The Party Crashers

Former Paramount contract player Frances Farmer returned to her former home lot in 1958 to make her last feature film. Despite the comment below, Farmer was *not* lobotomized (see copious documentation throughout IMDb on the Farmer page and elsewhere), and gives the film a bit of stature it wouldn't otherwise have. Interestingly, the ending was changed somewhere along the way. The original pressbook has a plot precis which reveals a more "final" ending for Twig than the film ultimately posits. Driscoll does some great work here in a thankless role, and Connie Stevens gets to scream a lot. Evidently some of the uncredited music is by Henry Mancini, but I've never been able to positively confirm that.

Twig Webster (Mark Damon) and his gang of hoods show up at a nice party and soon end up trashing the place. They are uncouth jerks...and now Barbara Nickerson (Connie Stevens) is practically panting with obvious desire at this bad-boy, Twig. Through the course of the rest of the film, she keeps playing Twig and her boyfriend, Josh (Bobby Discol) against each other and you KNOW that sooner or later all this has to end in some sort of tragedy.

The film not only focuses on these three young people but their parents in order to give you an idea of their home lives and how this molded them into who they are. The most interesting is Twig's, where his dad is a drunk who is slapped around by his wife and she runs around on him constantly.

So is all this any good? Well, if you are looking for a sensationalistic exploitation film, this really isn't it. In other words, it's not cheap exploitation crap like so many 'youth run wild' films of the era. This one is trying to say a bit more and isn't as seedy...and the acting and production values are a bit better as well. Now I am not saying this is some must-see film...it's not. But it is reasonably entertaining and reasonably well made.

By the way, there are a couple interesting things about the film. Bobby Driscol was a very prolific and talented child actor...and this is his final film. Drinking, drugs and death all came at age 31! Also, his father in the film is played by Denver Pyle and it's interesting to hear him speaking without that strong southern drawl you usually associate with him.

I guess the intent of this film is to show that kids are screwed up because their parents are screwed up. But what the film really shows is that its producer, director, and writer are screwed up.

Mark Damon, playing a character named Twig Webster (no relation to Branch Rickey) leads a group of hooligans who like to crash parties. He and his - er, ruffians - arrive at one party and he immediately sets his radar on Connie Stevens. Stevens' boyfriend, Bobby Driscoll, is not amused. It doesn't take long before Damon and his - er, malcontents - trash the place. Connie finds all this strangely exciting; I find it hack. The cops arrive on the scene about ten seconds after being called, probably because there is a Dunkin' Donuts shop around the corner. However, almost everyone gets away so the film can continue.

In short order, we get to meet everyone's parents. Driscoll's parents are played by former screen beauty Frances Farmer and future old guy Denver Pyle. Stevens' parents are played by Onslow Stevens (fortunately for Connie, no relation) and some old bag preparing a speech called "The Natural Grain of Life." For some reason, Onslow acts rather effeminate, so maybe this marriage was arranged. Damon's parents are played by former screen siren Doris Dowling (as the town ho) and character actor Walter Brooke (as the town lush). After spending 5 minutes with any of these pairs, you'd be thankful for being an orphan.

As the film progresses, Damon makes the inevitable move on Stevens, who isn't sure how to react, but does string him along while Driscoll huffs and puffs. In the finale, all the kids decide to crash a party. Damon is horrified to discover that his mother is one of the hors d'oeuvres. The adults running it are real bad-arses, so another rumble ensues. For trivia buffs, one of the adults is played by Michael Ross, who had two roles in "Attack of the 50-Foot Woman" (bartender and very large alien). I won't give away the rest, but somebody goes tumbling down a flight of stairs, and it ain't Ralph Kramden. The fade-out is pretty phony.

The acting is okay, for the most part. Connie is cute as ever and Damon is repulsive as ever. Driscoll is actually pretty good in an uninteresting part, but is overshadowed by his co-stars. Farmer still looks good, but shows almost no emotion when reading her lines. Knowing her history, I guess we should give her a pass on this one. Brooke is a little too over-the-top as a drunken weenie. Dowling has the juiciest role, and also has the creepiest scene in the film, when it appears she is about ready to make out with Damon.

Nicely produced, smoothly directed production from Paramount Studios, and a cut above the usual teen movies of the day (1958). Twig's (Damon) a hell-raising pack leader, getting kicks from crashing parties with his buddies. Good girl Babs (Stevens) is attracted to him despite her strait-laced rather meek boyfriend, Josh (Driscoll). Whether she will stay with the conventional Josh or risk a less conventional tie-up with the fun-loving Twig carries much of the plot. At the same time, there are subplots involving the parents of the three youngsters, where we supposedly get insight into the kids' respective behaviors. Naturally, by 50's standards, Twig has the most dysfunctional home life, while good boy Josh has the most stable, with Babs' parents somewhere in between.

It's an interesting cast, as other reviewers helpfully point out, but shouldn't overlook the exotic Doris Dowling (Twig's slutty mother). She of the wicked eyes had a promising career in noirs before moving to Italy (1947) to appear in several neo-realist classics before moving back. For sure, once you see her, you don't forget. Here she's perfectly cast with a decidedly unconventional look. Also, be sure to catch director Girard's imaginative camera work that spins with the wild dancing of the first party crashing. Such unconventional technique was unusual for the time, and rivets us to the mounting frenzy that we know has to end badly.

All in all, the movie's well-done, but very much a product of its time. Then too, if possible, catch this film along with its Damon-Stevens companion Young and Dangerous (1957). Between them, you get a good glimpse of 50's social norms, before the eruption of the 60's counter-culture.

In THE PARTY CRASHERS, Twig Webster (Mark Damon) runs with a rough group of sportscar enthusiasts. For "kicks", he and his fellow "JDs" like to "crash" the swinging parties of the upper crust.

On one such foray, Twig, while loading up on fancy sandwiches and expensive booze, sets his sights on the lovely Barbara Nickerson (Connie Stevens). Violence erupts when Twig and company start a drunken brawl.

Barbara, smitten with Twig's "animal" charms, decides that he's the cure for her high society blues. Her current boyfriend is now yesterday's meatloaf.

This movie takes us along for Barbara's walk on "the wrong side of the tracks". Her thrill-seeking could be her undoing, especially when she and her new friends crash the wrong sort of party!

Ms. Stevens is quite good in her spoiled, rebellious role, as is Damon. The various parents are fun too, including Denver Pyle as the wise Mr. Bickford.

Recommended for all lovers of enjoyable, moralistic fare...