Katherine Eunson Movies

Gidget Goes to Rome was the third film to be inspired by the beach-happy characters created by Frederick Kohner back in the mid-1950s. This time, surfer gal Francie "Gidget" Lawrence is played by newcomer Cindy Carol. Per the title, the film finds Gidget vacationing in the Eternal City with faithful boyfriend Jeff, aka Moondoggie (James Darren). Chaperoning the pair is Aunt Albertina (Jessie Royce Landis), but that doesn't stop Gidge and Jeff from experiencing brief extracurricular flirtations in Rome. The question: how do the producers get Cindy Carol into a bikini without diverting from the plotline? The answer: a slapstick setpiece during a fashion show. The last of the theatrical Gidget features, Gidget Goes to Rome was followed by a handful of TV-movie sequels and two separate weekly sitcoms. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Moving to a new night (Thursday rather than Saturday), and boasting a jazzy new arrangement of its theme song, Leave It to Beaver settles down for its sixth and final season. Hoping to impress his girlfriend Julie Foster (Cheryl Holdridge), Wally (Tony Dow) decides to take her on a fancy dinner date. He's even willing to go the whole nine yards by escorting Julie to the White Fox, the classiest place in town (needless to say, this was Julie's idea). As the couple enjoys their very expensive meal (80 cents for the soup alone), Wally confidently reaches for his wallet -- only to find it isn't in his pocket! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

June (Barbara Billingsley) deduces that her moony-eyed son Wally (Tony Dow) is suffering from an acute case of puppy love, with the attractive Ginny Townsend (Linda Bennett) as the object of his affections. Figuring that the best way to handle the situation is to allow Wally a close-up look at his "dream girl," June invites Ginny on a picnic with the Cleavers. Sure enough, the whiny and finicky Ginny quickly proves herself to be somewhat less than a dream and more of a nightmare! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When his school holds a pet fair, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) gets neurotic over the fact that everyone owns a pet except him. To save face, he brags that he owns the talking parrot that he recently saw in the window of the local pet store. Of course, Beaver is certain that he can back up his boast by talking his dad Ward (Hugh Beaumont) into purchasing the parrot. But Ward isn't exactly made of money, and the best he can do is to bring home a hamster -- and boy, will Beaver get the business this time! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fascinated by the neat Eskimo sweater that he's spotted in a store window, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) begs Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley) to buy it for him. Although his parents don't feel that the sweater is appropriate for him, Beaver won't take no for answer. What our hero doesn't know is that the sweater is not designed for boys, but for girls -- a fact that comes crashing down upon him when Judy Hensler (Jeri Weil) shows up in school the next day wearing the exact same sweater! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Larry (Rusty Stevens) can't convince his mother (Madge Blake) to give him money so that he and Beaver (Jerry Mathers) can go to the carnival. Reasoning that if he "finds" the necessary funds everything will be all right -- thus he raids his mom's reserve in cash, tosses it out the window, and behold, it is "found money." Off to the carnival go the innocent Beaver and the guilty Larry, little imagining the horrendous fate awaiting them when they get home! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this classic episode, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) becomes a nervous wreck when his mom invites his teacher Miss Landers (Sue Randall) to the Cleaver house for dinner. He is especially worried after Larry (Rusty Stevens) warns him that something awful is bound to happen if his teacher is allowed to cross his threshold. On the night of the dinner, Miss Landers is more beautiful and charming than ever (she's even wearing open-toed shoes, proving that she's a human being after all), and gradually Beaver overcomes his trepidations. Little does he know that the enterprising Larry has perched himself in a tree next door to the Cleavers, charging his classmates a quarter apiece to spy upon Miss Landers as she eats her meal! Best moment -- attempting to make small talk with Miss L., Beaver's brother Wally (Tony Dow) comes up with a pointed question about President Andrew Johnson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Glynis Johns and Cameron Mitchell are top-billed in All Mine to Give, but they're out of the picture halfway through. Johns and Mitchell play a Scottish couple, Mamie and Robert, living in the American wilderness of the mid-19th century. Robert dies, whereupon Mamie takes on the responsibility of raising their six children. And when she succumbs to illness, it is the oldest child, Robbie (Rex Thompson, who'd previously played Louis Leonowens in The King And I), who takes on the challenge of finding homes for his siblings on Christmas Day. Based on a true story, All Mine to Give has heart-tugging potential, but the script isn't up to the performances. One year before its American release, the film was distributed in Great Britain under the title The Day They Gave Babies Away. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide