Beach Ball (1965)

This movie follows a kooky college drop out surf band named "the Wigglers" (corniest/funniest made up movie band name ever!) as they party and watusi it up non-stop! They need some bread man, cause this old grump from the music store named Mr. Wolf wants his instruments back! So Edd Kooky Burnns and his Wigglers try to con these nurdy college chicks out of some bread! The square chicks get hip to their plan and since they're such nurds try to devise a plan to get these college drop outs to return to school. DRAGSVILLE!! I seriously love every corn ball thing about this film! My favorite performances are by Mr. Wolf. It's a real hoot when Mr. Wolf gets eyes for the swingin' bikini bunnies that like to go-go it up at the Wigglers pad and forgets all about getting his musical instruments back. Mr. Wolf always ends up waking up the next morning in his pajamas out on the street where the fuzz bust him for indecent exposure. Har har! Watch out for my hero Dick Miller who makes an appearance as a cop! Another funny thing in this movie is all of the Wigglers music! It's like somebody wrote all of their surfin' songs in 5 minutes! My favorite is "We Got Money"!! I find myself singing this tune sometimes just to annoy other people who've seen this film. Another thing I really like about this film is the Hot Rod show with all the boss custom rods. Look for some of Ed Roths wheels in the background. There is also a character based on Ed "Big Daddy" Roth in this film who goes by the name "Little Daddy" which is kind of interesting. This movie also features Aron Kincaid who also is a semi AIP beach party regular so this picture kind of has that AIP feel to it. Oh yeah and this goofy looking guy who was in Gidget Goes to Hawaii was also in this film playing wiggler/Ski diver. Lets see what else do I want to say about this film.. The suprems singing a song called Surfer Boy is kind of funny, and or just plain weird.. The Walker Bros don't really do anything but bore me in this film, I'd much rather hear another goofy song by The Wigglers. The Hondells also make an appearance lip synching to "Buddy Seat" which is cool and kind of funny because a couple of the band members are playing instruments that are not even used in the song. You can really tell that the film makers just slapped this movie together fast (Ed Wood Style) and didn't really care about making the Lip Synched musical performances look believable, unlike in the American International Beach Party Films. If you really want to see the great Hondells in action watch Beach Blanket Bingo or the end of Ski Party.

Staggeringly bad teen-fracas from Paramount begins with animated opening credits that look as if they were drawn by a ten-year-old...and it gets worse from there. Stock surfing footage, a hot rod show, Edd Byrnes showing off his hairy, flabby chest, four guys in drag--"Beach Ball" makes the modest Frankie & Annette "Beach Party" flicks seem masterful by comparison. Odd that a major movie studio like Paramount got caught knocking-off a B-studio series and still came up with a loser. This has some of the worst cinematography, writing, directing and acting I've ever seen in a major commercial release. "Beach Ball" does earn one lone star simply by featuring the fabulous Supremes at the hot rod show, singing the title track and "Surfer Boy" (Diana Ross, sporting an Annette-like bouffant, is far more accomplished at lip-synching than her cohorts, but they look great together and the two songs aren't bad). Otherwise, this "Ball" is deflated. * from ****

This movie is common for it's species, it's terrible. If there were a writer, a director, or a plot then it would not even have mattered because the cast is so terrible that whatever this is (or could have been) is so far beyond help that it needs never be mentioned as a film, or even a mild stupid form of entertainment.That said, I have the whole thing on tape and will preserve it forever in my archive.Besides, the fact it was made for one reason and for one moment in time for a cotton-candy world where teens got their little fix of good-looking boys and girls in swim-suits while set to a compilation of hit songs that made for a perfect Saturday night with the girl next door...it was in essence a time like today where stupid teen movies and bad music dominate the entertainment needs of dumb kids. MTV madness!!!So, I freaking hate this movie but...Enough negativity. Let's now focus on the good points, no, Great points. Mixed into this soundtrak of terrible baby music are two moments of greatness. Number one is an appearence by the Walker Brothers. They do a terrible song but for those us of who are huge Scott Walker fans or admireres of the Walker Brothers it is a huge treat to simply look at them, at Scott while he breezes through this odd little movie shoot.The other moment of pure genius is the performance of the legendary Supremes. We all know the three black girls and Diana and all of those hits etc...but here in this movie there is a song that is amazing, very dark, tonally intriguing, and to my ear one of the most serious pop songs of the early sixties. I have looked hard for this song on any Supremes product but cant find anyhing about it. The words "Surfer Boy" repeat in the chorus but I dont know the actual title of the song.Without this movie life would be a little less good.

You remember that routine that they used to do on NBC'S Saturday Night, the "Sixties Movie" thing? This is it. The lighting, the music (though persuasive... the Righteous Brothers kick butt), the chicks, the cars, the comic relief. It has "1965" scrawled all over it.