The producers behind such epic masterpieces as "It Conquered the World" and the "Beach Party" movies get together again after a string of Edgar Allan Poe hits to put the screws to the military in this farce where minus Annette Funnicello (and in a dual role no less), Frankie Avalon is prepared to conquer outer space (along with a chimpanzee no less) much to the frustration of the officers at his military base and his long-time fiancée. Deborah Walley takes on the role Annette would have played, basically playing straight woman to the accident prone Avalon (whose leading character's last name really is Deadhead) and some befuddled officers. The brunt of frustration goes to General Fred Clark and his lady love, Lieutenant Eve Arden, tough and strict on the outside, but total mush on the inside.
This isn't just a farce, it's a farce with songs and dances, mostly pretty bad, but with occasional moments of amusement that bring smiles if not outward laughter. It's Arden who really steals the show here, with great support from Clark, as well as former "Our Miss Brooks" foil Gale Gordon, future "Joker" Cesar Romero and droll Reginald Gardiner as the three visiting officers who are more than just moderately amused when they arrive on the base just as towel clad women must salute, having just rushed out of the showers in a false alarm emergency drill. Of course, all the madness is caused by Avalon unintentionally, and eventually, his actions lead him into the guardhouse where regular "Beach Party" troublemaker Harvey Lembeck is planning an escape with the aid of an exploding pen. In his attempt to avoid re-capture, Avalon hides on a space craft which is is unaware as part of project "Moon Monkey" is about to take off, stocked with a chimp and bananas, and now heading for probable disaster with Avalon aboard.
The plot is pretty non-sensical, not staying in space long enough, but causing Avalon's still basically shy young man to become a vivacious womanizer upon his return. It seems space alters personalities, but rather than come back preparing to audition for the Roddy McDowall role in "Planet of the Apes", he comes back simply with sex on his mind. The government, lead by Pat Buttram's squeaky voiced president, is forced to give Avalon a hero's welcome, but afraid he will screw everything up, Clark arranges for a look-alike to take his place, even at Deadhead's marriage to Walley. Ironically cast later playing Arden's daughter on "The Mothers-In-Law", Walley is sweet but ineffectual, while Avalon seems to be overplaying his role to excess. Arden steals the show with her big musical number, "You Should Have Seen the One That Got Away", but the other songs are totally third rate.
Buster Keaton has a brief pratfall appearance as perhaps the oldest recruit in military history, and his role is a sad and unnecessary appearance. Even in his next film (and one of his last), "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", he was better utilized than this. As helmed by veteran director Norman Taurog, this offers some minor amusement, but other than Arden and her male cronies, it really has nothing to recommend it.
This isn't just a farce, it's a farce with songs and dances, mostly pretty bad, but with occasional moments of amusement that bring smiles if not outward laughter. It's Arden who really steals the show here, with great support from Clark, as well as former "Our Miss Brooks" foil Gale Gordon, future "Joker" Cesar Romero and droll Reginald Gardiner as the three visiting officers who are more than just moderately amused when they arrive on the base just as towel clad women must salute, having just rushed out of the showers in a false alarm emergency drill. Of course, all the madness is caused by Avalon unintentionally, and eventually, his actions lead him into the guardhouse where regular "Beach Party" troublemaker Harvey Lembeck is planning an escape with the aid of an exploding pen. In his attempt to avoid re-capture, Avalon hides on a space craft which is is unaware as part of project "Moon Monkey" is about to take off, stocked with a chimp and bananas, and now heading for probable disaster with Avalon aboard.
The plot is pretty non-sensical, not staying in space long enough, but causing Avalon's still basically shy young man to become a vivacious womanizer upon his return. It seems space alters personalities, but rather than come back preparing to audition for the Roddy McDowall role in "Planet of the Apes", he comes back simply with sex on his mind. The government, lead by Pat Buttram's squeaky voiced president, is forced to give Avalon a hero's welcome, but afraid he will screw everything up, Clark arranges for a look-alike to take his place, even at Deadhead's marriage to Walley. Ironically cast later playing Arden's daughter on "The Mothers-In-Law", Walley is sweet but ineffectual, while Avalon seems to be overplaying his role to excess. Arden steals the show with her big musical number, "You Should Have Seen the One That Got Away", but the other songs are totally third rate.
Buster Keaton has a brief pratfall appearance as perhaps the oldest recruit in military history, and his role is a sad and unnecessary appearance. Even in his next film (and one of his last), "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", he was better utilized than this. As helmed by veteran director Norman Taurog, this offers some minor amusement, but other than Arden and her male cronies, it really has nothing to recommend it.