Operation Bikini
Encyclopedia
Operation Bikini is a film released in 1963
by American International Pictures
. It was directed by Anthony Carras and starred Tab Hunter
, Frankie Avalon
, and Scott Brady
.
The casting was aimed to capture a varied audience. While Operation Bikini was nominally a WWII
war movie, it shared a number of cast members — Avalon, Jody McCrea
, and Eva Six — with American International's Beach Party
(soon to become a franchise), and thrown into the mix were character actor Jim Backus
, former screen heartthrob Tab Hunter, and Gary Crosby (son of Bing
). Avalon even sings in two musical interludes — which were shot in color, despite the rest of the movie's being shot in black and white.
in the Pacific during World War II
. The sub's commander (Brady) is ordered to stop and pick up an underwater demolition team
led by Lt. Hayes (Hunter), whose mission is to locate and destroy a U.S. submarine sunken in a lagoon off Bikini Atoll
before the Japanese are able to raise it and capture the advanced radar
system on board.
The members of the demolitions team include Seaman Joseph Malzone (Avalon), Will Sherman (McCrea), and Ronald Davayo (Aki Aleong
), the only member of the team who speaks Japanese. Malzone carries a photo of his girl, which he affixes to the torpedo
above his bunk. In two musical (and colorful) dream sequence
s, Malzone expresses his devotion to "The Girl Back Home".
Upon arriving at the atoll, the demolitions team meet up with a local band of guerrillas, including native interpreter Paul (Marc Cavell) and the buxom Reiko (Eva Six). After Paul is killed by a Japanese patrol, some kind of romance seems to germinate between Reiko and Hayes, or possibly Malzone; anyway, before anything can come of it, a Japanese cutter comes up the river on a patrol, and Reiko is killed in the skirmish. The gruff but good-hearted bosun's mate
(Backus) is wounded in the same fight, and Sherman has to take him back to Carey's sub, where he reports the team's discovery that the lagoon where the radar sub sank is full of Japanese vessels. Carey relays this news to the nearest American carrier
.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team uses the captured Japanese cutter to sail straight into the lagoon. Malzone and Hayes dive to the sunken sub, but when the crew of a Japanese salvage boat opens fire on the cutter, Davayo rams the boat in a suicide attack. After setting their explosive charges, Malzone and Hayes are guided back to Carey's sub by Sherman (possessor of the "finest pair of lungs in the Navy"), just as a fleet of American dive bomber
s arrive to finish off the Japanese vessels in the lagoon.
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....
by American International Pictures
American International Pictures
American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
. It was directed by Anthony Carras and starred Tab Hunter
Tab Hunter
Tab Hunter is an American actor, singer, former teen idol and author who has starred in over forty major films.-Background:...
, Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon is an American actor, singer, playwright, and former teen idol.-Career:By the time he was 12, Avalon was on U.S. television playing his trumpet. As a teenager he played with Bobby Rydell in Rocco and the Saints...
, and Scott Brady
Scott Brady
Scott Brady was an American film and television actor.Born as Gerard Kenneth Tierney, he was the younger brother of fellow actor Lawrence Tierney. Brady served in the Navy during World War II, where he was a boxing champ...
.
The casting was aimed to capture a varied audience. While Operation Bikini was nominally a WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
war movie, it shared a number of cast members — Avalon, Jody McCrea
Jody McCrea
Joel Dee "Jody" McCrea was an American film and television actor; son of veteran film actors Joel McCrea and Frances Dee, who were married from 1933 until Joel McCrea's death in 1990. The eldest of three, his brothers are David McCrea and Peter McCrea.-Career:Jody McCrea served in the United...
, and Eva Six — with American International'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...
(soon to become a franchise), and thrown into the mix were character actor Jim Backus
Jim Backus
James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
, former screen heartthrob Tab Hunter, and Gary Crosby (son of Bing
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
). Avalon even sings in two musical interludes — which were shot in color, despite the rest of the movie's being shot in black and white.
Plot summary
The film takes place aboard an American submarineSubmarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
in the Pacific during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The sub's commander (Brady) is ordered to stop and pick up an underwater demolition team
Underwater Demolition Team
The Underwater Demolition Teams were an elite special-purpose force established by the United States Navy during World War II. They also served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War...
led by Lt. Hayes (Hunter), whose mission is to locate and destroy a U.S. submarine sunken in a lagoon off Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands....
before the Japanese are able to raise it and capture the advanced radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
system on board.
The members of the demolitions team include Seaman Joseph Malzone (Avalon), Will Sherman (McCrea), and Ronald Davayo (Aki Aleong
Aki Aleong
Assing "Aki" Aleong is an American character actor and singer who has also been active in songwriting and musical production. He is probably best known for portraying Senator Hidoshi during the first season of the critically acclaimed series Babylon 5, as well as portraying Mr. Chiang, the aide to...
), the only member of the team who speaks Japanese. Malzone carries a photo of his girl, which he affixes to the torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
above his bunk. In two musical (and colorful) dream sequence
Dream sequence
A dream sequence is a technique used in storytelling, particularly in television and film, to set apart a brief interlude from the main story. The interlude may consist of a flashback, a flashforward, a fantasy, a vision, a dream, or some other element. Commonly, dream sequences appear in many...
s, Malzone expresses his devotion to "The Girl Back Home".
Upon arriving at the atoll, the demolitions team meet up with a local band of guerrillas, including native interpreter Paul (Marc Cavell) and the buxom Reiko (Eva Six). After Paul is killed by a Japanese patrol, some kind of romance seems to germinate between Reiko and Hayes, or possibly Malzone; anyway, before anything can come of it, a Japanese cutter comes up the river on a patrol, and Reiko is killed in the skirmish. The gruff but good-hearted bosun's mate
Boatswain's Mate
A Boatswain's mate is a job classification in Navies and Coast Guards.*Boatswain's mate , a job classification in the United States Navy*Boatswain's mate , a job classification in the United States Coast Guard...
(Backus) is wounded in the same fight, and Sherman has to take him back to Carey's sub, where he reports the team's discovery that the lagoon where the radar sub sank is full of Japanese vessels. Carey relays this news to the nearest American carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team uses the captured Japanese cutter to sail straight into the lagoon. Malzone and Hayes dive to the sunken sub, but when the crew of a Japanese salvage boat opens fire on the cutter, Davayo rams the boat in a suicide attack. After setting their explosive charges, Malzone and Hayes are guided back to Carey's sub by Sherman (possessor of the "finest pair of lungs in the Navy"), just as a fleet of American dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s arrive to finish off the Japanese vessels in the lagoon.
External links
- Operation Bikini article at Turner Classic MoviesTurner Classic MoviesTurner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...