For Those Who Think Young

Look, this film ain't a classic. Nevertheless ,it was the type of film, that brought the kids in in the 1960's. I saw it at a drive-in when I was 9. Even at that age, I recognized the Pepsi slogan, and when I kept seeing Pepsi machines in the film, I thought it was sponsored by Pepsi. My first encounter with product placement.

The plot is mindless, the characters shallow, the jokes unfunny. Tina Louise stripping off that gold-lame gown is priceless, though. Nice to know, that Tina Louise, could have had a backup career as a stripper, if she had not cashed in on "Gilligan's Island".

Pamela Tiffin's character has the I.Q. of a soapdish. I still enjoyed this film. I work in telecommunications, and I got a real chuckle out of the two (2!) mobile telephones in James Darren's car. I also enjoyed the bit where Darren calls Bob Denver on the walkie-talkie. Real high-tech stuff for this time period.

I saw this movie during a dusk until dawn show at a Drive-In theater many years ago. These shows would keep you up all night watching all kinds of stuff. I can't remember the entire show that night but to me this was one of the ultimate drive-in movies. It is a beach movie without Frankie & Annette.

When you weren't old enough to be in the back seat of the car with someone, there were enough women on the screen to keep your attention. The comedy in this is sophomore stuff, and to me the most interesting thing is the casting. Woody Woodbury had a comedy LP album at the time this was released. Bet that is a collectors item now as it set a martini mood & really dovetails with this movie as his routines here are watered down versions of that album.

What is most surprising about the women in this film is how many would become famous but yet none of them really ever did a block buster film. Never realized until I looked at this cast that Tina Louise is older than Nancy Sinatra. This was before both of them would achieve their greatest fame, Nancy with music, & Tina with Bob Denver as this is an earlier place to find them in the same film. Tina is a stripper in this movie, & Denver is James Darren's assistant & a bit of a playboy. Bob Denver leads the Ho Daddy Chorus but this song is not about calling women by that name. I would call most of them attractive.

Paul Lynde is pretty much his usual self here. There were worse fillers for these dusk till dawn drive-in films of the earlier 1960's fillers.

Can't find better escapism! James Darren & Pamela Tiffin as the hotties, Tina Louise breathily trying to sing while sticking out her breasts, Nancy Sinatra with her natural hair color (the not-yet-blonde days), grumpy parents who don't understand "kids these days" & Paul Lynde as the "bachelor uncle" (yeah, right?) all combine for a wild, mindless romp. And who can unsee that weird number with Bob Denver, buried in sand except his makeup mouth & chin, singing "Ho Daddy"? Great with a bottle of wine and/or some 420.

Although they share no on-screen time, Bob Denver and Tina Louise (reported rivals on TV's "Gilligan's Island") make their one and only film together, with Denver playing a beatnik and Louise stealing the show as a tone-deaf dancer. Acting accolades are really quite scarce here as the movie--a comedy about college kids awakening to civic rights while partying on the beach--is fairly dim-witted and slow on laughs. As one of the adults on hand, Ellen Burstyn (née McRae) does a drunk act with the best of them, but romantic leads James Darren and Pamela Tiffin are easily forgotten. Brunette Nancy Sinatra (pre-"Boots") is cute as Denver's girlfriend, and it is fun to catch all these stars together in one place. Few of them ever crossed paths again. ** from ****

Times change. Tastes in movies and comedy change. Doubtless most of the other users who reviewed this movie are too young to remember Woody Woodbury at all, but he was quite popular and successful back in the sixties (albeit briefly). I can well remember listening to his comedy albums (a sort of primitive CD, large flat plastic disks that were played on an ancient device called a "record player") and finding them quite amusing, if nowhere near as funny as Bob Newhart or as cutting edge as Jonathan Winters or Bill Cosby. And certainly he seems much more dated now than any of them but even in this movie I still find his humor --- well, pleasantly amusing is maybe the best way to express it.

As for the movie itself: it was one of many attempts by big studios to cash in on the success of the AIP BEACH PARTY movies and probably better than most. It sure had enough talented and recognizable people in the cast including, to my astonishment, a young and very pretty Ellen Burstyn. Certainly FOR THOSE WHO THINK YOUNG is a harmless and genial enough way to spend a couple of hours if you have nothing better to do. There are worse things in the world.