Beach Party was the first of several beach party party films from American International Pictures (AIP) that were made with the teen audience in mind. It was directed by William Asher and starred Robert Cummings, Dorothy Malone, Frankie Avalon, and Annette Funicello. The film is often credited with starting the beach party film genre. Beach
Party was the highest grossing film AIP had made to that date, earning more its
opening weekend than any of its competition.
Stanley Victor "Stan" Freberg is a comedian, recording artist, animation
voice actor, puppeteer and a advertising creative director whose career
began in 1944. From 1949 to 1954, he and Daws Butler provided voices
and were the puppeteers for the paramount Television Network series,
Time for Beany, a triple Emmy Award winner (1950, 1951, 1953). Freberg
also had a weekly radio show on CBS in 1957, The Stan Freberg Show
which ran for only fifteen episodes from July 14 through October 20. Stan
is still active in the entertainment industry.
Freberg’s "Banana Boat (Day-O)" satirized Harry Belafonte’s
popular recording of "Banana Boat Song”, in 1957.
Puppeteer Sten Freberg with from left: Dishonest John (or "D.J.") and Cecil
(or "Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent")
