If you grew up in the sixties there is no doubt that you
were exposed to the genre of film known as the beach movie. The most notable
stars of the genre were Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello but there were
others who dipped their toes in the salty waters of the Pacific as well. One of
those was Sandra Dee in a little film called GIDGET.
The movie opens with the early teen Francie Lawrence (Dee)
and her friends preparing for a trip to the beach. The other girls are just
interested in meeting boys but Francie hasn’t quite been bitten by the bug for
male companionship just yet. While the others display themselves a bit
suggestively, Francine keeps more of herself covered.
Swimming in a mask and snorkel she gets caught in some kelp
and one of the surfers on the beach named Moondoggie (James Darren) rescues her
on his board. Having experienced riding the board now Francine wants to try as
well. Told she needs a board of her own she negotiates with the guy on the
beach making them.
The next day she arrives with her money but the guys joke
about not wanting to teach her. The main beach bum, The Big Kahuna (Cliff
Robertson), takes her under his wing and begins instructing her. She takes to
it naturally and is soon a sort of mascot for the rest of the gang, given the
nickname of Gidget. While they view her as their “kid sister” things begin to
change for Francine.
She begins to notice Moondoggie more and falls for him. Her
summer at the beach that began with no intention of looking for romance is
slowly changing. The question that comes to mind though is does Moondoggie have
the same thing in mind as well or does he still see her as the kid he saved
from drowning?
Like most beach movies the film takes a simplistic look at
the times and the people involved offering little depth to them. The lone
exception is Robertson’s character, an older man who left the world behind to
surf the waves of the world and who the rest, mainly Moondoggie, look up to as
an example of what they want to become, free and easy without a care in the
world. Except that not all is as it seems.
The movie also differs from most in the genre in that it
doesn’t play things strictly for laughs like the Frankie and Annette films did.
There are no broadly played characters here on display. These seem like real
people, as real as a beach movie can get, with real issues they’re trying to
resolve. At the same time it is a time capsule for the period, a time when mom
and dad were an integral part of their children’s lives while at the same time
not understanding them or being there 24/7. It’s that wholesome style of film
that many deride as far too fake but that makes for an enjoyable movie none the
less.
Dee is wonderful here as the innocent young girl who is
growing up while we watch. She has a charm and an appeal about her without
being thought of as sexy. She’s the girl next door who you liked that would
eventually blossom into a young woman. Darren does a fine job as well, playing
the well to do son of a businessman who wants move in his future. And Robertson
as the beach bum with a past shows why he was such a good actor.
The film resulted two sequels, neither of which starred Dee
but both having Darren return. It also spawned a TV series with a young Sally
Field in the title role. Later there were TV movies made with the character as
well.
Twilight Time is offering this in their usual high quality
style with a great picture on display here. Again, extras are limited. They
include an isolated music track and the original theatrical trailer. As always
they are limiting this to just 3,000 copies so if you’re a fan of beach movies
or of Gidget then make sure you pick one up today.
Click here to order.
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