The 1959 beach movie which introduced the character to screen essayed by Sandra Dee. Dee is about to start her summer & hopes to have fun which comes in the form of being the mascot (Girl + Midget = Gidget) for a bunch of beach bums, played by the likes of James Darren & Cliff Robertson, w/names like Kahuna & Moondoggie. Showing she's adept at surfing, Darren takes her under his wing but her parents, fearing she'll be hurt by the experience, instead partner her for a big upcoming party which will round out the summer season. Fun, airy & ultimately blissfully naïve in the ways of the world, I can understand this being of a particular time & place (like most of the Beach Blanket movies) where going to see this in the theater was definitely a 'check your brain at the door' endeavor. Also starring Arthur O'Connell as Dee's father, Yvonne Craig as one of Dee's friends w/Doug McClure & Tom Laughlin (Billy Jack) as other beach bum members.
