Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961)

Gidget Goes Hawaiian is a 1961 musical romantic comedy film starring Deborah Walley and James Darren. Released by Columbia Pictures, the film is a sequel to the 1959 Sandra Dee "beach movie" vehicle Gidget. Dee was under contract to Universal for the rival series film Tammy Tell Me True (1961) and wouldn't be released to Columbia to reprise her hit role.

The sequel expands the archetypal high school teen surfer girl's romance with her college sweetheart Moondoggie. The film is the second of three Gidget films directed by Paul Wendkos. The screenplay was written by Ruth Brooks Flippen based on characters created by Frederick Kohner, who also wrote a novelisation of the film in 1961. Actor James Darren reprised his 1959 role of "Moondoggie", and another veteran of the 1959 film, Joby Baker, makes an appearance. Gidget Goes to Rome follows the film sequentially. Gidget Goes Hawaiian has been released to VHS and DVD.

Synopsis

The film opens with Francie "Gidget" Lawrence (Deborah Walley) and Jeff "Moondoggie" Matthews (James Darren) getting pinned. Later, Gidget's father Russ (Carl Reiner) announces that they are going to Hawaii for a vacation. Gidget refuses to go and leave Jeff alone; Gidget's mother Dorothy (Jean Donnell) explains to Russ that Jeff is all that matters to Gidget. Russ decides to cancel Gidget's room reservation and make arrangements for her to stay with a relative so that she can be with Jeff. However, when Jeff tells Gidget that he thinks it's great and that she should go to Hawaii, Gidget gives him back his pin, runs home and tells her folks she has changed her mind.

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