The gut-wrenching trauma of oppressive life among the sand and surf set is examined in this hard-hitting, powerhouse portrayal. Or not. Morrow, DeShannon and Patrick play three young girls who set off in their convertible (with a trailer in tow) for the shores of California in order to find Morrow's brother and kick up their heels. Before long, Morrow has found not only her brother, but also earnest surfboard proprietor Vinton, Patrick has fallen for the brother (Summers) and DeShannon has been snagged by paunchy, Lloyd Bridges-esquire Miller. Unfortunately, Summers has developed a bad reputation with the local authorities due to his clan of surfers who can only gain entry to his realm by guiding their boards, unlawfully, between the pylons of a nearby pier. Police detective Crane (who appearance is frequently heralded by a "Peter Gunn"-like anthem) keeps showing up, insinuating himself into everyone's business as he tries to keep order on the beach. When Miller bangs himself up trying to surf the pier, things come to a head and there's a scuffle, putting the relationships in turmoil and causing some people to alter their life course somewhat. (Oddly, despite the fact that some couplings are made to appear solid and lasting, the final frames of the movie ::::SPOILER:::: show the three girls back in their car heading home, happy and without a backward glance!) Vinton, primarily known for his singing, is far from the worst actor to populate a film in this genre, but he's also not anything remarkable. His primary song, which is sung twice, is a matter of taste. Morrow, later to be known for her work on the "Peyton Place" TV series, is okay. In some shots, she resembles Teri Garr. DeShannon's speaking voice is nothing short of excruciating to listen to and her laugh is even more upsetting. She's another performer better known for her singing talents. Again, her songs here are a matter of taste and certainly don't rank among her better efforts such as "What the World Needs Now" or "Put a Little Love in Your Heart!" Miller is fairly preposterous, never more so than when he breaks out into a butt-swinging gyration at a party while outfitted in an arm and shoulder brace following his accident. The award for most egregious (and hysterical) overacting goes to Patrick who has several scream-inducing thespian moments. Stewart makes a brief (and welcome) appearance as a glamorous and brittle other woman. Low budget in the extreme, there are many head-scratching and eye-rolling moments throughout. One of the chief giggles is the interior set of the trailer the girls pull. It's about 2 to 3 times bigger than the exterior and no attempt is made to hide the fact that there's no ceiling! There's some pretty pitiful surfing footage, some really awkward and unenthusiastic dancing (check out the guy clapping in line during DeShannon's number!) and a lot of static, non-engrossing scenes. The best thing about it is that it only clocks in at 68 minutes in length!
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