Parents' Guide to

Beach Party

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Silly '60s surf musical with stereotypes, sexual situations.

Movie NR 1963 97 minutes
Beach Party Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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Is It Any Good?

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There's some fun to be had in connecting with the old music and dance moves in this film. The first of a series of popular teen beach movies made by American International Pictures (always known as a maker of cheesy, artless fare), Beach Party capitalized on the celebrity of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello -- so recognizable that they were known only by their first names. A paper-thin, nonsensical plot was included only to provide the background for the energetic activities of '60s teen culture: music, dancing, surfing, and finding a mate. Neither the amateurish acting, nor the presence of some well-known comic actors in buffoonish roles, nor directing and editing so ludicrously bad it made even the silliest TV sitcoms of the day look like Shakespeare kept audiences away, and the genre turned into a giant money-making success. For today's audience, there's much silliness to laugh at, but the gender stereotyping and the constant teasing sexual situations make it hard to recommend.

Movie Details

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