Beach Ball

Still sportin' his "Kookie" combed hairdo, but looking a little long-in-the-tooth to be playing a teenage surfer boy, Edd Byrnes (as Dick "Dickie" Martin) and his rock 'n' roll group "The Wigglers" are in danger of losing their unpaid-for musical instruments. The college drop-outs fear they'll be "show business has-beens at twenty." Fund-raising Byrnes, sky diver Robert Logan (as Bango), auto racer Aron Kincaid (as Jack) and skin diver Don Edmonds (as Bob) are a good-looking quartet. And, there are many nicely-proportioned, bikini-ready girls to raise your interest...

In an arousing highlight, sweet blonde Chris Noel (as Susan Collins) bounces from her changing room with a parade of bikini-clad cuties. In between enjoying the bodies, you get a severely wigged Diana Ross with the Supremes singing the non-hit title song, the Four Seasons featuring Frankie Valli singing the hit "Dawn (Go Away)" and sandy songs from the Righteous Brothers, the Hondells and the Walker Brothers. Paramount's threadbare swipe at American International's "Beach Party" movies is less than ordinary, but it ends up with some unintended subversive sex play.

***** Beach Ball (9/29/65) Lennie Weinrib ~ Edd Byrnes, Robert Logan, Aron Kincaid, Don Edmonds

I only tuned into this film for a few minutes, but it was worth it...to see the Supremes (from Detroit's Motown label) singing surfing songs. Anyone who knows the geography of Detroit and the color of the Supremes knows why this is so fascinating.

Of particular splendor is Diana Ross' hairdo -- a beehive with what I can only guess is supposed to be a "wave" on one side.

This film essentially begins with a college dropout by the name of "Dick Martin" (Edd Byrnes) receiving a telegram telling him that, unless he pays for some musical instruments he rented for his struggling rock-and-roll band, they will be confiscated within a day or two. Needless to say, this news completely devastates him as neither he nor the other members of the band can scrounge up $1000 in so short a period of time. That being said, when their pleas for more time fall on deaf ears, Dick decides to go to the local college finance committee treasurer named "Susan" (Chris Noel) and plead for a grant under the false pretense of needing it for tuition. Quite surprisingly, after listening to his story, she agrees to his request. However, when she discovers the truth of the matter a few hours later, she immediately changes her mind. Not long afterward, however, she reconsiders and--with the help of the other three female members of the committee--decides to infiltrate his circle of friends to see if they can somehow convince them to return to college. In the meantime, Dick and his band have come up with several different plans to get the money--but what they don't count on is the of the music store owner who demands his merchandise immediately. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an okay "Beach Party" movie which basically followed the standard formula for films of this type during this particular period of time. Naturally, it also featured several attractive actresses with Mikki Jamison (as "Augusta"), Anna Lavelle ("Polly") and the aforementioned Chris Noel standing out the most, in my opinion. Be that as it may, while this may not be the best movie of its type, I enjoyed it for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

You remember that routine that they used to do on NBC'S Saturday Night, the "Sixties Movie" thing? This is it. The lighting, the music (though persuasive... the Righteous Brothers kick butt), the chicks, the cars, the comic relief. It has "1965" scrawled all over it.

All teen beach or period flicks deserve their own catagory stars and all should be a 3 or better....if one gets the point.Sadly too many 60's fans either missed the entire scene, were born after it was even current or too young to actually be "in the teen scene" and are just bitter. These are not Academy Award projects nor did they ever attempt to be. All 60's teen films had a positive message entwined within the absolute silliness of the wrap around scenes that glue it together. Look where the Monkees TV show was developed from; the original Batman TV show; most slapstick comedies of the future are all pulled and revamped from these (and others) 60's teen flick's cherrys.....or cherry bombs. It is a good chance to see great bands do songs that they might not have performed (some thankfully) at all. But remember the point of all of these teen berach flicks, this gem included: To have fun, escape into someplace totally or close to unreal and with a happy or comical ending. Beach Ball is a great,a typical 60's teen flick and is as good as any other "beach" flicks of the era. To analyze this or these types of films with the slashing of a "Freddy" movie is missing the point. Beach Ball is total nostalgia from sets, dialogue, scenery, cars, bands, girls and guys. Grab some popcorn, put your feet up, whack it on the TV and just enjoy a period that many wish was still around. Beach Ball still has plenty of smile bits to remind us of our potential to just enjoy these teen era flicks without dissecting it like a stiff lab frog.