Beach Ball

Last updated
Beach Ball
Beach Ball 1965 film poster.jpg
Directed by Lennie Weinrib
Written bySam Locke as "David Malcolm"
Produced by Bart Patton
Gene Corman
Starring Edd Byrnes
Cinematography Floyd Crosby
Edited byKarl Ward
Production
companies
La Honda Service Productions, The Patton Co.
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • September 29, 1965 (1965-09-29)
Running time
83 mins
CountryUnited States
Language English
Budget$125,000 [1] or $137,000 [2]
Box office$1 million [1]

Beach Ball is a 1965 American beach party movie starring Edd Byrnes and partly financed by Roger Corman. [3]

Contents

It features appearances by The Supremes, The Walker Brothers, and The Righteous Brothers. [4]

Tom Lisanti called it "arguably the breeziest and most enjoyable Beach Party clones. It is also the most blatant rip off." [5]

Plot

Dick Martin manages a rock and roll group, The Wigglers (Bango, Jack and Bob). They are told by music store owner Mr Wolf that the group owes him $1,000 for their instruments and have to raise money. Martin tries to convince Susan, the credit union manager for a local college,

Cast

Production

The film was produced by Bart Patton, an actor who did some production work for Roger Corman. Corman gave him $100,000 to make a beach party movie, of which $22,000 (or $25,000, accounts differ) was already earmarked to Edd Byrnes. Patton wanted to direct but Corman did not let him having already hired comic Lennie Weinrib to make his debut as director. (Patton and Weinrib would later form a production company.) [6] [7]

According to Filmink "Roger Corman was never a great one for making musicals – he disliked the genre on the whole, and there are few on his CV. However, the profits made in the mid-‘60s by beach party movies were too alluring for him to ignore and he kicked in a few bucks for some of those." [8]

Stephanie Rothman worked on the movie as a production assistant, shooting second unit for the car chase scene with Aaron Kincaid. [9] Gary Kurtz was assistant director. Patton thought Corman hired Weinrib to direct "because he was a comic and it was a comedy. That was Roger's thinking." [10]

In November 1964 Tommy Kirk was originally announced as male star along with Noel Edmonds. [11] In December 1964 Chris Noel signed and Kirk was still attached. [12] Kirk eventually dropped out of the film and was replaced by Edd Byrnes. [13]

Byrnes called it "a typical mindless beach movie in the spirit of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello" and said he was "continually offered this type of film after I was released from my contract at Warner Brothers. However, the producers of Beach Ball were going to give me so much money, it would have been ridiculous to turn down Paramount’s generous offer." Byrnes enjoyed making the film calling it a "romp" but he refused to make any more beach moves. [14]

Noel says Byrnes was "a jerk" during the making of the film although the two of them later became friends. [15]

The Supremes were paid $2,500 to appear in the film. The Righteous Brothers got $500 and the Hondells $400. [16]

Reception

Corman pre-sold the film to Paramount for $350,000 and it made $1 million at the box office. [1] (Another account says the film was made for $137,000 and sold to Paramount for $225,000. [2] ) Patton claimed "Beach Ball was the last of the struggling attempts to compete with AIP. After that, nobody gave a crap about beach films or ski films or spy spoofs." [17]

The quality of the film impressed Lew Wasserman at Universal, who signed Patton to a two-picture deal: Wild Wild Winter and Out of Sight . [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Trip</i> (1967 film) 1967 American counterculture-era film directed by Roger Corman

The Trip is a 1967 American psychedelic film released by American International Pictures, directed by Roger Corman and written by Jack Nicholson. It was shot on location in and around Los Angeles, including on top of Kirkwood in Laurel Canyon, the Hollywood Hills, and near Big Sur, California, over three weeks in March and April 1967. Peter Fonda stars as a young man who experiences his first LSD trip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edd Byrnes</span> American actor and singer (1932–2020)

Edward Byrne Breitenberger, known professionally as Edd Byrnes, was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the television series 77 Sunset Strip. He also was featured in the 1978 film Grease as television teen-dance show host Vince Fontaine, and was a charting recording artist with "Kookie, Kookie ".

<i>The Undead</i> (film) 1957 film by Roger Corman

The Undead is a 1957 horror film directed by Roger Corman and starring Pamela Duncan, Allison Hayes, Richard Garland and Val Dufour. It also features Corman regulars Richard Devon, Dick Miller, Mel Welles and Bruno VeSota. The authors' original working title was The Trance of Diana Love. The film follows the story of a prostitute, Diana Love (Duncan), who is put into a hypnotic trance by psychic Quintus (Dufour), thus causing her to regress to a previous life. Hayes later starred in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958). The film was released on February 14, 1957 by American International Pictures as a double feature with Voodoo Woman.

<i>Ski Party</i> 1965 film by Alan Rafkin

Ski Party is a 1965 American teen musical comedy film directed by Alan Rafkin and starring Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman. It was released by American International Pictures (AIP). Ski Party is considered as a beach party film spin-off, with a change of setting from the beach to the ski slopes – although the final scene places everyone back at the beach.

<i>Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women</i> 1968 American science fiction film

Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women is a 1968 American science fiction film, one of two films whose footage was taken from the 1962 Soviet SF film Planeta Bur for producer Roger Corman. The original film was scripted by Alexander Kazantsev from his novel and directed by Pavel Klushantsev. This adaptation, made by Peter Bogdanovich, who chose not to have his name credited on the film, included new scenes added that starred Mamie Van Doren. The film apparently had at least a limited U.S. release through American International Pictures, but became better known via subsequent cable TV showings and home video sales. The film contains no footage from Planeta Bur that was not used in the earlier Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965).

<i>Beast from Haunted Cave</i> 1959 film

Beast from Haunted Cave is a 1959 horror/heist film directed by Monte Hellman and starring Michael Forest, Frank Wolff and Richard Sinatra. It was produced by Gene Corman, Roger Corman's brother. Filmed in South Dakota at the same time as Ski Troop Attack, it tells the story of bank robbers fleeing in the snow who run afoul of a giant spider-like monster that feeds on humans. The film was released as a double feature with The Wasp Woman (1959).

<i>The Intruder</i> (1962 film) 1962 American film directed by Roger Corman

The Intruder, also known as I Hate Your Guts, Shame and The Stranger, is a 1962 American drama film directed and co-produced by Roger Corman and starring William Shatner. The story, adapted by Charles Beaumont from his own 1959 novel of the same name, depicts the machinations of a racist named Adam Cramer, who arrives in the fictitious small Southern town of Caxton in order to incite white townspeople to racial violence against Black townspeople and court-ordered school integration.

<i>Gunslinger</i> (film) 1956 film by Roger Corman

Gunslinger is a 1956 American Western film directed by Roger Corman and starring John Ireland, Beverly Garland and Allison Hayes. The screenplay was written by Mark Hanna and Charles B. Griffith.

<i>Monster from the Ocean Floor</i> 1954 film

Monster from the Ocean Floor is an American 1954 science fiction film about a sea monster that terrorizes a Mexican cove. The film was directed by Wyott Ordung and starred Anne Kimbell and Stuart Wade.

<i>Its a Bikini World</i> 1967 film by Stephanie Rothman

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.

<i>The Secret Invasion</i> 1964 action war film by Roger Corman

The Secret Invasion is a 1964 American action war film directed by Roger Corman. It stars Stewart Granger, Raf Vallone, Mickey Rooney, Edd Byrnes, Henry Silva, Mia Massini, and William Campbell. Appearing three years before The Dirty Dozen (1967), the film features a similar World War II mission where convicts are recruited by the Allies for an extremely hazardous operation behind enemy lines, with any convicts surviving the mission receiving a pardon.

<i>Wild Wild Winter</i> 1966 film by Lennie Weinrib

Wild Wild Winter is a 1966 Universal Pictures beach party comedy film directed by standup comedian Lennie Weinrib and starring Gary Clarke and Chris Noel. It was produced by Bart Patton and is notable for featuring Jay and the Americans and the duo of Dick and Dee Dee in their only film appearances. The Beau Brummels, Jackie and Gayle and The Astronauts also perform onscreen.

<i>Apache Woman</i> (1955 film) 1955 film by Roger Corman

Apache Woman is a 1955 American Western directed by Roger Corman and starring Lloyd Bridges. It was Corman's second film as director, following Five Guns West. It was one of four Westerns he made for American International Pictures, the other being Five Guns West, The Oklahoma Woman (1955) and Gunslinger (1956). Corman says Apache Woman and Oklahoma Woman were from ideas by AIP whereas the others were his ideas. This was the first film from Golden State Productions, a company headed by Alex Gordon.

Target: Harry is a 1969 thriller film directed by Roger Corman.

<i>Out of Sight</i> (1966 film) 1966 film by Lennie Weinrib

Out of Sight is a 1966 comedy film with elements of the spy spoof. It is the third and last of a series of films geared at teenagers by director Lennie Weinrib and producer Bart Patton for Universal Pictures.

Bart Patton, is an American actor, producer, and director.

<i>A Time for Killing</i> 1967 film by Roger Corman, Phil Karlson

A Time for Killing is a 1967 Western film directed originally by Roger Corman but finished by Phil Karlson. Filmed in Panavision and Pathécolor, it stars Glenn Ford, George Hamilton, Inger Stevens, and Harrison Ford in his first credited film role.

Lou Rusoff was a Canadian-born screenwriter and producer best known for his work with American International Pictures (AIP).

Eugene Harold "Gene" Corman was an American film producer and agent. He was the younger brother of Roger Corman with whom he collaborated on several occasions.

<i>Saint Jack</i> (film) 1979 film by Peter Bogdanovich

Saint Jack is a 1979 American drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and based on the 1973 novel Saint Jack. Ben Gazzara stars as Flowers in the film. The film also features Denholm Elliott and Lisa Lu.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tom Lisanti, Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies: The First Wave, 1959-1969, McFarland 2005, p. 167
  2. 1 2 Beach Ball at AFI
  3. ↑ Ed. J. Philip di Franco, The Movie World of Roger Corman, Chelsea House Publishers, 1979, p. 145
  4. ↑ Tom Lisant, 'Reliving the Guilty Pleasure of Beach Ball', Cinema Retro March 4, 2008
  5. ↑ Lisanti, Tom (2012). Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies: The First Wave, 1959-1969. McFarland. p. 158. ISBN   9780786472970.
  6. ↑ Lisanti, p. 161
  7. ↑ Albright p 177
  8. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (18 May 2024). "Top Ten Corman – Part Five, Gene Corman". Filmink.
  9. ↑ "Interview of Stephanie Rothman" (PDF). UCLA Library Center for Oral History Research.
  10. ↑ Albright p 177
  11. ↑ 'Featured Roles', Los Angeles Times 30 Nov 1964: C21.
  12. ↑ ilmland Events: Henry King to Film Story of Guadalupe Los Angeles Times 3 Dec 1964: D9.
  13. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (9 September 2019). "The Cinema of Tommy Kirk". Diabolique Magazine.
  14. ↑ Byrnes, Ed (1996). Kookie No More. pp. 116–117. ISBN   978-1-56980-092-8.
  15. ↑ Lisanti, p. 164
  16. ↑ Lisanti, p. 166
  17. ↑ Albright p 178
  18. ↑ Albright pp 177-178

Notes

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.