[.ca] How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (Widescreen/Full Screen) (ISBN 0792844025)

From Amazon.com:
"It ain't nothin' without the stuffin'!" That's what all the groovy beach partyers say when a phantom bikini appears out of nowhere, and suddenly fills out its two-piece form with the voluptuous body of Cassandra (Beverly Adams), who soon has all the beach-hunks drooling. Along comes Madison Avenue adman "Peachy" Keane (Mickey Rooney) to recruit Cassandra for his "Girl Next Door" ad campaign, while his assistant Ricky (Dwayne Hickman) gets all googly-eyed for Dee Dee (Annette Funicello), who's not as easy as the other sand 'n' surf chickie-babies. And where's Frankie (Avalon)? He's on a tropical island with the navy reserve, sampling the comely native fauna and bribing the local medicine man Bwana (played by... Buster Keaton?!) with generous doses of alcoholic "torpedo juice" in return for a failsafe love potion. Oh, and did we mention the cross-country cycle race that will determine who's the fairest young couple in the land? The sixth installment of the seemingly endless Beach Party series, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini is a minor step up from Gilligan's Island, but you've got to love a movie that includes a mischievous pelican, an appearance by the Kingsmen (of "Louie Louie" fame), and a half-dozen forgettable pop songs that virtually define the beach-party genre. Comedy purists may lament the downward spiral of Buster Keaton's career, but he's just having good, dumb fun like everyone else, and geographic distance doesn't stop Frankie and Annette from crooning a split-screen duet. And dig those clay-animated opening credits by Gumby creator Art Clokey! Let's face it, these movies are perfect time capsules of juvenile entertainment, and if you can't enjoy them in all their cheesy glory, you're nothin' but a square! --Jeff Shannon

so-so entry into the series:
HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI was one of the last 'Beach Party' films to be released (and it was Annette Funicello's last appearance as Dee Dee). The fatigue is evident in this average - but no less enjoyable - outing. Frankie (Frankie Avalon) is serving his time in the Navy, and worried that some guy back home will steal Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) away from him. A grumpy old witchdoctor (Buster Keaton) conjures up the stunning red-headed Cassandra (Beverly Adams) to distract every self-respecting male on the Malibu Beach! However, down-to-earth Ricky (Dwayne Hickman) is immune to Cassandra's charms, and slowly starts courting Dee Dee... Then, the dumb-as-sticks Eric Von Zipper (Harvey Lembeck) and his "Rats" come back into town, to teach the others a thing or two... There are great cameo roles by Mickey Rooney, Brian Donlevy and Bobbi Shaw (repeating her role as Buster Keaton's dizzy sidekick). Annette Funicello was heavily pregnant with her first child at the time of making what was to be her last 'Beach Party' film. She wears obviously-baggy ponchos and blouses to cover up. You will also notice that she NEVER wears an actual swimsuit on the beach!! Also starring John Ashley, Jody McCrea, Patti Chandler and Mary Hughes. The DVD includes both full-frame and widescreen versions of the film as well as the trailer and a trivia booklet. (Double-sided, single-layer disc).

The Right Stuff:
Frankie Avalon was growing tired of the beach movies, and only agreed to appear in this film if he could get a starring vehicle of his own. In this movie, Frankie is a member of the naval reserve and stationed on a tropical island, thus limiting his screen time. Dwyane Hickman (Ricky) ably serves as a new love interest for Annette Funicello (Dee Dee). Their scenes together were reminiscent of the first beach movie, when boy meets girl, boy wants girl, but the girl is playing hard to get. Beverly Adams is the voluptuous redhead Cassandra, filling out the wild bikini very nicely, who magically appears to keep Ricky away from Dee Dee. Mickey Rooney is hilarious as Peachy Keane, the ad executive who wants to hire Cassandra to be the girl next door and to be Ricky's partner for their sponsored motorcycle race. The only problems are that Ricky wants Dee Dee to join him, and Cassandra is nervous and very clumsy around Ricky. However, there is a cyclist she feels very comfortable with. She takes a shine to Eric Von Zipper, played to perfection by Harvey Lembeck. He is an expert cyclist from his years of being the leader of the Rat Pack. He is more than happy to keep Cassandra away from Ricky and the bad influence of "them beach bums." When Dee Dee finds out that Frankie is playing around with a native girl, she decides to join Ricky for the motorcycle race. Since Cassandra has signed a contract with the ad agency, it's decided to pair her with Eric Von Zipper. Peachy decides that an image makeover is necessary. Thus, Eric trades in his leather outfit and chains for a gray business suit! This entry in the beach movie series shows off Eric Von Zipper to best effect. Despite the Rat Pack's best efforts at sabotage, Ricky and Dee Dee end up winning the motorcycle race. However, Dee Dee doesn't want to go on a cross country promotional tour. Frankie is magically reunited with Dee Dee on the beach for a happy ending. This is the last of the classic beach movies to have Frankie and Annette together, and also features the most musical numbers. As for the movie Frankie starred in shortly afterwards, it was entitled "Sergeant Deadhead." To give you an idea of how successful that was at the box office, "Sergeant Deadhead" has yet to be commercially released on video!

Like a Walt Disney film directed by Andy Sidaris.:
All very silly and naive, but as leering *in tone* as just about anything you'll find. The movie opens on a close-up of a girl's navel, and soon a group of boys are singing a song about girls' measurements. It continues downward (?) from there. There are much better Beach Party movies than this recycled patchwork of earlier and superior songs, characters, situations and chases. IMHO, "How to Stuff..." needed more Buster Keaton and Bobbi Shaw. An appearance by Susan Hart wouldn't exactly have felt like a sharp stick in the eye, either.

Like a Disney film directed by Andy Sidaris.:
Too silly. Too leering. Even more hackneyed than others. Bad songs. Little cleverness. A supporting cast of lesser interest, to me anyway. (No Susan Hart, no Don Rickles, no Donna Loren, darn little Buster Keaton and Bobbi Shaw- and she's a brunette here). Watchable at best.

Frankie And Annette And Samantha from Bewitched:
The Best scenes are Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello singing a song together and there is a good scene with Elizabeth Montgomery in her role of Samantha from Bewitched sending Frankie home to Annette who plays Dee Dee and also Annette singing songs.Although Frankie isn't in many scenes with Annette since his character is away he is in the story and Frankie does come home to Annette.If you like Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello and Elizabeth Montgomery and Bewitched then you would enjoy this.The scene with Elizabeth Montgomery in her role of Samantha from Bewitched makes this film more fun.Frankie and Annette are always good together and though they don't have many scenes together in the film it is a good film and they do have scenes together later in the film.