Pajama Party (1964)

Simply A Masterpiece

Blistering performances.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Found this film very funny and enjoyed seeing Annette Funicello, (Connie) who was famous as a younger girl in the "Mickey Mouse Club". It was a joke to see Elsa Lancaster, "Bride of Frankenstein" who played the role of Aunt Wendy who had a large amount of money hidden in her house and J Sinister Hulk, (Jessie White) who is out to get her money and uses the help ofBuster Keaton, a veteran actor from the silent era of films who never spoke in any of his films until this film. This story is about boy and girl teenagers twisting and jumping into pools in their PJ's with lots of singing and lots of kissing and romance. The story even has an invasion of a Martian teenager who is sent to earth in order to establish contact with other teenagers in order to bring more fellow Martian's to earth. If this sounds nuts and does not make sense, this is really what this story is all about. The most comical scene in this film is with Dorothy Kilgallen, "New York Journal American Columnist" who appeared on "What's My Line,TV", way way back when. Dorothy wound up riding on a motorcycle of J.D. and winds up falling off and into the dirt.

One slightly odd thing about this one is that it looks ahead to a lot of little or big things. In one scene, Tommy Kirk (meaning it literally) says, "I'm from Mars." Annette Funicello says facetiously, "Really? I'm from Venus." When you see that scene now, you can hardly help thinking of self-help books. Also, it has a wall safe that works just like an ATM (though this idea has probably appeared elsewhere ; I don't know). When Elsa Lanchester "withdraws" a lot of money from it, she looks at her late husband's portrait, and says very sweetly, "You always were a thoughtful husband." Then for just a moment, she gives a "knowing" look at the camera. Also, ages before "observational" comedians (as far as I know) seized on this, it had a scene about a perfume saleswoman bothering someone by spraying perfume at them. Buster Keaton and the actress in the scene (I can't think of her name) had perfect "timing" (hardly surprising in his case) when they acted out this relatively tiny joke. The movie even has a tiny bit of what would have to be called satirical humor. In each of the "Beach Movies", the motorcycle gang didn't wear those "Wehrmacht" items, like so many movie Hell's Angels, but each movie showed, at their hangout, pictures of Hitler and Mussolini, and in between them, a picture of "Von Zipper" (evidently to make him look extra scary). When Ben Lessy goes looking for teenagers to plant in the wealthy widow's home (as part of their scheme), he finds the "Rats and Mice." He says something like, "You look like typical wholesome kids," and as he says this, you see them in their leather jackets and those photos on the wall behind them. And on a completely different level, there's Susan Hart's dancing scenes. I don't know about the rest of the movie, but I would challenge anyone to find anything remotely "dated" about the titillation in those. And of course, instead of "AIP" horror actors, this movie's cameo at the end was even more of an inside joke - Frankie Avalon himself. Even if I weren't completely prejudiced IN FAVOR of beach movies, I would still say this one has a lot going for it.

I have read the reviews of Pajama Party and have looked for the cameo appearance of Dorothy Kilgallen which I don't think was credited. If someone can describe where in the film she appears you can help me solve a who dun-it and I will be everlastingly grateful. I am not a movie critic and am using your space here to try and establish any actors who had knowledge of her activities during this period (1964) and who have any knowledge of Kerry Kallmor who also was in this flick. It seems to me that you are looking for plus or minus comments about the film from the acting viewpoint and I cannot advise here. What I would like to point out is that this film is of possible vital significance to the JFK assassination research. Your 10 line mandate has required me to be needlessly verbose but if I get an answer from someone it is worth it. John Locke [email protected]

This is the first Beach Party film w/o Frankie and the film is lacking in wit. Annette sings "Stuffed Animal" and the title song. Nonsensical film has a martian coming to earth to observe the teenagers.