Customer Reviews

Gidget Goes Hawaiian [VHS]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Here's the back cover excerpt:

Gidget, America's favorite beach bunny, returns in this lively sun-splashed comedy. On a family vacation to Hawaii, Gidget Lawrence (Deborah Walley) conquers the boys on Waikiki with her looks and surfing prowess. But our comely young heroine finds trouble in paradise when she is caught in a love triangle involving her steady boyfriend, Jeff Mather (James Darren) and a brash suitor, Eddie Horner (Michael Callan). To make things worse, a jealous rival, Abby Stewart (Vicki Trickett), starts a vicious rumor which temporarily leads to Gidget's estrangement from her parents. Before all the misunderstandings get sorted out, you can count on lots of hot surfing, wild partying and moonlit romancing when GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN!

I thought this movie was awesome! Then again I like all the Gidget movies.

Some movies the actors/actresses have played in: Deborah Walley~Summer Magic. James Darren~I don't know but he was a famous singer.

Gidget goes Hawaiian is one of my favorite movies because it shows true love without the graphic love/sex scenes that movie makers today think are needed. (Just to let you know, I was not alive when this film was made in 1961.) While the gal playing Gidget is not my favorite, she does a good turn as the surfer girl. While in Hawaii, Gidget surfs, water skis, tries to make Moondoggie jealous, and survives a scandal! There are a couple scenes that could have been left out: a dance by character Eddie Horner--people on vacation would not go to see him dance. However, Eddie is one of the sides of the love triangle. They are several good songs sung by James Darren. I heartily recommend this movie for people of all ages. And, the Hawaiian scenery is nice to look at when James Darren isn't on screen.

"Gidget Goes Hawaiian" (1961) was the first Gidget (girl plus midget) sequel. James Darren continued as love interest Moondoggie but Sandra Dee was replaced by Deborah Walley. This role made Walley (a serious and talented actress) into a sudden teen sensation and probably insured that her acting would never be taken seriously. She was my first really big crush although not from this movie (I was too young to care about teen movies) but from "Summer Magic", a children's film she did for Disney several years later.

Walley, who did many of her own surfing sequences for the film, was super cute back then and had a great smile. She looks a lot like a pre-starvation diet Lindsey Lohen. She was only 5'2" and in this film looks a bit dumpy; in part because the clueless costume people gave her a particularly unflattering wardrobe and in part because she was cast opposite Vicki Trickett who would make almost any girl look bad in comparison. But Walley does an excellent job with the role and it is not hard to believe that all the boys would go for Gidget over Abby (Trickett's character).

"Gidget Goes Hawaiian" was released the same year as Elvis's "Blue Hawaii" and if you chopped up the two films and edited them together it would be difficult to tell their sequences apart. Trickett even looks like Elvis movie regular Shelley Fabares. Trickett was the first actress to use the term "best friends for life" (BFFL) in a movie; little realizing its future as a mainstay of text messaging.

The film gave teen girls pop singing star Darren. Darren sings the excellent title song along with a much weaker track titled "Wild About You". Teen girls also got a dancing Michael Callan ("Cat Ballou"). Watch for his impromptu dance sequence with Eddie Foy, Jr.

"Gidget Goes Hawaiian" is short on beautiful Hawaiian scenery and clever scripting but its target audience got plenty of Darren, Callan, and Hollywood's cutest redhead.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

This movie is a load of fun, as is the original. While I think that the late Sandra Dee was the best Gidget, Deborah Walley (RIP)is definitely running a close second. Now that all three of the Gidget films are available on DVD in one collection (it's about time!), it is such a fantastic trip down nostalgia lane.

Gidget is so upset over her parents' surprise Hawaiian vacation, and her boyfriend Jeff's (Moondoggie) seeming indifference to her going away, that she ends up dating a dancer named Eddie Horner (Michael Callan) and arousing the envy of Abby Stewart (Vicki Trickett) whose 'weirdy' parents have befriended Gidget's parents (Carl Reiner and Jeff Donnell). While Gidge tries to forget, Moondoggie, of course, unexpectedly shows up in Hawaii, and is floored by her growing relationship with Eddie. As these jealousy tactics go, Jeff begins seeing Abby, who has no clue that this is the boyfriend Gidget told her about. Abby is so envious of Gidget's talents and her magnetic personality, that she decides to plot our girl midget's downfall by starting a rumor about her past association with "Moondoggie". Her parents hear of it (courtesy of Abby's gossip mother, played by the late Peggy Cass, what a character!), and they try to delicately advise her about her "unfortunate experience" which leaves our lovable heroine so distressed that her folks would even believe such a thing about her! Again the word SEX does not come up, but the viewers know what is being discussed. Gidget's daydreams then begin, often humorous but the worst that could happen scenarios, my favorite being the feather strip tease when she removes her bra (big feather covering her of course) and the men in the audience yell, "Put it back on!" Her reconciliation with Moondoggie, her parent's argument, and each parent running into one of Abby's, and Gidget's worry over them, make for an amusing situation. Carl Reiner (father of director Rob Reiner)is in top form as the Gidge's daddy, (and how about that Hawaiian shirt, tan shorts and black knee socks!), and the two girlfriends of Abby, the tall blond one in particular, provide great comic relief, as does Joby Baker (Stinky,or Judge).

Watching this made me want to go to Hawaii, big time. And Deborah Walley is the only one of the actresses who played Gidget who actually performed her own stunts (the long shots of the acrobatic moves on the surf board - that's not a double, that's Deborah!) gives the film an authentic feel. My younger sisters adore this movie and the original, and I plan to show them "Gidget Goes To Rome" as well. These movies are deserving of their DVD release, and are great fun to watch.

I love this movie the best of all Gidget movies. Although Deborah Walley wasn't actually my favorite Gidget, she does a good job and this story line is one to make you feel wonderful. I love the characters, the clothes and the Hawaii of the 1960s, when it was a pleasure to visit and not so over crowded and touristy like it is today. This is a perfect lazy Saturday night or rainy Sunday afternoon movie; a classic for Gidget fans everywhere! You won't go wrong with this one.

If you are a Gidget fan, you will love it! I am a Sandra Dee fan too, but Debra Walley is talented and puts more "pep" in to the character. And yes, James Darren is a doll as always. I've watched it dozens of times, and never tire of it. You'll love the traditional boy/girl love story. Carl Reiner is great in the "flip" of parent/child role, and the music is great.

This movie is a must see for all of those who love movie classics. Takes place in the 50's and will remind many of the days when they were young. Cute and funny.

Although I like Sandra Dee better as Gidget, this was my favorite movie. It was both fun and funny. Well worth the price. The Gidget series is also enjoyed by my teens.

I love this movie! It's Pure cheese. The acting is bad, the script is bad, and it's not supposed to be funny but it's hillarious. There are some great lines in there too, ones that will crack you up for months. Everyone should see this movie, also, Gidget and Gidget goes to Rome are pretty funny but this one is by far the most entertaining.

I really enjoy this movie no matter how many times I've seen it. Debra Walley is terrific and of course James Darren is great to look at. It's fun and love that Debra Walley made Gidget a fiesty one in this movie. I really like Gidget's clothes also.