The Endless Summer (1966)

The crown jewel to ten years of Bruce Brown surfing documentaries. Brown follows two young surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave, and ends up finding quite a few in addition to some colorful local characters.

Director:

Bruce Brown

Writer:

Bruce Brown

Stars:

Robert August, Michael Hynson, Lord James Blears

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Michael Hynson	...	Principal surfer (as Mike Hynson)
Robert August	...	Principal surfer
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lord James Blears	...	Himself (as Lord 'Tally Ho' Blears)
Bruce Brown	...	Narrator
Terence Bullen	...	South African guide
Roy Crump	...	North Shore Surfer
Chip Fitzwater	...	Himself - Bodysurfer at the Wedge with 'rigor mortis of the stomach.'
Chuck Gardner	...	Himself - Bellyboarder at the Wedge throwing board over wave
Wayne Miyata	...	Himself

Storyline

They call it The Endless Summer the ultimate surfing adventure, crossing the globe in search of the perfect wave. From the uncharted waters of West Africa, to the shark-filled seas of Australia, to the tropical paradise of Tahiti and beyond, these California surfers accomplish in a few months what most people never do in a lifetime...They live their dream. Director Bruce Brown creates a film so powerful it has become a timeless masterpiece that continues to capture the imagination of every new generation. When it first played in theaters, audiences lined up to see it again and again, spellbound by its thrilling excitement and awesome photography. But in fact, what's most compelling about the film is the sport of surfing itself, and once you've seen it, you'll never forget why.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | surfing | wave | surfer | australia | 

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Taglines:

The Search for the Perfect Wave

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Genres:

Documentary | Sport

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 1968 (Japan)

Also Known As:

A végtelen nyár

Filming Locations:

Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bruce Brown Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The official documentary of the band Tsunami Samurai.

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Goofs

Walking down to the beach in Ghana, West Africa, both Mike Hynson and Robert August are wearing white bathing suits. A few moments later on the same beach Mike Hynson is now wearing a blue bathing suit.

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Quotes

Narrator: Many of us ride winter and summer, but the ultimate thing for us would be to have an endless summer. The only way to do this is to travel around the world.

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Crazy Credits

Special thanks to old king Neptune for providing the waves in this film

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Connections

Referenced in Siskel & Ebert: Speed/The Endless Summer 2/The Lion King/City Slickers II: The Legend of Curley's Gold (1994)

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Soundtracks

Trailing
Written by Danny Brawner and John Blakeley
Performed by The Sandals

User Reviews

Tasty Waves and Exotic Locales-Forever Timeless!

What a fun little film this is! Every 5 or 6 years I revisit this work and enjoy it as much as the first time I saw it. My hat is off to Bruce Brown for having the vision and determination to create this film. With cinematography, music, and narration that is easy on the mind and eyes, this film floats through the screen and has you envisioning your own paradise, whether or not you're a surfing aficionado. The two featured surfers in this film are at the top of their sport and seem to be doing it only for love - NOT for big prizes or cash purses. There is a unique innocence about this film that is very appealing.

See this film because it is not violent. See it because there are no special effects (save one or two jerky camera moves). See it because it takes you back to a simpler time when the world (and you do see much of the world) seems much simpler. Still fun and still an inspiration, this film will remain forever timeless...