Ride the Wild Surf

The opening scenes of this beach & surf film seem like the prototype for early 1980's gay porn! Three cute guys looking at the ocean while cheap music plays and then deciding to get in the car together to change into their swimsuits. Only this movie steers clear of any sordidness and the guys actually get out of the car and catch a wave! Where was Jerry's "Springer-Break" when ya needed it?! Everything is swell as the three pieces of meat (Porterhouse Hunter with his seasoned body, Sirloin Strip Brown with his lean, low-fat cut and Ribeye Fabian with his adorable baby fat cheeks--both sets!) paddle out to the ocean amidst a bevy of tan surfer boys. Unfortunately, it isn't long before some pesky girls enter the picture and spoil all the fun. The film's main goal (aside from attempting to add a little seriousness and reality to the beach movie genre) seems to be to switch everyone from their previously established hair color! Tab's hair is light brown instead of blonde, Fabares' is platinum blonde instead of brown (she is half-Scandinavian in the flick so she has to be an almost albino blonde?!), Eden ("Jeannie" for cryin' out loud) is a dark auburn and Brown lightens his natural brown hair and winds up with a shocking. brassy, golden-yellow 'do. Bizarre! (It has since been revealed by Hunter that the guys' hair was changed to match their stunt doubles' hues.) Surprisingly, the surfing footage is pretty decent--especially for it's time. The horror is that interspersed with some great footage featuring stunt doubles, there are rear-projection shots of the leads standing in a studio with water splashed on them as they're teetering back and forth!! Sometimes they actually carry on conversations while "riding" the wild surf! Hilarious! It is interesting to note that the trio of surfer dudes are presented as peers of college age. In truth, one was 21, but the other two were 29 and 33 (!) years old! But they all look pretty darn cute in their suits and with their now-politically incorrect tans. Fabares unexpectedly resembles Sandra Dee very much with her new hair and even sounds like her several times. Look for her first scene in which her headlights are on......HIGH BEAMS! Also on board is Robert Mitchum's son Jim who resembles his father so much it almost seems like Bob popped in for a cameo! It's a pleasant, occasionally interesting, always attractive film which depicts a time that is gone forever. Check it out!

Good time parties and excellent surfing footage, plus a better than average script (involving most of the usual beach melodrama, except without the jealousy of AIP's beachers). The leads are all good looking, reasonably mature dialogue and a well-shared spread of characterization making them seem more mature and real than most beach "kids". Of course, many modern day fans of beach movies are looking only for derisive laughs, so they should probably look elsewhere -- because this is a more heartfelt, less light film.

Could have shown the way for some new stars -- but this hollywood brat club got mostly passed over.

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!

Ride The Wild Surf once again proves my notion that it is impossible to make a bad film in and about Hawaii the place is that beautiful. The story is not Academy Award stuff, but it's an easy to take story of three surfers who come to Hawaii to challenge what the film says are the best and most dangerous waves in the world.

The three guys are Fabian, Tab Hunter, and Peter Brown and in addition to waves the guys also find love on the island. Fabian is a young hotshot who rubs the rest the wrong way and they love seeing him wipe out in the first tests. His attitude also is a big impediment with a romance between him and Shelley Fabares.

Tab Hunter falls in love with Hawaii and Susan Hart and just wants to stay. But Sue's mom has a grudge against surfer bums, she married one who up and left her. She's not about to let that happen to her little girl.

And kookie Barbara Eden thinks that Peter Brown is a big old square and a poser. That's not going to get him anywhere and to prove her wrong he does some dangerous and foolhardy things. All these guys are looking to knock off champion surfer Jim Mitchum.

Also in the cast is Australian Olympic swimmer Murray Rose who would probably say that the waves on Bondi in his native country are more dangerous than anything Hawaii has to offer.

The title song sung by Jan & Dean will stick with you for some time after you watch Ride The Wild Surf. I think if you like beautiful people in bathing suits you'll enjoy this film.

Shoot the curl, man! Three hotshot surfers from Malibu hang-ten down in Honolulu; all find the usual quota of romance, teen competition, and gnarly waves. Director Don Taylor does competent work (as usual) and he gives the surf-sand-&-suntans material a little kick. Unfortunately, all the back-projection gives the film a cheesy, dopey look, which is incongruous to the seriousness with which it takes the sport of surfing. The youthful, beaming cast (most in their prime) are certainly a great drawing card, and Fabian, Tab Hunter, a blonde Shelley Fabares, Barbara Eden, Susan Hart, and surly Jim Mitchum all look terrific. An instant hit at drive-ins circa 1964, the movie features gorgeous location footage, but also a corny, unnecessary voice-over narration and far too much moony-eyed boy-girl drama. ** from ****