by Moe Zilla

Created on: February 16, 2008

Annette and Frankie first returned to the beach in "Muscle Beach Party," but this 1964 "surf and sunshine" picture gives them lots of company. Frankie and Annette are reunited with their friends Candy and Deadhead (along with Morey Amsterdam as restaurant owner Cappy), and there's a song by surf-guitar legend Dick Dale. But the film also offers an amazing second musical appearance by a 13-year-old Stevie Wonder singing "Happy Street."

It's the first of the seven "beach blanket" movies to focus on solely on the teenagers. ("Beach Party," the first movie in the series, gave equal time to the romance of two visiting adults.) In this film the adult world is represented by a wealthy Countess and her sad sack business manager (played by Buddy Hackett). With her money the countess always gets what she wants - and now she wants young Frankie. Would he be happier traveling the world as her well-funded singing protege? At the end of the movie Buddy Hackett gives an excellent speech listing all the reasons he shouldn't be her bird in a cage - but Frankie's gang had already given him the same message.

It's an early example of the winning formula which American-International would perfect with its later films as the adult intruders became more and more comical. There's still plenty of footage of beaches, surfers, and teenagers, and it's all combined with lots of one-off gags throughout the movie.

Also in the mix are Don Rickles, this time playing fitness coach "Jack Fanny". (Watch for Dan Haggerty as the muscle-builder "Riff," 13 years before he starred in TV's "Grizzly Adams.") This is one of the few "beach blanket" movies which does not feature
Harvey Lembeck as the motorcycle thug "Eric Von Zipper," but instead there's a menacing line of tanned-and-bulky body-builders (plus a cameo by Peter Lorre).

Annette sings another sweet song - "A Girl Needs A Boy" - and Frankie later sings his own version of the same song (plus another faster song). The music always adds a touch of sweet sincerity to these pictures - but to enjoy the rest, you'll probably need a taste for camp.

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