A Swingin' Summer | |
---|---|
Directed by | Robert Sparr |
Screenplay by | Leigh Chapman Robert Sparr (uncredited) |
Story by | Reno Carell |
Produced by | Kenneth Raphael Larry Goldblatt Reno Carell |
Starring | Raquel Welch James Stacy Lori Williams |
Cinematography | Ray Fernstrom |
Edited by | James T. Heckert |
Music by | Harry Betts |
Production company | National Talent Consultants |
Distributed by | United Screen Arts |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
A Swingin' Summer is a 1965 comedy film in the beach party genre. It was directed and co-written by Robert Sparr. Raquel Welch stars in her first featured film role and makes her singing debut in the film. [1]
A trio of college kids – all friends of each other – attempt to ensure summer jobs for themselves by becoming concert promoters at a lakeside dance pavilion that is in danger of closing.
A local lifeguard, Turk, jealous of both Rick and Mickey, tries to ruin their plan and at the same time tries to steal Rick’s girl, Cindy – who has secretly arranged for her rich dad to finance the pavilion. Rick flips when he finds out about Cindy’s dad, and Turk tries to sabotage the dance hall with some hired goons – who, after failing, bully Turk into ripping the place off. In the meantime, bookworm Jeri, takes off her glasses, lets down her hair and causes some new problems.
In spite of all the drama, the kids actually succeed in securing an impressive roster of brand-name talent to the pavilion.
Actor | Role |
---|---|
Raquel Welch | Jeri |
James Stacy | Mickey |
William Wellman Jr. | Rick |
Quinn O'Hara | Cindy |
Martin West | Turk |
Mary Mitchel | Shirley |
The film features special appearances by Allan Jones as Mr. Johnson, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, The Rip Chords, Donnie Brooks and The Righteous Brothers. Others include Gypsy Boots, Lili Kardell as Sandra, Robert Blair as Tony, Buck Holland as Lou, and Lori Williams as one of the Swingin' Summer Girls.
The soundtrack featured songs performed by Raquel Welch, The Rip Chords, Jody Miller, Gary & the Playboys, The Righteous Brothers, Donnie Brooks and Carol Connors. The soundtrack album was issued on Hanna Barbera Records. [2]
Although she received sixth billing in the U.S. release, Welch received top billing – with her name above the title – on posters for the Italian release, which was renamed The Warm Night.
The film was shot on location at Lake Arrowhead, California in the summer of 1964 and released in the summer of 1965. [3] [4] Filmink called it "a lake party" movie. [5]
The bearded man who is seen from behind and mistaken for a woman in a one-piece topless bathing suit is Gypsy Boots (real name: Robert Bootzin), the American fitness pioneer who is credited with laying the foundation for the acceptance by mainstream America of "alternative" lifestyles such as yoga and health food. [6]
Taglines for the film read: They're Lovin', Laughin' and Livin' it up and for kicks playing "Chicken on Water Skis!" and Spread Out the Beach Towels...Grab Your Gals...it's gonna be A Swingin' Summer!
The film was the first release of Dale Robertson's film releasing company United Screen Arts.
Linda Evans was originally cast in the role of Cindy. [7]
Jo Raquel Welch was an American actress. Welch first gained attention for her role in Fantastic Voyage (1966), after which she signed a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hammer Film Productions, for whom she made One Million Years B.C. (1966). Although Welch had only three lines of dialogue in the film, images of her in the doe-skin bikini became bestselling posters that turned her into an international sex symbol. She later starred in Bedazzled (1967), Bandolero! (1968), 100 Rifles (1969), Myra Breckinridge (1970), Hannie Caulder (1971), Kansas City Bomber (1972), The Last of Sheila (1973), The Three Musketeers (1973), The Wild Party (1975), and Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976). She made several television variety specials.
One Million Years B.C. is a 1966 British adventure fantasy film directed by Don Chaffey. The film was produced by Hammer Film Productions and Seven Arts, and is a remake of the 1940 American fantasy film One Million B.C.. The film stars Raquel Welch and John Richardson, set in a fictional age of cavemen and dinosaurs coexisting together. Location scenes were filmed on the Canary Islands in the middle of winter, in late 1965. The UK release prints of this film were printed in dye transfer Technicolor. The U.S. version released by 20th Century Fox was cut by nine minutes, printed in DeLuxe Color, and released in 1967.
Latanne Rene "Tahnee" Welch is a former American model and actress and is the daughter of the late actress Raquel Welch.
Hannie Caulder is a 1971 British Western film directed by Burt Kennedy and starring Raquel Welch, Robert Culp, and Ernest Borgnine.
The beach party film is an American film genre of feature films which were produced and released between 1963 and 1968, created by American International Pictures (AIP), beginning with their surprise hit, Beach Party, in July 1963. With this film, AIP is credited with creating the genre. In addition to the AIP films, several contributions to the genre were produced and released by major and independent studios alike. According to various sources, the genre comprises over 30 films, with the lower-budget AIP films being the most profitable.
Beach Party is a 1963 American film and the first of seven beach party films from American International Pictures (AIP) aimed at a teen audience. This film is often credited with creating the beach party film genre.
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini is a 1965 Pathécolor beach party film from American International Pictures. The sixth entry in a seven-film series, the movie was directed by William Asher and features Mickey Rooney, Annette Funicello, Dwayne Hickman, Brian Donlevy, and Beverly Adams. It was written by Asher and Leo Townsend. The film features a brief appearance by Frankie Avalon and includes Buster Keaton in one of his last roles.
Beach Blanket Bingo is a 1965 American beach party film directed by William Asher. It is the fifth film in the Beach Party film series. The film stars Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Linda Evans, Deborah Walley, Paul Lynde, and Don Rickles. Earl Wilson and Buster Keaton appear. Evans's singing voice was dubbed by Jackie Ward.
Terror Toons is a 2002 American comedy horror film directed by Joe Castro and written by Rudy Balli, starring Lizzy Borden, Beverly Lynne, Brandon Ellison, Kerry Liu, and Fernando Padilla. The film was followed by three sequels, Terror Toons 2: The Sick and Silly Show in 2007, Terror Toons 3 in 2015, and Terror Toons 4 in 2021.
It's a Bikini World is a 1967 American musical comedy film starring Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley and Bobby Pickett. The film features cameos by the music groups the Gentrys, the Animals, Pat & Lolly Vegas, the Castaways and R&B girl group the Toys. Featuring a pro-feminist plotline, it is the only film in the beach party genre to be directed by a woman.
Get Yourself a College Girl, also released as The Swingin' Set, is a 1964 Metrocolor film comedy in the style of a beach party movie. The plot involves a college student who tries to balance her time writing songs and dealing with her publisher who tries to pursue her. It was directed by Sidney Miller and written by Robert E. Kent, and filmed at Sun Valley, Idaho, United States.
Raquel! is a 1970 CBS musical television special starring Raquel Welch, directed and choreographed by David Winters. Appearing in the special are Tom Jones, Bob Hope and John Wayne. The production company was Winters-Rosen for CBS-TV, furthermore it was co-sponsored by Coca-Cola and Motorola.
The Rip Chords were an early-1960s American vocal group, originally known as the Opposites, composed of Ernie Bringas and Phil Stewart. The group eventually expanded into four primary voices, adding Columbia producer Terry Melcher and co-producer Bruce Johnston. This group came to be associated with the hot-rod and surf genres of that day, although their first single did not reflect those styles. They recorded for Columbia Records in Hollywood from 1962 to 1965. The group placed five singles on the Billboard Hot 100. They are best known for their number-four single: "Hey Little Cobra".
Beach Ball is a 1965 American beach party movie starring Edd Byrnes and partly financed by Roger Corman.
The Girls on the Beach is a 1965 American beach party comedy film directed by William N. Witney and written by Sam Locke. The film stars Noreen Corcoran, Martin West, Linda Marshall, Steven Rogers, Ahna Capri and Aron Kincaid. The film was released on May 12, 1965, by Paramount Pictures.
Patrick Curtis was an American film producer, best known for his association with Raquel Welch, whom he married on February 14, 1967 and divorced on January 6, 1972. Curtis was instrumental in promoting Welch's career. He produced a number of films starring her.
Dragstrip Riot is a 1958 US teen-oriented sportscar club and motorcycle gang film produced by O'Dale Ireland and directed by David Bradley. It stars Yvonne Lime, Gary Clarke, Fay Wray and Connie Stevens. Set in coastal California, the film centres on a false accusation that a sportscar club member is responsible for the death of a member of a motorcycle gang and the gang's attempts to take revenge. Dragstrip Riot was released in the US by American International Pictures as a double feature with The Cool and the Crazy (1958), and distributed in Canada by Astral Films and in the UK by Anglo Amalgamated.
Diane Loretta Bond is an American former actress and feminist artist and writer, best known for her minor roles in movies during the 1960s. She appeared in films like In Like Flint (1967), House of 1,000 Dolls (1967), A Swingin' Summer (1965), Pajama Party (1964) and as a beach extra in the TV series The Beverly Hillbillies. Bond also had several uncredited roles such as an air hostess in Seconds (1966) and a body double for Claudia Cardinale in Blindfold (1965). After relocating to Italy and studying art, she became an artist using mainly feminist issues to fuel her creativity.
How to Be a Latin Lover is a 2017 Mexican-American comedy film directed by Ken Marino, written by Chris Spain and Jon Zack and stars Eugenio Derbez, Salma Hayek, Raphael Alejandro, Raquel Welch, Rob Riggle, Rob Huebel, Rob Corddry, Renée Taylor, Linda Lavin, Kristen Bell, and Rob Lowe. This was also Welch's final film before she died in 2023. The film follows a man who has spent his whole life married to a rich old woman, and must learn to make it on his own when she kicks him out. It was released on April 28, 2017 by Pantelion Films and grossed $62.6 million worldwide.
Winter A-Go-Go is a 1965 American comedy-drama film directed by Richard Benedict and starring James Stacy, William Wellman Jr., Beverly Adams, John Anthony Hayes, Jill Donohue, Tom Nardini, Duke Hobbie, Julie Parrish, Buck Holland, Linda Rogers, and Nancy Czar. The film was released by Columbia Pictures on October 28, 1965.