Muscle Beach Party

"Do you know what this place is?  This is a nut house.  And do you know who's running it?  The nuts!  The nuts are running it."

Frankie (Avalon), Dee Dee (Funicello), and their friends head to the beach for the summer to surf.  Their beach house is next door to Jack Fanny's (Rickles) body builders, who threaten their fun.  Life is further complicated by the arrival of the wealthy and bored Contessa Juliana Giotto-Borgini (Paluzzi).

Julie is looking for love and uses her manager S.Z. (Hackett) and lawyer Theodore (Turgeon) to make her dreams come true.  But when her plans involve Mr. Galaxy Flex Martian (Stevens) and Frankie, battle lines are drawn.  What will Frankie choose, his first loves Dee Dee and surfing or the new girl with big promises?

This is the second film in the AIP (American International Pictures) beach party film series.  AIP made 12 beach party films, most starred Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.  Most of the teens from AIP's Beach Party returned for this film.

The Good:

There isn't much of a plot, but the film is mindless fun.  Peter Lorre has a great cameo at the end.

The Bad:

There are too many characters... Don Rickles is annoying and the bodybuilders, other than Peter Lupus' Flex, are interchangeable.  They have no personality are not memorable.  Buddy Hackett and Morey Amsterdam are wasted... both have funny moments, but they could do much more.

Other Comments:

-Film debut of Stevie Wonder, billed as "Little Stevie Wonder", who performs the song "Happy Street" during the film and the credits.

-A running joke throughout the film is that Candy Johnson's character can whammy the guys - knock them off their feet, when she dances.  This is continued in the end credits, alongside Stevie Wonder singing.

-The film features 9 songs: 3 by Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner, and 6 by Roger Christian, Guy Usher, and Brian Wilson.  Some of the songs are memorable - such as "Happy Street" and Avalon's "Running Wild", while others are boring such as the Funicello "A Girl Needs a Boy" and the Avalon reprise "A Boy Needs a Girl".  Dick Dale and the Del Tones make the most of their songs.

Muscle Beach Party (1964) 94 minutes
Director: William Asher
Starring: Frankie Avalon as Frankie

Annette Funicello as Dee Dee

Luciana Paluzzi as Contessa Juliana Giotto-Borgini

John Ashley as Johnny
Don Rickles as Jack Fanny

Peter Turgeon as Theodore

Jody McCrea as Deadhead

Dick Dale as Dick Dale

Candy Johnson as Candy

Rock Stevens (Peter Lupus) as Flex Martian

Valora Noland as Animal

Delores Wells as Sniffles

Donna Loren as Donna

Morey Amsterdam as Cappy

Stevie Wonder as Little Stevie Wonder

Buddy Hackett as S.Z. Matts