FRANKIE AVALON My Beach Party MEMORIES

THE STAR REMEMBERS HARD WORK, LOTS OF LAUGHS AND A VERY SPECIAL LEADING LADY

- Susan Hornik

In Beach Party, Frankie Avalon carries Annette Funicello over the threshold of their seaside bungalow at the start of what he hopes will be a romantic getaway for two. The mood is shattered when he discovers that she’s invited all of their friends to join them! Teenage shenanigans, crazy misunderstandings, and lots of singing and dancing ensue.

In 1963, Beach Party captivated young audiences nationwide with an escapist fantasy about the so-called “wild mating habits” of Southern California teens. “We never thought it would have such success and longevity,” Frankie, 82, admitted at the recent TCM Classic Film Festival. Filming Beach Party “was an absolute ball, and I think it comes off on screen,” he adds. “People loved it.”

Frankie began his career as a singer with several chart-topping hits, including “Venus,” “Why” and “I’ll Wait for You,” and met his future leading lady, Annette, while performing at a Dick Clark