Where the Boys Are

Infobox_Film
name = Where the Boys Are


image_size =
caption = theatrical poster
producer = Joe Pasternak
director = Henry Levin
writer = Glendon Swarthout "(novel)"
George Wells
starring = Dolores Hart
George Hamilton
Yvette Mimieux
Jim Hutton
music = Score:
George E. Stoll
Jazz:
Pete Rugolo
Songs:
Neil Sedaka "(music)"
Howard Greenfield "(lyrics)"
cinematography = Robert J. Bronner
editing = Fredric Steinkamp
distributor = Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
released = December 28, fy|1960
runtime = 99 minutes
country = FilmUS
language = English
budget =
gross =
imdb_id = 0054469

"Where the Boys Are" (fy|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 more 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 changing American sexual mores and attitudes among college youth. Given the censorship of the day, the audience is never sure of exactly what happened to Yvette Mimieux's character, but there is an indication that she was raped.

Plot

The main focus of "Where the Boys Are" is the "coming of age" of Merritt (Dolores Hart), a smart, assertive girl who expresses the opinion as the film opens that premarital sex might be okay. Her speech inspires Melanie (Yvette Mimieux) to lose her virginity soon after the girls arrive in Ft. Lauderdale. Tuggle (Paula Prentiss), on the other hand, seeks to be a "baby-making machine," lacking only the man to join her in marriage. She quickly fixes her attention on the goofy TV Thompson (Jim Hutton). Angie (Connie Francis, in her first acting role) rounds out the quartet as a girl acting rather clumsily, when it comes to romance, who is also looking for love and finds it with a guy who has poor eyesight.

Each of the girls finds her beliefs challenged throughout the film. Merritt realizes that she's not ready for sex; Melanie finds that the boy from Yale she thought loved her was only using her, passing her around to his friend when he grows bored of her. Tuggle becomes disillusioned when TV treats her with resentment and nastiness, as he focuses his attention on an older woman who works as a "mermaid" swimmer/dancer (Barbara Nichols). However, Merritt and Ryder and Tuggle and TV'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 hotel, with a torn dress, windswept hair and in a serious state of distress and crossing a traffic packed road disoriented, nearly being hit by a car, strongly suggests that Melanie was either raped or at least assaulted so strongly that it came close to rape. Melanie ends up in hospital.

Sobered up from all spring break joy all of a sudden, the friends realize the potentially serious consequences of their 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.

Cast

*Dolores Hart as Merritt Andrews
*Paula Prentiss as Tuggle
*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

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. Called "dialectic jazz" in the film, the original compositions were by Pete Rugolo.

Also featured is pop star Connie Francis in her first acting role. Her popular title song, written by Neil Sedaka, plays over the opening credits.

*"Where the Boys Are" - by Neil Sedaka (music) and Howard Greenfield (lyrics), sung by Connie Francis
*"Turn on the Sunshine" - by Neil Sedaka (music) and Howard Greenfield (lyrics), sung by Connie Francis
*"Have You Met Miss Fandango" - by Victor Young (music) and Stella Unger (lyrics), sung by Barbara NicholsTCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=493&category=Music Music] ]

Gender

As with most other beach blanket films of its time, gender plays a vital part in "Where the Boys Are". Each of the four women are represented as different traditional female archetypes. The three women who are more conservative in their sexual behavior are portrayed as respectable, intelligent, and strong. In contrast, Melanie, the most promiscuous of the bunch, latches on to men in an attempt to validate her self-worth. What transpires (her assumed rape and probable suicide attempt) is a reminder to the audience of the stark differences between women who respect themselves and those who do not. In turn, the film is, in fact, a sort of feminist piece of work, as it conveys (sometimes by rather roundabout and elusive means) the power of strong, resolute women.

Legacy

An unsuccessful remake, "Where the Boys Are '84", was made in 1984 by TriStar Pictures. TriStar's parent company, Sony Pictures Entertainment, led a partnership that acquired MGM in 2005; however, the rights to this film (along with the rest of the pre-1986 MGM library) are now owned by Warner Bros. and its subsidiary Turner Entertainment.

Notes

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