For Those Who Think Young

Look, this film ain't a classic. Nevertheless ,it was the type of film, that brought the kids in in the 1960's. I saw it at a drive-in when I was 9. Even at that age, I recognized the Pepsi slogan, and when I kept seeing Pepsi machines in the film, I thought it was sponsored by Pepsi. My first encounter with product placement.

The plot is mindless, the characters shallow, the jokes unfunny. Tina Louise stripping off that gold-lame gown is priceless, though. Nice to know, that Tina Louise, could have had a backup career as a stripper, if she had not cashed in on "Gilligan's Island".

Pamela Tiffin's character has the I.Q. of a soapdish. I still enjoyed this film. I work in telecommunications, and I got a real chuckle out of the two (2!) mobile telephones in James Darren's car. I also enjoyed the bit where Darren calls Bob Denver on the walkie-talkie. Real high-tech stuff for this time period.

Although they share no on-screen time, Bob Denver and Tina Louise (reported rivals on TV's "Gilligan's Island") make their one and only film together, with Denver playing a beatnik and Louise stealing the show as a tone-deaf dancer. Acting accolades are really quite scarce here as the movie--a comedy about college kids awakening to civic rights while partying on the beach--is fairly dim-witted and slow on laughs. As one of the adults on hand, Ellen Burstyn (née McRae) does a drunk act with the best of them, but romantic leads James Darren and Pamela Tiffin are easily forgotten. Brunette Nancy Sinatra (pre-"Boots") is cute as Denver's girlfriend, and it is fun to catch all these stars together in one place. Few of them ever crossed paths again. ** from ****

Can't find better escapism! James Darren & Pamela Tiffin as the hotties, Tina Louise breathily trying to sing while sticking out her breasts, Nancy Sinatra with her natural hair color (the not-yet-blonde days), grumpy parents who don't understand "kids these days" & Paul Lynde as the "bachelor uncle" (yeah, right?) all combine for a wild, mindless romp. And who can unsee that weird number with Bob Denver, buried in sand except his makeup mouth & chin, singing "Ho Daddy"? Great with a bottle of wine and/or some 420.

Times change. Tastes in movies and comedy change. Doubtless most of the other users who reviewed this movie are too young to remember Woody Woodbury at all, but he was quite popular and successful back in the sixties (albeit briefly). I can well remember listening to his comedy albums (a sort of primitive CD, large flat plastic disks that were played on an ancient device called a "record player") and finding them quite amusing, if nowhere near as funny as Bob Newhart or as cutting edge as Jonathan Winters or Bill Cosby. And certainly he seems much more dated now than any of them but even in this movie I still find his humor --- well, pleasantly amusing is maybe the best way to express it.

As for the movie itself: it was one of many attempts by big studios to cash in on the success of the AIP BEACH PARTY movies and probably better than most. It sure had enough talented and recognizable people in the cast including, to my astonishment, a young and very pretty Ellen Burstyn. Certainly FOR THOSE WHO THINK YOUNG is a harmless and genial enough way to spend a couple of hours if you have nothing better to do. There are worse things in the world.

My main reason for watching For Those Who Think Young was to see Woody Woodbury believe it or not. I remember watching Who Do You Trust after I came home from school and I never did get to see the film that he incessantly plugged during the show.

I wasn't missing a whole lot, For Those Who Think Young makes the beach films of Frankie and Annette look like Shakespeare or O'Neill. The substitute leads here are James Darren and Pamela Tiffin standing in for Frankie and Annette. Jim's a rich kid whose grandfather Robert Middleton tightly controls the family purse strings and he's had to practically buy the college he's going to in order to keep Jim there.

Pam is Woody's niece and she's been raised by him and his partner Paul Lynde in the club and she occasionally strips. But she wants to better herself. Not by marrying a rich kid though, especially if its my grandson says Middleton.

I will say this about For Those Who Think Young, it has one of the most eclectic casts ever assembled for a film at that time. Imagine seeing such veteran performers as Anna Lee, Addison Richards, Sammee Tong, Allen Jenkins and Benny Baker and even George Raft in an unbilled part as a police officer raiding Woodbury's club. Put them together with Bob Denver and Tina Louise before Gilligan's Island and the daughters of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin also playing college coed friends of Tiffin's and you have a cast for the ages.

If you're a fan of the Beach films than you will like For Those Who Think Young. As for me this goes back to when I was young.

And this review is dedicated to Woody Woodbury who while his career never went the way his predecessor on Who Do You Trust, Johnny Carson's did, I still have good memories of him and the show.