My favorite of the beach movies remains PAJAMA PARTY, despite how wildly it deviates from the typical series format. In addition to the iconic Annette Funicello, this was the one that introduced Bobbie Shaw; the instant dream girl of many a young man. Though she did other parts, it’s her performance as the Swede in the fur-trimmed bikini that she’ll always be remembered for! “Ya, ya!” Also on hand are the series regulars and guest stars like Jesse White, Dorothy Lamour, Elsa Lanchester, and Buster Keaton, who steals the show as the “Red Man with yellow streak.” Keep your eyes peeled for a young Teri Garr amid the background dancers.
The plot for this one is pretty wild, concerning as it does a planned invasion from Mars. Tommy Kirk is an advance scout sent to prepare the way for an invading army, but he falls in love with Annette Funicello. Meanwhile, the con-man next door is out to steal Aunt Wendy’s hidden fortune, and has hired a crew to help him -including the oblivious Eric Von Zipper and his gang. Has one of the funniest guest star cameos in the whole series. Don Weis takes over direction from William Asher, and would bring back several of the same characters (or versions thereof) for GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI, which effectively ended the series.
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About the author
Rock is a pencil jockey by trade. He's done work for AC Comics, Main Enterprises, and Moonstone, among others. Some of the strips he's created include Dinosaur Girl (AC Comics, creator, writer, pencils), Crissy Carrots (Main, creator, writer, pencils), and Betsy the Bookwriter (Main, co-creator, writer, pencils). His specialty is cheesecake cartooning (what they call "good girl art" these days).
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