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Muscle Beach Party
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Muscle Beach Party (1964) More at IMDbPro »

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Muscle Beach Party (1964) -- Everyone's favorite surfing couple, Frankie and Annette, return for this movie in which the gang finds the beach invaded by the owner of a new gym and his stable of bodybuilders...and a wealthy young contessa who has her sights set on Frankie.

Overview

User Rating:
3.5/10   475 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
William Asher (story)
Robert Dillon (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Muscle Beach Party on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 March 1964 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Hear 8 new swim hits! more
Plot:
Local beach-goers find that their beach has been taken over by a businessman training a stable of body builders. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 nomination more
User Reviews:
"Leisurely" pace, and an actual story more (16 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Frankie Avalon ... Frankie

Annette Funicello ... Dee Dee
Luciana Paluzzi ... Julie
John Ashley ... Johnny

Don Rickles ... Jack Fanny
Peter Turgeon ... Theodore
Jody McCrea ... Deadhead
Dick Dale ... Himself
Candy Johnson ... Candy

Peter Lupus ... Flex Martian (as Rock Stevens)

Valora Noland ... Animal
Delores Wells ... Sniffles

Donna Loren ... Donna

Morey Amsterdam ... Cappy

Stevie Wonder ... Himself (as Little Stevie Wonder)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
94 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Pathécolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
During the climactic fight scene, Frankie Avalon and Peter Lorre stare at each other for a few seconds with Frankie saying that Lorre looks familiar. This is in reference to the fact that the two of them worked together previously in the film Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961). more
Goofs:
Continuity: A helicopter is hovering over the beach. It is shown equipped with pontoons but its shadow clearly and repeatedly shows a helicopter with metal rails for landing gear. more
Quotes:
Julie: [signalling to the chopper pilot to land on the beach] Lower! Go lower!
S.Z. Matts: If we go any lower, we'll cut off their heads!
Julie: I'm not interested in their heads!
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Drive-in Movie Memories (2001) more
Soundtrack:
Muscle Bustle more

FAQ

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6 out of 6 people found the following review useful.
"Leisurely" pace, and an actual story, 27 July 2005
8/10
Author: destiny-17 from United States

This Beach movie actually tells a story, asking the question - would Frankie be happier surfing all over the world as the singing protégé of a rich woman who wasn't Dee-Dee? But don't worry - it's conveyed in short snatches of hipster-y dialog ("Solid-gold surf boards don't float too well!") between songs, hijinx, and some well-edited surfing footage.

Enjoy the "leisurely" pace - footage of the kids' cars arriving at the beach, establishing shots of the beach at night, even the kids settling in for a night of sleeping and no hanky-panky... (Frankie doesn't believe it, either.) Annette gets another good slow song - which, unfortunately, Frankie also decides to sing later on. Frankie's fast song is better,and Stevie Wonder sings a joyful "Happy Street". (And then sings it again in the closing credits.) I just wish Dick Dale had done a guitar solo instead of singing..

Buddy Hackett is a lot of fun, but also gets a poignant point-making monologue at the end. Peter Lorre does one of the better end-of-the-movie cameos as "the Boss," and there's the usual turns by Don Rickles and Morey Amsterdam. For the ladies, there's a line of genuine California beach muscle-men, including future "Grizzly Adams" star Dan Haggerty. (He jiggles his chest muscles and whistles!)

And I think Annette is actually wearing a two-piece!

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