User reviews

First, the positives - this movie contains some decent musical performances. Sure, they appear to be just lip syncing to the actual recording, but it's still nice to see The Animals and especially one-hit wonders The Castaways in color. We also get to see Sid Haig in one of his first bigger roles.

Overall, though, this film feels more like the last gasp of the beach movie genre than anything else. I hadn't realized they were still making these films as late as 1967, and judging by the lack of enthusiasm from the cast, they can't believe it either. There are some attempts to bring a looser, avant garde approach to the film. Or maybe it's just bad film-making. There are several seemingly random montages with overdubbed voices moving the plot forward. I'm willing to give the filmmakers the benefit of the doubt and assume this is intentional, but for all I know, it could be sloppy editing to cover scenes that should have been shot or bad writing.

The film has a downbeat feel to it, nothing like the bright, perky style we're used to with beach movies. The skies over the beach seem gray and the cast seems to be struggling with depression. I'm left with the impression that by this point, pot had clearly taken over as the drug of choice on film sets, making a Frankie and Annette style of film an uphill struggle at this point.

So much fun weirdness going on here...the plot is pure '60s cornball but the actors are game and there are a lot of strange subtleties to appreciate: The Pop Art feel of the film, from the comic book opening titles (this was made at the height of the Batman craze, after all) to the Warhol/Lichtenstein style artwork hanging on the walls (pretty ahead of its time...I want a pad just like Mike's!) -- Veteran horror actor Sid Haig as an Ed "Big Daddy" Roth type -- The Crispin Gloveresque "McSnigg" character -- Bobby "Boris" Pickett of Monster Mash fame playing the goofy sidekick Woody (?!?!) -- Nice musical performances, more imaginatively photographed than in most films of this sort. The Animals' "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" is a highlight -- Not to mention beautiful sunny locales and lots of bright, 1960s colors. If you enjoy beach party films, give this one a shot!

As a fan of the original beach party flicks, it was sad and disappointing to discover this rarely seen bit of cinematic fluff. By the time it was released, the genre had run its course and this was in no way going to revive it. It took the original pairing of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello to resuscitate it in Back To the Beach, a fond look back at the genre.

Deborah Walley, who co-starred in some of the original beach party movies gets to star here along with Disney alum Tommy Kirk, who really should have hit the gym before running around with his shirt off. The movie has a poverty row feel about it. The jokes fall flat and the hipster lingo and characters are just embarrassing, as they probably were in the late 60's.

The only reasons to see this are for an early film appearance by Sid Haig who has recently had a career resurgence of sorts with his turn as Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's House of 1,000 Corpses and its sequel The Devil's Rejects; and of course for the music and the groups. They are still pretty cool, and the only way this film got 3 stars from me.

Stick with the original beach party movies, they are way more fun.

Skateboarding champion Tommy Kirk (as Mike Samson) poses as his own bookworm brother "Herbert" in order to woo pretty bikinied Deborah Walley (as Delilah Dawes). "It's a Bikini World" begins with a great instrumental opening and graphics sequence, which was usually a strong suit in American International's "Beach Party" movies. That series was sputtering to an end, and this film follows the formula well enough, but audiences were moving on...

The Animals, The Toys, The Gentrys, and The Castaways are lip-syncing highlights...

Although Mr. Kirk performs well fully clothed, he is obviously not in shape to play the muscle-toned, athletic "Samson" on the beach. As his "Delilah", Ms. Walley (still) fills her bikini well. Kirk and Walley had appeared in original "Beach Party" spin-offs. The second-tiered players fall in line: Bobby "Boris" Pickett (as Woody) provides Kirk with a foolish-looking, older beach pal. Suzie Kaye (as Pebbles) is a shapely sidekick for Walley.

*** It's a Bikini World (4/14/67) Stephanie Rothman ~ Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley, Bobby Pickett

Tail-end Beach Party franchise starring one-time Gidget Deborah Walley and the terminally bland Tommy Kirk. Kirk plays a shameless, arrogant womaniser trying to dupe feminist Walley into going out with him by donning a nerd costume. After she exposes the ruse the pair contest a series of challenges (power boat race, running, skateboarding et al) to determine who is the dominant gender. Bobby Pickett and Suzie Kaye watch from the sidelines throughout as their best mates.

Overall, it's right down there with the abominable "Catalina Caper" for corniness and mediocrity, even by Beach Party standards. The only highlight is the early and prominent appearance of Sid Haig as "Daddy" a bee-hive bearded entrepreneur, a role that does anything but pre-empt his subsequent bikie image in the years ahead. Walley is bubbly and attractive, but her feminist leanings are managed very conservatively by director Rothman, a Roger Corman stable-hand whose credits also include the first "Student Nurses" instalment.

The often overcast conditions and Walley's hypothermic looking complexion do little to raise the temperatures of this tepid tale, with little to recommend except for some interesting personnel. If Walley, Haig or director Rothman hold no interest for you, and Bobby Pickett's "Monster Mash" isn't on your I-Pod, then doubtful there'll be much at all to keep you awake.

It's Christmas in Los Angeles, and yet there are still kids hitting the beach in the early morning hours! Brrrr. Tommy Kirk plays the local Lothario who gets put down by the new girl on the block; he dons nerdy glasses and attempts to woo her Clark Kent-style, but she's more interested in showing up his alter-ego at skateboarding and speedboat racing. Stephanie Rothman directed, and though she doesn't cut back on the cheesecake factor, neither does she seem to know where exactly to point the camera. We get glimpses of behinds and legs and exposed tummies, but without faces and personalities it's all a beach blur. The skateboard race around local side streets is fun, and Deborah Walley twinkles and giggles pleasantly enough, but the quasi-pop art look is scuttled by the low budget and the musical numbers are lethargic. In fact, nearly everyone here seems to be dragging their feet, as if benumbed by the whole enterprise. *1/2 from ****

I caught this movie on cable one day and actually really enjoyed it. I even looked for the movie to buy but I'm assuming it's not out on DVD.

Mike is your stereotypical male chauvinist. He has to be the best at everything and when a girl comes along and challenges him at different events, he feels he must beat her. He also ends up falling for her and pretends to have a dweeby twin brother named Herbert. The girl falls for Herbert and Mike has to figure out how to tell her who he actually is.

There is also a cameo by The Animals and a groovy skateboard race scene.

I enjoyed this one, but not as much as the Frankie and Annette beach movies. This one has The Animals singing one of their hits, so that made it worth watching to go back to a different era. Lots of bikinis and Tommy Kirk just seemed older than I expected...lol. I guess it's my memories of him from the Disney movies. Anyway, this movie delves into how women can do whatever men can do...Deborah Walley, whom I always thought was so cute, trying to successfully complete and beat Tommy Kirk's character...and of course doesn't because at the time women were still considered "the weaker sex". However, she did manage to outsmart him, proving women are smarter than men...lol.

I just found this cheesy film enjoyable to watch, as I had never seen it before. I wouldn't rank this as one of my favorites. It simply cannot compare to the earlier, more carefree and fun loving beach movies. IMO it's worth watching....once. If you enjoy beach movies, stick to the earlier ones and Elvis movies.

When Eric Burdon and the Animals get up on the stage and sing their hit song "We Gotta Get out of This Place" with girls in bikinis on the dance floor I didn't need anymore persuading to give this beach flick a big two (2) thumbs up!

Yes of course it is silly camp, but what else should we expect from a title like "It's a Bikini World" eh? It is light entertainment that covers all the bases. Boy chases hot looking babe, boy pretends to be somebody else (fake nerdy brother) to win the girl over. A triathlon chase of sorts, between the male and female co-stars (Deborah Walley, and Tommy Kirk) who drag race cars, swim laps in a pool, and finish off with a real live camel race.

It's camp man, nothing more, and nothing less. Oh wait... there is less, that is less bikini for the boys to ogle. I give this fun film an 8 out of 10 IMDB rating.

Deborah Walley and Tommy Kirk compete against each other in this battle of the sexes played out on sunny California beaches. When Walley initially rejects him, Kirk takes on a disguise and pretends to be the kind of guy that she claims she really likes. As usual in beach movies, there are popular music acts of the day, including the Toys and Eric Burdon and the Animals. Silly plot, yet one of the better non-Frankie and Annette beach movies as far as the fun quotient goes.

I think of all the worthy silent films that have probably disappeared forever, and wonder if we could arrange for some sort of hostage deal with the malevolent deity that fostered this object's presence in the world.

"Mike Samson" (Tommy Kirk) has a reputation in his area of being both the best athlete and the most notorious womanizer on the local beach. Women find him irresistible and he has four or five of them around him at all times. Then one day a new girl by the name of "Delilah Dawes" (Deborah Walley) arrives and upon recognizing his conceited opinion of himself she deliberately refuses his advances. However, rather than feeling turned off by this it only increases Mike's desire to capture her heart as well. Of course, fully aware that his standard routines won't work in this particular case, he decides a little subterfuge is in order and to that end reinvents himself as Mike's nerdy brother "Herbert Samson". Unfortunately, that presents itself with all kinds of challenges for him from that point on. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that, having enjoyed a successful 4-year run, the "beach movies" were pretty much played out by this time and this film did nothing to revive this particular sub-genre. Not only was the plot rather predictable but neither of the main characters were that impressive either. Likewise, the comedy was somewhat lacking as well. That being said, although this wasn't necessarily a bad film by any means, it just wasn't as good as it could have been and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

"It's A Bikini World" was a production of famed B movie studio American- International Pictures, but was released under their Trans American Films label. A.I.P. used that label on movies they handled that they thought might tarnish their reputation, and it's easy to see why they were probably uneasy about this movie. Unlike their other beach party movies, this movie is sorely lacking in energy. Scene after scene goes by that immediately falls on the ground with a thud. There's also not much of a story on display here, resulting in a lot of padding. Even the music (save for when The Castaways perform their hit "Liar, Liar") is nothing special. Sid Haig is kind of fun in his scenes, but he doesn't get a lot of screen time. A beach blanket bomb!

I recorded this movie years ago on TNT or TBS when they actually showed good old movies from the past. I miss those days. Tommy Kirk and Deborah Walley star. It's one of the last beach films. There are a lot of songs thrown in that really don't add much to it. I did like the story. Deborah Walley really looked sexy in all the bikini's she wore. Suzie Kaye also fills out the bikini's very well. It's just a fun film with some sexy chicks. What more could you ask for?

This is a different kind of flick because it doesn't have Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Also, the score is probably more different than the ones used in the Avalon/Funicello epics. However, this film is not on the same league with those films. The only thing that I really enjoyed was watching the Castaways perform their garage/punk anthem "Liar, Liar". You pretty much can tell that this film was done on even more of a shoestring budget than the AIP films. Tommy and Deborah are sure no Frankie and Annette.