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STARLET SIGHTING!

Over this past weekend, there was a screening in Santa Monica of the cult Hollywood surf movies Beach Party and The Girls on the Beach. Aron Kincaid, the co-star of the latter, attended with his friend Katie. The theatre then made a special announcement that the elusive Candy Johnson was in attendance. Candy was the twisting go-go girl whose wiggle would send the boys flying off their surf boards. She appeared in Beach Party, Muscle Beach Party, Bikini Beach, and Pajama Party. Per Aron, she now resembles Ann Sothern from her later years–big and blowsy. Candy was accompanied by two young gentlemen who aided her.

Check out the Candy Johnson Fan Page for more info on this 60s icon. Candy is also profiled in my books Drive-in Dream Girls and Hollywood Surf & Beach Movies.

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GO-GO Beach

There is a new musical coming to town at the NY Musical Theatre Festival for a limited run in September called Go-Go Beach. It is a parody of those swinging 60s beach movies about “a surfer who gets into trouble with his girlfriend when he falls for a runaway teen pop star, and his relationship with a flower child who helps him find the true meaning of love.”

Of course this is just up my alley. Not to toot my own horn, but I will, when I contacted the creators to see if they could add a link to my site on their web page Brent Lord one of the composers wrote me back and told me that they used my book Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema as a guide to create some of the beach girl characters. They also just purchased Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies for reference at the request of the director. Pretty cool. The lovely Gail Gerber (star of Beach Ball and The Girls on the Beach) and I will be attending hopefully opening night.

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There will be no more morning afters for comedian Red Buttons who sadly passed away on Thursday July 13, 2006. I wasn’t a big fan of his but of course I enjoyed him most as Mr. Martin in The Poseidon Adventure. His meek performance as the haberdasher bachelor who takes it on himself to help terrified pop singer Nonnie (Carol Lynley) survive was touchingly real. And you couldn’t help but root for him when he finally stood up to the bellowing Mike Rogo (Ernest Borgnine) at the end.

Another passing I forgot to report on was director Vincent Sherman who died almost a month ago. For the last ten years or so he was the constant companion of 60s starlet, Francine York.

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GOING TO A GO-GO

If you’re like me and love Ponytail girl Suzanne Charny doing the “Rich Man’s Frug” in Sweet Charity or the Turkey Lurkey Time girls in Promises, Promises or watching the Twistin’, Jerkin’, Frugin’ dancers from Shindig and Hullaballoo or the hippie planet episode on Lost in Space where Angela Cartwright turns into a go-go girl than rush out and buy your tickets to the new off-Broadway musical Shout! The Mod Musical which will re-create swinging 60s London and features songs made famous by Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, Lulu, etc. You know I already bought my tickets. See ya at the go-go!