HEY LET'S TWIST

HEY LET'S TWIST (1961). Director: Greg Garrison.

"I'm paralyzed with fascination."

Widower Papa Dee (Dino Di Luca), who loves to listen to Caruso, owns an Italian restaurant that is barely getting by. His sons Joey (Joey Dee) and Ricky (Teddy Randazzo), who play with a group called the Starlighters, decide to turn the restaurant into the Peppermint Lounge and offer milkshakes (!) with the twist. The seriously weird Zohra Lampert [The Mad Mad Tea Party Affair] plays columnist Sharon, who takes a shine to sexy Ricky, while ditsy Piper Patton (Jo Ann Campbell), who also lusts for Ricky, has to make do with Joey. This is the highly fictionalized story of Joey Dee and the Starlighters, and the Peppermint Lounge where they performed. The character of brother Ricky was made up for the film and to add a little sex appeal for the teenyboppers. Di Luca and Kay Armen as his likable lady friend Angie offer the best performances, but Lampert and Randazzo are also good. Randazzo was mostly a musician, and he had only one other acting credit in Rock Rock Rock! Dee [Two Tickets to Paris] is personable but not much else. He played himself in two movies, both directed by Greg Garrison, but had no other acting credits.

Verdict: Shake that booty! ** out of 4.

TWO TICKETS TO PARIS

Jeri Lynn Frazer and Joey Dee

TWO TICKETS TO PARIS (1962). Director: Greg Garrison.

"I'll take two containers of Troy Donahue and a six pack of Rock Hudson." -- Aggie

Joey (Joey Dee, playing himself) is engaged to Piper (Jeri Lynn Frazer) but the wedding has to be postponed because he gets a gig on a cruise ship sailing for Paris. Piper's mother insist they take a chaperon along, her Aunt Aggie (Kay Medford). But things get complicated when a French dancer named Coco (Lisa James), makes a play for Joey to make her philandering boyfriend, Tony (Richard Dickens), jealous. Jeri decides to get even by coming on to singer Gary (Gary Crosby, not playing himself), who sings "Lady Want to Do That Twist." Medford is terrible as she croaks out "Instant Men," although Frazer makes a better impression delivering "Teenage Vamp" and "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home." Thick-lipped and somewhat odd-looking, Dee is okay and wiggles a couple of numbers. Frazer, a cute little monkey-face, grows on you. Medford [Butterfield 8] has the same rather off-putting personality as ever and the ever-irritating Charles Nelson Reilly embarrasses himself playing a "flaming" wedding planner. Dee appeared in only one other movie. Frazer was introduced in this picture but had faded out by 1968 with only a few credits -- she would have been perfect for a sitcom.

Verdict: Strange picture with strange leads. **.