Where the Boys Are (1960)

Pretty Good

best movie i've ever seen.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Is this really supposed to be a comedy? Surely it is and always should be where the girls are? The idea is that the girl is the one who is chased until she catches her man, and if he is the son of a multimillionaire, so much the better. People who know about this sort of thing like this film, including Camille Paglia, a so-called feminist, who thought the date rape scene was excellent. Well, it wasn't really a date rape, nor was it much of a scene, but clearly that is where the laughter stopped, assuming it ever started.The fish tank scene in the restaurant wasn't funny either, but anyone born after about 1990 will surely find it laughable to see a surgeon walk straight out of the operating theatre and light up a cigarette. The music isn't much better either.

This is certainly no ordinary college spring break film. Yes, the kids are having a good time singing, dancing, drinking and frolicking in the pool in beautifully warm Florida during their annual break, but there is a rape scene here and it is well acted by a troubled Yvette Mimieux who turns in a genuinely fine performance as one of the girls out for a good time, but certainly gets more than she has expected.Dolores Hart, or should I call her by her current name, Sister Dolores Hart, is really amazing as the girl in trouble with her studies and that family living professor, who goes to Florida to unwind but instead finds true bliss with the wealthy playboy, played by the always debonair George Hamilton.In her first film, Connie Francis plays the spunky Angie along for the ride. Frank Gorshin, with those goggle glasses, adds to the mix, but in comparison to what he could be like, is comparatively subdued here, even with the funny scene in the tank. Barbara Nichols, with that high strung voice, adds to the comic relief.

To me, this is a coming of age movie. They go to Ft. Lauderdale as children and come home sadder but wiser adults. It's a journey.There is also the theme of the outsiders. Our core group are bookish or socially awkward/isolated who go to "where the boys are" and then aren't entirely sure what to do next because while they are full of theories, they are lacking in practical experience. These are not the social butterflies with easy ways and an unconcern about tomorrow who are all around them, casually flopping in their room and crowding every inch of the town. Melanie tragically found out that romantic delusions about Ivy League fellows have nothing to do with reality. In today's terms, she might be the innocent star struck girl who got involved with minor celebrities and all they were into. I hope she went home and gave a decent local boy she had never noticed before a chance.People read their own perspective on life into this movie. That's easy to do because it handles some adult themes and can't be classified as just another beach blanket bingo. It reminds me more of the original Gidget movie from 1959. It's about one crucial time when everything changed for those involved.And by the way, Tuggle sent the police after the rapist. He didn't get off scot free! And there was mention of a girl who got pregnant one vacation but she got married before she gave birth which was awkward but not horrifying, certainly not to these four who wanted love and commitment although they hoped no babies right away. So let's get over the idea that this is a typical "bad girl gets punished and nothing happens to the boy" movie. There was obviously a whole lot of mating going on as the booze flowed into underaged students in Ft. Lauderdale!But our group came from an unusually strait-laced background--nobody could call their college a party school! I enjoyed Tuggle so much. Paula Prentiss was an amazing find and I watch all of her movies I can. Tuggle was the modern assertive counterbalance to Melanie's almost Victorian vulnerability. She wasn't as emotionally constrained as Merritt, except when Merritt broke down and cried, or as passive and sort of sad as Angie. I could see why they would all be friends. They complemented each other. And I could see the nun that Dolores Hart would become in the portrayal of Merritt when she was tenderly listening to Melanie in the hospital.As for the main guys, TV was a stitch if juvenile, Ryder needed to put some age on him before he would be really handsome instead of a callow and shallow rich guy, the Ivy Leaguers were as interchangeable to us as they tried to be to Melanie, and Basil was purely weird--I most remember his myopic fish face in the tank!

I kind of put this film in the middle of old age. The cast is priceless now as I fell in love with Paula Prentiss long ago even though in this film she is presented in her comedienne persona. I think she could have been better utilized but Hollywood was uncomfortable with tall actress's when this one was made. The late Jim Hutton plays the same person he always plays in films. Like seeing excellent character actors like Chill Wills in any film. Connie Francis sold most of her records based on her fame in this film.Actually by 1960, the sexual values represented in this film were 1950's values. In fact, what this film was trying to do was take an attractive cast to try & keep women in their traditional role here of looking for a man as the only way to be happy. Considering that divorce rates were already climbing by 1960 creating many single parent house holds, it was going to take Hollywood several more years before they would even get to this stark reality.There is some priceless comedy in this film as Frank Gorshin who is a stand up comedian & then the Riddler on Batman, is at his rubber faced best here. People now forget Gorshin was a top impressionist during this era. Some of his talent shows here. This Technicolor film is fine for the scenery & cast but put your brain away as the plot is very light weight.