Palm Springs Weekend
Encyclopedia
Palm Springs Weekend is a 1963
Warner Bros.
bedroom comedy film directed by Norman Taurog
. It has elements of the beach party genre
(AIP
's Beach Party
became a smash hit in July, while Warner Bros. was still putting this film together) and has been called “a sort of Westernized version of Where the Boys Are
" by Billboard Magazine. It stars Troy Donahue
, Stefanie Powers
, Robert Conrad
, Ty Hardin
, and Connie Stevens
.
It was filmed on location in the upscale California desert community of Palm Springs
.
who travel to Palm Springs to spend the Easter weekend there. Student Jim Munroe (Troy Donahue
) falls in love with Bunny Dixon (Stefanie Powers
), the daughter of an overprotective police chief (Andrew Duggan
). Munroe's room mate Biff Roberts (Jerry Van Dyke
) and plain-jane Amanda North (Zeme North) try to seduce each other. Spoiled rich playboy Eric Dean (Robert Conrad
) and Doug Fortune (Ty Hardin
), a Hollywood stuntman from Texas, compete for the attentions of a pretty girl (Connie Stevens
) from Beverly Hills.
composed the score for the film. Larry Kusik
and Paul Evans
wrote one song that appears in the finished film, “Live Young.” It is sung over the opening credits by Troy Donahue, and an instrumental version is heard during the party scene at Ruth Stewart’s house.
The Modern Folk Quartet appear as themselves in the sequence at Jack's Casino and are shown singing two songs, “The Ox Driver’s Song” and one unidentified song.
Ty Hardin sings an a cappella
version of the traditional “The Yellow Rose of Texas
,” and sings with Jerry Van Dyke on Ray Henderson
and Mort Dixon
’s standard, “Bye Bye Blackbird
.”
(1961), Rome Adventure
(1962) and Susan Slade
(1961).
1963 in film
The year 1963 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* June 12 - Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton premieres at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City....
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
bedroom comedy film directed by Norman Taurog
Norman Taurog
Norman Rae Taurog was an American film director, and screenwriter.Between 1920 and 1968, Taurog directed over 140 films, and directed Elvis Presley in more movies than any other director...
. It has elements of the beach party genre
Beach Party film
Beach party movies were an American 1960s genre of feature films created by American International Pictures with their surprise 1963 hit, Beach Party, and copied by virtually every other studio...
(AIP
AIP
-Computing:* Adaptive Internet Protocol, a protocol used by Sun Secure Global Desktop* Application Infrastructure Provider, an IT role for software support-Financial:...
's Beach Party
Beach Party
Beach Party was the first of several beach party films from American International Pictures aimed at a teen audience. It was directed by William Asher and written by Lou Rusoff. The main actors included Robert Cummings, Dorothy Malone, Frankie Avalon, and Annette Funicello...
became a smash hit in July, while Warner Bros. was still putting this film together) and has been called “a sort of Westernized version of Where the Boys Are
Where the Boys Are
The kind of cool modern 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...
" by Billboard Magazine. It stars Troy Donahue
Troy Donahue
Troy Donahue was an American actor, who was active between the late 1950s and late 1990s.-Life and career:...
, Stefanie Powers
Stefanie Powers
Stefanie Powers is an American actress best known for her role as Jennifer Hart in the 1980s television series Hart to Hart.-Early life:...
, Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the 1965 CBS television series The Wild Wild West, in which he played the sophisticated Secret Service agent James T. West, and his portrayal of World War II ace Pappy Boyington in the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep...
, Ty Hardin
Ty Hardin
Ty Hardin, born Orison Whipple Hungerford, Jr., is a former American actor best known as the star of the 1950s ABC western television series Bronco.-Early life:...
, and Connie Stevens
Connie Stevens
Connie Stevens is an American actress and singer, best known for her roles in the television series Hawaiian Eye and other TV and film work.-Early life:...
.
It was filmed on location in the upscale California desert community of Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
.
Plot
The film focuses on a group of students from Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
who travel to Palm Springs to spend the Easter weekend there. Student Jim Munroe (Troy Donahue
Troy Donahue
Troy Donahue was an American actor, who was active between the late 1950s and late 1990s.-Life and career:...
) falls in love with Bunny Dixon (Stefanie Powers
Stefanie Powers
Stefanie Powers is an American actress best known for her role as Jennifer Hart in the 1980s television series Hart to Hart.-Early life:...
), the daughter of an overprotective police chief (Andrew Duggan
Andrew Duggan
-Career:During World War II, Duggan was in the 40th Special Services Company, led by actor Melvyn Douglas in the China Burma India Theater of World War II. His contact with Douglas later led to his performing with Lucille Ball in the play Dreamgirl. He developed a friendship with Broadway...
). Munroe's room mate Biff Roberts (Jerry Van Dyke
Jerry Van Dyke
Jerry Van Dyke is an American comedian and actor. He is the younger brother of comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke, and made his acting debut on The Dick Van Dyke Show with several guest appearances as Rob Petrie's brother, Stacey...
) and plain-jane Amanda North (Zeme North) try to seduce each other. Spoiled rich playboy Eric Dean (Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the 1965 CBS television series The Wild Wild West, in which he played the sophisticated Secret Service agent James T. West, and his portrayal of World War II ace Pappy Boyington in the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep...
) and Doug Fortune (Ty Hardin
Ty Hardin
Ty Hardin, born Orison Whipple Hungerford, Jr., is a former American actor best known as the star of the 1950s ABC western television series Bronco.-Early life:...
), a Hollywood stuntman from Texas, compete for the attentions of a pretty girl (Connie Stevens
Connie Stevens
Connie Stevens is an American actress and singer, best known for her roles in the television series Hawaiian Eye and other TV and film work.-Early life:...
) from Beverly Hills.
Music
Frank PerkinsFrank Perkins
Frank Perkins was a British engineer, businessman, creator of the Perkins Diesel Engine, and founder of Perkins Engines Company Limited.-Background and early life:...
composed the score for the film. Larry Kusik
Larry Kusik
Larry Kusik is an award-winning lyricist.He is perhaps best known for writing the lyrics for the tune Speak Softly Love, the love theme from the 1972 film The Godfather, however he has also written lyrics to many other movie themes, including A Time for Us from the 1968 film version of Romeo and...
and Paul Evans
Paul Evans
Paul Evans may refer to:*Paul Evans , British Olympic runner*Paul Evans , American college basketball coach*Paul Evans , Canadian ice hockey player in the National Hockey League who played for the Philadelphia Flyers*Paul Evans Paul Evans may refer to:*Paul Evans (athlete) (born 1961), British...
wrote one song that appears in the finished film, “Live Young.” It is sung over the opening credits by Troy Donahue, and an instrumental version is heard during the party scene at Ruth Stewart’s house.
The Modern Folk Quartet appear as themselves in the sequence at Jack's Casino and are shown singing two songs, “The Ox Driver’s Song” and one unidentified song.
Ty Hardin sings an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
version of the traditional “The Yellow Rose of Texas
The Yellow Rose of Texas
"The Yellow Rose of Texas" is a traditional folk song. The original love song has become associated with the legend of how an indentured servant named Emily Morgan "helped win the battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle in the Texas Revolution."...
,” and sings with Jerry Van Dyke on Ray Henderson
Ray Henderson
Ray Henderson , was an American songwriter.Born Raymond Brost in Buffalo, New York, Henderson moved to New York City and became a popular composer in Tin Pan Alley...
and Mort Dixon
Mort Dixon
-Biography:Born in New York, Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920s, and was active into the 1930s. He achieved success with his first published effort, 1923's "That Old Gang of Mine". His chief composer collaborators were Ray Henderson, Harry Warren, Harry M...
’s standard, “Bye Bye Blackbird
Bye Bye Blackbird
"Bye, Bye, Blackbird" is a song published in 1926 by the American composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Gene Austin in 1926.- Song information :...
.”
Cast
- Troy DonahueTroy DonahueTroy Donahue was an American actor, who was active between the late 1950s and late 1990s.-Life and career:...
as Jim Munroe - Connie StevensConnie StevensConnie Stevens is an American actress and singer, best known for her roles in the television series Hawaiian Eye and other TV and film work.-Early life:...
as Gayle Lewis/Jane Hoover - Ty HardinTy HardinTy Hardin, born Orison Whipple Hungerford, Jr., is a former American actor best known as the star of the 1950s ABC western television series Bronco.-Early life:...
as Doug 'Stretch' Fortune - Stefanie PowersStefanie PowersStefanie Powers is an American actress best known for her role as Jennifer Hart in the 1980s television series Hart to Hart.-Early life:...
as Bunny Dixon - Robert ConradRobert ConradRobert Conrad is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the 1965 CBS television series The Wild Wild West, in which he played the sophisticated Secret Service agent James T. West, and his portrayal of World War II ace Pappy Boyington in the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep...
as Eric Dean - Andrew DugganAndrew Duggan-Career:During World War II, Duggan was in the 40th Special Services Company, led by actor Melvyn Douglas in the China Burma India Theater of World War II. His contact with Douglas later led to his performing with Lucille Ball in the play Dreamgirl. He developed a friendship with Broadway...
as Police Chief Dixon - Jack Weston as Coach Fred Campbell
- Carole CookCarole CookCarole Cook is an American actress. She has appeared in many theatrical productions, in films and on television.Born as Mildred Frances Cook, she was a protege of Lucille Ball. Ball gave her the stage name of "Carole", after her friend Carole Lombard because, Ball reportedly told Cook, "you have...
as Naomi Yates - Jerry Van DykeJerry Van DykeJerry Van Dyke is an American comedian and actor. He is the younger brother of comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke, and made his acting debut on The Dick Van Dyke Show with several guest appearances as Rob Petrie's brother, Stacey...
as Biff Roberts - Zeme North as Amanda North
- Bill MumyBill MumyCharles William "Bill" Mumy, Jr. is an American actor, musician, pitchman, instrumentalist, voice-over artist and a figure in the science-fiction community. He is known primarily for his work as a child television actor....
as 'Boom Boom' Yates - Dorothy Green as Cora Dixon
- Tina ColeTina ColeTina Cole is an American actress and singer. She is best-known for her role as Katie Miller Douglas on the 1960s sitcom My Three Sons. She was also a member of the King Family Singers.-Family:...
as Ruth Stewart
Home Video
The film was released on VHS on September 1, 1998, whereas the DVD version was released in 2009. The DVD is part of the Warner Bros. Romance Classics Collection, which also contains three other films starring Troy Donahue: ParrishParrish (film)
Parrish is a 1961 drama film made by Warner Bros.. It was written, produced and directed by Delmer Daves, based on the novel by Mildred Savage. The music score was by Max Steiner, the cinematography by Harry Stradling Sr., the art direction by Leo K...
(1961), Rome Adventure
Rome Adventure
Rome Adventure, also known as Lovers Must Learn, is a 1962 romantic drama film, based on Irving Fineman's novel. It was directed by Delmer Daves and stars Troy Donahue, Angie Dickenson, and Suzanne Pleshette.-Plot:...
(1962) and Susan Slade
Susan Slade
Susan Slade is a 1961 American drama film released by Warner Bros. The film was directed by Delmer Daves and stars Troy Donahue, Connie Stevens, Dorothy McGuire, Lloyd Nolan, Bert Convy and Grant Williams...
(1961).