Gidget (1959)

A young girl discovers surfing and love (in that order) during one transitive summer.

Director:

Paul Wendkos

Writers:

Gabrielle Upton (screenplay), Frederick Kohner (novel)

Stars:

Sandra Dee, James Darren, Cliff Robertson

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sandra Dee	...	Francie Lawrence aka Gidget
James Darren	...	Jeffrey Matthews aka Moondoggie
Cliff Robertson	...	Burt Vail aka The Big Kahuna
Arthur O'Connell	...	Russell Lawrence
The Four Preps	...	Band at Beach
Mary LaRoche	...	Mrs. Dorothy Lawrence
Joby Baker	...	Stinky
Tom Laughlin	...	Lover Boy
Sue George	...	Betty Louise aka B.L.
Robert Ellis	...	Hot Shot
Jo Morrow	...	Mary Lou
Yvonne Craig	...	Nan
Patti Kane	...	Patti
Doug McClure	...	Waikiki
Burt Metcalfe	...	Lord Byron

Storyline

Due to an accident while swimming in the sea, Francis meets the surfer Moondoggy. She's fascinated of his sport and starts to hang out with his clique. Although they make fun of her at first, they teach her to surf. Soon she's accepted and given the nickname "Gidget". But it's hard work to become more than a friend to Moondoggy.

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Plot Keywords:

summer | tomboy | nickname in title | surfing | beach | 

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Taglines:

She wanted to grow up in a hurry - and boy, did she!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Because of the widespread popularity of this movie and the book it was based on, the real-life Gidget, Kathy Kohner, was ranked number 7 in Surfer Magazine's 40th anniversary issue's list of the 25 Most Influential Surfers of All Time.

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Goofs

When The Kahuna first goes out to surf the cigar in his mouth is shorter than when he comes back in from surfing.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Francie Lawrence aka Gidget: This summer was the turning point in my life. For 16 years, I'd gone blindly along enjoying myself like a fool who never guesses what's in store for her. Then...

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955-1970) (2000)

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Soundtracks

The Next Best Thing to Love
Lyrics by Stanley Styne
Music by Fred Karger
Performed by James Darren (uncredited)

User Reviews

The blonde and bubbly Sandra Dee at her most appealing!

All right, so it's not a masterpiece of moviemaking, but the film is still widely shown today and adored by most of those who see it. The slight, but very perceptive story concerns a plucky teenage girl nick-named Gidget(contractions of the words Girl and Midget) who mostly just wants to have fun in the sun. There's nothing wrong with that. But she's getting to that certain age where she's beginning to have deeper feelings, especially about the opposite sex. She begins to fall for a more "mature" surf bum(Cliff Robertson), but then finally settles for Moon-doggie(James Darren) who is closer to her own age. Some people might dismiss GIDGET as standard studio corn, but I beg to differ! It's not your typical sixties teen beach movie about surfing, sand, and sex. GIDGET actually has a story to tell. Maybe I'm being slightly sentimental, but to me GIDGET is a beautiful coming-of-age story that can still teach the teenagers of today a valuable lesson about first love. For those of you who didn't already know it, GIDGET was played by the beautiful young Sandra Dee who was a hot item in her day. Dee was seventeen and at her liveliest when she made this film. I would also say she was at her most appealing. She's on the screen for most of the film's 95minutes, and she's an absolute joy to watch for the film's entire running. Needless to say, I thought Dee was irresistably charming in this film. It's easy to see why she was so popular and such an idol to teenage girls in the sixties. She's blonde, beautiful, spirited, and has a terrific personality. It's a pity she doesn't make more films today. Having seen most of her films, I must say that in addition to being a pretty face, she is also a good actress. I could watch her for hours and hours. I may only be a simple 21-year-old boy from cincinnati, but I really enjoy and appreciate older films like this. They're fun and teach a lesson without being too preachy. If you're at the local video store one night and want something that's not too complex and is just good, clean fun, then GIDGET is highly recommended!!!!! And yes, this is the film that spawned the equally popular hit TV series starring another fresh and exciting talent, Sally Field.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 April 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gidget

Filming Locations:

Leo Carrillo State Beach - 35000 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (ColumbiaColor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1