The beach party film is an American film genre of feature films which were produced and released between 1963 and 1968, created by American International Pictures (AIP), beginning with their surprise hit, Beach Party, in July 1963. With this film, AIP is credited with creating the genre. In addition to the AIP films, several contributions to the genre were produced and released by major and independent studios alike. According to various sources, the genre comprises over 30 films, with the lower-budget AIP films being the most profitable.
Frankie Avalon, star of Beach Party, 1963.
Avalon and Funicello during the filming of Beach Blanket Bingo. Both were in their mid-20s during filming.
American International Pictures
American International Pictures LLC is an American film production company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing films from 1955 until 1980, a year after its acquisition by Filmways in 1979.
Roger Corman's The Raven (1963)
Drive-in advertisement for the double feature, I Was a Teenage Werewolf and Invasion of the Saucer Men. AIP double features were popular on the drive-in circuit.
Drive-in advertisement for Psych-Out, 1968