Where the Boys Are
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| Where the Boys Are | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover by Reynold Brown |
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| Directed by | Henry Levin |
| Produced by | Joe Pasternak |
| Written by | Glendon Swarthout (novel) George Wells |
| Starring | Connie Francis Dolores Hart George Hamilton Yvette Mimieux Jim Hutton Frank Gorshin |
| Music by | Score: George E. Stoll Jazz: Pete Rugolo Songs: Neil Sedaka (music) Howard Greenfield (lyrics) |
| Cinematography | Robert J. Bronner |
| Editing by | Fredric Steinkamp |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | December 28, 1960 |
| Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Where the Boys Are (1960) is an American coming-of-age comedy film, written by George Wells based on the novel by Glendon Swarthout, about four Midwestern college co-eds who spend spring break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The title song "Where the Boys Are" was sung by Connie Francis, who also co-starred in a supporting role. The film was aimed at the teen market, featuring sun, sand and romance. Released in the wintertime, it inspired thousands of additional American college students to head to Fort Lauderdale for their annual spring break.
Where the Boys Are was one of the first teen films to explore adolescent sexuality and the changing sexual morals and attitudes among American college youth. It won Laurel awards for Best Comedy of the Year and Best Comedy Actress (Paula Prentiss).
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[edit] Plot
The main focus of Where the Boys Are is the "coming of age" of four collegiate girls during spring vacation. Merritt Andrews, the smart and assertive leader of the quartet, expresses the opinion as the film opens that premarital sex might be okay. Her speech eventually inspires the insecure Melanie Tolman to lose her virginity soon after the girls arrive in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Tuggle Carpenter, on the other hand, seeks to be a "baby-making machine", lacking only the man to join her in marriage. Angie rounds out the group as a girl acting rather clumsily when it comes to romance.
The girls find their beliefs challenged throughout the film. Merritt, a Freshman meets the suave Ivy Leaguer Ryder Smith, a Senior at Brown and realizes she's not ready for sex. Melanie discovers the boy from Yale she thought loved her was only using her. Tuggle quickly fixes her attention on the goofy TV Thompson, a Junior at Michigan State, but becomes disillusioned when he becomes enamored of the older woman Lola Fandango who works as a "mermaid" swimmer/dancer. Angie stumbles into love with the eccentric jazz musician Basil. Merritt, Tuggle and Angie's adolescent relationship angst quickly evaporates when they discover Melanie in a distressed state.
Although not mentioned directly, the set up of the scene in which Melanie leaves a motel, with a torn dress and in a serious state of shock, strongly suggests she was sexually assaulted. She ends up in the hospital.
Now sobered up from the spring break joy, the friends realize the potentially serious consequences of their physical actions and resolve to act in a more responsible, mature manner. The film ends on a melancholy note, with Melanie recovering in the hospital while Merritt looks after her, with promises to continue a long-distance relationship with Ryder.
[edit] Cast
- Dolores Hart as Merritt Andrews
- Paula Prentiss as Tuggle Carpenter
- Yvette Mimieux as Melanie Tolman
- Connie Francis as Angie
- George Hamilton as Ryder Smith
- Jim Hutton as TV Thompson
- Frank Gorshin as Basil
- Chill Wills as Police Captain
- Barbara Nichols as Lola Fandango
[edit] Music
The kind of cool modern jazz (or west coast jazz) popularized by such acts as Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, and Chico Hamilton, then in the vanguard of the college music market, features in a number of scenes with Basil. Called "dialectic jazz" in the film, the original compositions were by Pete Rugolo.[1]
MGM had bolstered the film's success potential by giving a large role to Connie Francis, the top American female recording star and a member of the MGM Records roster. Francis had solicited the services of Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, who had written hit songs for her, to write original material for her to perform on the film's soundtrack including a "Where the Boys Are" title song. Sedaka and Greenfield wrote two potential title songs for the film, but producer Joe Pasternak passed over the song Francis and the songwriting duo preferred in favor of a lush '50s style movie theme. Francis recorded the song on 18 October 1960 in a New York City recording session with Stan Applebaum arranging and conducting.
Although it only peaked at # 4 in the US, the theme song of "Where the Boys are" became Connie Francis's signature tune, followed by several cover versions.
Besides the theme song, Francis sang another Sedaka-Greenfield composition: "Turn on the Sunshine", in the film.
The film's soundtrack also features "Have You Met Miss Fandango". The song was sung by co-star Barbara Nichols and featured music by Victor Young and lyrics by Stella Unger.[1]
MGM did not release a soundtrack album for Where the Boys Are.[2][3]
[edit] Legacy
A remake, Where the Boys Are '84, was released in 1984 by TriStar Pictures. The film was unsuccessful critically and commercially, but bears the distinction of being the first film released by TriStar.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Where the Boys Are at the Internet Movie Database
- Where the Boys Are at the TCM Movie Database
- Where the Boys Are at AllRovi
