Sam Katzman, never one slow to jump on a craze, comes up with this 60s musical which is a little bit beach party but also a little bit Where the Boys Are. Mary Ann Mobley is a college student who secretly writes racy songs (it might be a little less secret if she didn't perform them at events) and is chased by publisher Chad Everett.
The quality of the musical acts is striking - they include the Dave Clark Five and the Animals, and also a version of "The Girl from Ipanema". A lot of the music is very groovy - jazz, rock, the Watusi.
Although it's Katzman, it was made at MGM, and benefits from that studio's gloss - the production values are high for a beach party movie. The MGM contract roster is a bit B list but people like Chad Everett are familiar - so is Mobley who is cute and Joan O'Brien (older than the other girls... its awkardly explained away by making her an instructor). And Nancy Sinatra is in it. Mobley and Everett make a strong starring duo for a teen musical.
Events in the script are reminiscent of Where the Boys Are - Mobley pushes sexually progressive philosophy despite being sexually conservative in her own life, it's about four girls, there's a scene where the girls worry about a missing blonde (Chris Noel). I actually wish they'd studied that film further - differentiated the girls more, accessed some serious stuff. Where the Boys Are had better male characters too - they were all different.
It is surprisingly feminist (for a 60s Katzman film). Also frank - Natalie Sinatra spends her whole trip having sex in a room, and popping her head out the door looking tired and happy.
It is bright and colourful and the cast are trying and the music was great, I started to get annoyed that the script wasn't better. It didnt need more production numbers just a little more care and this could've been something that was actually good. But it's too slapdash and lame - I mean, it ends with the kids doing fund raising for a Senator!
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