Sergeant Dead Head

Inept is a kind word to describe this misfire. Appalling is more accurate. For some reason, Arkoff and Nicholson decided to branch out from beach pictures, taking most of their regular cast and crew along for the ride. Frankie plays two characters again (though nowhere near as endearingly as in his Frankie/Potato Bug double role) and this time Deborah Walley is the love interest--apparently Annette had enough sense to stay out of this one. Unbelievably they are cast as lovers stationed at the same military base (this decades before the services were sexually integrated) where space missions originate. Ms. Walley's superior officer is played brassilly by the always fine Eve Arden (who sings a dreadful song mid-picture); Frankie's counterpart is the equally good Fred Clark. Gale Gordon, on sabbatical from The Beverly Hillbillies, is also along, as is Cesar Romero as an Admiral. Buster Keaton, Harvey Lembeck, John Ashley, Bobbi Shaw...how can it be BAD? Well, it is. I didn't laugh once. There is one vaguely funny scene between two military policemen but it's too short to generate any real guffaws. The songs are much worse than usual and Deke Heyward's story is unforgivably poor.

Accidentally fired into space, Sergeant Deadhead (Frankie Avalon) returns to Earth with strange personality changes. This upsets the brass, who hoped to make him a press hero.

"Sergeant Deadhead" isn't as funny as the better Avalon beach movies, nor the spy spoof "Doctor Goldfoot and His Bikini Machine."

Part of the problem is the movie's dated theme: the space race, during the era animals were being sent up in rockets (actually, it was made after that, but we'll have to stretch a point).

The cast is first rate. The top brass of the service include Fred Clark, Cesar Romero, Gale Gordon and Reginald Gardiner. Also on hand are Eve Arden, Buster Keaton and Pat Butram as the president. A great comedy cast.

Unfortunately, a comic is only as good as his material. The aim, apparently, was to turn Avalon into a sort of Jerry Lewis. As if we needed two of them.

With so many old pros in the cast, you'd think one might've risked his contract to stand up and say the material isn't working. It has a few laughs, but no more than you'd squeeze out of a so-so Carol Burnett sketch. Not good for a comedy running an hour and a half.

Too bad. I hate to see a talented cast go to waste.

This film essentially begins with an airman by the name of "Sergeant O. K. Deadhead" (Frankie Avalon) being sent to the guardhouse due to a series of mishaps which have caused problems on the base. Needless to say, this doesn't sit well with his fiancé "Airman Lucy Turner" (Deborah Walley) who had hoped to marry him that weekend. Likewise, Sergeant Deadhead also wanted to be married and as a result he tells his other two cellmates that he intends to be a model prisoner so that he can be released early. However, one of his cellmates named "Airman McEvoy" (Harvey Lembeck) doesn't share his concern and detonates an explosive that very night which compels Sergeant Deadhead to escape from the guardhouse as well. To that effect, upon being chased by the military police, Sergeant Deadhead takes refuge in a rocket destined for outer space--and returns as a completely different person. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this movie started off real well due in large part to the performances of Buster Keaton (as "Airman Blinken") and Gale Gordon ("Captain Weiskopf"). Unfortunately, the film seemed to run out of steam around the halfway mark and became less interesting at that point. Even so, I suppose it was good enough for the time spent and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.

Many of AIPs main players are there including writers, direction etc. However, the script is very weak. There is very little of the classic AIP interplays or humor at work here. It feels flat and barely has any redeeming features. However, Fred Clark is good as the general and he's pretty funny. And great to see all those other character actors from those times. But something is missing here, it just has a weird vapid meandering vibe to it. Literally any previous AIP generated beach movie or knock offs such. 'Fireball 500' are much better. This film has its moments but really, if you're wanting to delve into the AIP library, this is not the place to start. Like I said, for completists only.

When I say that this a screen comedy for dead heads I don't mean for followers of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia. In fact to avoid seeing this film people ought to be grateful they've passed.

There's a little bit of The Nutty Professor in Sergeant Dead Head and by the way that's Frankie Avalon's character name, O.K. Deadhead. An accidental trip into outer space with a chimpanzee has him changing personalities from being a lovable klutz to being an aggressive Buddy Love type. That's causing consternation with all concerned from the president on down to Deborah Walley fellow Air Force non-com and in love with the lovable klutz.

But when Avalon becomes aggressive like Buddy Love all concerned he might be too hard to handle. So they look for a lookalike and find another Frankie Avalon in the Air Force. After that this whole affair becomes witless beyond the point of endurance.

When casting Pat Buttram as a Lyndon Johnson like president is someone's idea of humor you know this film has to be bad. Frankie Avalon isn't even given any good songs to sing.

If you like Frankie Avalon wait for a beach film.