Yet another Gidget, Cindy Carol, who is pretty (especially in a fantasy sequence where she imagines being thrown to the lions) and tries, but isn’t as engaging. She’s not helped by the fact that the film ignores two laws of Gidget films (well they should have been laws) – men don’t fawn all over her and there’s hardly any beach action.
She and her friends, including Moondoggie, go off to Rome. Moondoggie (James Darren, the only actor to appear in all three films apart from Joby Baker) falls for the hot Italian tour guide quite seriously and Gidget falls for a dashing Italian (Cesare Danova) who’s been asked to look after her by her father (Don Porter who played that role in the TV series). But the Italian is married with a family – why do that and not have him a single guy who is tempted, like Cliff Robertson in the original Gidget? I’m guessing they wanted to break Gidget’s heart – but it’s depressing, and goes against the wish fulfilment notion of these films. And it’s kind of nasty that Moondoggie is chasing after this Italian in front of her when they haven’t officially broken up. Moondoggie proposes, Gidget throws herself at a married man – both get rejected so they get back with each other, rather than go of their own free will. It’s depressing (if realistic). Mind you, the Italian tour guide is much hotter than Gidge.
There is some pretty traveloging of Rome, and some satire of the international set over there (rich women, poets, etc). Jesse Royce Landis is funny as the group’s chaperone and among the teen friends include Trudi Ames, who was Ann Margaret’s friend in Bye Bye Birdie, and Joby Baker. Darren gets to sing a little and speak Italian, but looks bored, totally not into Gidget.
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