Unlike most folks here, the most important pop-culture influences in my life were the early "California Beach" performances... movies and music. Sci-fi and monsters came later. Maybe it's because I come from the frozen prairie but I could never get enough sand, surf and bikini clad babes. This was all directly responsible for my ungoing love affair with convertibles (haven't been without one for 25 years) and a huge collection of surfing music.

Having collected all the Beach Party movies, there was one gap in the collection and it's just been filled. GIDGET was released today. It's from 1965 and the entire, 32 episode series is on 4 DVDs from Sony. I've avoided a lot of Sony TV product because it's always been uneven in quality. MARRIED WITH CHILDREN looks just horrible...it's barely one step above the almost unwatchable LOST IN SPACE release from Fox. But some Sony product looks very good (HART TO HART for example). Gidget is claimed to be remastered in High Definition so I was hopeful. I'm delighted to say that the episodes look fantastic. It looks like the studios have really gotten on the ball. After some crappy releases, I've noticed a marked improvement in the quality of old TV releases in the last year.

Gidget looks great. The episodes that I checked look uncut (averaging 25 min and 30 seconds or so). This set includes the 30 minute pilot episode. There is a Salley Field interview but I haven't looked at it yet.

Another very high recommendation if this kind of classic show is your cup of tea (obviously not to everyone's taste).

One fascinating thing about these old shows is seeing your favorite personalities early in there careers. Virtualy every episode has SOMEBODY interesting. There are too many to list but some of you may recognize this guy who showed up at Gidgets door 41 YEARS AGO:

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/6118/gidg8cl.jpg (http://imageshack.us/)

I concur with your thinking of the good ol' days.. But it's the Annette Funicello Beach movies I like the best. Lots of Bikinis with some up and coming starlettes like Meredith McCrea, etc. The Rat Fink's were hilarious and the other odds and ends like the Barris custom cars were really in Daddyo.:dude:

I just like to say the name "Moondoggie". I don't know why, I just like to say it.

I did that Baron Von Ziffer hand signal thing for WEEKS after I saw (whichever beach movie that was).

So, at the hieght of the cold war, Gidge dated a Russkie, eh? ;)

So, at the hieght of the cold war, Gidge dated a Russkie, eh? ;)

No. In this episode he was Swedish! Man, he certaibnly doesn't look Swedish.

Having watched a couple of full episodes, I have to say that I'm EXTREMELY impressed with the series. For one thing, the stories are surprisingly well developed...much less "sitcom" than I would have thought.

But, even for those who can't get into this kind of show, I was struck by the exceptionally high production values. This must have been a very expensive show to make. GIDGET is from 1965. The first obvious observation is that the show was shot in color. This was an era of transition and, in 1965, few sitcoms were in color. Also noted that there are an awful lot of complete sets. Every room in Gidget's house has a set: living room, kitchen, her bedroom, her fathers bedroom (plus the other sets like school, diner, etc). There is a lot of location shooting: Gidget and friends driving the car and at the beach. There are a very large number of extras with speaking parts...I saw about a dozen actors in the end credits of one episode.

Gidget? GIDGET?!! There are no Gidgets in modeling! There. Are. No. Gidgets. In. Modeling!!!"

Gidget? GIDGET?!! There are no Gidgets in modeling! There. Are. No. Gidgets. In. Modeling!!!"

Maybe to correct this grave injustice, if we wish hard enough, a new, up & coming modeling company may release a model of her....or maybe even a Sally Field with extra parts to make either the Sister Bertrille version or Frances Elizabeth 'Gidget' Lawrence.....A 2in1 type model.

Just to say that this is right up my alley thanks a lot Brent.

Thank God, when I read your post I thought you were gonna talk about another Goram remake.

I had no idea that Gidget dated Desi Arnez, Jr. Learn sumpin new everyday.

I had no idea that Gidget dated Desi Arnez, Jr. Learn sumpin new everyday.

Isn't that Davy Jones?

Isn't that Davy Jones?



Don't think so, though check out Sally, she seems to be examining his anatomy in a specific area.

It does look like she's checking out his "wessel".

I don't why some shows seem to strike a chord but GIDGET is just about the most entertaining show I have on DVD. I've got a lot of old TV on DVD...I mean a LOT of old TV: My Favorite Martian, The Munsters, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Thunderbirds, Lost in Space, Time Tunnel, VTTBOTS, Tales of Tomorrow, Gilligan's Island, Superman and a boatload more.

But I'm just loving GIDGET. Everything seems to be first class. Great stories. Exceptional production values. I just watched a couple of episodes that were 80% outdoor location shots with hardly a studio set to be found.

Funny thing...I just saw an episode with MAKO as a high school student. For those that don't know his name, you'd recognize him as the Japanese American actor who has been in EVERY movie requiring an Asian for the last 40+ years. When this episode was produced, MAKO was already 32 years old! I thought I might be mistaken but, sure enough, he is credited as "MAKO" in the GIDGET end credits. And this episode does appear in his Imdb filmography.

Mako played at least half a dozen different roles on MASH. Very believable as good guys and bad. :thumbsup:

It does look like she's checking out his "wessel".

"You like me! You really like me!"

That Girl, and Flying Nun, and Here Come the Brides, and Hmmmmm..... What OTHER foxy young things were around?

That Girl, and Flying Nun, and Here Come the Brides, and Hmmmmm..... What OTHER flxy young things were around?

The girl from U.N.C.L.E.
Batgirl (TOS Batman)
I dream of Jeanie
Honey West (Ann Frances)
The gals on Petticoat Junction

flxy??

The gals on Petticoat JunctionAttractive they may be, but does anyone else find it repulsive that they bathed in the town's water source? :freak:

Attractive they may be, but does anyone else find it repulsive that they bathed in the town's water source? :freak:

Actually that is the water supply for the locomotive, those old steam jobs use a lot of water.

David.

Gives new meaning to the phrase "I'd drink her dirty bathwater."
[IMG-LEFT]http://members.aol.com/Dave7373/PJ1.JPG[/IMG-LEFT]

"Hey Uncle Joe, does this water taste funny to you?" :freak:

Yeah, um, the water tower is for the Cannonball. Nobody drank from it.

Of course, the image of the three of them skinny dipping together in a confined space is ... interesting.

Gives new meaning to the phrase "I'd drink her dirty bathwater."
[IMG-LEFT]http://members.aol.com/Dave7373/PJ1.JPG[/IMG-LEFT]

So everyone....If you had to pick......who's your favorite to share the bathwater with? :cool:

BillieJo
BettyJo
BobbieJo

All three! Hell, if Hefner can do it at 80. . . ;) ;)

Billie Piper from Doctor Who. :tongue:

That is one HAPPY dog! Look at the way he's smiling. Lucky Bastage.

The brunette. Laurie Saunders? Mmmmmmm.

I'll still take Laura Petrie over any other Sixties TV babe you can name. She can call me Rob all she wants.

^Aye! I've been watching Dick on DVD lately. In the first season especially, MTM was one hot babe! Those capri pants shaped that perfect dancer's backside just ...


*ahem* :)

Ah...the forbidden dance of Laura Petrie... :)
http://www.tvacres.com/capri_pants2.jpg

Marlo Thomas wasn't too bad.
Goldie Hawn in her Laugh In days.
Liz Montgomery (Bewitched)
Bridgette Hanley (Here Come the Brides)
Elke Sommers
Ginger & Mary Ann
Marta Kristen

Spring is here!

Marlo Thomas wasn't too bad.
Goldie Hawn in her Laugh In days.
Liz Montgomery (Bewitched)
Bridgette Hanley (Here Come the Brides)
Elke Sommers
Ginger & Mary Ann
Marta Kristen

Spring is here!

If we're just listing any women from the 60's, here're my votes?

Joey Heatherton
Raquel Welch
Jill St. John
Nancy Sinatra
Annette Funicello
Ann Frances
Deanna Lund
and just about all of the playmates who posed for Playboy in the 1960's. :thumbsup:

You can't do a list like that without Natalie Wood near the top.

Uh.......Diana Rigg anyone?

You can't do a list like that without Natalie Wood near the top.

She's up there floating around the top of the list...........

I'm SO going to burn....

Uh.......Diana Rigg anyone?
Yes, please! And some Cool Whip... ;)

Yes, please! And some Cool Whip... ;)
With lots of cherries....:thumbsup:

ahem....more 60's girls.

Jane Fonda
Adrianne Barbeau
Bridget Bardot
Candy Clark
Barbara Feldon
More Matt Helm girls
.....Stella Stevens
.....Sharon Tate
.....Senta Berger
.....Nancy Kovak

Barbeau was 70s. I first saw her in "Maud." According to IMDB, her first acting job was in 1974.

And Candy Clark's first job was in 1972.

Hey! Don't distract from my fantasy with reality. Oh, man, now I'm thinking of Bea Arthur. Thanks a lot!! :)

Oh, man, now I'm thinking of Bea Arthur. Thanks a lot!! :)

Reminds me of a joke someone told on one of those Comedy Central Roasts. Can't repeat it here.


And I hate lists but how can someone not mention ...

Ursula Andress
Joy Harmon
Ann Margaret

Barbeau was 70s. I first saw her in "Maud." According to IMDB, her first acting job was in 1974.

And Candy Clark's first job was in 1972.

There's been been some serious debate about Adrianne's exact age since her Swamp Things days. IIRC correctly, some footage of her surfaced as a glorified extra in a el-cheapo caveman movie that seriously questioned her "official" age back then.

Still, she did a nude shower scene in Carnivale a season or two ago and looked like she was holding up pretty good, they kept the camera a fair distance away but it was definately Adrianne and not a double.

Still, she did a nude shower scene in Carnivale a season or two ago and looked like she was holding up pretty good, they kept the camera a fair distance away but it was definately Adrianne and not a double.

She's got the kind of "angular" facial features that age well. I always found her to be sort of hard looking, if admittedly striking.

TCM is running the original Gidget tonight at 1015 pm Eastern.

The GIDGET movie is a major sore spot that I have with Sony.

Note that GIDGET on TCM is widescreen letterbox. It's a 2.35:1 Cinemascope picture.

The DVD released by Sony has a new, high definition transfer in PAN AND SCAN! Pan and scan only.

That both infuriated me and boggled my mind. The release of any Cinemascope picture in P&S is disgraceful. But the bizarre thing is that Sony is a company that is trying to sell widescreen TVs and they paid for brand new transfer of the film that chops off 40% of the movie and doesn't fit a widescreen set. I continue to view Sony as THE bottom-of-the-barrel player in the DVD/Widescreen TV display market.

I will bet you money that, in the near future, Sony announces a widescreen Blu-ray disc of GIDGET. Simple choice. Want P&S, buy our old DVD. Want to see the full image, buy our new Blu-ray disc and Blu-ray player.

I'll buy hardware from Sony when hell freezes over.