''Ghost in the Invisible Bikini'' is the seventh and last of

American International Pictures American International Pictures (AIP) is an American motion picture production label of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing fi ...

' beach party films. Released in 1966, the film features the cast cavorting in and around a

haunted house A haunted house, spook house or ghost house in ghostlore is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the prope ...

and the adjacent swimming pool. No beach appears in the film. Besides the usual bikini-clad cast, random singing, silly plot line, musical guests, and ridiculous chases and fight scenes, the continuity linking this to the other beach films is the Rat Pack motorcycle gang led by Eric Von Zipper (

Harvey Lembeck Harvey Lembeck (April 15, 1923 – January 5, 1982) was an American comedic actor best remembered for his role as Cpl. Rocco Barbella on ''The Phil Silvers Show'' (a.k.a. ''Sgt. Bilko'', a.k.a. ''You'll Never Get Rich'') in the late 1950s, and a ...

), as well as the appearance of previous beach party alumni

Tommy Kirk Thomas Lee Kirk (December 10, 1941 – September 28, 2021) was an American actor, best known for his performances in films made by Walt Disney Studios such as '' Old Yeller'', '' The Shaggy Dog'', ''Swiss Family Robinson'', '' The Absent-Minded ...

, Deborah Walley,

Bobbi Shaw Bobbie Shaw Chance (born Barbara Shisoff; September 16, 1943) is an actress best known for her appearances in American International Pictures' beach party movies of the 1960s. Biography Shaw was a singer and dancer in Las Vegas. She was spotted by ...

, Jesse White, Aron Kincaid,

Quinn O'Hara Quinn O'Hara (January 3, 1941 – May 5, 2017), born Alice Jones, was a Scottish-born American actress and nurse. Early life O'Hara was born in Edinburgh. Later, she and her mother moved to Cardiff where she attended a convent school, then to ...

and

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film '' Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...

.Stephen Jacobs, ''Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster'', Tomahawk Press 2011 p 470-471 Pop singer

Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatr ...

, who was on the rise at the time just before the film was released, has a supporting role and performs one song written for the film; and The Bobby Fuller Four appear as themselves and sing two songs. Claudia Martin, daughter of Dean Martin, co-stars in the film as Lulu. The briefly famous Italian starlet Piccola Pupa appears as herself and sings a song.

Plot

The ghost of recently dead Mr. Hiram Stokeley (

) finds that he has 24 hours to perform one good deed to get into Heaven. He enlists the help of his long-dead girlfriend, Cecily, to stop his lawyer, Reginald Ripper ( Basil Rathbone), and a henchman from claiming the estate for themselves. The real heirs, Chuck, Lili, Hiram's cousin Myrtle, and her son bring their beach party friends to the mansion for a pool party while Reginald Ripper also employs his daughter Sinistra, and J. Sinister Hulk's slow-witted associates Chicken Feather and Yolanda to help them terrorize the teens, while dopey biker Eric Von Zipper and his Malibu Rat Pack bikers also get involved in pursuing Yolanda for a share of the Stokely estate.

Principal cast

as Chuck Phillips * Deborah Walley as Lili Morton * Aron Kincaid as Bobby *

as Sinistra * Jesse White as J. Sinister Hulk *

as Vicki * Claudia Martin as Lulu * Francis X. Bushman as Malcolm *

Benny Rubin Benny Rubin (February 2, 1899 – July 15, 1986) was an American comedian and film actor. Born in Boston, Rubin made more than 200 radio, film and television appearances over a span of 50 years. Career In 1929, Rubin went to Hollywood, where he ...

as Chicken Feather *

as Princess Yolanda *

George Barrows George D. Barrows (New York, February 7, 1914 – Oxnard, October 17, 1994) was an American actor known for playing Ro-Man in the film ''Robot Monster''. He was the son of actor Henry A. Barrows. He often wore a gorilla suit for his film r ...

as Monstro * Basil Rathbone as Reginald Ripper * Patsy Kelly as Myrtle Forbush *

as Hiram Stokely * Susan Hart as Cecily the Ghost * Piccola Pupa as Piccola * Luree Holmes as Luree * Ed Garner as Ed * Frank Alesia as Frank

The Rat Pack

as Eric Von Zipper *

Andy Romano Andrew Romano (June 15, 1941 – September 14, 2022) was an American actor, known for playing "J.D.", an outlaw motorcyclist and right-hand henchman of the character Eric von Zipper (played by Harvey Lembeck) in the 1960s Beach Party movies (wh ...

as J.D. *

Alberta Nelson Alberta Nelson (August 14, 1937 – April 29, 2006) was an American television and film actress. After several dramatic parts in television in the early 1960s, she made five guest appearances on ''The Andy Griffith Show''. Early years Nelson ...

as Puss * Myrna Ross as Boots * Jerry Brutsche as Jerome * Bob Harvey as Bobby * Sam Page as Chauncey * John Macchia as Joey * Allen Fife as Beard

Production notes

Development

The project originated as ''Pajama Party in a Haunted House'' being first announced by AIP in January 1965. It was part of a line up of Beach Party-linked projects from the studio, the others including '' Beach Blanket Bingo'', ''

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini ''How to Stuff a Wild Bikini'' is a 1965 Pathécolor beach party film from American International Pictures. The sixth entry in a seven-film series, the movie features Mickey Rooney, Annette Funicello, Dwayne Hickman, Brian Donlevy, and Beverl ...

'', ''

Ski Party ''Ski Party'' is a 1965 American musical-comedy film directed by Alan Rafkin and starring Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman. It was released by American International Pictures (AIP). ''Ski Party'' is considered as a beach party film spin-off, wi ...

'', '' Sergeant Deadhead'', ''The Chase'' ''Jet Set Party'', and a ''Beach Party'' TV series. (The last two of those announced were never made.) It was also known in development as ''The Girl in the Glass Bikini'' and was originally to star Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon, and be directed by

William Asher William Milton Asher (August 8, 1921 – July 16, 2012) was an American television and film producer, film director, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific early television directors, producing or directing over two dozen series. Wit ...

. The title of ''Girl in the Glass Bikini'' can be seen in the promo in the end credits for ''

Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine ''Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine'' is a 1965 American International Pictures comedy film, made in Pathécolor, directed by Norman Taurog. It stars Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Susan Hart and Jack Mullaney, and features F ...

'', an AIP spy spoof loosely affiliated with the Beach Party series (with "beach" alumni Avalon, Walley,

Dwayne Hickman Dwayne Bernard Hickman (May 18, 1934 – January 9, 2022) was an American actor and television executive, producer and director, who worked as an executive at CBS and had also briefly recorded as a vocalist. Hickman portrayed Chuck MacDonald, B ...

, and Susan Hart). By June 1965,

Don Weis Don Weis (May 13, 1922 – July 26, 2000) was an American film and television director. Biography Weis was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Emma (née Wiener; 1889–1971) and Meyer Weis (1886-1942). He graduated from the University of Southern ...

was announced as director. He had made '' Pajama Party'' for AIP, and did it under a two-picture deal with the studio. Louis M. Heyward, who had also worked on ''Pajama Party'', wrote the script. During filming, the movie was also called ''Bikini Party in a Haunted House''.

Casting

Although Avalon and Funicello had been announced as the stars originally, neither appeared in the final film (it remains the only movie in the series to not feature either.) Walley signed in June 1965, and was soon followed by Nancy Sinatra and Claudia Martin. Beach Party regulars

Jody McCrea Joel Dee "Jody" McCrea (September 6, 1934 – April 4, 2009) was an American actor. He was the son of actors Joel McCrea and Frances Dee. Early life McCrea was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of actors Joel McCrea and Frances Dee. ...

and John Ashley were also originally announced in the cast with Buster Keaton signing to reprise his role as a comic Indian. Keaton bowed out, due to illness (decd. February 1966) and his role was taken by Ben Rubin. Ashley and McCrea did not appear in the final film, the male leads being played by Tommy Kirk and Aron Kincaid, both of whom had worked for AIP before. Other veteran actors who appeared were Francis X. Bushman, Basil Rathbone and Patsy Kelly. The movie was reportedly Bushman's 435th.

Elsa Lanchester Elsa Sullivan Lanchester (28 October 1902 – 26 December 1986) was a British-American actress with a long career in theatre, film and television.Obituary '' Variety'', 31 December 1986. Lanchester studied dance as a child and after the F ...

was originally announced to be playing a small role but did not appear in the final film. Actress and singer Piccola Pupa was a 13-year-old discovery of

Danny Thomas Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running sitc ...

. The movie marked her film debut.

Filming

The shoot began in September 1965.Tom Lisanti, ''Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies: The First Wave, 1959–1969'', McFarland 2005, p282-294 Aron Kincaid, who was forced to participate in the film under his long-term contract with AIP, was supposed to perform two musical numbers, but these scenes were dropped. After filming was completed, a number of the cast went to the

Golden Oak Ranch Golden Oak Ranch is an 890-acre (360 ha) movie ranch owned by the Walt Disney Studios subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company that serves as a filming location and backlot. The ranch is off of Placerita Canyon Road outside of Newhall, Santa ...

to film the opening number, ''Bikini Party in a Haunted House'', sung by Kincaid and Piccola Pupa. The stunt scene of Eric Von Zipper crashing his motorcycle into a pond was used again in the first

Billy Jack ''Billy Jack'' is a 1971 American action drama independent film, the second of four films centering on a character of the same name which began with the movie ''The Born Losers'' (1967), played by Tom Laughlin, who directed and co-wrote the scri ...

film, ''

The Born Losers ''The Born Losers'' is a 1967 American outlaw biker film.Gary A. Smith, ''The American International Pictures Video Guide'', McFarland 2009 p 32 The film introduced Tom Laughlin as the half-Indian Green Beret Vietnam veteran Billy Jack. Since ...

'' (1967), also produced by AIP.

Addition of Karloff/Hart sequences

James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff of AIP were not happy with the original cut of the film and subsequently ordered reshoots several weeks after the completion of principal photography, including addition of a new plot involving an old man who has to perform a good deed in order to gain eternal youth, and a sexy ghost in an invisible bikini who helps him. The old man was played by Boris Karloff and the ghost by Nicholson's wife Susan Hart. The movie was retitled ''Ghost in the Invisible Bikini.'' Hart shot her scenes wearing a blonde wig and black velvet bathing suit, shot against a black velvet backdrop. They were directed by editor Ronnie Sinclair. Hart worked for two weeks on her own, then for a week with Boris Karloff. Karloff's scenes were all filmed in a one-room mausoleum set on a separate soundstage. For his scenes, Karloff is clearly standing in a bottomless coffin, rather than sitting up in it, a necessity given his chronic back problems and leg brace. Neither Hart or Karloff worked with any members of the original cast; their scenes were edited into the existing footage.

Music

Les Baxter Leslie Thompson "Les" Baxter (March 14, 1922 – January 15, 1996) was a best-selling American musician and composer. After working as an arranger and composer for swing bands, he developed his own style of easy listening music, known as exotica a ...

composed and conducted the musical score. Al Simms was the musical supervisor, and Albert Harris composed some additional music and served as the film's orchestrator. Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner wrote five songs that appear in the film: * "Geronimo" performed by Nancy Sinatra * "Don't Try to Fight It Baby" performed by Quinn O'Hara * "Stand Up and Fight" performed by Piccola Pupa * "Swing A-Ma Thing" performed by The Bobby Fuller Four * "Make the Music Pretty" performed by The Bobby Fuller Four

Reception

The film was released in April 1966.

Critical

Margaret Harford of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' said the film "has little to distinguish itself from its predecessors beyond the rumour that this beach party romp in a haunted house will be the last in AIP's long proliferating series", further noting, "Old timers give the picture some class." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote, "All in all, a good try but short on script and inspiration."

Box office

The film's theatrical releases was a commercial disappointment.

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...

in the ''New York Times'' described it as "a flop". However, it did gross 1.5 million against a budget of $600,000. AIP made no further Beach Party films, as the genre was changing and grew into drag racing and motorcycle-themed storylines. Philip Bent, who had a small role, died in a plane crash in July 1966 shortly after the film's release. In the same month, Bobby Fuller was also found dead near his home in LA.

DVD

Under its 'Midnite Movie' line, ''Ghost in the Invisible Bikini'' was released on Region 1 DVD February 15, 2005 by MGM Home Entertainment. '' Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow'' was on Side Two of the disc, emulating AIP's theatrical release double features of the 1960s.

References

External links

* * * *
''The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini''
at Brian's Drive in Theatre {{DEFAULTSORT:Ghost In The Invisible Bikini, The 1966 films 1960s fantasy comedy films 1960s teen films American International Pictures films American sequel films American fantasy comedy films 1960s English-language films Beach party films Films directed by Don Weis Films scored by Les Baxter Films set in California American ghost films American haunted house films Bikinis 1966 comedy films 1960s American films