Don't Believe the Hype

A Disappointing Continuation

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Representing the (somewhat fatigued) tail-end of the "Beach Party" saga, minus Frankie and Annette, this haunted house comedy has some style in the live-action cartoon vein, but is hurt overall by an unenthusiastic cast and too much chatter. Sleepy Tommy Kirk and distracted Deborah Walley are involved in the reading of a will in a spooky mansion; Susan Hart is a sexy apparition (wearing a dopey-looking blonde wig for F/X purposes); Boris Karloff saunters through, tossing off droll comic lines in a debonair manner; Harvey Lembeck returns as Eric Von Zipper (although he doesn't look happy about it); and Nancy Sinatra is one of the teens there for a slumber party (she sings "Geronimo" poolside in the film's best sequence). Not terribly witty or lively; most of the kids on display are artificially frantic and 'nutty', waving their arms about. The movie desperately needs more music and more special effects. It relies too much on the talk-heavy plot, which is its weakest link. ** from ****

As a fan of most movies produced by American international pictures i thought ghost in the invisible bikini was entertaining.lets talk about the great cast; the great Boris Karloff,Basil Rathbone,Nancy Sinatra, Patsy Kelly,Tommy Kirk,Susan Hart as the ghost with the transparent bikini,before your mind goes in the gutter listen up,her bikini is invisible but its on her body.hey this is a g rated 1966 movie,so there's no nudity just bikinis,and ghosts,and a monster gorilla that resembles konga.its all played for laughs.Boris Karloff is a corpse that has to do a good deed so he can go to heaven,the shapely ghost(Susan hart) helps him.basil rathbone plays the bad guy Reginald ripper and his bumbling sidekick(Jesse white)the original may-tag repairman from the old commercials plot to get rid of the people that get invited to the reading of the will of Hiram(Karloff)well some wild teens join the fun along with the zany motorcycle gang the ratz led by Erich Von zipper(Harvey lembeck)its a fun movie.its no masterpiece but i liked it. Nancy Sinatra also sings a few songs.if you like zany spoofs of horror movies i think you will enjoy the ghost in the invisible bikini. also stars a very sexy Quinn o'hara,and Bobbi shaw.call me crazy but i give it 8 out of 10

First, I should clear up any confusion that may have arisen from the title: not only is the ghost's bikini invisible, but what's underneath her bikini is also invisible. Now, I must ask: how was Boris Karloff reduced to starring in a "beach party" movie? "The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini" is basically a cross between beach party movies and the old-style horror movies. Karloff plays Hiram Stokely, a corpse who must accomplish a good deed within 24 hours. Fortunately for him, the title character (Susan Hart) has the answer: he can protect a bevy of teens who are descending on his estate for a party. Tommy Kirk plays the main youngster.Overall, the movie is pretty much an excuse for everyone to party as they would on the beach, except that they're doing it in what appears to be an English castle. I couldn't tell whether the movie was supposed to happen in California or England. I guess that this movie is better than most beach movies, just because it stars Boris Karloff. Oh, and the title character is pretty hot. But other than that, it's just another beach party movie.

This film proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the "Beach Party" genre was dead. After the previous film with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, American International thought they could pull the two of them back for one final picture. However, by the time the plans were announced Avalon was more interested in other roles and Funicello was busy raising her family. Instead we get Tommy Kirk and Deborah Walley who, unfortunately, don't have the chemistry that Frankie and Annette had together. The "Beach Party" series was one of the most enduring in film history. Too bad it had to go out with a whimper instead of a bang.