Louie Seven reviews PAJAMA PARTY (1964)
PLOT: The Maytag repairman and Buster Keaton want to steal money from the Bride of Frankenstein.
This has to be the worst âBeach Party' movie of them all. Even worse than "It's a Bikini World" which actually does have a plot. With this movie you get to . . .
SEE: Candy Johnson get out classed by Susan Hart.
HEAR: The same music over and over and over and it's not Dick Dale.
SEE: The gratuitous car chase and gratuitous pool-side brawl.
HEAR: Donna Loren sing off and on. (on the beach, and off key)
SEE: 17 year old Teri Garr dance along side Annette Funicello.
HEAR: somebody do the singing for Tommy Kirk as he lip-syncs
SEE AND HEAR: Jody McCrea as he loses the southern accent and becomes Big Lunk.
HEAR ?: The Nooney Rickett 4 play the worlds most generic instrumentals while wobbling their legs.
SEE: Jesse White slap Ben Lessy about the face and head for 10 minutes straight.
HEAR: Eric Von Zipper repeat the same lines from previous scripts over and over
SEE: Dorothy Lamoure looking better then, at 50, than some of the beach chicks look now at 60.
SEE: Some of the most awkward rear-screen-projection shots of all time.
TRIVIA: Tommy Kirk plays a polite Martian (early forecast) named Go Go.
OBSERVATIONS: Dick Dale is not to be seen (big mistake). Frankie Avalon does a 5 second cameo (how much was he paid for that?) Every song was written by Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner (where are they now?) and really have that zany youthful free wheeling fancy filled teenaged zest that makes you want to vomit. Bikinis are traded for pajamas!
CONCLUSION: This movie has no surfing, no surf music, no big-name (or even medium-name) bands. The plot is nil, the screen-play is more confused and contrived than usual for this genre. Everything that's fun about Beach Party movies (as a genre) is reduced or not included. Tommy Kirk is not a leading man. So what's redeeming about this film ?
Well.......... the photography is clear and accurate....the transfer is remarkable for it's age. It's not over long and it doesn't drag. Annette and her friends all look good in baby-doll nighties. For me, the only reason for watching is to see compare some of the street scenes and automobiles to those in âIt's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'. And yes...this is absolutely Susan Harts finest hour.
image