Plot
Gidget's father announces that they are going to Hawaii for two weeks. On the plane to Hawaii, Gidget meets Abby Stewart and her parents, popular dancer Eddie Horner, and several more boys. Missing her boyfriend Jeff "Moondoggie" Matthews, Gidget mopes in her room. Her father sends for Jeff, suggesting that he come to Hawaii to surprise Gidget. That night, Abby invites Gidget to join her and Eddie. When Gidget makes a big hit with the boys and dances with Eddie, she inadvertently becomes Abby's rival.
Gidget makes an even bigger impression surfing the next day, leading to an unexpected kiss from Eddie just as Jeff arrives. The two argue and finally decide to go their separate ways. That night at dinner, Jeff arrives with Abby and Gidget retaliates by flirting with Eddie. The contest continues through water-skiing and other activities until Abby, fed up and jealous, decides to spread a rumor that Gidget has slept with Eddie and other guys. Abby's mother relays this gossip to Gidget's mother, quickly leading to arguments between the two, between Gidget and her parents, and finally between both married couples. Gidget's father finds himself drinking with Abby's mother in the hotel bar, while Abby's father and Gidget's mother also make peace. The two mismatched couples eventually meet and resolve their respective disputes.
At the Luau, Abby tells Jeff about the rumor that Gidget sleeps around, admitting that it's a lie. Jeff and Gidget reconcile on the beach and head back to the hotel to straighten everything out with the adults. Through a few mix-ups, Gidget believes her parents are cheating on each other with Abby's parents, and Gidget's parents believe Gidget's gone missing. Soon, everybody is gathered in Gidget's room, unaware that Gidget is just down the hall in her parents' suite with Jeff waiting for them. Gidget tries to cover for each of her parents' apparent indiscretions, but soon all misunderstandings are cleared up. Gidget and Jeff also explain their relationship to Eddie and the rest of the gang. The next day, as punishment for spreading the rumor, the guys drag a terrified Abby into the ocean and place her on Gidget's surfboard. When the surf comes rolling in, Abby frantically clings on for dear life while Gidget and Jeff enjoy riding the waves.
Production notes
From over 150 actresses, Columbia chose Deborah Walley for her screen debut as the new Gidget. Agent Joyce Selznick discovered Walley performing in an off Broadway production of Chekhov's Three Sisters . [3] Director Paul Wendkos established Walley as the new Gidget with some scenes from the first film re-shot using the new cast as flashbacks.
The film was shot on location at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Deborah Walley was doubled in surfing by Linda Benson. [4]
Not long after the Lawrence family arrives in Hawaii, Gidget's father, Russ Lawrence, realizes that Gidget is sad because she misses her boyfriend Moondoggie (Jeffrey Mathews). At about 24 minutes into the movie, Lawrence sends a Western Union radiogram to Moondoggie, who is staying with his friend Clay Anderson for the summer. Lawrence's goal is to encourage Moondoggie to come to Hawaii ("Gidget is miserable, please..."). The radiogram is addressed as follows: "Jeffrey Mathews, c/o Andersons, 1000 Linda Flora Dr., Los Angeles". 1000 Linda Flora Dr. was the address of the house in Los Angeles where Ruth Brooks Flippen, who wrote the screenplay for the movie, lived with her husband, actor Jay C. Flippen. [5]
James William Ercolani, known by his stage name James Darren, was an American television and film actor, television director, and singer. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had notable starring and supporting roles in films including the youth and beach-culture film Gidget (1959) and its sequels. He also appeared in The Gene Krupa Story (1959), All the Young Men (1960), The Guns of Navarone (1961), and Diamond Head (1962). As a teen pop singer, he sang hit singles including "Goodbye Cruel World" in 1961. He later became more active in television, starring as Dr. Anthony Newman in the science fiction series The Time Tunnel (1966–1967). He had the regular role of Officer James Corrigan in the police drama T. J. Hooker (1982–1986) and performed as Vic Fontaine, a recurring role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1998–1999).
Sandra Dee was an American actress. Dee began her career as a child model, working first in commercials and then film in her teenage years. Best known for her portrayal of ingénues, Dee earned a Golden Globe Award as one of the year's most promising newcomers for her performance in Robert Wise's Until They Sail (1957). She became a teenage star for her performances in Imitation of Life, Gidget and A Summer Place, which made her a household name.
Gidget is a 1959 American CinemaScope comedy film directed by directed by Paul Wendkos and starring Sandra Dee, Cliff Robertson, James Darren, Arthur O'Connell, and the Four Preps.
Deborah Walley was an American actress noted for playing the title role in Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) and appearing in several beach party films.
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.
Surf movies fall into three distinct genres:
Gidget is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner in his 1957 novel, Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas. The novel follows the adventures of a teenage girl and her surfing friends on the beach in Malibu. The name Gidget is a portmanteau of "girl" and "midget". Following the novel's publication, the character appeared in several films, television series, and television movies.
Cindy Carol is an American actress. She was credited as Carol Sydes before her starring role as Gidget in Gidget Goes to Rome (1963).
Gidget is an American sitcom television series by Screen Gems about a surfing, boy-crazy teenager called "Gidget" and her widowed father Russ Lawrence, a UCLA professor. Sally Field stars as Gidget with Don Porter as father Russell Lawrence. The series was first broadcast on ABC from September 15, 1965, to April 21, 1966. Reruns were aired until September 1, 1966.
Abraham Paul Wendkos was an American television and film director.
Michael Callan, sometimes known as Mickey Collins, was an American actor best known for originating the role of Riff in West Side Story on Broadway, and for his film roles for Columbia Pictures, notably Gidget Goes Hawaiian, The Interns and Cat Ballou.
The New Gidget is an American sitcom sequel to the original 1965–66 sitcom Gidget. It aired in syndication from September 15, 1986, to May 12, 1988. The series was produced by original Gidget series producer Harry Ackerman and was launched after the made-for-television film Gidget's Summer Reunion, starring Caryn Richman as Gidget, aired in 1985.
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.
Bon Voyage! is a 1962 American comedy film directed by James Neilson and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It stars Fred MacMurray, Jane Wyman, Deborah Walley, Tommy Kirk, and Kevin Corcoran as the Willard family on a European holiday.
Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman is the real-life inspiration for the fictional character of Franzie from the 1957 novel, Gidget: The Little Girl with Big Ideas, written by her father Frederick Kohner.
Moondoggie is a fictional character created by Frederick Kohner in his 1957 novel Gidget, The Little Girl with Big Ideas. He appears as a principal character in five of the eight Gidget novels, but is a minor character or is only mentioned in passing in Cher Papa, The Affairs of Gidget and Gidget Goes Parisienne.
Gidget Goes to Rome is a 1963 Columbia Pictures Eastmancolor feature film starring Cindy Carol as the archetypal high school teen surfer girl originally portrayed by Sandra Dee in the 1959 film Gidget. The film is the third of three Gidget films directed by Paul Wendkos and expands upon Gidget's romance with boyfriend Moondoggie. The screenplay was written by Ruth Brooks Flippen based on characters created by Frederick Kohner. Veterans of previous Gidget films making appearances include James Darren as "Moondoggie", Joby Baker, and Jean "Jeff" Donnell as Gidget's mom, Mrs. Lawrence.
Gidget Grows Up is a 1969 American made-for-television comedy film directed by James Sheldon with stars Karen Valentine, Edward Mulhare and Paul Petersen as well as alphabetically listed special guest stars Warner Anderson, Bob Cummings, Nina Foch and Paul Lynde. Freely adapted from the novel Gidget Goes New York by Frederick Kohner, the film premiered on ABC on December 30, 1969, and was intended as a pilot for a possible new Gidget series, possibly a sequel to the 1960s sitcom Gidget.
Gidget's Summer Reunion is a 1985 American made-for-television adventure comedy-drama film produced by Columbia Pictures Television that aired in syndication on June 1, 1985. It was written by Robert Blees and George Zateslo, directed by Bruce Bilson and stars Caryn Richman as Gidget, Dean Butler, Allison Barron, William Schallert, Anne Lockhart and Mary Frann.
Bart Patton, is an American actor, producer, and director.
