How to Stuff a Wild Bikini ** (1965, Annette Funicello, Dwayne Hickman, Frankie Avalon, Brian Donlevy, Harvey Lembeck, Buster Keaton, Beverly Adams, Mickey Rooney) – Classic Movie Review 6218

American International Pictures’ sixth Beach Party movie is the last one to feature Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello (returning as Dee Dee), though Avalon appears for only six minutes as he was shooting another AIP film, Sergeant Deadhead (1965).

So it is up to Dwayne Hickman to play the male lead, Ricky, after Tommy Kirk was dropped from the movie after being arrested for possession of marijuana shortly before filming was due to start.

Funicello was also busy elsewhere and was pregnant during shooting so had to be filmed wearing baggy blouses, tunics or hiding behind of a prop such as a bowl of popcorn or a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Co-writer/ director William Asher’s bright and breezy 1965 movie also features Brian Donlevy as Big Deal McPherson, Beverly Adams as Cassandra, Harvey Lembeck as biker Eric Von Zipper, Mickey Rooney, paid $5,000 for one week’s work to pay off his tax debts as Peachy Keane, and Buster Keaton in one of his last roles, a brief, uncredited appearance as witch doctor Bwana. Elizabeth Montgomery appears in a cameo as Bwana’s daughter, the Witches’ Witch, sending up her character in TV’s Bewitched, also directed by her husband, William Asher.

Frankie leaves Dee Dee behind and goes to Tahiti, where he asks Bwana to send sea beauty Cassandra to lure advertising executive Ricky away from Dee Dee. The surfers promptly all fall for Cassandra.

Micheline Bernardini modelling Louis Réard’s newly invented bikini at the Piscine Molitor on 5 July1946. It could fit into the 5 by 5 by 5 cm box she’s holding.

Also in the cast are John Ashley as Johnny, Jody McCrea as Bonehead, Marianne Gaba as Animal, Len Lesser as North Dakota Pete, Irene Tsu as Native Girl, Arthur Julian as Dr Melamed, Bobbi Shaw as Khola Koku, Alberta Nelson as Puss, Michele Carey as Michele and The Kingsmen as themselves in their only big screen appearance .

There are 10 forgettable songs by Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner, plus Give Her Lovin’ by Lynn Easton, sung by The Kingsmen, who also sing How to Stuff a Wild Bikini.

The opening credits are done in clay animation by Art Clokey.

It is very rare that I want to quote another critic, but how’s this for sheer vicious unpleasantness. The New York Times said the film was ‘the answer to a moron’s prayer’.

The 15-day shoot started in April 1965, so Rooney’s one week’s work was half the shoot!

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6218

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Jane Wyman wears bikini-style beachwear in 1935.