Another surf-and-sand-and-teenagers episode from American International where, once again, Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) and Frankie (Frankie Avalon) supply the romance and the songs.
Frankie’s rival for Dee Dee’s affection this time is the Potato Bug (Ronnie Dayton), a British singing sensation and drag strip racer whose resemblance to The Beatles was doubtlessly purely intentional.
Before Frankie and Potato can come to a big showdown, stuffy millionaire Harvey Huntington Honeywagon (Keenan Wynn) – who drives around in a Rolls and wants to prove his pet chimpanzee is as intelligent as teenagers – almost snaps up the kids’ drag strip for an addition to his senior citizens seaside retirement village.
On hand to defend the young people is glamorous schoolteacher Vivien Clements (Martha Hyer). Don Rickles is particularly good as “Big Drag”, overplaying a role that predates his rise to fame on television.
The cast also includes Harvey Lembeck, John Ashley and Delores Wells, and features music from Donna Loren, Little Stevie Wonder, The Exciters and The Pyramids.
The lively fast-moving film culminates in a silent-comedy-style chase and a big, boisterous brawl.
Dee Dee
Annette Funicello
Frankie
Frankie Avalon
Vivien Clements
Martha Hyer
Harvey Huntington Honeywagon
Keenan Wynn
Big Drag
Don Rickles
Eric Von Zipper
Harvey Lembeck
Johnny
John Ashley
Deadhead
Jody McCrea
Candy
Candy Johnson
Lady Bug
Danielle Aubry
Animal
Meredith MacRae
Sniffles
Delores Wells
Donna
Donna Loren
Little Stevie Wonder
Himself
The Exciters
Themselves
The Pyramids
Themselves
South Dakota Slim
Timothy Carey
Teenage Werewolf Monster
Val Warren
Clyde
Janos Prohaska
Potato Bug
Ronnie Dayton
Art Dealer
Boris Karloff
Rat Pack
Alberta Nelson
Linda Rogers
John Macchia
Bob Harvey
Andy Romano
Jerry Brutsche
Allen Fife
Director
William Asher
