User reviews

... when you see a boom mike in the trailer!

"The Beach Girls and the Monster" features a clear shot of Sue Casey speaking on the phone during the trailer. With a boom mike above her. And the perch.

The movie itself has a delightful scraping the barrel approach when it comes to exploitation. You can find the two main sub-genres from the 60's b-movies melting: the monster movie and the beach movie. Both aspects are indeed badly done. The monster is everything but frightening and one has to wonder why any of his victims hadn't the idea to kick him between the legs. And the beach part is so cliché ridden it looks like a "Lord Loves A Duck" sequence, except for the fact that "Lord Loves A Duck" was a parody (also featuring boom mikes on screen). There's for instance, for comic relief, a ventriloquist and his lion Kingsley who duets with the girls on a corny song. Actually, he could be the worst ventriloquist on Earth: he carries a false beard to hide his moving lips.

Then, you find all the features of cheap exploitation movies. Washed-out actors playing the parts of supposedly attractive characters. "Teenagers" that were last seen in high school 15 before the shooting. Big names on the credits, like Frank Sinatra. Even if you must add "Jr" as that's his son, Frank Jr, and he merely wrote the score (mostly lounge jazz and a few Beach Boys attempts). Actually, Mark (Walter Edmiston) looks a little like Sinatra as the sculptor that Sue Casey teases. (By the way, his sculptures are not exactly flattering even for a fading beauty like Ms Casey.)

Jon Hall, for his only directing credit, shot the thing cheaply and quickly. His house was a convenient place for inner shots and he tends to use zooming extensively to end a scene without making another shot. It's irritating even when it's Luchino Visconti who's directing and Jon Hall is apparently no Visconti.

And there's the story, or indeed the lack of story. You also know that a movie has got a problem when Robert Silliphant is credited for "additional dialogue". Silliphant took a writing hand in both "The Creeping Terror" and "The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?". In other words, he's responsible for two of the lamest screenplays of all times! "The Beach Girls and the Monster" is his third and final screen credit. So I have to wonder how much Silliphant improved the original screenplay.

On the plus side, the girls on the beach (actually the dancing troupe from the Whisky-A-Go- Go club) have tight bikinis and giggles as if they were Shakira's mother. Or grandmother. So, every movie has a redeeming quality.

Pretty cheesy. John Hall directs and stars in this movie also known as MONSTER FROM THE SURF. Pretty girls are slashed to death by a sea monster. Right! I have always liked Jon Hall, but this movie is as interesting as sea weed. Stock footage of surfing and no "real" monster at all. Acting is about as lame as the script. Also in the cast are Sue Casey, Elaine DuPont and Walker Edmiston.

MST fans are familiar with the classic episode whereby Mike and the 'bots turn their comedic talents on the East Coast beach movie "The Horror of Party Beach". Like "Horror", "The Beach Girls and the Monster" takes place on a beach and features a monster, but that's where the similarities end.

"Beach Girls" tells the story of Otto, who is a scientist. Otto is a control freak who can't control anyone in his life. You see, Otto has a trophy wife by the name of Vicky who likes to cheat on him and a son who has been neglecting his work in the family's sea lab. The son carries some guilt over being involved in an accident which gives his friend a limp. Seeing that he's been living life way too seriously, the son has taken to the beach life, surfing and dancing with pretty girls. This does not please the father at all.

Otto's son and his friends party like it's 1999, but a monster is killing them one by one. Why them and no one else? Why are we never shown the origin of the monster? Well, after about the 2/3 mark of this movie, it becomes very apparent what the answers to these questions are. This movie is not so much a horror movie per se, but rather a drama involving a dysfunctional family that just happens to have a monster in it.

One little item might escape you on first viewing it. In one scene, the son and his friend are viewing a movie of surfing in Hawaii, which really lends nothing to the movie except to pad it out so it runs at least an hour. The movie is shot in black and white, but the inserted footage is in that washed-out 60s color. Watch for it.

Sterno says catch this wave and ride it in to shore.

I remember watching this movie as a kid and I thought it was pretty scary, so when I saw it on DVD I decided to get it and now I see why a lot of people think this movie is a stinker. The film is part beach party flick, part whodunnit, part melodrama and part horror. John Hall, who showed a lot of promise with his role in The Hurricane, really showed how far his career had fallen when he became involved in this throwaway and Sue Casey showed why she was nothing more than a minor league actress. The other actors, if you can call them that, are so bad that you wonder why this film was ever made. However, I do like looking at bad movies and this is definitely one of them.

Combine some amateurish acting, shoddy camera work, lame script, and a really tacky sea monster costume..and this is the result. A spinning newspaper (the 'Hollywood Star Gazette') screams the headline "Surf Beauty Clawed to Death!"..and that's pretty much how the whole monster mystery begins. The one recognizable name, Jon Hall, directed and portrays a scientist, upset that his son, Arnold Lessing, is spending so much time at the beach with that 'wild bunch'. Hall's much younger wife cheats on him, and his son's strange sculptor friend also shares the beach house.

Most of the beach activity consists of pretty girls dancing around with each other and an occasional song (Frank Sinatra Jr. gets a big screen credit as the writer of one of them). In the midst of the mess is one really good surfing segment.. I couldn't believe the same guy filmed this, and sure enough, it was footage produced by Dale Davis (well known for his surfing shots).

Yes, it's bad, but for those who will tolerate bad just for the fun of it, I guess it's worth a look. At least it's honest--you know it's bad before you ever start watching, and thankfully it's black and white...I can't imagine how much worse it would've been in color.

I've only ever seen this film with the title Monster From the Surf, but whichever way you package it, it's a stone cold psychotronic classic. Heck, the dual presence of Radley Metzger behind the camera (he acquits himself nicely, especially with his shots of a drunken Vicky) and Frank Sinatra Jr.'s score should be enough enticement for anyone. Add in faded matinee idol Jon Hall in the starring role, season with liberal amounts of surf footage, and you have a winner! Especially memorable is the 'theme song', as interpreted by a hand puppet. A pleasure to watch on many levels.

Completed in April 1964, "Surf Terror" had to wait over a year before finally being issued under the more exploitive title "The Beach Girls and the Monster," quickly making its way to TV screens under still another, "Monster from the Surf" (this version featuring about 7-8 minutes of added footage). Former matinée idol Jon Hall, remembered for "The Hurricane," "Invisible Agent," "The Invisible Man's Revenge," and numerous camp vehicles opposite Maria Montez, stars in his final screen appearance, doubling as both director and cinematographer. Following on the heels of Del Tenney's better known "The Horror of Party Beach," both films' reliance on black and white contrast with the sun drenched colors of AIP's 'Beach Party' series. After a nice opening murder done by the titular monster from a cave, the film quickly bogs down with the silly beach antics of the teens, the lowest (or highest) camp moment coming when 'Kingsley the Lion' does his rendition of "There's a Monster in the Surf," joined by super cutie Elaine Dupont, courageously squealing with abandon. The domestic drama finds Richard Lindsay (Arnold Lessing) losing interest in following in his father's footsteps after a car crash that cripples his artist friend (Walker Edmiston). His disapproving father, eminent oceanographer Dr. Otto Lindsay (Jon Hall), suggests that the marauding creature may be an African fantigua fish, which he says is capable of walking on land, and can grow to 100 lbs. Otto believes that those harmless teens are capable of murder, while his wife of five years (Sue Casey) rejects him while flirting outrageously with all the other males around, even her stepson Richard. Judging by these events, the twisted climax is perfectly fitting, almost apologizing for the lame monster suit. Hall still looked fit and trim just seven years earlier in "Hell Ship Mutiny," here nearly unrecognizable, sluggish and overweight. No great shakes in terms of acting or directing, an almost appropriate conclusion to his career, low brow adventure films and the cheesy series RAMAR OF THE JUNGLE, Hall's one last acting credit a 1965 PERRY MASON (he committed suicide in 1979, suffering from terminal cancer). Vanishing from the airwaves by the 1980s, "Monster from the Surf" made its lone appearance on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater June 29 1968, followed by second feature "The Magnetic Monster."

This movie is clearly not for everyone as it was made during a more innocent time when surfing and beach movies were all the rage. And while it obviously didn't win any Academy Awards, it was still a cute movie all the same. Essentially, the film starts off with a pretty beach girl who playfully runs away from the campfire her friends are having on the beach. A monster then appears and kills her. After that the scene shifts to one of the beach houses where a young surfer named "Richard Lindsey" (Arnold Lessing) lives with his overly demanding father, "Dr. Otto Lindsey" (John Hall) and his sexy but two-timing stepmother "Vicky Lindsey" (Sue Casey). Meanwhile, in between all the drama within the beach house, the monster continues to kill Richard's friends. At any rate, while I thought this movie was a bit amusing, in all honesty it's really hard to overlook the faults. The acting wasn't very good, some of the scenes were laughable and the "monster" looked completely ridiculous. Even so, it had some attractive ladies like Elaine DuPont (as "Janie") and the aforementioned Sue Casey to brighten up the scenery along with a little mystery thrown in as well. So, all things considered, I suppose it wasn't a total waste of time. But again, this film isn't for everyone and even then, those who remember this particular era, will still have to make allowances.

Frank Sinatra Jr had absolutely nothing to do with the soundtrack. It was recorded at BMI studios in L.A. in one evening by a band called the Illusions, from Riverside, CA. I played lead guitar, Monty Byrd played drums, Dave Phillips rhythm guitar, Mick Okleshen (an airman on active duty at March AFB) on bass, and Tom Burrell on Sax. There was also a studio musician playing trumpet and french horn. We were a typical high-school band playing for dances and parties, when Chuck Segal, connected to capitol records (how I could not tell you) put us on contract to make records after hearing a demo record we made in Cucamonga, CA, and carried all over LA to record companies. Kids who had a real contract!! We were thrilled, and of course, still inexperienced kids. Chuck called us into the LA studio to do the track while watching clips from the movie. We never saw the entire film until it played at a local drive-in theater. We were told that Frank Jr had actually written one of the many different songs we played throughout the movie, but they thought using his name in the credits would ad at least some credibility to an otherwise delightfully sleezy film. We had to do it at night, because it was during school. We had to improvise various generic riffs to fit the scenes, including the "creepy" guitar sounds when the monster appears (that's me on my Fender jaguar), as well as the beach party, the car crash sequence, and several other scenes. We never were paid anything, but Chuck did take us out to a Chinese place not far away for a free meal sometime after midnight, when we finally finished. Sometime after that we did spend another evening making a demo of a song called Clare De-Lune (sp?) but in a guitar double-picking surf music style, similar to what Dick Dale made famous. Everyone used to tell me I could actually play better and faster than Dick, but I did not have the unique "sound" he could produce because he played a right-handed guitar left-handed, but upside down, with the strings still in the RH order. I just thought a few people would get a kick out of hearing what really went on with the music. I found this site after "Googleing" the film title and was surprised anybody even cared enough to watch it, much less devote time to comment. It was fun, and the movie will always be great to me, one of the fondest memories I have from my youth.

For years I've had the TV version (Monster From The Surf) on VHS off of TV. Despite it's shortcomings, I watch it once in a while. Maybe it's the surfish soundtrack (nice minor key whammy-bar during the monster scenes); I've added the opening credits theme to my surf guitar repetoire. I also enjoyed the character Mark, the sculptor,(Walker Edmiston's finest moment?) who really digs the surf crowd (rather vacuous and dull in this movie) but can't seem to connect with them. I wonder if Frank Sinatra Jr. really composed the music. I also wonder if Jon Hall actually got in the monster suit. I doubt it. For his sake I hope not as the performance of the monster was awful. Note how after 'brutally murdering' the 1st victim he makes sure not to drop her on the ground hard. Anyhow I was surprised to see this on DVD but didn't think it deserved the price it was selling for. Later I found it used and happily picked it up. No outtakes or commentary (I doubt there's a huge public outcry) but some good liner notes about the cast & movie. *1/2 out of *****

This film is monstrous. It is a mock hybrid of the beach movies and the last of the 50's sci-fi monster (beware of KCL beams) from the sea movies. Let us hope it does not turn out to be a psychological thriller where it is always the last person you suspect.

On the positive side, I did not see one butler in the movie. I just hope there is not an obligatory car chase. Do not be too disappointed if you find out it is the South American Phatiqua Fish.

The presentation I watched was in monochrome. The few songs are hokey (probably by design.) Straps fall off shoulders, but you will not have to cover your kid's eyes.

The DVD has a few extras. Showing the highlights as "the glamorous Watusi dancing girls from Hollywood's famed whiskey A-Go-Go Night Club.

First the good: the soundtrack is very good; with instrumental surf and "film noir jazz". Shame that the movie doesn't reach any real heights at all. I only give this one five stars because of the good soundtrack. The movie itself rates a four at absolute best.

Thin plot with a bizarre motivation for the monster. Very mild horror with some fairy tale elements such as an evil, nympho, stepmother and the crippled genius.

Watch for the music and, of course, the Sixties gogo dancing teens. Ignore the movie going on around the good music.

The career of Jon Hall sputtered to a Cuban Rebel Girl like conclusion as he both starred and directed The Beach Girls And The Monster. He was pretty well done with acting in any event and as you read his page was not totally enamored of the profession. I'd hate to think this was the best thing he could get though. Even Errol Flynn before he did Cuban Rebel Girl had some good films immediately before.

Hall plays an oceanographer living, where else, but sunny California on the beach where his son Arnold Lessing just wants to pound some surf as well as pound a few beach bunnies before he settles down in what dad hopes will be the family business. He's also got a tramp of a wife in Sue Casey who's stepping out on him and not secretly.

In any event some beach bunnies are found clawed to death and law enforcement can't figure out who's to blame. Hall tells them it's a mutation of a South American fish, but all options are on the table.

The monster when we do see him is a rather silly looking creature that might scare someone under the age of 7, but not anyone older.

A sad and pathetic film and a lousy farewell for Jon Hall.

The title tells you what to expect, just not how to expect it.

Made in 1965, one expects the upside to be the characters, camaraderie, maturity of emotions, and logical directing. One would expect the downside to be a poorly explained monster with poorly explained motivation.

Later monster movies would have little upside, and keep the same downside.

What we get here is little downside. The only downside is the way the movie tries to make a few characters seem like the only ones in what appears to be a fairly metropolitan area. We get a sheriff and a few lawmen, for instance, which looks very "small town" in scope, but at times they seem to be in a larger area. The disparity here is the downside.

The cheesy scenes on the beach work well, because they're directed well. This film is unjustly maligned by a certain rich brat breed of modern reviewers. By that, I mean the reviewers who simply decide ahead of time to malign a movie. You've probably taken a seat next to such people before. Before three lines are ever spoken, before three actions take place, these people have already panned the entire movie, and you know they decided to do it before the opening credits.

This film flows very well, and has all the atmosphere it promises. This is a good monster film, with lots of surprises.

Clocking in at barely over an hour,The Beach Girls And The Monster combines a monster who gently massages people to death,45 year old men playing teens and some of the worst acting ever caught on film. The plot is decent(for a 50 year old b-movie) but like most they fill a lot of time with nothing.The filler isn't on the absurd level of say Teenagers Battle The Thing(which was 59 minutes with 25 minutes of nothing)but it's too much.The movie could have been 15 minutes shorter with nothing missing.

For some reason they made a big deal out of Frank Sinatra Jr. doing the music.I always considered him sort of a joke.Anyway,it's a good song but it's just one song over and over and over.

If you value your time,don't watch this movie.