Pajama Party (1964) (MGM)

[MifuneFan]

In addition to Bikini Beach, MGM will also be releasing Pajama Party (1964) on Blu-ray in December!

https://www.moviezyng.com/pajama-par...k/810134944350

Gogo (Tommy Kirk) is a teenager from Mars sent to Earth to pave the way for an invasion. Upon landing, the bewildered visitor becomes besotted by a chipper beach town. Gogo befriends a kindhearted widow and shop owner named Aunt Wendy (Elsa Lanchester), whose fortune is coveted by the aptly named Chief Rotten Eagle (Buster Keaton). After she has dressed him in some sharp surf attire, Gogo takes to the beach, where he soon falls for a beautiful local (Annette Funicello).

Pajama Party | 1964 | Theatrical Trailer - YouTube

[Frightener22]

YESS!! More Annette!

[StarDestroyer52]

Keep them coming!

[whiteberry]

It looks like MGM is releasing the movies we know have HD masters in the order of their theatrical release.

Ski Party should be next (Beach Blanket Bingo will probably be skipped over because it has an existing blu-ray from Olive).

[whiteberry]

Annette singing the title song:

Annette Funicello - Pajama Party - YouTube

Toni Basil and Teri Garr are dancers in this. In the description of the following YouTube video, Toni recounts her experiences making the movie:

Pajama Party (1964) Toni Basil Featured Dancer - YouTube

This is an iconic AIP Beach film. One of the many I did in the 60's. Some I choreographed but this one I assisted David Winters whom I worked with throughout the 60's as his assistant. He was one of the great actor/dancers in the film West Side Story and also in the original Broadway musical. I'm still in touch with almost all the dancers in this movie especially Teri Garr my best friend the gorgeous leggy Oscar nominated blond dancing behind me. I can't tell you how hot it was shooting in the sun and difficult it was dancing on that sand. I think this was my first street dance battle.

In this movie, Buster Keaton, Susan Hart, and Bobbi Shaw make their first appearances in the series

Susan Hart in 'Pajama Party' (1964) - YouTube

Bobbie Shaw Chance in 'Pajama Party' (1964) - YouTube

[captveg]

Originally Posted by whiteberry

Beach Blanket Bingo will probably be skipped over because it has an existing blu-ray from Olive

With Olive gone it wouldn't be much of a stretch for MGM to release their own version. They've done it for other former Olive titles.

[whiteberry]

Originally Posted by captveg

With Olive gone it wouldn't be much of a stretch for MGM to release their own version. They've done it for other former Olive titles.

Olive also released Muscle Beach Party which came out before Bikini Beach and Pajama Party so it looks to me they are skipping the ones already released on blu-ray. I could be wrong though. I'm just hoping they release the ones that have not gotten a blu-ray release first because we know none of the existing boutique labels are interested in releasing them on blu-ray.


https://greenbriarpictureshows.blogs...-american.html

[Q-Tip]

Very happy this is finally releasing on BD, I think this beach movie is my favorite one of them all. Love Buster!

[Ned Brainard]

Cowabunga! Another title I'll be happy to add to my collection!

[Jobla]

An MGM employee said today that the original BEACH PARTY has not been preserved in HD. He added that he didn't know why.

[whiteberry]

Originally Posted by Jobla

An MGM employee said today that the original BEACH PARTY has not been preserved in HD. He added that he didn't know why.

Of the remaining movies, Ski Party, Fireball 500, and Thunder Alley definitely have HD masters because they have appeared in HD digitally.

It looks like MGM did a HD master for Sergeant Dead Head for the MOD DVD but it hasn't turned up digitally. An ugly, fullscreen SD master is all that is available digitally. The MOD DVD is 2.35:1 and looks beautiful.

The Ghost In The Invisible Bikini hasn't shown up in HD digitally and I have no idea if a HD master exists.

[Dex Robinson]

Not to overstate things but this may be the greatest news in the history of mankind!

[merlinjones]

Awesome news - more Annette!

I would rebuy Beach Blanket Bingo if MGM restored the cut "I'll Never Change Him" number.

[Jobla]

Originally Posted by merlinjones

Awesome news - more Annette!

I would rebuy Beach Blanket Bingo if MGM restored the cut "I'll Never Change Him" number.

As would I. In fact, I'd rebuy BBB if "I'll Never Change Him" was only included in the extras as a supplement.

That song was deleted from the theatrical release version of BBB, but then added back to TV prints to pad the running time a little bit. AMC used to air BBB with the Annette solo included.

[The-Cinema-Upstairs]

Originally Posted by Jobla

An MGM employee said today that the original BEACH PARTY has not been preserved in HD. He added that he didn't know why.

Any chance this employee can look into this to get an answer as to why the first film hasn't been preserved in HD?

[Jobla]

The answer he would receive would probably be something like "that title isn't a priority."

It does seem odd that some but not all of the Beach Party films have been preserved in HD.

[Röckzilla]

Yet another Beach Party film finally recieving a Blu-ray release very soon?!
Dude, I must have already wiped out and gone to surf heaven!
That's right MGM, keep these Beach Party Blu-rays a comin'...


In all seriousness though:
Where the hell am I supose to order these from?
I'm not going to pay Amazon to send me smashed copies.
Hopefully someone like Diabolik, Grindhouse Video, or Orbit will stock these.
But knowing my luck, probably not.

[The-Cinema-Upstairs]

Originally Posted by Jobla

The answer he would receive would probably be something like "that title isn't a priority."

It does seem odd that some but not all of the Beach Party films have been preserved in HD.

From what I'm reading on here, all of Annette's AIP films have already been mastered in HD for streaming except for the first one (BEACH PARTY). This makes me wonder if there are issues with the film elements?! I hope not but there has to be a reason for skipping the first, and arguably the most popular of the films.

[Jobla]

The elements might be substandard in some way, but the BEACH PARTY DVD didn't look that bad. I haven't viewed it in a longtime, but it didn't look worse to me than the old Beach Party films on DVD.

It sounds like the last film in the series, GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI, also hasn't been preserved in HD.

[The-Cinema-Upstairs]

Originally Posted by Jobla

The elements might be substandard in some way, but the BEACH PARTY DVD didn't look that bad. I haven't viewed it in a longtime, but it didn't look worse to me than the old Beach Party films on DVD.

It sounds like the last film in the series, GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI, also hasn't been preserved in HD.

Actually, I just remembered that earlier this year BEACH PARTY screened poolside at the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival, possibly debuting a new HD restoration of the film? If you look at images from the event, the source used for that screening certainly appears different from what we have on the DVD release. Look at the colors; they appear quite a bit brighter and the image sharper than what I recall ever seeing before. So, if that is the case, I think we can look forward to a HD release of that first film in the near future!