Some Like It Cold in "Ski Party"

Technically, I suppose that Ski Party doesn't qualify as part of AIP's Beach Party series. There's no Annette (except for a cameo), no beach (except for a scene at the climax), no Eric Von Zipper, and no aging classic film star. And yet...it features many Beach Party regulars (including the stars), the trademark bouncy tunes, a rock'n'roll legend (James Brown!), a pop chanteuse (Lesley Gore!), and--despite all the snow--plenty of bikinis. Okay, maybe it is a Beach Party movie!

Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman.

Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman star as Tod and Craig, two college chums trying to connect with a couple of curvy co-eds. Despite being a self-described "nice clean-cut American boy with a C+ average," Tod can't get even get a kiss from girlfriend Linda (Deborah Walley). Even worse, when Tod and Linda double-date at a drive-in with Craig and Barbara (Yvonne Craig), the girls giggle together in the convertible's backseat--leaving the guys to console one another in the front seat. Later, when Tod mentions Freddie, the campus's resident chick-magnet, Linda melts dreamily ("Ooh, ahh, Freddie..." she sighs).

Dwayne and Frankie as girls.

When the girls join Freddie and "the gang" on a trip to a ski resort, Tod and Craig tag along, too--even though neither can ski. After blundering through their first ski lesson with the guys, Tod decides they might have better luck in the girls' class. To earn admittance, he and Craig disguise themselves (none too well) as English exchange students Jane and  Nora. They soon become the most popular guests at the ski lodge! The other girls invite them to a pajama party and Freddie decides that Nora/Craig is his soul-mate. Yes, my friends, Ski Party is the Beach Party-equivalent of Some Like It Hot!

The most enjoyable aspect of Ski Party is Frankie Avalon's role reversal. In the Beach Party films pairing him with Annette, Frankie's character cringes at the mention of marriage and flirts openly with other females (though he ultimately remains faithful to Annette). In Ski Party, Tod desperately chases Linda, even though she essentially admits there's spark between them. He's a much more sympathetic character than any of Avalon's prior Beach Party protagonists.

The Swedish ski instructor fends off an amorous Frankie.

Freed of the romantic lead responsibility, Avalon turns in a surprisingly funny performance. His best scene has Tod, who has broken his leg ski jumping, hobbling several miles on crutches through a blizzard to reach the home of Nita, the pretty Swedish ski instructor (Bobbi Shaw). His expectation is that Nita will be "easier" because she's Swedish. However, Nita has learned a few things from the other girls at the ski lodge:

Nita:  I want you should talk to me and treat me like you would the American girls.

Tod:  The American...Nita, I that we were going to...

Nita:  No, no, no. First, we talk. And then candy. Then more talk. Then we can hold hands. Then you ask for the kiss on the cheek. Then maybe the kiss on the cheek. Then...then what comes next?

Tod:  (utterly crushed) I don't know. That's as far as I ever got.

As Avalon's co-star, Dwayne Hickman channels Jack Lemmon from Some Like It Hot, pulling off a nice homage with some amusing scenes as Nora. As Craig, he effectively reprises his unlucky-at-love Dobie Gillis persona (he starred in the TV series for four years). Alas, the normally charming Deborah Walley and Yvonne Craig do not fare as well, primarily because their characters just aren't very likable.

James Brown doing his moves.

Musician Marshall Crenshaw, author of Hollywood Rock: A Guide to Rock'n'Roll in the Movies, considers the Ski Party soundtrack to be "the best in an any AIP beacher." It's hard to argue. Lesley Gore sings one of her biggest hits "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" (written by Marvin Hamlisch). The Hondells play "The Gasser" and the title tune. And, best of all, James Brown and the Fabulous Flames deliver a dynamic performance of "I Got You (I Feel Good)."

Annette cameos as a college
professor in Ski Party.

Yet, while Ski Party features good music and pleasant performances, I must admit that I miss Annette Funicello and Harvey Lembeck. Her sweetness and his silliness were essential elements of the best Beach Party movies and, for that reason alone, I've decided that Ski Party is almost part of the BP series--but not quite.

Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (AND Vincent Price!)

Don’t expect to see Jody McCrea as Bonehead, fake surfing scenes, or the girl in the fringed dress shaking her … fringe. Don’t even expect to see more than a short glimpse of a beach! However, Dr. Goldfoot and Bikini Machine (hereafter, Dr. Goldfoot) is a spin-off of the beach party movies, and there are plenty of bikinis. It was produced in 1965 by American International, same filmmakers and writers, with claymation opening by Art Clokey. You will see funny cameos of Annette Funicello, Harvey Lembeck as Erich von Zipper, and Deborah Walley (the Gidget who went Hawaiian).
 

"The eyes of Goldfoot are upon you!"

Fred Clark

The best of Dr. Goldfoot is the amazing Vincent Price as the mad scientist with the golden shoes that resemble the footwear of Santa’s elves, complete with curled up toes. Price is obviously having a ball with his character, and thank heaven he is in almost all of the scenes. Without him, the movie would have been …well, pretty bad. Beach party alumnus Frankie Avalon plays Craig Gamble, a bumbling, clueless doofus who works for SIC, Secret Intelligence Command. Even though Craig is assistant to SIC director his Uncle Don (played by Fred Clark, droll and curmudgeonly), Craig has never moved up the ladder in the spy game – his code name is 00 ½. After Craig does something particularly stupid, Uncle Don demotes him to 00 ¼ , reminding him that he must remember he is a SIC man! So true.

Susan Hart

Dr. Goldfoot has created a 12-robot army, all gorgeous girls dressed in golden bikinis. He has programmed each one to seduce and marry 12 particular rich men and get their assets signed over, all of course to be given to Dr. Goldfoot. His assistant, Igor (Jack Mullaney) is not a hunchbacked dwarf. He has a greater handicap – he is really stupid! The exchanges between Price and Mullaney are hilarious. Poor Dr. Goldfoot regrets that he ever resurrected Igor from the dead, and is constantly berating him for being a blithering idiot, moron, etc. etc. Poor Igor just can’t win: (“Igor, you idiot! Why must you listen to me when I’m WRONG?!”).  Price often shouts to Igor “Shaddup!” -- a funny departure from Price’s otherwise perfect grammar and diction. One of the rich targets is Todd Armstrong (Dwayne Hickman), who isn’t much brighter than Craig Gamble. Robot #11, Diane (lovely Susan Hart) is assigned to entice Todd . The two men are involved in a mix-up of identity for Diane. (This was an inside joke for AIP studio – in Ski Party, Hickman had played a character named Craig Gamble, and Avalon was Todd Armstrong – there are some references to this name switch throughout Dr. Goldfoot.) The slapstick unfolding of the plot holds no surprises, as in most of the beach party movies. In this one, it’s all about the good comedy script and really well-done comic delivery by Price, Avalon, Hickman and Mullaney.

Frankie Avalon

Dwayne Hickman

Some amusing aspects of Dr. Goldfoot include Dr. Goldfoot’s castle-like abode. It features not only a modern robot laboratory, but also an inquisition-type dungeon (complete with pit and pendulum, many shots of which are actual scenes from Price’s The Pit and the Pendulum.) His inventions include two “gifts” which the robots can give to possible female rivals – opera glasses which shoot out poisoned darts when help up to the eyes, and lipstick that fires laser beams when applied. There are, of course, many sex-referenced jokes:  (Robot Diane bends over a flat tire, pulling up her trench coat to reveal her bikini-topped leg, and opening her coat to reveal the whole package. She says to Todd “I’m completely flat!”, to which Todd naturally replies “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”). Dr. Goldfoot features only one song, and it is a completely forgettable, really bad number done by “Sam and the Apemen.” I bet you've never heard of them. Neither has anyone else. Price said later that the movie was supposed to have more numbers, and he was disappointed that it did not. It did, however, have The Supremes singing the title song. One very entertaining musical feature is heard when the robots are confused about their missions – sound effects include bits and pieces of those used in War of the Worlds and Forbidden Planet. AIP also released a sequel called Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs. Apparently, both Dr. Goldfoot movies were the inspiration for Mike Myers’ Austin Powers “fembots”.

Dr. Goldfoot is really funny, and I didn’t expect it to be that good. Price is the glue that holds it together, and spoofs himself beautifully. Avalon and Hickman also have real comic flair as the dimwitted duo. Here are a few stills from the movie (courtesy of bmoviescentral), to which I attached quotes from the movie:

"Creating a lovely creature like that to
waste her ... ammunition ... on a pauper?!"

No quote here. One might wonder about Avalon's
expression ... but this is a G-rated movie!

"Why me?  Why is it always me?"

"It can't be!"

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959)

THE MANY LOVES OF DOBIE GILLIS (1959) is one of the first TV shows about the lives of teenagers. I watched this show with my mother along with Jack Lalanne...I loved how Dobie talked to the camera.

Dwayne Hickman starred as Dobie Gillis, a daydreamer with a lust for life and beautiful girls. Bob Denver, played his best friend, beatnik Maynard G. Krebs. My first crush...(SIGH) Warren Beatty was on the first few episodes, playing rich kid Milton Armitage.* Dobie's parents Herbert and Winnie Gillis were played by Frank Faylen (It's A Wonderful Life) and Florida Friebus. Friebus went on to play Mrs. Bakerman, one of the patients on (The Bob Newhart Show). Tuesday Weld played Thalia Menninger, the gold-digging girl. Weld quit after the first season to do movies, returning occasionally in later seasons. Sheila James (previously seen on Broadside), played Zelda Gilroy, the girl who was always wrinkling her nose at him. James was more serious about her education than she was about pursuing an acting career, studying law (graduating first in her class at Harvard Law School) running for the California State Senate.

During the run of the series, Dobie and gang started out in High School, then drafted into the army (briefly), then off to college where they had the same teacher in high school--played by William Schallert. After Dobie ended, Schallert went on to be the dad for three years on (The Patty Duke Show.)

In September, 1963, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis left the air after a four years. Bob Denver went on to be Gilligan for three seasons - then starred in ('The Good Guys).

Dwayne Hickman went on to co-star in the Academy Award winning film Cat Ballou, and some entertaining ''teen/beach movies'' of the 60s (Ski Party, How To Stuff A Wild Bikini), then went on to a career as a program exec for CBS during the 1980s.

Click here to view "The Fist Fighter," my favorite DOBIE GILLIS episode with Warren Beatty.