Plot: What’s it about?
The beach movie craze was what made Frankie and Annette famous, but it was Gidget that sparked the entire fad herself. Gidget was a smash hit, thanks to the perky Sandra Dee (The Dunwich Horror, Portrait in Black) and a perfectly timed release. Dee wouldn’t return to the role, but two sequels followed and were greeted with moderate success. A television series and a couple made for television movies were also produced, including a class reunion picture. But this collection showcases the three Gidget feature films, the ones that helped kickstart the beach movie genre. Below you can read a brief episode of each motion picture, so grab your surfboard and hit the waves with Gidget.
1. Gidget- Frances Lawrence (Sandra Dee) is better known as Gidget, a name that comes from the joining of the words girl and midget. She might be small in stature, but she has a lot of heart and loves to get wild on the beach. When she ran into some trouble in the water, she wound up face to face with Moondoggie (James Darren). He is a popular surfer dude who saves her, then introduces her to his circle of cool friends. At first, she is shunned by the group, but soon enough, she charms them and fits in quite well. She has the friendship angle down, but will she be able to spark a romance with her new surfer beau?
2. Gidget Goes Hawaiian- Gidget (Deborah Walley) is on pins and needles, as her beloved beau Moondoggie (James Darren) is due home from college soon. This visit is all she can think about, so when bad news arrives, she is crushed. Her parents are off to Hawaii for two weeks, the same two weeks that Moondoggie is back home. When he even suggests that she go on the vacation, Gidget is put into an even worse mood than ever. Once in Hawaii, Gidget follows the advice of a new friend and puts Moondoggie out of her mind, then steals the girl’s boyfriend. But will Moondoggie regret having Gidget leave his side?
3. Gidget Goes to Rome- Gidget (Cindy Carol) is a hot little teen and of course, she’s hot for her surfer hunk, Moondoggie (James Darren). In order to spend a romantic holiday together, they get a group of friends together for a special vacation. Gidget convinces her parents to let her and Moondoggie go to Rome, since two other couples will be there too. An adult has to join them, so Moondoggie’s strange aunt is selected by the kids. Once in Rome, a beautiful tour guide starts to draw all of Moondoggie’s attention, much to Gidget’s dismay. But when Gidget starts to look elsewhere too, will their romance be ruined in Rome?
Video: How does it look?
All three films are presented in full frame, which compromises the intended, original widescreen aspect ratios. The first movie even opens in full scope widescreen, then revert to pan & scan once the credits have concluded. I would think Columbia was over the whole full frame movement by now, since fans have agreed across the board that the original format is ideal. In any event, these cool movies are rendered lame by these horrific treatments. The image is cropped and has a very tight, uncomfortable visual presence. This makes it tough to watch at times, as heads are cut off and action unfolds off screen, thanks to the butchering of the visuals. This is a real shame, as these movies are fun to watch, but not like this. Perhaps someday we’ll have solid versions of the Gidget flicks, but now is not that time.
Audio: How does it sound?
Mono soundtracks across the board, but in the case of these three movies, I doubt new surround mixes would have added much to the experience. The beach atmosphere sounds as good as mono allows, which means passable, but never impressive. As far as the tolls of time, all three movies sound decent, with no serious flaws. I did hear some hiss at times, but distortion and harsh moments are minimal. The cool music is well handled too, so the tunes sound up to mono’s best and leave little room for complaints. In a disappointing move, Columbia hasn’t included any alternate audio tracks or subtitle options to this release.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes no bonus materials.
