In this original trailer from1959, American Bandstand's Dick Clark says a few words about "Gidget" with Sandra Dee
"As the kids say, it's a ball!"
Showing posts with label Sandra Dee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sandra Dee. Show all posts
10/14/2010
Top 10 American Movie Stars of 1961
1. Elizabeth Taylor
2. Rock Hudson 3. Doris Day
4. John Wayne
5. Cary Grant
6. Sandra Dee
7. Jerry Lewis
8. William Holden
9. Tony Curtis
10. Elvis Presley
10/07/2010
50 Years Ago---Top 10 Box Office Stars of 1960
The rankings come from Quigley Publishing Co.'s annual list (since 1932) of top money making stars in the USA, which based on a poll of hundreds of theater executives. The list does not rank stars only on how much cash their films made, but on what theater owners say about who attracts audiences on their star power alone.
2. Rock Hudson
3. Cary Grant
4. Elizabeth Taylor
5. Debbie Reynolds
6. Tony Curtis
7. Sandra Dee
8. The Chairman of the Board
9. Jack Lemmon
10. John Wayne
4/21/2010
Gidget (1959) Starring Sandra Dee
The original 1959 classic (which laid the groundwork for the later beach party movies of the 1960s) was screened the other night at a theater hall at The University of Chicago, as part of their year-round DOC film series. Before the movie started, , the organizers of the film series played a few fun records from the "Gidget" era to set the mood: "26 Miles to Santa Catalina" by The Four Preps (who preform a song in the movie during a beach party scene)"Teenage Crush" by Tommy Sands and "Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" by Edd Byrnes & Connie Stevens
Cute-as-a button Sandra Dee plays a 16-year old late bloomer who is not as interested in chasing boys as her girlfriends. One day she is dragged to the beach by them, only to be teased by a gang of surfer dudes they meet on the shore. One of the guys (James Darren) saves her life when she swims out too far.
She then becomes determined to learn how to surf; in a very amusing scene, she begs her parents (Mary LaRoche and Arthur O'Connell) for $21.50 for a surfboard. She's also struck by cupid's arrow (or rather, "hit on the head with a sledgehammer") as she develops a deep crush on one of the guys, but she's too shy to tell anyone who.
A very funny film; the audience I saw it with - college students, adults, couples, and senior citizens - laughed out loud at many parts, including the scene where Gidget practices surfing on her bed as her pixie-cut sporting girlfriend shakes her mattress.
Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson ("Charly") also has a large part is this; he plays a California beach bum named Kahuna, who does nothing but surf day after day, a rather interesting free spirited character. He's sort of the leader of the surfer group.
Singer-actor James Darren (no relation to Bobby Darin) 
sings several songs (including the title song) and he reprised his role in two other "Gidget" films (which are not as good as the original, I understand). I had never seen him in any other movie before. The film was actually based on a book, which I was surprised to learn. This movie isn't a brainless beach party movie that some might expect. I found it to be warmhearted and touching. The scenery is great.
Directed by Paul Wendkos, who passed away last November 2009 at the age of 84.
The adorable Sandra Dee (who also appeared in A Summer Place and Imitation of Life that same year) became a top 10 box office star for the next several years.
I really don't know much about her life after the 1960s; she was a very private person who only appeared occasionally on TV. I was saddened to hear about her passing in 2005.
One of her interesting TV-movie credits was a film called "Houston, We've Got a Problem" in 1974, which co-starred Robert Culp. The film was about the Apollo 13 space flight, 21 years before the Tom Hanks movie Apollo 13.
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