Tom Lisanti

the hippie horror flick [amazon_textlink asin=’B01I06ESAS’ text=’The Velvet Vampire’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’11c23157-cfcb-11e8-af43-e9333215da7c’] directed by [amazon_textlink asin=’B01LTIABWS’ text=’Stephanie Rothman’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’2bebe309-cfcb-11e8-97b8-3b2303b9b9d7′] opened starring [amazon_textlink asin=’B00MJEJT2A’ text=’Michael Blodgett’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’51adde96-cfcb-11e8-8930-038c3ea856fe’], Sherry Miles and the late [amazon_textlink asin=’B0036K9CPK’ text=’Celeste Yarnall’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’5fd586a9-cfcb-11e8-9774-1188a01f9823′] as the alluring title character. After meeting married couple Susan and Lee Ritter (Miles and Blodgett) at an art gallery, Yarnall’s Diana lures them into staying the weekend at her Mojave Desert home. Soon both husband and wife find themselves sexually drawn to their mysterious host who suffers from a rare blood disease. Unlike vampires of lore, Diana was able to journey out into the sunlight as long as she is covered up. In the course of twenty-four hours, Diana feasts on a mechanic, his girlfriend, and a servant. After making love with Diana, Lee wants to depart but Susan is fascinated with the charming Diana and wants to stay. Their delay in leaving costs Lee his life while Diana meets her gruesome end at the hands of a cult hippie gang.

Beach Ball opened starring [amazon_textlink asin=’151883924X’ text=’Edd Byrnes’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e0a4b665-c40d-11e8-84bf-cd43c7ec24f8′], [amazon_textlink asin=’1484063414′ text=’Chris Noel’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’007369ae-c40e-11e8-9168-2f67ac50c712′], [amazon_textlink asin=’B07GD7LPXS’ text=’Aron Kincaid’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’1c0eac48-c40e-11e8-90ab-4fd31ecd6b3d’] and Gail Gilmore (aka [amazon_textlink asin=’B004Z1RG2K’ text=’Gail Gerber’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’3e08084d-c40e-11e8-8ffd-f343a2476cd3′]). It is arguably the breeziest and most enjoyable of the [amazon_textlink asin=’B000IZ6FKG’ text=’Beach Party’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’4db8e826-c40e-11e8-937f-b52d86b37aa9′] clones. It is also the most blatant rip off throwing in everything from surfing, skydiving, and hot rodding to a battle-of-the-bands contest and the guys in drag to match the zaniness of the AIP beach movies. Four college dropouts (Byrnes, Kincaid, Don Edmonds and Robert Logan) try to con some nerdy girls (Noel, Gilmore, Brenda Benet and Mikki Jamison) at the student union to give them a student loan for tuition after they couldn’t get it from any apps that give you cash advances but in fact the money is needed to pay for their musical instruments. The gals get wise to their scheme and try to trick the guys into returning to school. The film works well because it is fast-paced, nicely photographed in color, has some funny moments, lots of beach scenes, a healthy-looking cast, and an excellent roster of musical performers most notably [amazon_textlink asin=’B000W239UE’ text=’the Supremes’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c5fedb67-c40e-11e8-b8cd-65ffd642a537′], [amazon_textlink asin=’B000ICLT4Q’ text=’the Righteous Brothers’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’d3c243a1-c40e-11e8-9077-c1103da1ce83′], and [amazon_textlink asin=’B001223BLU’ text=’The Four Seasons ‘ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’dee473fd-c40e-11e8-ab71-a96352d61615′]who are interspersed throughout the movie.

As for the cast, unlike [amazon_textlink asin=’B0007R4TQW’ text=’Annette Funicello’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’8308378f-c40e-11e8-80ca-516b7e57bb53′] in the Beach Party movies or Noreen Corcoran in The Girls on the Beach, perky Chris Noel and the other gals are not afraid to show off their shapely figures in very revealing bikinis. Pretty blonde hanger on Anna Lavelle in particular dons the skimpiest swimsuits and has some funny moments as the guy’s addled-brained beach groupie Polly. The movie boasts perhaps the most curvaceous set of lead actresses in any beach movie from the decade. For boy watchers, the guys’ sport nice physiques particularly handsome Robert Logan and blonde Aron Kincaid who gives a droll performance as ladies man, Jack.  Edd Byrnes is definitely too long in the tooth to make a believable college guy but he does look swell in his swim trunks.

Surfing is limited to the opening stock footage of surfers riding huge swells and as with most beach-party movies when the actors emerge from the ocean it is calm without a big wave in sight. The film’s major asset is the music from the catchy instrumental entitled “Cycle Chase” heard throughout to the songs lip-synched by Kincaid and the others as the Wigglers to all of the numbers performed by the rock acts. The standout is definitely seeing the Supremes singing “Come to the Beach Ball with Me” and “Surfer Boy.”  Though the Motown songwriters did not come close to capturing the authentic surf sound (hell they were from Detroit and what did they know about surfing anyway?), the girls sing the catchy tunes well.  [amazon_textlink asin=’1556529597′ text=’Florence Ballard’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’f907bc16-c40e-11e8-ac87-11eedc45b22c’] and [amazon_textlink asin=’0312219598′ text=’Mary Wilson ‘ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’1934e31a-c40f-11e8-8e4a-0916f4cbd3fc’]look great but [amazon_textlink asin=’B077HP64B9′ text=’Diana Ross’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’2407e282-c40f-11e8-8db3-17df89ce4ab6′] is a fright with her chipped tooth and big beehive wig.  Her close-ups are truly scarier than anything found in The Horror of Party Beach—another reason why Beach Ball is a must to see.

More in my book [amazon_textlink asin=’0786472979′ text=’Hollywood Surf & Beach Movies’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’425cee23-c40f-11e8-a641-cfcab61d5029′] from McFarland and Company.

the Grade-Z horror movie [amazon_textlink asin=’B00005MKNQ’ text=’The Slime People’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’94ca5759-bc0f-11e8-9d60-bf4603ff3171′] opened starring Robert Hutton, Les Tremayne, Judee Morton, and in her first feature role Drive-In Dream Girl [amazon_textlink asin=’B00KK6E1LS’ text=’Susan Hart ‘ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a57df63a-beaf-11e8-9383-af6aae6e5e4c’]who talked about making the movie.

When asked how she landed this role, Hart answered facetiously, “Just luck I guess.” Robert Hutton, who also produced and directed [amazon_textlink asin=’B00005MKNQ’ text=’The Slime People’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c5d805b4-bc0f-11e8-8261-d1cdf278664b’], went to Hart’s agent and several other agents and asked if they had anybody on their rosters suitable for the role of Gwen. “All Bill Schuyler told me about it was that it was a reading for lead in a motion picture,” revealed Hart. “At that point I still did not know the title of the film. But I did know it was going to star Robert Hutton, whom I remember my sister Helen thought was just a fabulously handsome man. I read for the role in the morning. I went to lunch with a friend and when I arrived home around four o’clock I got a call from my agent telling me that I got the part. Not only did I get a role but also my roommate, Judee Morton, was cast as my little sister. It was incredible!  Even after I found out the title I thought this was still a pretty good opportunity.”

[amazon_textlink asin=’B00005MKNQ’ text=’The Slime People’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’cff65a8d-bc0f-11e8-a85c-49565fcceab5′] was shot at KTLA Studios. After about nine days of filming, the cast stopped getting paid and the make-up man left. However, Hart proved to be a trouper and continued with the production. She even did her own make-up. Despite these misfortunes, Susan does not look back on this film with any bad memories. “Everybody connected to this was really nice. Don Hansen was the name of the man who financed the film. As I recall, he always wore a Fedora and owned a lot of dry cleaners. Robert Hutton knew I didn’t have any experience doing films and he couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. He practically told me every move to make and taught me about hitting your mark.”

In [amazon_textlink asin=’B00005MKNQ’ text=’The Slime People’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’131d3569-bc10-11e8-a4ad-7136e2e087c3′], nuclear testing decimates Los Angeles leaving the city enshrouded in a blanket of fog. A small group of survivors try to make it out of the deserted metropolis while battling subterranean creatures roused from hibernation. Robert Hutton stars playing a hot shot pilot with Robert Burton as a professor and Hart and Morton as his daughters. One of the films many unintentional laughs is that despite the fact that she is being terrorized and chased by the Slime People, Hart’s character Gwen keeps on her four-inch high heel shoes and never lets go of her oversize black pocketbook. “Isn’t that funny? I think I still have that purse around my home somewhere. We were given something like eighteen dollars to pick out our own wardrobe. Judee and I went to Orbach’s and it was my decision to buy those shoes and purse. Those shoes killed my feet, which were never the same again.

“A man Tracey Putnam played the doctor in this,” continued Hart. “He was an actual doctor and had discovered a drug which keeps Epileptics from going into seizures. His stepson, Jock Putnam, played one of the Slime People and talked his stepfather into playing one of these roles. It was a riot to see Jock and the other actor who played the Slime People sitting on the set smoking a cigarette. You’d see smoke pouring out of all of the orifices of these gigantic costumes.”

The ad copy for [amazon_textlink asin=’B017UKRJG0′ text=’The Slime People’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’33defbe2-bc10-11e8-9080-db0339998697′] proclaimed, “Up from the Bowels of the Earth Come …The Slime People.” Needless to say, the film did not receive rave reviews. It is no wonder then Hart tried to distance herself from the as much as she could. “Now talking about The Slime People is fun,” admitted Hart. “But a few years after making it I kept thinking that The Slime People was a terrible movie to be associated with. It wasn’t very good and didn’t play in many theaters. The reviews weren’t very good if it even got reviewed at all.” To keep journalists from asking about the film, when Hart landed one of the lead roles in her fourth movie, Ride the Wild Surf (1964), it was touted as a first starring role.

Hart would then go on to land a contract with AIP and then a husband, one of the studio’s founders Jack H. Nicholson. Her subsequent work included the features Pajama Party; War-Gods of the Deep; [amazon_textlink asin=’B008FYZHPG’ text=’Dr. Goldfoot’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’54e80302-bc10-11e8-bddf-a9c0ede8f7f4′] and the [amazon_textlink asin=’B000RLB25O’ text=’Bikini Machine’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6750fe7b-bc10-11e8-bb96-ed2e0d9b406f’]; and [amazon_textlink asin=’B000RLB272′ text=’The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini ‘ template=’ProductLink’ store=’sixtiescinema-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’71237dbb-bc10-11e8-89de-7d53b0c847eb’]before she retired to raise her son.

Read more about Susan Hart in my book Drive-In Dream Girls.

One of my biggest regrets was that I never shared by book Dueling Harlows: Race to the Silver Screen with any publishers because I thought there would be minimal interest so I self-published. It is one of most popular books and most reviewed on Amazon (and I do agree with some of the criticisms). Here is the latest.