Donna Loren Movies
Donna Loren was, after her slightly older contemporary Annette Funicello, the actress who got the most professional exposure from American International Pictures' Beach Party movies. Like Funicello, Loren had a wholesome image in those films; in contrast to Funicello, Loren was actually a teenager for the run of the series. Born Donna Zukor in Boston, MA, in 1947, Loren began performing professionally in 1955 when she got a job singing a commercial jingle for Meadowgold Ice Cream. That very same year, she was a guest on a new children's television program called The Mickey Mouse Club (which featured Funicello in its cast of regulars). She began her professional recording career in 1956 and was one of the busier child performers for the next decade, making commercials that used her infectiously wholesome smile to plug a variety of products and cutting the occasional single. Her breakthrough came in 1963 when she won a talent search for the "Dr. Pepper Girl." Her face appeared on billboards, her voice was heard on the radio, and she was seen on television (including regular appearances on American Bandstand) and in personal appearances plugging the soft drink Dr. Pepper. The company agreed to have its teenage spokeswoman appear in the movie Beach Party, as a sight gag, plugging the soft drink (whose makers had helped finance the film), but producers Samuel Z. Arkoff and James H. Nicholson were so pleased with her presence on camera and her voice, that they gave her a song to perform, and Loren got an actual acting role in Bikini Beach, the follow-up film. She subsequently appeared in Muscle Beach Party, Pajama Party, and Beach Blanket Bingo -- the latter resulted in the release of her first and only LP, Beach Blanket Bingo, on Capitol. Loren closed out her screen career in the Frankie Avalon vehicle Sergeant Deadhead, although she continued making records into the following year. In contrast to such AIP actresses as Salli Sachse and Joy Harmon, who got work into the late '60s playing bad girls, Loren's clean, wholesome image, reminiscent of Lesley Gore, seemed locked into the mid-'60s. Following another foray into recording during the 1970s, Loren left behind performing as a career and has since emerged as a successful clothing designer with her own label, ADASA Hawaii. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Part of American-International's "Beach Party" series, Beach Blanket Bingo was directed by William Asher. Frankie (Frankie Avalon) briefly deserts Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) in favor of pop star Sugar Kane (Linda Evans). Also around and about is a mermaid, appropriately named Lorelei (Marta Kristen). Scurrilous cycle gang leader Eric Von Zipper (Harvey Lembeck) finds time to sing a tune, while Paul Lynde sneers a lot, Don Rickles insults a lot, Buster Keaton mimes a lot, and columnist Earl Wilson lets everybody know who he is by exclaiming "That's Earl, brother." The whole cast rushes to the rescue when South Dakota Slim (Timothy Carey) binds the lovely Sugar Kane to a buzzsaw. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, (more)
- 1965
In this comedy, a hapless Army sergeant's plans to marry are temporarily delayed after he accidentally ends up launched into space with a chimpanzee. Upon his return, he is a changed man and is ultimately sent to prison after he threatens to go public with the mix-up. Meanwhile, suave Sgt. Donovan, Deadhead's double, takes his place at the altar. To stop him, Deadhead breaks out of prison and becomes his old self again just as he arrives at the honeymoon suite. Naturally he wins his rightful bride and happiness ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Avalon, Deborah Walley, (more)
Out of the beaches and into the boudoirs go Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello and the rest of the gang in Pajama Party. Actually, the whole megillah is as innocent as a newborn babe, but there's plenty of smirking and snickering during a wild 'n' wacky girl's slumber party. Frankie Avalon has only a cameo, relinquishing center stage to Tommy Kirk, playing a teenaged Martian (!) studying the lovemaking rituals of Earthlings. Old-timers Buster Keaton, Dorothy Lamour and Elsa Lanchester also weave in and out of the proceedings, with Keaton the only one who doesn't look as though he wishes he were somewhere else. And of course there's good old Harvey Lembeck as good old Eric "Why Me?" Von Zipper. Director Don Weis took over for Beach Party's William Asher in Pajama Party, remaining in charge for the ill-fated sequel Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Kirk, Annette Funicello, (more)
- 1964
The Beach Party gang is back in this third episode. This time out, the gang is visited by the handsome British pop star Potato Bug (Frankie Avalon in a dual role) who has come to CA for a little r&r. When Potato Bug sees the perky Dee Dee (Annette Funicello), he falls head over heels. This doesn't set well with her boyfriend, Frankie. Later the kids all join forces to keep aged developer Harvey Huntington Honeywagon from buying their beach and using it to build a senior citizen's resort. Honeywagon is assisted by Brandoesque biker Eric Von Zipper while the kids are helped out by the adolescent supporter Big Drag. Songs include: "Bikini Drag", "Love's a Secret Weapon", and "Because You're You". Special guest artists include Little Stevie Wonder, the Exciters and the Pyramids. Boris Karloff has an un-credited cameo. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, (more)
- 1964
The Beach Party Gang meets a coterie of muscle-men who try to take over their spot on the beach in Muscle Beach Party. Surfing sensations Frankie (Frankie Avalon) and Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) have their security threatened when Flex Martian (Rock Stevens) and a collection of well-oiled weight-lifters invade their turf. While tensions heat up on the beach, wealthy contessa Julie (Luciana Paluzzi) arranges for her business manager S.Z. Matts (Buddy Hackett) to entice Flex into becoming the latest in her long line of boyfriends. Julie's feelings change when she meets Frankie, who, honored by Julie's amorous attentions, returns her affections, causing a rift not only between Dee Dee and himself, but a further collapse in relations between the surfers and the body-builders, which is assuaged only by the music of Dick Dale and the Del Tones and Little Stevie Wonder. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, (more)
