Wild Wild Winter

Wild Wild Winter
Directed by Lennie Weinrib
Produced by Bart Patton
Written by Sam Locke
Starring Gary Clarke
Chris Noel
Don Edmonds
Susie Kaye
Les Brown Jr.
Vicky Albright
James Wellman
Steve Franken
Steven Rogers
Loren Janes
Charla Doherty
Paul Geary
Val Avery
James Frawley
Dick Miller
Mark Sturges
Music by Jerry Long (Score)
The Beau Brummels
Jay and the Americans
Dick and Dee Dee
The Astronauts
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release dates
 January 5, 1966
Running time
 80 Minutes
Language English

Wild Wild Winter is a 1966 Universal Pictures comedy film in the beach party genre, starring Gary Clarke and Chris Noel. It is directed by standup comedian Lennie Weinrib and produced by Bart Patton and is notable for featuring Jay and the Americans and the duo of Dick and Dee Dee in their only film appearances. The Beau Brummels, Jackie and Gayle and The Astronauts also perform onscreen.[1]

Plot

Fraternity brothers at the fictional Alpine College in the mountains recruit Ronnie Duke (Clarke), a surfer friend from California to seduce Susan Benchley (Noel), head of the school sorority and secretary to Dean Carlton (James Wellman), because Susan has brainwashed the other female students on campus to avoid dating the boys. Ronnie sets out a plan to become captain of the ski team and win over Susan, who is engaged to John Harris (Steve Franken), while he also attempts to save the school from its financial troubles.

Production notes

This film was shot on location at the Alpine Meadows Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe, California.[2]

Wild Wild Winter is the last of four films in the beach party genre that made use of a winter setting. The other three are MGM’s Get Yourself a College Girl (1964), AIP’s Ski Party (1965), and Columbia Pictures’ Winter A-Go-Go (1965).

A follow-up to Lennie Weinrib’s previous beach party film, Beach Ball, this film was originally titled Snow Ball, then Snowbound (the only lyrics to Wild Wild Wild Winter’s opening theme song are “Snowbound, snowbound!”) While technically not a sequel to Beach Ball, this film utilizes the same writer (Sam Locke) as well four actors from that film’s cast: Chris Noel (named Susan in both films), Don Edmonds, James Wellman and Dick Miller.

Weinrib’s directing career consisted of only three films – all in the beach party genre: the aforementioned Beach Ball from 1965, and both Wild Wild Winter and Out of Sight from 1966.

The Astronauts was a Boulder, Colorado-based surf band[3] who had a Billboard Top 100 hit in 1963 with their song “Baja.” They appeared in three other beach party films (Surf Party, Wild on the Beach and Out of Sight) – more than any other surf band.

Music

The composer for this film, Jerry Long also wrote the score for another beach party film, Catalina Caper. Both films are his only onscreen credits.

"Wild Wild Winter", the theme song to the film, was composed by Chester Pipkin.

The Beau Brummels are shown performing their own "Just Wait and See".

The Astronauts perform "A Change of Heart", written by Mark Gordon and the film’s composer Chester Pipkin.

Al Capps and Mary Dean wrote two songs heard in the film, "Our Love's Gonna Snowball", sung by Jackie and Gayle; and "Heartbeats", sung by Dick and Dee Dee with the Astronauts shown as performing back-up.

The Astronauts are also shown as providing back-up for Jay and the Americans' performance of “Two of a Kind" (written by Victor Millrose and Tony Bruno).

A soundtrack to the film was released on Decca Records in December 1965.[4]

Cast

See also

References

  1. ↑ Erickson, Hal. "Wild Wild Winter - Plot Synopsis". Allmovie (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 2009-08-26.
  2. ↑ Wild Wild Winter (DVD). The Video Beat. 1966.
  3. ↑ Colorado Magazine Online
  4. ↑ "New Album Releases". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 77 (49): 40. 1965-12-04. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
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