Some beach, somewhere

The four-disc “Frankie & Annette” DVD collection is due out next Tuesday, July 10.

The set compiles eight of the pair’s beach party movies, made from 1965 to 1967.

Remember the Beach Party movies? They were before my time, but I caught a few of them on TV when I was a kid.

They were along the lines of Elvis movies like “Blue Hawaii” and “Clambake.” In other words, they’re mindless and campy fun in the sun.

Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon starred as a teenaged couple in most of them (although both actors were in their 20s).

Titles included in the set are “Beach Party,” (1963); “Bikini Beach,” (1964); “Muscle Beach Party” (1964); “Beach Blanket Bingo,” (1965); “How to Stuff a Wild Bikini,” (1965); “Fireball 500,” (1966); “Ski Party,” (1965); and “Thunder Alley,” (1967).

All of these films were produced by American International Pictures, the studio which also cranked out B-horror movies by Roger Corman. Some Corman regulars popped up in these films, including Vincent Price and Peter Lorre.

Musical guests included a young Stevie Wonder and Dick Dale, the undisputed King of the Surf Guitar.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)