Terror on the Beach (TV 1973)

A family's outing turns out badly as they are terrorized by a gang of young thugs.

Director:

Paul Wendkos

Writer:

Bill Svanoe

Stars:

Dennis Weaver, Estelle Parsons, Kristoffer Tabori

Cast

Cast overview:
Dennis Weaver	...	Neil Glynn
Estelle Parsons	...	Arlene Glynn
Kristoffer Tabori	...	Steve Glynn
Susan Dey	...	DeeDee Glynn
Scott Hylands	...	Jerry
Michael Christian	...	David
Henry Olek	...	Frank
Roberta Collins	...	Gail
Jacqueline Giroux	...	Mickey (as Jackie Giroux)
Betsy Slade	...	Jenny
Carole Ita White	...	Helen (as Carol Ita White)
David Knapp	...	Ranger
Walter Beakel	...	Fisherman

Storyline

A family's outing turns out badly as they are terrorized by a gang of young thugs.

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Plot Keywords:

gang | hostage | breakdown | dune buggy | fire | 

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Genres:

Drama | Action | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Terreur sur la plage

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television, Bedford Pictures Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Quickie, and It Shows

Hippie band menaces suburban family camping at the beach.

A made for TV quickie— it's not even hard to spot the commercial pauses. Probably took them no more than 5 days to shoot. One thing for sure-- they didn't have to build any sets. No sir, no phony surf or projection screens here; it's all genuine SoCal coastline.

However, the storyline is something else, more like a respectable person's bad dream about stereotyped hippies. So why does the Manson-like band harass good citizen Weaver and his family. Unless I missed something, we're never told, which sort of blows a hole through the middle of the plot. I guess we're to assume it's a culture clash with hippies as the inexplicable bad guys. My guess is the script was a rush job without time to plug the holes.

In fact, just what the band is trying to do remains murky throughout. They taunt and leer, drive recklessly, trash the campsite, and even tip over the camper. But who knows why—just hippie fun, I guess. Meanwhile, citizen Weaver finally goes from suburban Milktoast to enraged righteousness, and we wonder what took him so long. I'm sensing a parable here that sort of fits in with the Charles Bronson vigilante movies of the time-- Death Wish (1974)-- where low-life's rape and murder Bronson's family triggering his own murderous rage. But of course, that's much too brutal for a TV movie. So we get low-life vandals, instead.

Anyway, the narrative manages some tension as the provocations mount; the acting is good; and I almost got a sunburn from watching. Then too, the bickering father-son, mother- daughter, amount to a realistic touch. But unless you want a time-passer or just don't like hippies, skip it.