The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966)

"The Ghost In The Invisible Bikini" was American-International's last (official) entry in their "Beach Party" movie series - though Frankie and Annette do not return, and the action takes place in and around a haunted mansion and not a beach. Seeing it, it's probably best that they didn't continue the series after this point. Despite all the frantic slapstick and running around, the movie feels extremely tired. None of the characters are particularly funny, and some might be offended by the depiction of the Native American character (though the movie makes fun of every character in the movie.) And though the movie only runs eighty-three minutes long, it's clear that for the most part that there simply isn't any real plot going on - it's just running around that's occasionally interrupted by a (bad) song. If you're curious about Karloff, be warned that it's pretty clear that his limited scenes were probably filmed in just a day of shooting.

Representing the (somewhat fatigued) tail-end of the "Beach Party" saga, minus Frankie and Annette, this haunted house comedy has some style in the live-action cartoon vein, but is hurt overall by an unenthusiastic cast and too much chatter. Sleepy Tommy Kirk and distracted Deborah Walley are involved in the reading of a will in a spooky mansion; Susan Hart is a sexy apparition (wearing a dopey-looking blonde wig for F/X purposes); Boris Karloff saunters through, tossing off droll comic lines in a debonair manner; Harvey Lembeck returns as Eric Von Zipper (although he doesn't look happy about it); and Nancy Sinatra is one of the teens there for a slumber party (she sings "Geronimo" poolside in the film's best sequence). Not terribly witty or lively; most of the kids on display are artificially frantic and 'nutty', waving their arms about. The movie desperately needs more music and more special effects. It relies too much on the talk-heavy plot, which is its weakest link. ** from ****

With the rest of the Beach Party films having made their digital debut, THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI deserves the same consideration. True, we don't get Frankie and Annette, but we do have A.I.P. regulars Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley, Harvey Lambeck, Bobbi Shaw, Susan Hart, plus Nancy Sinatra, Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone. Even though this is not the best of the Beach bunch, the cast alone makes it worth watching. Granted, the film's not a major motion picture, but it was FUN (which is more than can be said for a lot of other titles, old & new.) Since last few Midnite Movies from MGM have been double feature DVDs, maybe this could be paired up with DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMBS film, which has also yet to see DVD release. (They could even throw on the obscure TV outing, THE WILD WEIRD WORLD OF DR. GOLDFOOT, as an extra.

This film was the largest budgeted of the "beach" pictures. But it became a box-office failure and was the last of the genre American International produced. The inane script...is not only tired but borrows from such other sources as the curtain line of Some Like It Hot... This year's crop of boys in this film isn't up to the earlier "beach" cavaliers.ll KARLOFF and the other veterans are only along for the ride....Stanley Cortez's camera...makes good use...in exploring some...fasinating sets evidently left over from the Poe period..a good try but short on script and inspiration.