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:

Publicity Stunt | Beach Party | Mermaid | Motorcycle | 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
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:
The Hondells	...	Themselves
Robert Jon Carlson	...	Beach boy (uncredited)
Burton Gilliam	...	Beach boy (uncredited)
Darlene Lucht	...	Beach girl (uncredited)
Jackie Ward	...	Sugar Kane (singing voice) (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)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Beckett	....	camera operator

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
Phil Sauers	....	surfing coordinator

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:

Robin Ward (real name Jackie Ward) did the singing for Linda Evans. Ward's female background vocals heard in the film are by The Blossoms.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Buster Keaton chases the beach girl along the shore, the number of rows of footprints in the sand varies from shot to shot.

Quotes:

Bullets: I didn't catch your name, boy.
Frankie: I didn't throw it.
Bullets: That's pretty tacky.
Frankie: I didn't want us to have a language barrier.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Drive-in Movie Memories (2001)

Soundtrack:

Beach Blanket Bingo

A fun "Beach Party" outing, but showing some fatigue

"Beach Blanket Bingo" is full of quirky touches (like Annette's face turning green while doing a free-fall out of an airplane or a kidnapped Linda Evans about to be buzz-sawed in half a la "The Perils of Pauline"). It's a colorful entry in the "Beach Party" serial, though oddly missing an exciting musical group (The Hondells in favor of Stevie Wonder or Dick Dale). Also missing is dancing-wonder Candy Johnson, and Annette sings two duets with Frankie Avalon but no solo number (it was cut). The comedy routine by Don Rickles is agonizing and falls flat, but Paul Lynde has some funny one-liners. This series was starting to show its age by now, and the teens are looking a bit long in the tooth (John Ashley no longer plays Frankie's friend, here he's a sky-diving instructor). The mermaid sub-plot featuring a ravishingly sweet Marta Kristen wowing Jody McCrea is the best part of the picture (it tops anything in "Splash") and there's just enough slapstick and visual gags to keep it bubbling. *** from ****