Gidget Goes Hawaiian ** (1961, James Darren, Michael Callan, Deborah Walley, Carl Reiner) – Classic Movie Review 3385

A pleasant Deborah Walley takes over from Sandra Dee as the 15-year-old ‘girl midget’ Gidget in this modest but nice-looking first sequel to Gidget (1959). And, guess what?, she’s off to Hawaii on vacation with her parents.

James Darren is still Moondoggie, the surfing boy she loves home from college, but he prefers to stay at home. On the plane she meets Abby (Vicki Trickett), who tells her to forget about Moondoggie, but then Gidget steals her dancer boyfriend Eddie (Michael Callan). And then Moondoggie discovers he’s missing Gidget…

Sandra Dee was under contract to Universal Studios and was loaned out to Columbia to play Gidget in the first movie. By the time of Gidget Goes Hawaiian, she was busy doing the Tammy movies.

Also in the cast are Carl Reiner, Peggy Cass, Eddie Foy Jr, Jeff Donnell, Joby Baker, Don Edmonds, Bart Patton, Jan Conaway, Robin Lory and Arnold Merritt.

Gidget Goes Hawaiian is directed by Paul Wendkos, runs 101 minutes, is a Jerry Bresler production, is released by Columbia, is written by Ruth Brooks Flippen and Frederick Kohner, is shot by in Eastmancolor Robert J Bronner, is produced by Jerry Bresler, is scored by George Duning, and is designed by Walter Holscher.

It is followed by Gidget Goes to Rome (1963).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3385

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