Search - Beach Blanket Bingo on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1965 DVD Release: 06/05/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 37 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 3 Genres: Comedy, Musical, Musical Comedy, Teen Movie, Beach Film

Part of American-International's "Beach Party" series, Beach Blanket Bingo was directed by William Asher. Frankie (Frankie Avalon) briefly deserts Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) in favor of pop star Sugar Kane (Linda Evans). Also around and about is a mermaid, appropriately named Lorelei (Marta Kristen). Scurrilous cycle gang leader Eric Von Zipper (Harvey Lembeck) finds time to sing a tune, while Paul Lynde sneers a lot, Don Rickles insults a lot, Buster Keaton mimes a lot, and columnist Earl Wilson lets everybody know who he is by exclaiming "That's Earl, brother." The whole cast rushes to the rescue when South Dakota Slim (Timothy Carey) binds the lovely Sugar Kane to a buzzsaw. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frankie Avalon - Frankie
Annette Funicello - Dee Dee
Deborah Walley - Bonnie Graham
Harvey Lembeck - Eric Von Zipper
John Ashley - Steve Gordon
Marta Kristen - Lorelei
Linda Evans - Sugar Kane
Timothy Carey - South Dakota Slim
Don Rickles - Big Drop
Paul Lynde - Bullets
Earl Wilson - Himself

I'll allow others to debate what it means when Beach Blanket Bingo gets a more attentive release on DVD than a number of classic European titles of the '60s and '70s, but as they have with most of the pictures in their "Midnight Movies" series, MGM has treated this vintage "beach musical" from American International Pictures with genuine care and enthusiasm. Beach Blanket Bingo has been given a letterboxed transfer to disc in the widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and has also been enhanced for anamorphic play on 16 x 9 monitors. Anyone who has had to suffer through the incoherent pan-and-scan transfers of the previous TV and video incarnations of this movie will sigh in relief that everything is clear and viewable, at last, and the eye-popping Pathecolor looks just as bright and vivid as it did at your local drive-in back in the day. The English audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono and sounds sharp, clear, and brassy with optional French and Spanish subtitles included for viewers from shorelines other than California. The only extra here is the film's manic original theatrical trailer, but Beach Blanket Bingo has never looked or sounded this good on home video before (and probably didn't look or sound this good in theaters, for that matter), and anyone with a yen for kitchy sun and fun will not be disappointed with this release. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide