1964's "Pajama Party" served as AIP's 4th 'Beach Party' entry, shaking things up with a new director in Don Weis and screenwriter in Louis M. Heyward, though much of the usual crowd return, such as Annette Funicello, Jody McCrea, Donna Loren, Candy Johnson, and Harvey Lembeck again leading the Rats as Eric Von Zipper. Designed as a live action cartoon with elements of science fiction, Frankie Avalon and Don Rickles are relegated to cameos on Mars as they send an incompetent go-between to spearhead their invasion of Earth, conveniently named Go Go, played by Tommy Kirk, a happy reunion of Disney stars as he and Annette share a charming duet titled "There Has to Be a Reason." Because her boyfriend is less receptive to her than to volleyball, Annette proves amenable to this newcomer, falling out of the sky to land in the home of wealthy Aunt Wendy (an always game Elsa Lanchester), who promptly grants him the name George to give her blessing to his awkward romance. Much of the picture is given over to Wendy's conniving neighbor J. Sinister Hulk (Jesse White) and his Indian sidekick, Buster Keaton as Chief Rotten Feather, aided by Bobbi Shaw's Swedish speaking bombshell Helga, a trio that would be reunited (Tommy Kirk making it a foursome) with Benny Rubin deputizing for Keaton in the series finale, "The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini." Without her usual partner and a total of three new songs, Annette Funicello truly sparkles in this one, with stiff dance competition from Susan Hart and Teri Garr, both sharing the screen with Dorothy Lamour as they put on the latest fashions. Annette's final series role in "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini" would find her conspicuously pregnant and ready to throw in the towel, while Tommy Kirk would go on to play another alien invader in Larry Buchanan's "Mars Needs Women," earnestly forced to play it straight with unspectacular results.
Review of Pajama Party
