Carlo Cofield vacations to Southern California, where he quickly becomes immersed in the easy-going local culture, getting entangled in two beachside romances.
Similar titles
You May Also Like
Reviews
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
Additional credits: Sky-diving sequence photographed by sky-diver Doyle Fields, helicopter cameraman Nelson Tyler, and Bob Buquor. Westrex Sound System.Copyright 16 May 1967 by Filmways, Inc. — Reynard Productions. Released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. New York opening at neighborhood theaters: 20 June 1967. U.K. release: 27 August 1967. Australian release: 4 January 1968. 8,694 feet. 97 minutes. Cut by M-G-M to 85 minutes in the U.K.SYNOPSIS: "A delicious spoof on life and love among the body- building cultists of Southern California." — M-G-M publicity.COMMENT: So this is the film where all the mysterious stills that M- G-M showered on reviewers showing a lot of mud sliding all over Robert Webber, came from. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't deserve any publicity. Whose fault! The original novel in its determinedly screwball narrative and equally maladroit characters? The heavy- handed direction? Or the seriously over-the-top enthusiasm of the actors?Whatever, the picture is swamped by tedious dialogue, seen-too-often characters and typically cornball TV situations. Even Edgar Bergen has a hard time making something of his thin material. A major problem is that all the characters are unsympathetic. Sharon Tate probably comes out of this mess best, though her part proves disappointingly small. Claudia Cardinale, on the other hand, looks as fat as her part. Whether the photography, her costumes, or she herself are to blame, who can tell?Mackendrick's stolidly hammer-and-chisel direction fails to generate audience interest or involvement. Given the jumpily episodic script with its ridiculous plot development, maybe that's no surprise. Go to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and become submerged! Other credits are likewise undistinguished. Production values likewise rate as very average, despite sky-dive and running-car stunt-work. Obvious miniatures and clumsy special effects also do not impress.
This is one of a multitude of sex comedies Tony Curtis starred in around this time in his career; incidentally, I had seen about half of it some years back (also on Italian TV) but had to abort the viewing due to a bad reception! Anyway, if the film is at all remembered today, it is primarily for two reasons: it not only marked the cinematic swan song of a great director, but was also the official Hollywood introduction of the beguiling but ill-fated Sharon Tate. Two more (if lesser) claims to fame should be the undeniably funny Chaplinesque ‘house-teetering-on-the-edge-of-a-cliff’ climax and the fact that leading rock band The Byrds perform the film’s rather charmingly light title tune.Patchy and somewhat hesitant overall, it is nonetheless engaging and occasionally delightful; the satirical barbs aimed at L.A.’s muscle beach mentality (especially David Draper, the amiably moronic blonde hulk who is Tate’s boyfriend), the then-current astrological fad and businessmen indulging in extramarital activities often hit the target – even if with a much blunter edge than in Mackendrick’s previous film with Curtis, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957). Two other lively highlights of the film are the initial ‘meeting cute’ between Curtis and leading lady Claudia Cardinale (in which, as he tells her himself, she inadvertently manages to ruin his whole life in 30 seconds flat!) and the potentially disastrous sky-diving stunt performed by Tate and (unexpectedly) Curtis, which ends with both of them landing in his newly-inaugurated pool.The film does benefit from a workmanlike cast: Curtis is in good form as an opportunistic young man who, while being compulsively pursued by the accident-prone Cardinale, becomes hopelessly infatuated with luscious, free-spirited beach girl Sharon Tate (her effortlessly sensual slow-motion exercises on the beach early in the film are quite disturbing to watch now when one realizes that she would die so horribly in less than two years’ time); Robert Webber is a swimming pool company executive driven to his wits’ end by lover Cardinale and the blackmailing schemes of Curtis, who soon shows his salesmanship skills by selling a pool to Jim “Mr. Magoo” Backus (playing himself) and a celebrity fortune-teller with the unlikely name of Madame Lavinia (played by famed ventriloquist Edgar Bergen).While it is undoubtedly Mackendrick’s least (i.e. most inconsequential) film – and could well have been the reason why he left the profession and went into teaching – it’s a tribute to his mostly unsung genius that the film is as enjoyable as it is despite the evident flaws.
A very flaky comedy, a perplexing mix of moods involving Southern California hustler Tony Curtis with an accident prone actress, her married lover, and an assortment of beach bums and bunnies. A curiously lackadaisical pace, an almost dream-like non-focus, and the blithe, throwaway performances don't especially give the proceedings an edge, but they do help the movie stand out from other films in this genre. But what genre is it exactly? It isn't a laugh-out loud comedy, it isn't a character study, it isn't brainless but neither is it particularly witty. Just an occasional big laugh, and it certainly looks good. Sharon Tate gets an "introducing" credit, just as she did on "Eye Of The Devil" released the year before. Her role as "Malibu" is utterly undemanding, but still it's nice to see her having fun. ** from ****
Tony Curtis made alot of bad movies around this time, but DON'T MAKE WAVES is one of his better films. Here Curtis, as Carlo, is a southern Californian who's life is turned upside down when his car with all of his worldly possessions is accidentally destroyed by the beautiful Claudia Cardinale. Taking pity on Carlo, she takes him to her apartment. Sugar daddy (Robert Webber) soon shows up and promptly throws Carlo out. Having had enough, Carlo takes his circumstances and newfound information and turns them into a grand lifestyle. The usually funny Joanna Barnes turns in a sobering performance as Webber's neglected wife. Bodybuilding title holder Dave Draper is very good as not too bright musclebound Harry. It is the late Sharon Tate's performance as Malibu, Harry's on again off again sky diving girlfriend that is the real find in this movie. She's gorgeous, sexy, and about as swift as Harry. Feeling overlooked by Harry and his muscle buddies, she deadpans to Curtis, "If you were a man, would you find me attractive?" Title song performed by THE BYRDS. The rest of the score was done by Vic Mizzy, who also did the music to GREEN ACRES. In case you wondered why the music had a familiar ring to it, that's the reason. Fair amount of cameos by movie & TV stars. Look for Edgar Bergen, Jim Backus......and others.