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Gidget: Complete Collection (2pc) (Full) Customer Reviews (10 - 12 of 20 Reviews)

Fun for the Family Even if it is Full Screen instead of Wide Screen
This DVD contains all three Gidget theatrical releases.

Disc 1: **** GIDGET
Gidget confirmed Sandra Dee as a teen star but more importantly, it made James Darrin a star. Arthur O'Connell and Mary La Roche plays the Lawrences.

Dee plays Francine Lawrence during the summer before her senior year of high school. All her girlfriends want to land a guy but Francie doesn't really want to grow up. They go down beach to find boys. Of course, her friends completely strike out but Francie gets rescued by one of the surfers, Moondoggie (Darren). But the surfers don't take her seriously and dub her Gidget (Girl Midget).

Gidget decides to fight fire with fire and becomes a surfer girl. When Moondoggie comes to her rescue again, they both realize that their mad for each other. But neither one wants to admit it. So Gidget creates a scam to make Moondoggie jealous and it backfires. Well, sort of backfires. It ends in Francie being grounded by her father.

All summer long her father has been trying to set her up on a date with a friend's son Jeff. It turns out that Jeff is Moondoggie!

Note: This is Full Screen from a Panavision 2.35 print. There are only a couple of scenes where you lose some of the action.

Disc 2 Side 1: *** GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN
It's two years later. Gidget is now Deborah Walley in her feature film debut but James Darren is still Moondoggie. Gidget's parents are now played by Carl Reiner and Jeff Donnell.

Jeff has pinned Francie. Two days later Gidget's parents surprise her with a trip to Hawaii. What a disaster. Jeff sees this as a great opportunity for Gidget but Gidget only sees it as a separation from Moondoggie.

Gidget goes to Hawaii (look at the title) and meets another girl, Abby (Vicki Trickett) on the plane. Also on the plane is dancer Eddie Horner (Michael Callan - who would become famous a for a short lived series Occasional Wife) and three boys going to the University of Hawaii, Wally, Larry and Judge (Joby Baker who played stinker in the first). And Gidget's and Abby's parents (Peggy Cass and Eddie Foy, jr.) meet on the plane.

When they arrive Gidget is determined not to have a good time but dad sends a telegram telling Jeff to get over.

Gidget finally gives in to Hawaii and decides to enjoy herself. And as she is the star of the film, she gets Eddie.

Jeff arrives and Gidget is caught playing "kiss in ocean" with Eddie. So you know that he winds up with Abby until Gidget and Moondoggie get back together.

This is definitely a sequel. Nothing really happens during the film but it is fun. Deborah Walley is good but she is no Sandra Dee. She will find her fame on TV in The Mothers-in-Law. James Darrin is great again. He is the all American guy next door with massive sex appeal.

Disc 2 Side 2: GIDGET GOES TO ROME
Again two years have passed. This time Gidget is first timer Cindy Carol. And James Darren is Moondoggie for the third time (My sister said "Who cares who's Gidget as long as James Darren is Moondoggie). Don Porter is Gidget's father this round and Jeff Donnell returns as Gidget's mother. Also returning from Hawaii is Joby Baker as Judge.

The premise of this film is Gidget and her two best friends and Jeff and his two dorm mates, including Judge. Cook up a scheme to go to Rome without their parents.

When they arrive the find out that Judge's Aunt Albertina forgot to make reservations. Of course a few tips to the concierge fix everything. This was filmed on location in Rome, so we get to see all the sights.

And we need the person to come between Francie and Jeff, the Italian guide. But the girls are expecting a dishy boy when a voluptuous girl, Daniela, arrives. Also, Gidget's father has asked an old Italian war buddy, Paulo Cellini (Cesare Danova), to watch over her. He pretends to be a journalist doing a story on an American girl's first trip to Rome.

Jeff falls for Daniela and breaks-up with Francie. Francie can't stand being around the two and goes off on her own at the museum and gets arrested for going into restricted areas. Paulo comes to her rescue. She falls for Paulo but doesn't know his secret. In the end Jeff and Gidget get back together.

This is a piece of fluff and completes the movie collection. The rest of the Gidget films were TV specials.

It's fun to see a time when young men wore suits and ties and young women wore dresses to go sight seeing!

This is definitely an innocent time.

This, as a whole, is a great innocent look at a 60's culture. Pair these up with some Frankie and Annette films and you have complete look at a time.

DVD EXTRAS: NONE


I'm Holding Out for Widescreen
I was soooooo eager to buy the Sandra Dee Gidget flicks, and willing to purchase them individually, but when I found the series -- I was tickled, UNTIL I saw it was full screen!

Horrors.


To the person who stated that full screen is the only way to go, I would like to say that there have been many DVDs released with BOTH options, and that's my format preference -- and my suggestion to all who are creating DVDs from older flicks -- Please forget the fancy artwork on the actual CD, and burn both sides -- one in WIDESCREEN and the other, full if you want to to appeal to both.

I will wait for the widescreen edition (until then, I'll maybe rent via netflix if I feel like a gidget fix)!

Fans of Michael Callan will enjoy
Fans of Michael Callan will enjoy the film "Gidget Goes Hawaiian" since Michael Callan has a role in this film and sings and dances.Michael Callan began his acting career in the stage production of the musical play "West Side Story" and starred in the comedy "Occasional Wife" and guest starred in many shows.

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