Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)

Director:

William Asher

Writers:

Leo Townsend (written by) and
William Asher (writer)

Release Date:

14 April 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Any number can play...but it's better with just two!

Plot:

In the fourth of the highly successful Frankie and Annette beach party movies, a motorcycle gang led...

Plot Keywords:

Hula Hoop | Fast Motion | Pool | Publicity Stunt | Publicity

Cast

Frankie Avalon	...	Frankie
Annette Funicello	...	Dee Dee
Deborah Walley	...	Bonnie Graham
Harvey Lembeck	...	Eric Von Zipper
John Ashley	...	Steve Gordon
Jody McCrea	...	Bonehead
Donna Loren	...	Donna
Marta Kristen	...	Lorelei
Linda Evans	...	Sugar Kane
Timothy Carey	...	South Dakota Slim
Don Rickles	...	Big Drop
Paul Lynde	...	Bullets
Donna Michelle	...	Animal
Michael Nader	...	Butch (as Mike Nader)
Patti Chandler	...	Patti
Homer Hondells	...	Themselves (as The Hondells)
Jethro Hondells	...	Themselves (as The Hondells)
Buster Keaton	...	Buster
Earl Wilson	...	Himself
Bobbi Shaw	...	Bobbi
Andy Romano	...	J.D. (Rat Pack member)
Allen Fife	...	Beard (Rat Pack member)
Jerry Brutsche	...	Jerome (Rat Pack member)
John Macchia	...	Joey (Rat Pack member)
Bob Harvey	...	Bobby (Rat Pack member)
Alberta Nelson	...	Puss (Rat Pack member)
Myrna Ross	...	Boots (Rat Pack member)
Ed Garner	...	Beach boy
Guy Hemric	...	Beach boy
Duane Ament	...	Beach boy
Ray Atkinson	...	Beach boy
Brian Wilson	...	Beach boy
Mickey Dora	...	Beach boy
Ned Wynn	...	Beach boy
Frank Alesia	...	Beach boy
Phil Henderson	...	Beach boy
Johnny Fain	...	Beach boy
Ronnie Dayton	...	Beach boy
Linda Benson	...	Beach girl
Mary Sturdevant	...	Beach girl
Mary Hughes	...	Beach girl
Judy Lescher	...	Beach girl
Salli Sachse	...	Beach girl
Pat Bryton	...	Beach girl
Linda Merrill	...	Beach girl
Pam Colbert	...	Beach girl
Luree Holmes	...	Beach girl
Dessica Giles	...	Beach girl
Laura Nicholson	...	Beach girl
Stephanie Nader	...	Beach girl
Linda Bent	...	Beach girl
Jo Ann Zerfas	...	Beach girl
Chris Cranston	...	Beach girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Jon Carlson	...	Beach boy (uncredited)
Burton Gilliam	...	Beach boy (uncredited)
Darlene Lucht	...	Beach girl (uncredited)

Directed by
William Asher

Writing credits
Leo Townsend		(written by)
William Asher		writer

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	producer
Anthony Carras	....	co-producer
James H. Nicholson	....	producer

Original Music by
Les Baxter

Cinematography by
Floyd Crosby

Film Editing by
Fred R. Feitshans Jr.		(as Fred Feitshans)
Eve Newman

Art Direction by
Howard Campbell

Set Decoration by
Harry Reif

Costume Design by
Marjorie Corso

Makeup Department
Robert Dawn	....	makeup artist (as Bob Dawn)
Eve Newing	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Jack Bohrer	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dale Hutchinson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Karl Brainard	....	props
Ross Hahn	....	construction coordinator
Richard M. Rubin	....	props

Sound Department
James Nelson	....	sound editor
Robert Post	....	sound (as Bob Post)

Special Effects by
Roger George	....	special effects
Joe Zomar	....	special effects

Stunts
Linda Benson	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Ronnie Dayton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Dora	....	stunts (uncredited)
Johnny Fain	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marjorie Corso	....	costumer

Music Department
Milton Lustig	....	music editor
Al Simms	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Frank Khoury	....	driver

Other crew
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	presenter
Jack Baker	....	choreographer
Jack W. Cash	....	production assistant (as Jack Cash)
George Dockstader	....	motorcycle coordinator
James H. Nicholson	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Alta Vista Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Leo Carrillo State Beach - 35000 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California, USA

Company:

Alta Vista Productions

Trivia:

Burton Gilliam's film debut.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In almost all close-ups with characters in water (particularly in the scenes between Bonehead and Lorelei) the water is obviously blue chlorinated pool water.

Quotes:

Eric Von Zipper: Stand aside, everyone. I take large steps.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Veronica Mars: Lord of the Bling (#1.13)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Beach Blanket Bingo

Enjoyable romp on the beach in part four of a fine film series

While it's been years since I've seen many of the films from this beach party genre and I only caught part of it in a recent TCM airing, I saw enough to be favorably impressed and to give it an unqualified thumbs up. The scenes with Buster Keaton were really stupendous and it was great to see him in several scenes and not just a one-shot cameo. The Don Rickles insult bit in his club was priceless, the singing wasn't outstanding but wasn't bad either, and the slapstick was a nice throwback to the old Mack Sennett comedies that you scarcely see today. Frankie and Annette made seven beach party flicks together not counting an NBC pilot which aired in 1978. Their last teaming in 1987 was more of a nostalgia trip than a real story and they played different characters than they had in the American International studio's series they made in the 1960's. They appeared in six films in the 60's, with just one (1964's PAJAMA PARTY) wherein they played characters different from their better known five-film series with the Von Zipper gang,Deadhead, etc., for AIP. As such, this series continued a great tradition of movies with continuing settings and stock characters, that hearken back to the good old days of Andy Hardy, Dr. Kildare, the Thin Man and Tarzan. Even more recent times has seen the trend of continuing characters in familiar settings going forward in the James Bond, Rocky, and Batman stories, just to name a few, besides lesser vehicles like the National Lampoon and Police Academy series in the 80's and 90's. In Hollywood, nothing succeeds like success, so the sequel will always be with us and some will go on and on. It will be interesting to see if the new Nancy Drew film will spawn a series of sequels as it did two generations ago. If it's successful the first time around, don't bet against it. Dale Roloff