Beach Ball

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

• Edd Byrnes as Dick Martin
• Chris Noel as Susan
• Robert Logan as Bango
• Gail Gilmore as Deborah
• Aron Kincaid as Jack
• Mikki Jamison as Augusta
• Don Edmonds as Bob
• Brenda Benet as Samantha
• Anna Lavelle as Polly
• James Wellman as Mr. Wolf
• The Supremes (Florence Ballard, Diana Ross and Mary Wilson)
• The Four Seasons
• The Righteous Brothers
• The Hondells
• The Walker Brothers
• Dick Miller as A Cop
• Sid Haig as Drummer For Righteous Brothers (Uncredited role)

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.)

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."

Stephanie Rothman worked on the movie as a production assistant, shooting second unit for the car chase scene with Aaron Kincaid. 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."

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

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.

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

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

Reception

Corman pre-sold the film to Paramount for $350,000 and it made $1 million at the box office. (Another account says the film was made for $137,000 and sold to Paramount for $225,000.) 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."

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.

Critical

Variety wrote "A bouillabaisse of all the tried and true surfing ingredients, this loud, lively pic should prove a winner with the adolescent set. An innocuous plot, lots of bikini scenery, and endless rock 'n’ roll featuring top selling recording personalities, assure boxoffice success. "

Filmink wrote "it’s hard to tell the characters apart at times – this was a lesson the AIP knock-offs never learned from AIP beach party movies, which generally had distinctive characters. However, it’s a lot of fun."

References

Notes

References

1. Tom Lisanti, ''Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies: The First Wave, 1959-1969'', McFarland 2005, p. 167
2. [https://catalog.afi.com/Film/19564-BEACH-BALL?cxt=filmography Beach Ball] at AFI
3. Ed. J. Philip di Franco, ''The Movie World of Roger Corman'', Chelsea House Publishers, 1979, p. 145
4. [http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/1596-TOM-LISANTI-RELIVING-THE-GUILTY-PLEASURE-OF-BEACH-BALL.html 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.
6. Lisanti, p. 161
7. Albright p 177
8. Vagg, Stephen. (18 May 2024). "Top Ten Corman – Part Five, Gene Corman".
9. "Interview of Stephanie Rothman".
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".
14. Byrnes, Ed. (1996). "Kookie No More".
15. Lisanti, p. 164
16. Lisanti, p. 166
17. Albright p 178
18. Albright pp 177-178
19. (1983). "Variety Film Reviews 1964-1967".
20. Vagg, Stephen. (13 December 2024). "Beach Party Movies Part Three: Over exposure".