Before second-string A.I.P. studios turned into the primary movie-house responsible for scary-castle thrillers and cycle-savage B-flicks, it took another gasp with its "Beach Party" cast, putting GI Frankie Avalon and a chimpanzee into orbit. Deborah Walley is the love-interest, Buster Keaton is an Air Force handyman, Fred Clark is the befuddled General, but there's no Annette Funicello this time (not even in a cameo). The nickname "Dead Head" was very popular with A.I.P.'s stable of writers; poor Avalon gets to wear the moniker this time, and he looks more than a little embarrassed monkeying around with this script, full of silly slapstick. Eve Arden gets some funny lines and has an enjoyable song number, the gals in the barracks are frisky, but the rest is pretty routine. *1/2 from ****
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The producers behind such epic masterpieces as "It Conquered the World" and the "Beach Party" movies get together again after a string of Edgar Allan Poe hits to put the screws to the military in this farce where minus Annette Funnicello (and in a dual role no less), Frankie Avalon is prepared to conquer outer space (along with a chimpanzee no less) much to the frustration of the officers at his military base and his long-time fiancée. Deborah Walley takes on the role Annette would have played, basically playing straight woman to the accident prone Avalon (whose leading character's last name really is Deadhead) and some befuddled officers. The brunt of frustration goes to General Fred Clark and his lady love, Lieutenant Eve Arden, tough and strict on the outside, but total mush on the inside.
This isn't just a farce, it's a farce with songs and dances, mostly pretty bad, but with occasional moments of amusement that bring smiles if not outward laughter. It's Arden who really steals the show here, with great support from Clark, as well as former "Our Miss Brooks" foil Gale Gordon, future "Joker" Cesar Romero and droll Reginald Gardiner as the three visiting officers who are more than just moderately amused when they arrive on the base just as towel clad women must salute, having just rushed out of the showers in a false alarm emergency drill. Of course, all the madness is caused by Avalon unintentionally, and eventually, his actions lead him into the guardhouse where regular "Beach Party" troublemaker Harvey Lembeck is planning an escape with the aid of an exploding pen. In his attempt to avoid re-capture, Avalon hides on a space craft which is is unaware as part of project "Moon Monkey" is about to take off, stocked with a chimp and bananas, and now heading for probable disaster with Avalon aboard.
The plot is pretty non-sensical, not staying in space long enough, but causing Avalon's still basically shy young man to become a vivacious womanizer upon his return. It seems space alters personalities, but rather than come back preparing to audition for the Roddy McDowall role in "Planet of the Apes", he comes back simply with sex on his mind. The government, lead by Pat Buttram's squeaky voiced president, is forced to give Avalon a hero's welcome, but afraid he will screw everything up, Clark arranges for a look-alike to take his place, even at Deadhead's marriage to Walley. Ironically cast later playing Arden's daughter on "The Mothers-In-Law", Walley is sweet but ineffectual, while Avalon seems to be overplaying his role to excess. Arden steals the show with her big musical number, "You Should Have Seen the One That Got Away", but the other songs are totally third rate.
Buster Keaton has a brief pratfall appearance as perhaps the oldest recruit in military history, and his role is a sad and unnecessary appearance. Even in his next film (and one of his last), "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", he was better utilized than this. As helmed by veteran director Norman Taurog, this offers some minor amusement, but other than Arden and her male cronies, it really has nothing to recommend it. -
Uriah4318 March 2023This film essentially begins with an airman by the name of "Sergeant O. K. Deadhead" (Frankie Avalon) being sent to the guardhouse due to a series of mishaps which have caused problems on the base. Needless to say, this doesn't sit well with his fiancé "Airman Lucy Turner" (Deborah Walley) who had hoped to marry him that weekend. Likewise, Sergeant Deadhead also wanted to be married and as a result he tells his other two cellmates that he intends to be a model prisoner so that he can be released early. However, one of his cellmates named "Airman McEvoy" (Harvey Lembeck) doesn't share his concern and detonates an explosive that very night which compels Sergeant Deadhead to escape from the guardhouse as well. To that effect, upon being chased by the military police, Sergeant Deadhead takes refuge in a rocket destined for outer space--and returns as a completely different person. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this movie started off real well due in large part to the performances of Buster Keaton (as "Airman Blinken") and Gale Gordon ("Captain Weiskopf"). Unfortunately, the film seemed to run out of steam around the halfway mark and became less interesting at that point. Even so, I suppose it was good enough for the time spent and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.
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bkoganbing1 March 2015When I say that this a screen comedy for dead heads I don't mean for followers of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia. In fact to avoid seeing this film people ought to be grateful they've passed.
There's a little bit of The Nutty Professor in Sergeant Dead Head and by the way that's Frankie Avalon's character name, O.K. Deadhead. An accidental trip into outer space with a chimpanzee has him changing personalities from being a lovable klutz to being an aggressive Buddy Love type. That's causing consternation with all concerned from the president on down to Deborah Walley fellow Air Force non-com and in love with the lovable klutz.
But when Avalon becomes aggressive like Buddy Love all concerned he might be too hard to handle. So they look for a lookalike and find another Frankie Avalon in the Air Force. After that this whole affair becomes witless beyond the point of endurance.
When casting Pat Buttram as a Lyndon Johnson like president is someone's idea of humor you know this film has to be bad. Frankie Avalon isn't even given any good songs to sing.
If you like Frankie Avalon wait for a beach film. -
It's cool to see the 'beach party' gang play different roles, and to see the great Buster Keaton in his 4th and final appearance in one of the AIP studios comedies. Another reviewer on here said Gale Gordon was on sabbatical from 'The Beverly Hillbillies'--WRONG! Gale Gordon was Mr. Mooney on 'The Lucy Show' at this time. Raymond Bailey was Mr. Drysdale on 'The Beverly Hillbillies', not Gale Gordon. (Bailey isn't in this movie, by the way.) I think that's who they were thinking of.
But...this has to be the WORST of the Nicholson/Arkoff produced AIP musical comedies of the 1960's.
I pretty much have all of the 'beach party' films on DVD, so I know what I'm talking about.
YIKES! It is cool to see character actors like Eve Arden, Fred Clark, Harvey Lembeck, Cesar Romero, Pat Buttram and Gale Gordon, but this is such a bad movie! The other AIP movies aren't the best either, but this one is truly bad in comparison. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? It's available on DVD if you look hard enough online. Message me for the site where I found it if you really want to see/own this movie. -
lzf01 November 2009American-International decided to put Frankie Avalon in the Air Force for this latter day installment in the "Beach Party" series. There are quite a number of differences between this and the typical "Beach" movie. First of all, there is no beach what so ever. Secondly, Frankie Avalon plays opposite Deborah Walley instead of Annette Funicello. This had happened before in "Ski Party", but Annette makes a cameo appearance in that one. Here, she is nowhere to be found. Thirdly, the number of veteran character stars has increased. We get Cesar Romero, Eve Arden, Fred Clark, Reginald Gardiner, Pat Buttram, and, best of all, Gale Gordon in one of his few big screen roles. Buster Keaton is here, but he is given less to do than in previous AIP flicks. Harvey Lembeck is cast in his usual bumbling tough guy role, but he does not play Eric von Zipper. I wish he had! John Ashley is cast against type as a nerdy airman and he plays the role well. We get six new songs by Jerry Styner and Guy Hemric thrown into the slapstick mix. But there is a big difference in the songs. Except for Donna Loren's guest spot, these songs are written in traditional musical comedy style as opposed to California Beach Pop. Frankie Avalon had developed into a good comedian and he holds his own with the more seasoned comedy players in the film. His role(s) could have been played at the time by Jerry Lewis or Soupy Sales, but Avalon shows that he can be as funny as those master comics. Avalon shows that he can be effective as both a mousy guy and a confident braggart. Having veteran director Norman Taurog guiding the film adds to the sheen and he is able to keep everything looking good, despite the low budget. This may not be the best film in the series, but it is an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes.
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JohnSeal21 October 2001Inept is a kind word to describe this misfire. Appalling is more accurate. For some reason, Arkoff and Nicholson decided to branch out from beach pictures, taking most of their regular cast and crew along for the ride. Frankie plays two characters again (though nowhere near as endearingly as in his Frankie/Potato Bug double role) and this time Deborah Walley is the love interest--apparently Annette had enough sense to stay out of this one. Unbelievably they are cast as lovers stationed at the same military base (this decades before the services were sexually integrated) where space missions originate. Ms. Walley's superior officer is played brassilly by the always fine Eve Arden (who sings a dreadful song mid-picture); Frankie's counterpart is the equally good Fred Clark. Gale Gordon, on sabbatical from The Beverly Hillbillies, is also along, as is Cesar Romero as an Admiral. Buster Keaton, Harvey Lembeck, John Ashley, Bobbi Shaw...how can it be BAD? Well, it is. I didn't laugh once. There is one vaguely funny scene between two military policemen but it's too short to generate any real guffaws. The songs are much worse than usual and Deke Heyward's story is unforgivably poor.
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morganmpoet13 May 2023Many of AIPs main players are there including writers, direction etc. However, the script is very weak. There is very little of the classic AIP interplays or humor at work here. It feels flat and barely has any redeeming features. However, Fred Clark is good as the general and he's pretty funny. And great to see all those other character actors from those times. But something is missing here, it just has a weird vapid meandering vibe to it. Literally any previous AIP generated beach movie or knock offs such. 'Fireball 500' are much better. This film has its moments but really, if you're wanting to delve into the AIP library, this is not the place to start. Like I said, for completists only.
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stefanozucchelli7 May 2022Disappointing movie, weak comedy and not very interesting if not downright bad. I did not find characters that intrigued me nor a captivating plot. If the best things you notice in a movie are explosive cigars then there is audacity that doesn't work.
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Major klutz leads his post though all kinds of calamities and misunderstandings that involve pratfalls, mistaken identities and a rocket trip with a monkey mixed in with a few songs.
This is the kind of movie you have to rate on a sliding scale. First of all consider the title, if that doesn't give you a clue about the level of entertainment you can expect you didn't read it right. Second consider that it comes from AIP a studio whose major output was innocent simple-minded films mostly in the beach party vein. This one doesn't exceed any of those expectations but it does have a veteran supporting cast all do their patented shtick each adding a little pleasure into the film. True Avalon and Deborah Walley are merely bland in the leads but the script doesn't require anything more from them and they fill those roles attractively.
If you're looking for a sweet throwback time passer this will fit the bill if you want anything weighty look elsewhere. -
thepeanutgallery17 December 2008This is a crazy comedy about a cowardly, mild-mannered airman, Sergeant Deadhead (Frankie Avalon,) who, after being forced to break out of the local guardhouse (which he was in as a result of his bumbling) hides out in a rocket which is then mistakenly launched into space with him aboard. While in orbit, Sergeant Deadhead experiences a personality change and becomes an extremely aggressive and gregarious version of his former self. Now the air force is left with the problem of keeping him quiet about their ineptness. In order to do this, they find an exact double of him- Sergeant Donovan (also played by Frankie Avalon) and arrange for Donovan to marry Deadhead's fiancée. Chaos ensues when Deadhead breaks out of the Guardhouse in time for his own wedding (and a bump on the head restores him the tiniest bit to his former self.) This movie is hilarious, delightfully corny, and very cute. It never takes itself too seriously, Frankie Avalon turns in an absolutely delightful performance in his dual role and the supporting cast (notably Eve Arden) is splendid. If you watch with your sense of humor fully engaged, you won't be disappointed.
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GLuisa885 March 2010Absurd, bizarre, crazy, improbable, corny, and wildly hilarious! Don't try to take it seriously, just sit back and enjoy the wackiness.
A few highlights: Eve Arden's song, "The One That Got Away"; Sergeant Deadhead's escape from the jail house; The quickly assembled wedding band that only knows how to play "Jingle Bells"... poorly; The "new and improved" Sergeant Deadhead right after he lands from his trip in space.
I love this movie, I enjoy Frankie Avalon and this is a nice departure from his beach/Annette Funicello films.
It's a shame this film is not better known...