The Party Crashers

Former Paramount contract player Frances Farmer returned to her former home lot in 1958 to make her last feature film. Despite the comment below, Farmer was *not* lobotomized (see copious documentation throughout IMDb on the Farmer page and elsewhere), and gives the film a bit of stature it wouldn't otherwise have. Interestingly, the ending was changed somewhere along the way. The original pressbook has a plot precis which reveals a more "final" ending for Twig than the film ultimately posits. Driscoll does some great work here in a thankless role, and Connie Stevens gets to scream a lot. Evidently some of the uncredited music is by Henry Mancini, but I've never been able to positively confirm that.

Nicely produced, smoothly directed production from Paramount Studios, and a cut above the usual teen movies of the day (1958). Twig's (Damon) a hell-raising pack leader, getting kicks from crashing parties with his buddies. Good girl Babs (Stevens) is attracted to him despite her strait-laced rather meek boyfriend, Josh (Driscoll). Whether she will stay with the conventional Josh or risk a less conventional tie-up with the fun-loving Twig carries much of the plot. At the same time, there are subplots involving the parents of the three youngsters, where we supposedly get insight into the kids' respective behaviors. Naturally, by 50's standards, Twig has the most dysfunctional home life, while good boy Josh has the most stable, with Babs' parents somewhere in between.

It's an interesting cast, as other reviewers helpfully point out, but shouldn't overlook the exotic Doris Dowling (Twig's slutty mother). She of the wicked eyes had a promising career in noirs before moving to Italy (1947) to appear in several neo-realist classics before moving back. For sure, once you see her, you don't forget. Here she's perfectly cast with a decidedly unconventional look. Also, be sure to catch director Girard's imaginative camera work that spins with the wild dancing of the first party crashing. Such unconventional technique was unusual for the time, and rivets us to the mounting frenzy that we know has to end badly.

All in all, the movie's well-done, but very much a product of its time. Then too, if possible, catch this film along with its Damon-Stevens companion Young and Dangerous (1957). Between them, you get a good glimpse of 50's social norms, before the eruption of the 60's counter-culture.

This film is an effective drama with an attractive cast. It is mainly a story about frustrated teens acting out. Their parents are too busy living their own soap opera to give them proper guidance. So, as you see, society hasn't changed.

Tawdry, campy and melodramatic!

In THE PARTY CRASHERS, Twig Webster (Mark Damon) runs with a rough group of sportscar enthusiasts. For "kicks", he and his fellow "JDs" like to "crash" the swinging parties of the upper crust.

On one such foray, Twig, while loading up on fancy sandwiches and expensive booze, sets his sights on the lovely Barbara Nickerson (Connie Stevens). Violence erupts when Twig and company start a drunken brawl.

Barbara, smitten with Twig's "animal" charms, decides that he's the cure for her high society blues. Her current boyfriend is now yesterday's meatloaf.

This movie takes us along for Barbara's walk on "the wrong side of the tracks". Her thrill-seeking could be her undoing, especially when she and her new friends crash the wrong sort of party!

Ms. Stevens is quite good in her spoiled, rebellious role, as is Damon. The various parents are fun too, including Denver Pyle as the wise Mr. Bickford.

Recommended for all lovers of enjoyable, moralistic fare...

I'm not sure what Frances Farmer was thinking if she thought her old studio Paramount was giving her a comeback vehicle with The Party Crashers. This film is one trashy youth exploitative flick from the late 50s. Not only was this not a comeback vehicle, but it was a last screen effort for two very tragic figures Farmer and former Disney child star Bobby Driscoll.

Denver Pyle and Farmer are Driscoll's parents and he's dating town tramp Connie Stevens when one night the brooding James Dean wannabe Mark Damon takes her from him. This starts a chain of events that leads to one death and one kid explaining things to the cops. It seems as though these are a bunch of rich bored kids who keep looking for parties every night. Nice to have money to indulge yourself like that.

The only one who has a meaty role of any kind is Doris Dowling who is Damon's mother with Onslow Stevens as his father. She's the adult version of Connie Stevens and her character has some bite to it. Dowling knows this is a turkey so she struts her stuff and gobbles.

Only Connie Stevens moved from The Party Crashers, she got a nice career with Warner Brothers very shortly.

Frances Farmer should have left with Son Of Fury being her last film.