Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Edd Byrnes | ... | Dick Martin | |
Chris Noel | ... | Susan | |
Robert Logan | ... | Bango | |
Aron Kincaid | ... | Jack | |
Mikki Jamison | ... | Augusta | |
Don Edmonds | ... | Bob | |
Brenda Benet | ... | Samantha | |
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Gail Gilmore | ... | Deborah |
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James Wellman | ... | Bernard Wolf |
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Anna Lavele | ... | Polly (as Anna Lavelle) |
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Jack Bernardi | ... | Mr. Wilk |
Dick Miller | ... | Cop #1 | |
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Bill Sampson | ... | Steve |
Lee Krieger | ... | Little Daddy | |
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John Hyden | ... | Cop #2 |
Edd Byrnes tries to get an ethnic-music-studies grant to buy instruments for his rock and roll group, the Wigglers. College-finance-committee members Chris Noel, Gail Gilmore, Mikki Jameson and Brenda Benet uncover the scam and tear up the check, but the Wigglers play a Long Beach, California custom-car show in drag and win first prize. The Supremes do "Come to the Beach Ball with Me" and "Surfer Boy;" the Four Seasons sing their 1964 hit "Dawn;" the Hondells sing Brian Wilson's "My Buddy Seat;" the Righteous Brothers do "Baby What You Want Me to Do;" and the Walker Brothers cut loose with "Doin' the Jerk." Gary Kurtz of "Star Wars" fame was the assistant director. Written by alfiehitchie
Staggeringly bad teen-fracas from Paramount begins with animated opening credits that look as if they were drawn by a ten-year-old...and it gets worse from there. Stock surfing footage, a hot rod show, Edd Byrnes showing off his hairy, flabby chest, four guys in drag--"Beach Ball" makes the modest Frankie & Annette "Beach Party" flicks seem masterful by comparison. Odd that a major movie studio like Paramount got caught knocking-off a B-studio series and still came up with a loser. This has some of the worst cinematography, writing, directing and acting I've ever seen in a major commercial release. "Beach Ball" does earn one lone star simply by featuring the fabulous Supremes at the hot rod show, singing the title track and "Surfer Boy" (Diana Ross, sporting an Annette-like bouffant, is far more accomplished at lip-synching than her cohorts, but they look great together and the two songs aren't bad). Otherwise, this "Ball" is deflated. * from ****