Copyright 22 July 1964 by American International. New York opening at The Palace and other cinemas as a support to The Masque of The Red Death: 16 September 1964. U.S. release: 16 September 1964. U.K. release through Warner-Pathé/Anglo Amalgamated: 25 July 1965. Australian release through Paramount: 27 August 1965. 8,923 feet. 99 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Frankie, Dee Dee and their gang arrive at Bikini Beach for a surfing holiday. Next morning they find on the beach a large Oriental tent, headquarters of the Potato Bug, a British recording star, and his pretty bodyguard, Lady Bug, who is a specialist in French foot-fighting. Since the Potato Bug shows signs of wanting to compete with Frankie for the attentions of Dee Dee, Frankie determines to compete with the Potato Bug at the latter's sport of drag racing.
NOTES: A box-office sequel to "Beach Party".
COMMENT: "Bikini Beach" has four things going for it: Frankie Avalon's remarkable performance in a dual role in which he delightfully spoofs an English pop singer; Harvey Lembeck in a very amusing take-off at the expense of "The Wild One" and Marlon Brando; a smashing free-for-all at the climax; Boris Karloff in a guest spot with inside dialogue ("I must tell Vincent Price about this place!"). Incidentally, many magazines published tributes to Karloff after his death with extensive filmographies, but I don't recall this film being mentioned in any of them . The special effects work involving Frankie Avalon is so skilled I didn't notice it at all (in fact, I didn't even realize until the credits at the end of the film that Frankie was playing a dual role), but other work from that department including the clumsy back projection when Clyde is riding the surfboard has less to commend it. Some poorly matched stock shots and the use of a very obvious double when Frankie is in the surf also militate against the film. But worst of all is the gross and unfunny over-acting by some members of the cast, particularly Jody McCrea and Don Rickles, and the efficient, but tediously dull direction of William Asher to whom may also be sheeted home those laborious sections of the script dealing with the clean-living beach boys and the efforts of a misguided oldie to suppress them.
NOTES: A box-office sequel to "Beach Party".
COMMENT: "Bikini Beach" has four things going for it: Frankie Avalon's remarkable performance in a dual role in which he delightfully spoofs an English pop singer; Harvey Lembeck in a very amusing take-off at the expense of "The Wild One" and Marlon Brando; a smashing free-for-all at the climax; Boris Karloff in a guest spot with inside dialogue ("I must tell Vincent Price about this place!"). Incidentally, many magazines published tributes to Karloff after his death with extensive filmographies, but I don't recall this film being mentioned in any of them . The special effects work involving Frankie Avalon is so skilled I didn't notice it at all (in fact, I didn't even realize until the credits at the end of the film that Frankie was playing a dual role), but other work from that department including the clumsy back projection when Clyde is riding the surfboard has less to commend it. Some poorly matched stock shots and the use of a very obvious double when Frankie is in the surf also militate against the film. But worst of all is the gross and unfunny over-acting by some members of the cast, particularly Jody McCrea and Don Rickles, and the efficient, but tediously dull direction of William Asher to whom may also be sheeted home those laborious sections of the script dealing with the clean-living beach boys and the efforts of a misguided oldie to suppress them.