Product Details

• Actors: Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Deborah Walley, Harvey Lembeck, John Ashley
• Directors: William Asher
• Format: Color, EP, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Good Times Video
• VHS Release Date: May 15, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303471528
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,269 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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• This is item 5 in The Beach Party Series.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The surf's really picking up, and so are the outrageous antics of the "Beach Party" gang. When new singing sensation, Sugar Kane (Linda Evans) parachutes onto the beach, the kids are fascinated by both Sugar and skydiving. The whole thing is actually a wild publicity stunt arranged by Sugar's agent, Bullets (Paul Lynde). But Frankie (Frankie Avalon) and Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) decide to take parachuting lessons at Big Drop's (Don Rickles) skydiving school and dance club. Meanwhile, Bonehead (Jody McCrea) gets knocked out while surfing alone. He tells everyone that he was rescued by a beautiful mermaid named Lorelei, but no one believes him. While Frankie and Dee Dee prepare for their big jump, Eric Von Zipper (HARVERY LEMBECK) and his notorious Rat Pack kidnap Sugar Kane, who thinks it's all just another publicity stunt. And when Frankie and Dee Dee's jump goes haywire, can Bonehead's mysterious mermaid come to the rescue? Strap on your parachute and take a dive with the wackiest beach movie yet!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars MGM Drops the "Beach" Ball on this One!, June 18, 2001

By	Robert Wyly (Tahlequah, OK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beach Blanket Bingo (DVD)

Serious collectors hoping for the "definitive" version of this beach classic, please be forewarned: MGM has inexplicably released the "edited for television" version rather than the original theatrical version! What a disappointment! It seems that years ago when "Beach Blanket Bingo" was shown on ABC, the network cut out a solo sung by Annette titled "I'll Never Change Him" to allow for more commercial time. When HBO released its VHS version, it was also the edited version and in fact, subsequent reissues by Goodtimes Video and Video Treasures apparently used the same print. It wasn't until a couple of years ago when the movie started showing on cable networks such as Cinemax and American Movie Classics that the restored theatrical version finally was seen and for those of us who weren't lucky enough to see it on the big screen, it was quite a surprise that we had been watching an edited version all these years. The song is a bouncy upbeat tune and in my opinion, it's Annette's best song in the series. In fact, it was even recycled later the same year in "Ski Party" with the title and lyrics slightly changed to "We'll Never Change 'em" and this time warbled by Deborah Walley. On the upside, the transfer is crisp and the colors breathtaking in this widescreen edition. But if you want to see the original theatrical version, you'll just have to be content to tape it the next time it plays on AMC's American Pop series.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Of The Beach, January 17, 2000

By	Thomas M. Scofield (Olathe, Kansas) - See all my reviews

Beach Blanket Bingo is the best of AIP's Beach Party films. Unlike the other films in the series, there are actual attempts at some clever tongue and cheek writing here, Annette finally displays some of here phenomenal body, Frankie actually has a tan, and the supporting cast is much better this time around. Here we have Harvey Lembeck as Erick Von Zipper (what a great character!), Linda Evans, Marta Kristen, John Ashley, Buster Keaton, Don Rickles and the great, demented, Timothy Carey.

Director William Asher had Roger Corman's Poe movie cinematographer Floyd Crosby on this film, making it the best looking of the series. The color is rich, the compositions dynamic and the camera more mobile than usual, giving the film a greater sense of excitement.

Finally, series composer Les Baxter also had a bigger hand in writing and arranging the songs this time around, and they are much better than usual for this series -- the title tune is a standout.

If you have a taste for American-International's Beach Party pictures, this is the best, and if you've never seen one before, this is the one to start with... Loads of fun!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars actually more enjoyable than the ORIGINAL "Beach Party"!, September 27, 2002

By	Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beach Blanket Bingo (DVD)

BEACH BLANKET BINGO is considered by many as their favorite "Beach Party" movie. In order, my three favorites are BEACH BLANKET BINGO, PAJAMA PARTY and BEACH PARTY.

In this sequel, Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) and Frankie (Frankie Avalon) decide to take skydiving lessons from the hard-nosed pilot John Ashley and the late Deborah Walley.

Things get complicated when up-and-coming pop singer Sugar Kane (Linda Evans) ends up in Frankie's arms - literally - and the ... Deborah decides to make Frankie an afterschool sweetheart!

Dumb-as-stumps Deadhead (Jody McCrea) falls in love with an elusive mermaid (Marta Kristen) and the always-annoying Eric Von Zipper (Harvey Lembeck) and his "Rats" show up to kidnap the lovely Sugar Kane...

Featuring a memorable title song as well as great musical turns by Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello and Donna Loren.

There are also great cameo roles from Earl Wilson, Don Rickles, Paul Lynde, Buster Keaton and Bobbi Shaw (reprising her role as Keaton's dizzy sidekick).

The DVD includes the trailer. (Single-sided, single-layer disc).