Beach Blanket Bingo - Annette's MIA song - Blu-ray Forum

merlinjones · 12-20-2014, 05:48 PM

Thanks Olive, for releasing "Beach Blanket Bingo" and "Muscle Beach Party" (and please follow with all the other in the series: "Beach Party," "Bikini Beach," "Pajama Party," "Ski Party," "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini" and "The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini" etc.).

But most of all -- Please restore Annette's awesome song: "I'll Never Change Him" to "Beach Blanket Bingo." Allegedly cut before original release, only shows up in some TV pan-and-scan prints. It's really worth the effort to include in widescreen glory...

Here's the number:

Jobla · 12-20-2014, 06:55 PM

I think the last time I saw that sequence was in the full-frame AMC print, a number of years ago. I don't recall if that sequence appeared in full-frame VHS editions, or not.

Was BEACH BLANKET BINGO released on laserdisc? If it was, "I'll Never Change Him" probably appeared there, since the laser would have been full-frame. I do recall a laserdisc for MUSCLE BEACH PARTY.

Olive doesn't add very many supplemental features, so I'd be happily surprised to see "I'll Never Change Him" included on the Blu-ray.

Some of Annette's best songs have never appeared on CD, including "I'll Never Change Him" and "Teenage Wedding."

ZoetMB · 12-20-2014, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jobla

Some of Annette's best songs...

Isn't that an oxymoron?

johnm_001 · 12-21-2014, 02:43 AM

I don't know when or how this tale of the song not being in the theatrical release got stated. If that is true, it wasn't when the film played Philadelphia, during it's original release. The song was there. It was my favorite moment in the movie, and I went back to see the film twice more. All three times, the song was there. I have no interest in this release if the song is not going to be restored to the movie. I played the DVD, exactly once.

Dex Robinson · 12-21-2014, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnm_001

I don't know when or how this tale of the song not being in the theatrical release got stated. If that is true, it wasn't when the film played Philadelphia, during it's original release. The song was there. It was my favorite moment in the movie, and I went back to see the film twice more. All three times, the song was there. I have no interest in this release if the song is not going to be restored to the movie. I played the DVD, exactly once.

It's a pretty straight forward story (this subject has been discussed in the Olive films thread).

As wikipedia states (not that they are unimpeachable but this is the general understanding of the matter):

"Gary Usher and Roger Christian wrote three songs, “Cycle Set” and the instrumental “Freeway” - both performed by the Hondells; and “I'll Never Change Him” performed by Annette Funicello. (“I'll Never Change Him” was included in initial prints, but later excised for wide release when the decision was made to feature the song as "We'll Never Change Them" in Ski Party.)"

You were fortunate to see one of those "initial prints".

I would not expect the song to re-appear for the Blu-ray. Oh, I'd be delighted if it did makes it way to the BD...but that's a longshot.

SKI PARTY opened barely two months after BEACH BLANKET BINGO. AIP decided almost immediately that the song would be used in SKI PARTY instead. So, at least in the view of the films makers, the "official" version of Beach Blanket Bingo should not contain the song. They would not view it as a "cut" the way we would think of it. For them, it would just be moving a song from early in the franchise to later in the franchise.

Olive Films is not known for doing their own restorations or doing much in the way of extras. I would assume they will take the AIP/Orion/MGM source material that is given to them. If AIP/Orion/MGM hold to their 50 year long belief that they song is a SKI PARTY song and not BEACH BLANKET BINGO song, there isn't much that can be done about.

Like I said...we can hope...but hoping doesn't mean "holding your breath"

!

And it certainly isn't a deal breaker in any way. For those who saw it in an early print, count yourself lucky. But it wasn't in wide release and the version already on DVD is what most people (myself included) would have seen. That's good enough for me. I don't feel I'm missing out on something that I never saw in the first place.

Jobla · 12-21-2014, 04:22 AM

Even without "I'll Never Change Him," most aficionados of the series consider BBB to be the best entry.

I believe that the lyrics were slightly changed to "We'll Never Change Them" when the song moved over to SKI PARTY to be warbled by Deborah Walley (although the backing vocals and instrumental track were probably identical to the Annette version). The song title change was somewhat ironic, given that the two male leads appear in drag during that sequence.

Dex Robinson · 12-21-2014, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jobla

...
I believe that the lyrics were slightly changed to "We'll Never Change Them" when the song moved over to SKI PARTY to be warbled by Deborah Walley (although the backing vocals and instrumental track were probably identical to the Annette version). The song title change was somewhat ironic, given that the two male leads appear in drag during that sequence.

And it was made all the worse by the fact that, even for a white guy, Dwayne Hickman had absolutely no sense of rhythm whatsoever. He seems like a very decent guy but he should never have been allowed anywhere near a scene requiring basic musical talent.

He spent the better part of his life as a TV executive...a job he was likely better suited for

.

I'm actually surprised that the song even made it into initial prints of BEACH BLANKET BINGO. As mentioned, BBB opened in April and SKI PARTY opened in June. I don't know the shooting dates but logic tells us that principle filming of SKI PARTY likely ended by April if it was going to be edited for June release. So the people involved would have filmed the song for both movies and must have understood that it couldn't be included in two movies opening almost on top of each other. It just seems strange.

Jobla · 12-21-2014, 05:42 PM

Dwayne Hickman's wonderful autobiography contained some really funny stories about his brief, forced musical "career."

The songs on his LP were recorded phonetically, one line at a time, because he admittedly couldn't carry a tune.

When Dwayne's single "School Dance" was being played back, an engineer brought singer Paul Anka into the studio. Anka walked in without saying hello to anybody and simply sat down right next to a massive sound speaker. He listened to the first half of "School Dance," then looked up and simply shook his head no. Anka then got up and walked out of the room, again without saying anything to anybody. Dwayne figured out that the song wouldn't be a hit.

PLG1962 · 01-10-2015, 04:46 AM

I'll wait for the box set with all of them

Nailwraps · 01-10-2015, 04:48 AM

You should consider asking this to Olive Films:
http://www.olivefilms.com/about-us/

Alhlan Ain Ajeeba · 02-13-2015, 04:54 PM

Any reviews yet?

Nailwraps · 02-13-2015, 09:10 PM

Yeah:
http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/a...bingoblu65.htm

Alhlan Ain Ajeeba · 02-13-2015, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nailwraps

Yeah:
http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/a...bingoblu65.htm

Thanks, sounds like they will look good. Why in the world didnt they post screenshots?

Jobla · 02-13-2015, 10:02 PM

Based on that review, there's no inclusion of Annette's "I'll Never Change Him." So, that elusive song continues to elude digital media (not available on CD, DVD, or Blu-ray).

The two Blu-rays are due on 2/17/15. I can't wait!

BILLONEEG · 02-14-2015, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jobla

I think the last time I saw that sequence was in the full-frame AMC print, a number of years ago. I don't recall if that sequence appeared in full-frame VHS editions, or not.

Was BEACH BLANKET BINGO released on laserdisc? If it was, "I'll Never Change Him" probably appeared there, since the laser would have been full-frame.

I had the Laserdisc. It was put out by HBO Films & did not have "I'll Never Change Him".

monorail91 · 02-14-2015, 02:40 PM

Too bad about "I'll Never Change Him," probably the best song from BBB. Still, happy to have my favorite Beach Party movie and looking forward to Bikini Beach!

cramped_misfit1990 · 02-15-2015, 07:20 PM

Very excited for these beach films on BD! My personal favorite is Pajama Party... I like them all though. They need to release all these films soon. I want Dr. Goldfoot!

Dex Robinson · 02-15-2015, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cramped_misfit1990

Very excited for these beach films on BD! My personal favorite is Pajama Party... I like them all though. They need to release all these films soon. I want Dr. Goldfoot!

PAJAMA PARTY is a great film and certainly the least played of all the Beach Party movies. Regretably, Frankie Avalon has only a brief cameo. If Avalon had been available for the role played by Tommy Kirk, this may have been a more famous film.

There are a hole pile of neat trivia questions in this scene. The blonde dancing next to Annette is Teri Garr. The choreographer?... Toni Basil (singer of 80's hit HEY MICKEY) who also dances in the film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuiM...ature=youtu.be

cramped_misfit1990 · 02-15-2015, 10:23 PM

If I remember correctly, Muscle Beach Party is the very worst film in this series... For me anyway. I still like it, but not nearly as good as the rest. I was slightly disappointed that Olive films were releasing it instead of Ski Party, Pajama Party, Bikini Beach or Ghost In The Invisible Bikini. Any of those would have been a better choice to go with Beach Blanket Bingo to me.

Dex Robinson · 02-15-2015, 11:00 PM

I agree that MUSCLE BEACH PARTY is among the weaker films in the series. "Worst"...hard to say.

But I suspect there is more to these choices than we know.

On the face of it, it would seem very odd that the original BEACH PARTY isn't being released. I would have to guess that Olive took the only films that they were offered at this time.

Right now, Kino and Shout/Scream are also releasing the old AIP/MGM/Midnite Movie flicks. I'm sure if Olive was offered BEACH PARTY, they wouldn't have said, "No, we'll take MUSCLE BEACH PARTY instead". That just doesn't make sense. Either the others were not offered to Olive or perhaps HD masters weren't yet available. If the other Beach Party movies are ready for BD, they'll eventually make their way to Olive, Kino or Shout.

I just have to believe that BEACH BLANKET BINGO and MUSCLE BEACH PARTY were the only films made available to Olive...for now.

12-21-2014, 05:42 PM	#8
Jobla Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2013 Location:Boulevard of Broken Dreams	Dwayne Hickman's wonderful autobiography contained some really funny stories about his brief, forced musical "career." The songs on his LP were recorded phonetically, one line at a time, because he admittedly couldn't carry a tune. When Dwayne's single "School Dance" was being played back, an engineer brought singer Paul Anka into the studio. Anka walked in without saying hello to anybody and simply sat down right next to a massive sound speaker. He listened to the first half of "School Dance," then looked up and simply shook his head no. Anka then got up and walked out of the room, again without saying anything to anybody. Dwayne figured out that the song wouldn't be a hit. Last edited by Jobla; 02-14-2015 at 06:57 PM.

12-20-2014, 06:55 PM	#2
Jobla Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2013 Location:Boulevard of Broken Dreams	I think the last time I saw that sequence was in the full-frame AMC print, a number of years ago. I don't recall if that sequence appeared in full-frame VHS editions, or not. Was BEACH BLANKET BINGO released on laserdisc? If it was, "I'll Never Change Him" probably appeared there, since the laser would have been full-frame. I do recall a laserdisc for MUSCLE BEACH PARTY. Olive doesn't add very many supplemental features, so I'd be happily surprised to see "I'll Never Change Him" included on the Blu-ray. Some of Annette's best songs have never appeared on CD, including "I'll Never Change Him" and "Teenage Wedding."

12-21-2014, 02:43 AM	#4
johnm_001 Member Member since:Mar 2011 4K collection:38 Blu-ray collection:388 Blu-ray reviews:1	I don't know when or how this tale of the song not being in the theatrical release got stated. If that is true, it wasn't when the film played Philadelphia, during it's original release. The song was there. It was my favorite moment in the movie, and I went back to see the film twice more. All three times, the song was there. I have no interest in this release if the song is not going to be restored to the movie. I played the DVD, exactly once.

12-21-2014, 04:22 AM	#6
Jobla Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2013 Location:Boulevard of Broken Dreams	Even without "I'll Never Change Him," most aficionados of the series consider BBB to be the best entry. I believe that the lyrics were slightly changed to "We'll Never Change Them" when the song moved over to SKI PARTY to be warbled by Deborah Walley (although the backing vocals and instrumental track were probably identical to the Annette version). The song title change was somewhat ironic, given that the two male leads appear in drag during that sequence.

01-10-2015, 04:46 AM	#9
PLG1962 Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jun 2014 Location:Melbourne Australia 4K collection:139 Blu-ray collection:2395 DVD collection:158 Trading Score:8	I'll wait for the box set with all of them

01-10-2015, 04:48 AM	#10
Nailwraps Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jun 2012 Location:USA 4K collection:61 Blu-ray collection:884 DVD collection:1826 Digital collection:3	You should consider asking this to Olive Films: http://www.olivefilms.com/about-us/

02-13-2015, 04:54 PM	#11
Alhlan Ain Ajeeba Blu-ray Guru Member since:Jul 2011 Location:Naples, Italy	Any reviews yet?

02-13-2015, 09:10 PM	#12
Nailwraps Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jun 2012 Location:USA 4K collection:61 Blu-ray collection:884 DVD collection:1826 Digital collection:3	Yeah: http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/a...bingoblu65.htm

02-13-2015, 10:02 PM	#14
Jobla Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2013 Location:Boulevard of Broken Dreams	Based on that review, there's no inclusion of Annette's "I'll Never Change Him." So, that elusive song continues to elude digital media (not available on CD, DVD, or Blu-ray). The two Blu-rays are due on 2/17/15. I can't wait!

02-14-2015, 02:40 PM	#16
monorail91 Expert Member Member since:Aug 2012 Location:Los Angeles, CA Blu-ray collection:423 DVD collection:314 iTunes collection:1	Too bad about "I'll Never Change Him," probably the best song from BBB. Still, happy to have my favorite Beach Party movie and looking forward to Bikini Beach!

02-15-2015, 07:20 PM	#17
cramped_misfit1990 Banned Member since:Jan 2015 Location:Frogtown, USA Blu-ray collection:183	Very excited for these beach films on BD! My personal favorite is Pajama Party... I like them all though. They need to release all these films soon. I want Dr. Goldfoot!

02-15-2015, 10:23 PM	#19
cramped_misfit1990 Banned Member since:Jan 2015 Location:Frogtown, USA Blu-ray collection:183	If I remember correctly, Muscle Beach Party is the very worst film in this series... For me anyway. I still like it, but not nearly as good as the rest. I was slightly disappointed that Olive films were releasing it instead of Ski Party, Pajama Party, Bikini Beach or Ghost In The Invisible Bikini. Any of those would have been a better choice to go with Beach Blanket Bingo to me.

02-15-2015, 11:00 PM	#20
Dex Robinson Blu-ray Guru Member since:Feb 2012 Location:Winnipeg, Canada Trading Score:1	I agree that MUSCLE BEACH PARTY is among the weaker films in the series. "Worst"...hard to say. But I suspect there is more to these choices than we know. On the face of it, it would seem very odd that the original BEACH PARTY isn't being released. I would have to guess that Olive took the only films that they were offered at this time. Right now, Kino and Shout/Scream are also releasing the old AIP/MGM/Midnite Movie flicks. I'm sure if Olive was offered BEACH PARTY, they wouldn't have said, "No, we'll take MUSCLE BEACH PARTY instead". That just doesn't make sense. Either the others were not offered to Olive or perhaps HD masters weren't yet available. If the other Beach Party movies are ready for BD, they'll eventually make their way to Olive, Kino or Shout. I just have to believe that BEACH BLANKET BINGO and MUSCLE BEACH PARTY were the only films made available to Olive...for now.

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