Muscle Beach Party (1964)

Director:

William Asher

Writers:

William Asher (story)
Robert Dillon (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 March 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

Hear 8 new swim hits!

Plot:

Local beach-goers find that their beach has been taken over by a businessman training a stable of body builders.

Plot Keywords:

Beach | Muscle | Party | Surfing | Beach Party

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-8

Filming Locations:

Paradise Cove - 28128 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California, USA

Company:

Alta Vista Productions

Trivia:

This was the first acting role for Peter Lupus who is playing Flex Martian under the name "Rock Stevens". This would lead to an early career in Europe where he would play the lead role in various sword and sandal/mythological muscleman movies that were then in vogue.

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.

Quotes:

Theodore: [Seeing kids dancing and partying] Good heavens, where are the mothers of America?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Drive-in Movie Memories (2001)

Soundtrack:

Muscle Beach Party

"Leisurely" pace, and an actual story

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!