Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun 1960's Surfing Story With Incredible Hawaiian Surfing Footage, September 20, 2005
I think alot of people viewing "Ride the Wild Surf",from 1964 believe they are about to see your typical 1960's beach party film. However this particular entry in the popular cycle of surf and beach movies is quite different from the rest. Most notably it has a totally different group of young or "youngish", cast members to the Beach party films and there is no Frankie Avalon or Annette Funicello in sight. Secondly while still a story of adventure and romance set against surfing action "Ride the Wild Surf", is for the most part much more serious in tone and in its approach to the material and is removed from the usual California settings of the other stories and is instead filmed on location in Hawaii which adds greatly to the visual appeal of the film. Incorporating some truly spectacular surfing footage which is some of the best of its kind this film however has in common with other beach stories the practice of using the now comical back projection photography supposedly showing the actors "riding", the waves before cutting to real footage of surfers in action. Its all good fun however and like most of the story shouldn't be taken too seriously but just enjoyed for its many appealing elements.
"Ride the Wild Surf", tells the story of three Californian buddies Jod Wallis (Fabian), Chase Colton (Peter Brown), and Steamer Lane (Tab Hunter) who (despite the very evident age differences!), are college mates seeking the ultimate adventure by travelling to Hawaii over the New Year's break to ride the waves and tackle the infamous Big Wiamea which is the biggest set of waves off Hawaii's North Shore. Predictably each guy has his own set of issues to sort out before tackling the giant 30ft wave. Jody was a neglected child who has no trust in people despite falling for Brie Matthews (Shelley Fabares)who works hard to get him to reengage in his studies rather than surfing his life away, Chase suffers from a too practical nature caused by his affluent background that his relationship with carefree Augie Poole (Barbara Eden), helps to dispel, while Steamer has to contend with the disapproving mother Mrs. Kilua (Catherine McLeod), of his love interest Lily (Susan Hart)who thinks all surfers are bums and not to be trusted like her own ex husband. During the course of the groups holiday their romantic complications are eventually sorted and each guy grows stronger and more confident in themselves as a result. Jody learns to trust people again and makes plans for the future back home, Chase learns to lighten up and not feel he has to be perfect all the time, while Steamer wins Mrs. Kilua's belief in his sincerity and settles down to work on her property in Hawaii. All of this occurs of course just in time for the climatic arrival of the Wiamea which pits the guys against their rivals in the challenge to see who can master the monster waves. As it turns out all the guys slowly withdraw from the competition except Jody and his chief rival Eskimo (James Mitchum). After much effort and some perilous rides on the giant waves Jody is the sole surfer left and in the climax of the story he sucessfully rides the giant wave right into the beach to the aproval of all the crowd watching the spectacle from the beach.
"Ride the Wild Surf", takes an interesting different slant on the usual surfing story and has generally better production values than most of the beach party films from the same period. The sense of competition between the guys and the need to prove themselves is really the central theme here and while it has its fair quota of babes, bikini's and surfer music it is no where near as light hearted as the Frankie and Annette films. The location photography in Hawaii is truly breathtaking which makes this film an ideal viewing experience for armchair travellers but it is the stunning surfing camera work that really captures your attention here. You dont even need to be a fan of the sport to enjoy this as the photography is amazing and at the climax of the story surprisingly gripping. Of course the film also has the comical marching shots of the actors supposedly riding the waves that are only present in back projection while they balance on obviously stationary surf boards but those scenes are half the fun of this film. The cast of "Ride the Wild Surf", is an interesting one and really is a snap shot of the young performers who were popular in this early 1960's period. Fabian and Tab Hunter of course were the teen heart throbs of the time while Peter Brown (with blonde hair here for some strange reason) would become a popular 60's actor on the western series "Laredo". Barbara Eden ( also with a change of hair colour), went from this movie into her most famous role on TV in "I Dream of Jeannie", while Shelley Fabares had just completed her on going role on "The Donna Reed Show", released some hit singles such as "Johnny Angel" and was a popular young performer around this time. Performances by the whole cast are standard for this type of vehicle and the males are featured in all their bronzed muscled glory while the females parade in a never ending series of colourful bikini's as they wait on the beach for their men. The action is all very innocent with no sex featured except for a chaste kiss or two and certainly is a reflection of a time long gone which for me at least succeeds in increasing this film's appeal. The story flows along at a good speed however and director Don Taylor never allows the character development to get too much in the way of the films chief attraction which of course is the wonderful surfing footage.
For me "Ride the Wild Surf", is a nostalgic journey back to the innocence of the early 1960's. While it is a time I can't personally recall myself it has many appealing elements to it which is why I enjoy both the Frankie/Annette type of beach movies as well as this bigger budgeted more serious effort. The hit song that is used for the movie's title by Jan and Dean is also a winner and the film has all the essential elements of a surf movie with goodlooking young people, plenty of spectacular surfing action and of course the standard romance. In short it's the perfect way to spend a couple of hours where no deep meanings are present and the delights are all of the visual kind. Enjoy!
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ride The Wild Surf, July 28, 2001
In 1964 three friends went to the show to see a surf movie for the first time. We returned to see this movie over and over again, (7 times to be exact). Being young and impressionable we wanted to be like Fabian, Tab Hunter, and Peter Brown riding Big Waves in Hawaii and falling in "Love" with girls like Susan Hart, Shelley Fabares and Barbara Eden. This movie made our summer of '64 a fantasy summer, we went to the beach, tried to surf, listened to Jan & Dean, The Beach Boys and dreamt of the girls in "Ride the Wild Surf". By todays standards this movie seems "Hokie", but for three fourteen year old boy's in 1964 it was a movie and Summer to remember.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabian, Tab & Peter Half Naked and Wet - What's Not To Like?, June 16, 2006
I remember watching this movie on TV when I was a kid. When I found it while surfing (no pun intended) through the DVD section of Amazon.com I bought it. What a sentimental blast from the past! Three fabulous looking hunks, Fabian, Tab Hunter and Peter Brown, use their winter break from college to spend one last time together in Hawaii to surf Waimea, before they all head in different directions, due to issues explained later on in the movie. By the first evening they all meet the perfect girl who will eventually help them deal with and solve their issues while sitting prettily on the beach in the most fabulous bikinis, with hair that barely moves in the wind, even when they stand up to wave at their beautifully physiqued, half naked, wet men. Yummy! Responsible Tab meets obligation-ridden Dolores Hart. A curiously blond over-cautious Peter meets curiously dark haired free spirited Barbara Eden. Untrusting, angry Fabian meets cautiously-trusting, sweet, Shelly Fabares, who in my book wins the award for best bikini - a while lace number that doesn't look like it would survive a puddle spashing, nevermind a dousing from the Wild Surf. While on the surface (again no pun intended) there is a fraternal feeling of comraderie and respect between the surfers, below the surface there is an undertow (I'm not going to apologize for this pun) of serious competition, as the winner of the contest, no only becomes known as the best surfer, but earns enough money to remain job free for a year to practice for the following year's competition - a dream come true for all of them. The panoramic surfing scenes, accompanied by hawaiian drum beats, are actual films of real surfers and are fantastic, and there are plenty of them. The close ups, while the talking scenes were filmed, are shot while the guys sit on the boards in water where I've seen bigger waves in my son's wading pool. I read in Tab Hunter's book recently, that the close ups of them "riding the waves" were filmed while they were kneeling in red rider wagons, after being spashed with buckets of water. However, it works well enough and is a lot of fun to see. In this movie, the surf is the star, and is not like those dopey Annette Funicello/Frankie Avalon movies where surfing is an after thought. The romances are sweet, there's comedy, drama, beautiful scenery and everybody's good looking - so hush little baby - don't you cry! I highly recommend this movie for a little nostalgic fun, if nothing else.
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