Beach Ball (1965)

Thanks for the memories!

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Still sportin' his "Kookie" combed hairdo, but looking a little long-in-the-tooth to be playing a teenage surfer boy, Edd Byrnes (as Dick "Dickie" Martin) and his rock 'n' roll group "The Wigglers" are in danger of losing their unpaid-for musical instruments. The college drop-outs fear they'll be "show business has-beens at twenty." Fund-raising Byrnes, sky diver Robert Logan (as Bango), auto racer Aron Kincaid (as Jack) and skin diver Don Edmonds (as Bob) are a good-looking quartet. And, there are many nicely-proportioned, bikini-ready girls to raise your interest...In an arousing highlight, sweet blonde Chris Noel (as Susan Collins) bounces from her changing room with a parade of bikini-clad cuties. In between enjoying the bodies, you get a severely wigged Diana Ross with the Supremes singing the non-hit title song, the Four Seasons featuring Frankie Valli singing the hit "Dawn (Go Away)" and sandy songs from the Righteous Brothers, the Hondells and the Walker Brothers. Paramount's threadbare swipe at American International's "Beach Party" movies is less than ordinary, but it ends up with some unintended subversive sex play.***** Beach Ball (9/29/65) Lennie Weinrib ~ Edd Byrnes, Robert Logan, Aron Kincaid, Don Edmonds

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 ****

I only tuned into this film for a few minutes, but it was worth it...to see the Supremes (from Detroit's Motown label) singing surfing songs. Anyone who knows the geography of Detroit and the color of the Supremes knows why this is so fascinating.Of particular splendor is Diana Ross' hairdo -- a beehive with what I can only guess is supposed to be a "wave" on one side.