How to Stuff a Wild Bikini

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How to Stuff a Wild Bikini

Directed by	William Asher
Produced by	Samuel Z. Arkoff James H. Nicholson
Written by	William Asher Leo Townsend
Starring	Annette Funicello Dwayne Hickman Brian Donlevy Harvey Lembeck Buster Keaton Beverly Adams Mickey Rooney
Music by	Les Baxter
Cinematography	Floyd D. Crosby
Editing by	Eve Newman
Distributed by	American International Pictures
Release date(s)	July 14, 1965
Running time	90 min.
Country	USA
Language	English
Preceded by	Beach Blanket Bingo
Followed by	The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini is a 1965 Beach Party film from American International Pictures. The movie features Mickey Rooney, Annette Funicello, Dwayne Hickman, Brian Donlevy, and Beverly Adams. The film features brief, uncredited appearances by Frankie Avalon and includes Buster Keaton in one of his last roles.

1 Summary
2 Cast
- 2.1 Special appearances
- 2.2 Uncredited appearances
3 Production
4 Reception
5 DVD release
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Summary

Although the musical is another installment in the Frankie and Dee Dee beach adventures, Frankie appears only briefly at the beginning and the end of the film.

The story begins with Frankie (Avalon) going to Tahiti on naval reserve duty. While cavorting with local girls, Frankie realizes that Dee Dee (Funicello) might be disloyal to him. When Frankie seeks help from a witch doctor (Buster Keaton), the witch doctor sends a sea beauty, Cassandra (Adams), to lure Ricky (Hickman), an advertising exec, away from Dee Dee. Upon Cassandra's arrival, the beach turns upside down, as all the surfers fall for her, an executive wants to make her a model, and Eric Von Zipper and his gang add to the trouble.

[edit] Cast

Annette Funicello .... Dee Dee
Dwayne Hickman .... Ricky
Brian Donlevy .... B. D. (Big Deal) McPherson
Harvey Lembeck .... Eric Von Zipper
Beverly Adams .... Cassandra
John Ashley .... Johnny
Jody McCrea .... Bonehead
Marianne Gaba .... Animal
Len Lesser .... North Dakota Pete
Irene Tsu .... Native Girl
Arthur Julian .... Dr. Melamed
Bobbi Shaw .... Khola Koku
The Kingsmen .... Themselves
Alberta Nelson .... Puss

[edit] Special appearances

Buster Keaton .... Bwana
Mickey Rooney .... Peachy (J. Peachmont) Keane

[edit] Uncredited appearances

Frankie Avalon .... Frankie
Michele Carey .... Michele
Elizabeth Montgomery .... Bwana's daughter

[edit] Production

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini was the last "Beach Party" film to feature Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.

Avalon's role was reportedly minimized as a "punishment" after he asked producers Arkoff and Nicholson for more money than they were willing to pay.^{[citation needed]} Avalon appears on-screen for about six minutes. Avalon's small role could also be attributed to the fact that he was filming another AIP production, 1965's Sergeant Dead Head.^{[citation needed]}

Annette Funicello was pregnant during shooting and was shot mostly from the waist up.^[1]

The film features the only big screen appearance by The Kingsmen, who performed "Give Her Lovin'".^[1]

Elizabeth Montgomery made a cameo appearance as 'The Witches Witch' at the end of the film. Montgomery appeared in a parody of the character she played in Bewitched, which was also directed by her then-husband, William Asher, who also served as director on the film.^[1]

The opening credits were done using clay animation done by Art Clokey, the creator of Gumby.^[1]

[edit] Reception

Variety called it a "lightweight affair lacking the breeziness and substance of earlier entries."^[2]

[edit] DVD release

In 2001, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini was released by MGM on Region 1 DVD.^[3] Since its initial DVD release, the film has been included in two box sets, Frankie & Annette MGM Movie Legends Collection and Midnite Movies Double Feature, along with selected Beach Party films.^[4]^[5]