How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965)

Director:

William Asher

Writers:

William Asher (writer)
Leo Townsend (writer)

Release Date:

14 July 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

FOR BEGINNERS AND EXPERTS... an interesting course in THE BIRDS... THE BEES and BIKINIS

Plot:

Frankie, on naval-reserve duty in Tahiti, doesn't trust Dee Dee to stay faithful, so he hires Bwana...

Plot Keywords:

Advertising | Witch Doctor | Bikini | Witch | Teen

Cast

Annette Funicello	...	Dee Dee (formerly Dolores)
Dwayne Hickman	...	Ricky
Brian Donlevy	...	B.D. 'Big Deal' MacPherson
Harvey Lembeck	...	Eric Von Zipper
Beverly Adams	...	Cassandra
John Ashley	...	Johnny
Jody McCrea	...	Bonehead
Marianne Gaba	...	Animal
Len Lesser	...	North Dakota Pete
Irene Tsu	...	Native Girl
Arthur Julian	...	Dr. Melamed
Bobbi Shaw	...	Khola Koku
Buster Keaton	...	Bwana
The Kingsmen	...	Themselves
Alberta Nelson	...	Puss

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Annette Funicello was pregnant during filming and was mostly shot from the waist up.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the start of the road race, the starter has a green flag. When we cut away to the stock footage, the starter has a red flag.

Quotes:

Dee Dee: Wanna buy a Brownie outfit, cheap?

Movie Connections:

References Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

Soundtrack:

Madison Avenue

The Pelican Spy

Frankie Avalon off doing his Naval Reserve training in those innocent days before Vietnam is wondering whether Annette is being true to him back at the beach with all those other hunks around. He's stationed on a tropical Pacific Isle with lots of other curvaceous cuties around. He asks one of them to bring him to the local witch doctor for help. The witch doctor sends a pelican out to spy on Annette back at the beach.

So help me this is the beginning of the story. But it's not a half bad film, in fact it gets down right satirical at times. In addition to Frankie, Annette and the rest of the beach crew, some Hollywood old timers got some work in this film and they get a chance to overact outrageously. They include Brian Donlevy and Mickey Rooney as a pair of scheming advertising executives along with Dwayne Hickman who's their schemer in training, Harvey Lembeck as a Marlon Brando type motorcycle gang leader and Buster Keaton as the witch doctor.

I'd try to see How to Stuff a Wild Bikini if for no other reason than to see all these players ham it up. Though in some spots the pelican gives the best performance in the film.