Gidget Grows Up

This is a late 60s incarnation of Gidget...with Karen Valentine instead of Sandra Dee, Deborah Walley or Sally Field. In fact, to date 8 different ladies have played this character! Because it's the late 60s, the film has a definite stamp of the era--with groovy (?) music and fashions...as well as a love of the UN and an optimism you'd never see today.

When the film begins, Gidget has returned home from a long trip to Europe. During this time, she stupidly send letters to Moondoggie (Paul Peterson) saying she was being wined and dined by a lot of men. He is, not surprisingly, cold towards her and soon announces he's heading off to Greenland...as he's joined the Air Force!

Soon Gidget sees the US ambassador to the UN on TV talking about a need for young folks to volunteer to work as 'Peace Heroes'. Well, in typical Gidget fashion, she rushes into this role--with very little forethought...but lots of energy! She eventually finds herself in a training program and seems to fall into the routine rather well (other than practically causing a major incident involving Mobutu). But there is a hitch...she really does love Moondoggie and vice-versa but neither is willing to take the first step. So, in the meantime, she begins dating a man much, much older (Edward Mulhare, who was 46). Can she ever get down to business with Moondoggie or is she destined to marry this nice Aussie (who actually was played by an Irishman)?

This is mildly enjoyable BUT with one major warning--the music is often god-awful! There are many musical montages which would make most viewers today ill...very ill. Even for the standards of the day, the music sucked and was very invasive. Apart from that, enjoyable and slight--exactly what you'd expect from a Gidget outing.