Surf Party

I was hoping this Beach Party knock-off would have a similar campy charm as the Frankie & Annette AIP pictures or that it would be a cool surf picture like "Ride the Wild Surf," but it was sadly neither. Shot in black & white, this film lacked those films' vibrant colorful charms, both visually and textually. Three gals from Arizona hit the beach at Malibu and pair off with different local surfers, including Bobby Vinton. There's teen strife and the group also runs afoul a decidedly anti-surfing police sergeant. I did like some of the music, most all of the period surfing footage, and the teenybopper drama is kind of charming in a Archie/Riverdale sort of way, but overall it wasn't nearly as fun as the corny but highly entertaining Frankie & Annette pictures (which are movies that I'd secretly like to pull a "Purple Rose of Cairo" and step into).

This film begins with a young lady by the name of "Terry Wells" (Patricia Morrow) driving with two of her friends "Junior Griffith" (Jackie DeShannon) and "Sylvia Dempster" (Lory Patrick) from Arizona to the California coast to visit Terry's brother "Skeet Wells" (Jerry Summers). Upon their arrival, they meet a young man named "Len Marshal" (Bobby Vinton) who owns a surfboard shop near the beach and tells them where they can find a trailer park for their camper. Not long afterward, they also meet another young man named "Milo Talbot" (Ken Miller) who takes them to the local clubhouse where Skeet hangs out. It's then that the three young ladies learn that Skeet is the leader of a group of surfers who have built up a bad reputation with many of the local residents--with the local policeman named "Sergeant Wayne Neal" (Richard Crane) being the most outspoken critic. What the three young ladies don't realize, however, is that their presence will soon become a catalyst for all kinds of trouble involving everyone just mentioned. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that, even though this film is listed as a comedy, there really wasn't much humor to be found here at all. Lots of dancing and singing--but no real comedy that I could see. Likewise, although I don't normally have any problem with movies filmed in black & white, I have to say that movies of this specific type are much better in color as it enhances the overall effect. That being said, while I don't consider this to be a terribly bad "beach movie" necessarily, I don't believe it compares favorably to some of the others produced during this time, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

With the success of American-International's "Beach Party" movie series, it was inevitable that other studios would try to cash in on that success. Some efforts were made by major studios, while other efforts were made by independents, "Surf Party" being one of these independent efforts (though it was picked up by a major studio for distribution.) It's interesting to compare this movie to the "Beach Party" movies. It's done on a much lower budget, for one thing, filmed in black and white instead of color. The song number are less polished for the most part as well. But the biggest difference is that this movie's tone is much more serious than what was found in the "Beach Party" movies; even the ending isn't all that upbeat. I can only imagine what youths in 1964 thought of the somewhat downer tone. Probably they would also object to a storyline that quite often feels like it was being made up as filming went along. The atypical scripting does give the movie some interest, but I would only recommend the movie to those researching beach movies of the 1960s as an odd example of the genre.

People who are nostalgic for Jackie DeShannon and a couple of Beach Boy wannabe rock and roll groups will have reason enough to watch Surf Party. For anyone else I can't say.

Bobby Vinton and Patricia Summer star in this shoestring budget beach film. Vinton owns a surf board shop and for reasons I cannot fathom the local law in the person of Richard Crane thinks he ought to assume responsibility for the local surfers. Ken Miller is the head of a clique of surfers who act more like hotrodders and folks who want to join the clique have to the equivalent of a surf chicken run.

The film is cheap and shoddy, the musical artists have their moments. I think Bobby Vinton was better served in those two John Wayne films he did.

Southern California surf shop proprietor teaches three giggly girls from Phoenix to surf, but the flirty little blonde he's attracted to is the sister of Skeet Wells, the beach big shot and hot-dogger (he doesn't even answer his doorbell when his baby sister arrives...he's busy entertaining!). Black-and-white surf-genre entry from Twentieth Century-Fox has awkward segues from comedy to drama (usually involving Richard Crane as the local law), and from narrative into the music numbers (which include a faux calypso ditty and a hand-waving spiritual!). Singing stars Bobby Vinton and Jackie DeShannon are among the kids surfing, fighting, necking...and being warned to stay on the north side of the pier! Some of the cinematography is good (particularly at the beginning), but the repeated shots padding the movie give it a cheap, crummy feel. *1/2 from ****