arkoff to come up with an "American" sounding name). Since Eric Von Zipper and his gang don't appear in MBP (although Alberta Nelson of The Mice has a role as Lisa - Muscle Girl), Don and his muscle men take the place of the antagonists.
The second part of the plot comes into play when we see a huge yacht anchored offshore and we find Buddy Hackett as the business manager of a spoiled heiress, Luciana Paluzzi. It seems Luciana is always looking for a man who will love her. She spots Mr. Galaxy and wants him for herself.
As usual in the plots of this series, Frankie and Annette have a spat. Annette is talking marriage but Frankie's not interested in settling down into a 9-5 routine. Frankie goes surfing and leaves Annette alone on the beach where she sings a wistful, "A Girl Needs A Boy". Once Frankie is back out of the surf, he sings his own version of the same song "A Boy Needs A Girl"
Luciana hears Frankie singing and decides she would rather have him than Mr. Galaxy. She decides she will make Frankie into a singing idol (what a concept!!) and will record him at Morey Amsterdam's (in his last "beach party" appearance) hangout Cappy's (called Big Daddy's in Beach Party). Before she arrives at Cappy's, Dick Dale (also making his last "beach party" appearance until 1987's "Back to The Beach") sings "My First Love" and this song either wasn't suited for him or he's just a better guitarist than vocalist. He also sings a very Beach Boyish sounding "Muscle Beach Party", which is understandable since Brian Wilson co-wrote this and four other songs in MBP.
Once Luciana arrives at Cappy's to record Frankie, he sings a really upbeat tune, "Runnin' Wild", while at the same time dancing with some of the beach gang girls. Back at the beach Dick Dale and The Del-tones with Donna Loren sing, what I assume the producers hoped would be a dance hit, (Do The) "Muscle Bustle". As you can tell this sequence of the movie is heavy on songs, but some of the plot line has developed at the same time.
We find the gang on the beach having a group sing-along with Dick Dale as they do an A cappella version of "Surfin' Woodie". When Frankie arrives, the gang lets him know how displeased they are with him if he is going to run off seeking fame as a singer. Between the gang putting him down and Buddy Hackett letting Frankie know what a "boy toy" he is is going to be, Frankie comes to his senses and goes back to Annette.
Back at Cappy's we are introduced to Little Stevie Wonder singing "Happy Street", which all of these years I thought was called "Clap Your Hands". When I originally saw Stevie Wonder in MBP in 1964, it had the same effect on me as when I saw James Brown later the same year in the T.A.M.I. Show. Both performances imprinted themselves into my grey matter and they're still lodged there to this day.
Don and his muscle men are still displeased about Mr. Galaxy being dumped for Frankie. They go to Cappy's to settle the score and a fight breaks out....well actually a slapstick fight. The fight is broken up by Don's silent partner, Mr. Strangdour played by Peter Lorre, who is the iconic film star of MBP, as Vincent Price was in Beach Party. The end credits announced Lorre would return in the next movie, but sadly he died soon after making this movie.
I think my main surprise with MBP is even though it featured comedians Don Rickles, Morey Amsterdam, and Buddy Hackett, they didn't get to do that much comedy or have that many comedic lines. Frankie Avalon actually has the best lines in the movie and a lot of those have to do with him breaking the "fourth wall" and talking to the audience.
The series of beach movies starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello began just as I was becoming a teenager. I found them fascinating at the time that kids (OK none of them were really kids) were all just hanging out at the beach with no adult supervision. Man! Did I ever wish I lived in California instead of upstate South Carolina!
Beach Party was the first in the series and it not only begat its own sequels, but also copycat movies from other studios. So many movies of this type were made that four years later the genre was played out and came to an end; although in 1987, Frankie and Annette would appear together once again in Back To The Beach, which is more or less a parody of the original movies.
Beach Party contained all of the elements that would show up in the future movies in the series. Frankie and Annette always sing a few songs, either solo or together. In Beach Party Frankie and Annette sing "Beach Party", Annette sings "Promise Me Anything (Give Me Love)" and "Treat Him Nicely", and Frankie does a rocking "Don't Stop Now". There's always a musical guest and in this movie that slot is filled by Dick Dale and The Deltones who perform "Swingin' and a-Surfin'" and "Secret Surfin' Spot". Also look for Dick in several other scenes where he plays the bongos and appears to be a member of the beach gang....maybe they had originally planned for Dick to be a regular in the series.
Other elements that you would continue to see as the series rolled along: Frankie talking to the camera/audience; Frankie and Annette having a spat, then try to make each other jealous, but they always get back together before the end of the movie; an older comedian who runs a business the kids frequent, Beach Party has Morey Amsterdam, this role would later be filled several times by Don Rickles; and Candy Johnson doing her wild shimmy dancing, she's credited in Beach Party as Perpetual Motion Dancer.
Beach Party also introduced us to the worst motorcycle gang anyone has ever seen - Harvey Lembeck as Eric Von Zipper with his gang The Rats and The Mice. He always made me think that his character was Brando from The Wild One run through the minds at Mad Magazine. In Beach Party, Eric Von Zipper also learns "The Finger", which somehow he always manages to work only on himself.
The main plot to hold all of the elements in Beach Party together is about an anthropologist (Bob Cummings) who with his assistant (Dorothy Malone) is studying the beach gang as if they were a wild tribe with their own language and mating rituals. If you think about it, Beach Party was made to appeal to young people, but the movie is actually making fun of them with this plot....but then this movie was written by Lou Rusoff who was 52 at the time.
I've watched several other beach movies in the recent past (reviews forthcoming) and so far I have found Beach Party to be the dullest of the bunch. I laughed only a couple of times during the movie and it also didn't seem to have the playfulness and light heartedness as some of the sequels that came later. One final thing to mention, Vincent Price makes a very small appearance in Beach Party, basically as a promotion for another American International picture he was starring in, The Haunted Palace.
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