TxMike Watched it on Netflix streaming movies. Bikini Beach is just one of the silly, beach movies featuring young teen idols of the 1960s. This one with Frankie Avalon, who was actually a pretty decent singer, and Annette Funicello who wasn't much of a singer, couldn't act much, but was cure as a bug.These movies strike a particular chord with me, as I was a college freshman in 1963/1964. I remember the Beatle invasion quite well, and this movie, 'Bikini Beach' has a character that is a parody of the Beatles, the 'Potato Bug', a wealthy and popular young British pop star with a mop of a haircut and wire rim glasses. Interestingly Frankie Avalon plays him as well as 'Frankie' the suitor of Funicello's character.By today's standards this would rate as a fairly poor movie, but for those of us who were teenagers in the 1960s, it brings back good memories of a simpler time. There is a thread of a story here, the teens just want to hang out at the beach near Los Angeles, but a wealthy businessman and developer wants to give them bad press as part of his attempt to buy up some beachfront land. There is also a motorcycle gang, seemingly for no good reason, and some drag racing. Much of the "humor" is slapstick, inspired by the Three Stooges I'd imagine.Frankie Avalon plays Frankie and, in a wig and gap teeth, the Potato Bug. Annette Funicello plays Dee Dee. My favorite was Martha Hyer, pushing 40 in 1964, but lovely as Vivien Clements who takes the side of the teens. A relatively young (35-ish) Don Rickles is Big Drag , who builds drag racing 'rails'. Harvey Lembeck is Eric Von Zipper, the outlandish motorcycle gang boss. Plus assorted cute girls in bikinis. Of note is a cameo appearance by Stevie Wonder , still known as 'Little Stevie Wonder' at about 13. He sings one song as the movie is ending. Just plain 1960s fun, that's all.

JasparLamarCrabb The usual inane shenanigans from Frankie, Annette and the Beach Party gang. This time they tangle with creepy Keenan Wynn, a monkey and Don Rickles (as Big Drag). Wynn is convinced he can prove that teenagers are not more intelligent than a chimp. Clearly he's seen BEACH PARTY, MUSCLE BEACH PARTY and PAJAMA PARTY. Sexy Martha Hyer is his girl Friday and Avalon plays a second role (a Beatle-esq British singer named Potato Bug). He's dreadful. A bunch of songs are lip synced in the shoddiest way possible and save for an appearance by (Little) Stevie Wonder, they're all completely forgettable. Harvey Lembeck and his biker goons show up as well adding no laughs.

Skragg There's one thing it took me forever to notice about this series. In the early movies, they smoke and drink (beer, at least). In this one, "Big Drag" makes a point of saying that he doesn't sell liquor or cigarettes to the surfers. This might be before the phrase "role model" really took off, but maybe they were trying to get on the good side of parents. It might not be mentioned here, but "Clyde" the chimpanzee is played by Janos Prohaska, an actor who specialized in playing apes and monsters (he wore the same suit in a famous Outer Limits episode). One of Don Rickles best moments is when Keenan Wynnn is lecturing him - you really have to watch the frown on his face, because even for Rickles, it's hilarious. And Harvey Lembeck had some of his best moments of the series, when he becomes "strange bedfellows" with Wynn's character, then feels betrayed when Wynn sides with Martha Hyer - "It's a regular Delilah and Simpson!" I don't think anyone here has mentioned the cameo at the end, which, as usual, was by a horror actor. The man whose face is never shown (in other scenes) walks in during the fight between the surfers and the motorcycle gang, and it turns out to be Boris Karloff. He says a few lines, looks around at the fighting and says, "Monsters."

Brian Washington This is probably the best of the "Beach Party" films. The series pretty much hit its peak here and after this it was all downhill. Annette Funicello is her level headed best and Frankie Avalon is still her lunkheaded boyfriend who only can think about surfing. The thing I think is a little ironic about this film is the fact that Avalon in his portrayal of Potato Bug takes a swipe at The Beatles. Many forget that Avalon was one of the hottest singers in America until the "Fab Four" arrived the same year this film was released. After that it was downhill from there. The other shining moment in this film has to belong to Harvey Lembeck as the perpetually dimwitted leader Eric Von Zipper. This was his defining role and this film was his funniest yet.