Where the Boys Are (1960)

Four very different college girls drive to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for spring break and seek out various adventures and romance for themselves.

Director:

Henry Levin

Writers:

George Wells (screen play), Glendon Swarthout (novel)

Stars:

Dolores Hart, George Hamilton, Yvette Mimieux

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dolores Hart	...	Merritt Andrews
George Hamilton	...	Ryder Smith
Yvette Mimieux	...	Melanie Tolman
Jim Hutton	...	TV Thompson
Barbara Nichols	...	Lola Fandango
Paula Prentiss	...	Tuggle Carpenter
Chill Wills	...	Police Captain
Frank Gorshin	...	Basil
Rory Harrity	...	Franklin
Ted Berger	...	Stout Man on Beach
John Brennan	...	Dill
Connie Francis	...	Angie

Storyline

Merritt, Melanie, Tuggle and Angie are four Midwestern college co-eds who travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for their spring vacation and we follow the episodic series of adventures and romance they all get into with some college guys they meet.

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Plot Keywords:

spring break | florida | vacation | beach | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

The hilarious inside story of those rip-roaring spring vacations!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. WB Shop / Warner Archive

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 December 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bastam Dois para Amar

Filming Locations:

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Euterpe

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Delores Hart, Paula Prentiss and Connie Francis (Merritt, Tuggle and Angie) were born the same year. They were 22 years old at the time of filming. Yvette Mimeaux (Melanie) is only three years younger than the others and was 19 during filming.

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Goofs

While Merritt is at the controls of Ty's family yacht, only one throttle is forward on what is obviously a twin-engine boat. That would have made for considerable control difficulties trying to run the boat in that way.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: For fifty weeks of the year, Fort Lauderdale, Florida is a small corner of tropical heaven, basking contentedly in the warm sun. During the other two weeks, as colleges all over the country disgorge their students for Easter vacation, a change comes over the scene. The students swarm to these peaceful shores in droves, twenty thousand strong. They turn night into day, and a small corner of heaven into a sizeable chunk of bedlam. The boys come to soak up the sun, and a few carloads ...

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Crazy Credits

"and introducing Connie Francis"

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Connections

Referenced in Legacy of the Hollywood Blacklist (1987)

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Soundtracks

Turn On the Sunshine
Words by Howard Greenfield
Music by Neil Sedaka
Performed by Connie Francis (uncredited)
Courtesy of Nevins - Kirshner

User Reviews

Enjoyable "period" piece

As the saying goes, "it is what it is." Cutting edge (for 1960) teen drama holds up well, with excellent performances by several of the leads. Although it doesn't appear they actually filmed the majority of the film in Florida, there are still some wonderful shots on location in Fort Lauderdale. That community has since banned the Spring Break crowd, but I remember it well in the 60s - 80s, when living in the area.

Many users have complained about the "moralizing" of this film, but I don't find it "preachy." Prentiss is indeed a standout. Connie Francis is adequate, if somewhat masculine, in her first film role. "Narrator" Paul Frees seems to pop up in the oddest places, including The Haunted Mansion ride for Disney.