Gidget à Rome

Although this movie is the weakest of the three Gidget films, it's still a fun view. James Darren is back again as 'Moondoggy' - always a good thing. It's also nice to see the Rome of the early 60s, Cesar Danova is gorgeous, and Jessie Royce Landis is charming. Cindy Carol? Not too much of an actress and definitely second rate compared to Sandra Dee and Deborah Walley. The girl was two-dimensional all of the way through the movie. However, she didn't have as much to work with, script-wise, as the other two actresses, so I'm not sure that it's totally fair to compare them. Being the third sequel, what should we expect, after all? Still, it is a fun movie and actually has some funny bits that are intentional (and some that are unintentional, but not surprising given how old the movie is). If you liked the first two 'Gidget' movies, you'll probably enjoy this one, as well. Just don't expect too much in the way of great acting, slick plot lines, and scintillating conversation.

The movie itself was ok, good scenery and all, but the acting wasn't exactly the best. Cindy Carol wasa terrible choice for gidget because of a lack of acting skills. If you look past the fact that her acting was lousy the movie is pretty good, the plot is slighlty more mature than the other gidget's. The scenery was great and so was the fashion show sequence. All in all, it wasn't that bad...

The casting director for Elvis movies in the sixties must have been impressed by this movie!

The next year, 1964 Cesare Danova was featured in Viva Las Vegas as Count Elmo Mancini. The race car driver/ playboy competing in the race and off the track for Ann Margret.

Peter Brooks and Joby Baker appeared in Girl Happy the next year. 1965. Brooks as a nerd around the motel (who morphs into Nita Talbot's date in the finale). And Baker is a buddy who played in Elvis's band. And shares in the hijinx.

The Gidget movie was intended to show the character as more mature and growing into a young adult. Beach scenes and family interaction were quickly disposed of in the first ten minutes. And the teenage romance/courtship dynamics of the earlier films was pretty much suspended as each lead pursued other potentially romantic partners for the bulk of the story.

The reunited ending was totally predictable. What else could it have been given the light comedic theme of the plot.

James Darren was in his prime then. On the charts in the early sixties he had a number of hit singles. Including Goodbye Cruel World and Her Royal Majesty amongst many others. He was in a handful of teen oriented films. And in a couple of years would star in the Time Tunnel sci Fi TV show.

All in all it was a nice enough bright, vivid time capsule of an early sixties milieu. And a view of a fun stereotypical tourist first visit to Rome. Hardly a memorable or captivating movie, but it did what it was intended to. Move Gidget off the beach and appeal to a familiar demographic.

Simple, innocent fluff that does build on the earlier Gidget mythos. The TV series actually is the best representation but has more time to expand on character and stories.

And as a footnote. Noreen Corcoran had just finished playing the teen daughter in the sitcom Bachelor Father.

The one thing I enjoyed was the scenery and fashion show sequence.Carol Carol is a lousy actress, and the "gang" are as equally uninteresting.James Darren is a gorgeous italian and I love his songs!

This is one of my favorite movies, it features Cindy Carol. She is my idea of the perfect girl, she is so pretty and has a perfect personality. I wish she was in more movies. This movie would be nothing without her in the lead role. I think this is the best of the Gidget movies. She is a little known actress, watch this movie and she if you agree that she deserved more movie roles. Filmed in 1963, the height of the beach movies. A great movie for all ages. It stands the test of time, it's just as good today as it was 40 years ago. I wish Cindy stared in the Gidget TV show, I can't get enough of her joyful personality.