Les dompteurs du Pacifique

This is a great film, much better than the other campy beach movies. Good story, good music and a young Barbara Eden.....yahoo. Beautiful Hawaiian scenery with huge waves that any surfer would drool over are prominent throughout the film. The story is set around a surfing contest of who will be bravest and toughest to ride the wild surf, the biggest waves in the world that come in only once in a long while. The vintage look and sound of the movie will bring you to the 1960's surf scene where girls look cute in bikinis and the guys are all tan and muscular. Even though you can easily spot the studio filmed scenes, the real footage of surfers tackling giant waves is truly exciting. After watching this movie you are going to want to by a Willy's and a long board and hit the beach. Aloha!

These guys really need to learn to paddle their boards correctly. They really look lame "out there" when they are paddling into the lineup. Occasionally, you will see the real surfers in the stock footage who are knee paddling their Wiamea guns unlike the actors who look more like midwestern tourists learning to surf at Waikiki. Tab Hunter is, as always, awesome in a romantic lead role; he's just so natural with the opposite sex. Why didn't her mother just come out and say it: I don't want you having a gay boyfriend; it will cause you nothing but grief! The camp value of Tab Hunter resucitates this rag doll of a film after a trip over the falls at Wiamea. There is also stock footage of real surfers like Greg Noll (Eskimo's double) and Mickey Dora (Jody Wallis' double). Believe me, they didn't handle themselves like the actors did when out in 25 foot plus Wiamea.

Surfing's answer to Red Line 7000. Fabian looks to outlast his buddies at the annual Waimea Bay surfing blowout on the North Shore of Oahu. A great period piece filmed at the same time as the Beach Blanket movies, but with less comedy and romance and more emphasis on competition. As already noted by reviewers, lots of great surfing shots mixed with laughable (almost campy) shots of the stars in lifeless waters. Still, stars take it seriously. Loads of fun if you like this sort of thing.

The surf scenes are typical of the era. Back lot close-ups cut to real action scenes. Check out Greg Noll in the surfing cut scenes. He's in his signature black and white stripped shorts. I can't positively id red & yellow shorts; maybe Pat Curren, but that's speculation.

Only other thing I can't figure out about this movie is why does Jeanie (sorry, couldn't resist) think it's a good reason to purchase a rocket taller than her. That can't be a good idea. But, I guess she's wearing the proper protective bee-keeper suit. From same scene: "No one's allowed on the firing line with out an extinguisher (Hands them a cocktail)"

RIDE THE WILD SURF remains as one of my very favorite 'surf/beach' genre films (notable others: BLUE CRUSH, BIG WEDNESDAY, the GIDGET series, the Avalon/Funnicello BEACH movies, ALOHA SUMMER, Bruce Brown's ENDLESS SUMMER films ~ and hey ... you could even include Nickelodeon TV's popular ROCKET POWER animated series into this mix!). Although several of the fore-mentioned are documentary-style films, they are nonetheless true 'surf' Classics which are a MUST to own/see and should NOT be ignored. RIDE THE WILD SURF was well-stocked with talented actors (see the Credits) and although these actors never truly dared the 'heavies' at Waimea Bay ... only the laughable (yet fun) stationary studio boards with backdrop waves) ... there are quite a few great stock footage scenes of enjoyable, real surfing! The plot was surprisingly more of an adult oriented drama than a juvenile film, therefore adding a bit more realism to the (albeit thin) storyline. The production values were fine and the soundtrack was stoked with some great JAN & DEAN tunes!! True to 60's standards, there is no GORE, NUDITY, PROFANITY-LACED-DIALOGUE, or EXTREME VIOLENCE - so it can be enjoyed by the entire family. I really cannot find fault with this film and highly recommend it for your film library! Now, if only COLUMBIA PICTURES would get off it's corporate ass and release this little gem onto DVD (that's a big HINT)! Until such time, you will have to suffice by renting a VHS copy from your local Blockbuster - the film has almost never been seen on TV (very possibly once - many years ago on AMC-TV). Until then try some of the films listed above and you WON'T be disappointed! 'Til then ... SURF ON, KAHUNA!