User reviews

This is one of a multitude of sex comedies Tony Curtis starred in around this time in his career; incidentally, I had seen about half of it some years back (also on Italian TV) but had to abort the viewing due to a bad reception!

Anyway, if the film is at all remembered today, it is primarily for two reasons: it not only marked the cinematic swan song of a great director, but was also the official Hollywood introduction of the beguiling but ill-fated Sharon Tate. Two more (if lesser) claims to fame should be the undeniably funny Chaplinesque ‘house-teetering-on-the-edge-of-a-cliff’ climax and the fact that leading rock band The Byrds perform the film’s rather charmingly light title tune.

Patchy and somewhat hesitant overall, it is nonetheless engaging and occasionally delightful; the satirical barbs aimed at L.A.’s muscle beach mentality (especially David Draper, the amiably moronic blonde hulk who is Tate’s boyfriend), the then-current astrological fad and businessmen indulging in extramarital activities often hit the target – even if with a much blunter edge than in Mackendrick’s previous film with Curtis, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957). Two other lively highlights of the film are the initial ‘meeting cute’ between Curtis and leading lady Claudia Cardinale (in which, as he tells her himself, she inadvertently manages to ruin his whole life in 30 seconds flat!) and the potentially disastrous sky-diving stunt performed by Tate and (unexpectedly) Curtis, which ends with both of them landing in his newly-inaugurated pool.

The film does benefit from a workmanlike cast: Curtis is in good form as an opportunistic young man who, while being compulsively pursued by the accident-prone Cardinale, becomes hopelessly infatuated with luscious, free-spirited beach girl Sharon Tate (her effortlessly sensual slow-motion exercises on the beach early in the film are quite disturbing to watch now when one realizes that she would die so horribly in less than two years’ time); Robert Webber is a swimming pool company executive driven to his wits’ end by lover Cardinale and the blackmailing schemes of Curtis, who soon shows his salesmanship skills by selling a pool to Jim “Mr. Magoo” Backus (playing himself) and a celebrity fortune-teller with the unlikely name of Madame Lavinia (played by famed ventriloquist Edgar Bergen).

While it is undoubtedly Mackendrick’s least (i.e. most inconsequential) film – and could well have been the reason why he left the profession and went into teaching – it’s a tribute to his mostly unsung genius that the film is as enjoyable as it is despite the evident flaws.

Okay middle aged version of a Beach Party film has tourist Tony Curtis visiting California and run off the road by Claudia Cardinale, who then takes him back to her place, where a French style bedroom farce ensures. These kooky 20 and 30 somethings encounter crazy Californian surfers, bodybuilders, skydivers, and other assorted kooks. The film is never boring, but it's also never all that funny or clever either. One of the positives for the film is a supporting role by Sharon Tate, who's gorgeous and again had a terrific screen presence, reminding us of of what a loss the world had with her murder. Overall, if you want a lightweight comedy to the pass the time (which you'll completely forget about once it's over), you could do worse than "Don't Make Waves."

Tony Curtis made alot of bad movies around this time, but DON'T MAKE WAVES is one of his better films. Here Curtis, as Carlo, is a southern Californian who's life is turned upside down when his car with all of his worldly possessions is accidentally destroyed by the beautiful Claudia Cardinale. Taking pity on Carlo, she takes him to her apartment. Sugar daddy (Robert Webber) soon shows up and promptly throws Carlo out. Having had enough, Carlo takes his circumstances and newfound information and turns them into a grand lifestyle. The usually funny Joanna Barnes turns in a sobering performance as Webber's neglected wife. Bodybuilding title holder Dave Draper is very good as not too bright musclebound Harry. It is the late Sharon Tate's performance as Malibu, Harry's on again off again sky diving girlfriend that is the real find in this movie. She's gorgeous, sexy, and about as swift as Harry. Feeling overlooked by Harry and his muscle buddies, she deadpans to Curtis, "If you were a man, would you find me attractive?" Title song performed by THE BYRDS. The rest of the score was done by Vic Mizzy, who also did the music to GREEN ACRES. In case you wondered why the music had a familiar ring to it, that's the reason. Fair amount of cameos by movie & TV stars. Look for Edgar Bergen, Jim Backus......and others.

A very flaky comedy, a perplexing mix of moods involving Southern California hustler Tony Curtis with an accident prone actress, her married lover, and an assortment of beach bums and bunnies. A curiously lackadaisical pace, an almost dream-like non-focus, and the blithe, throwaway performances don't especially give the proceedings an edge, but they do help the movie stand out from other films in this genre. But what genre is it exactly? It isn't a laugh-out loud comedy, it isn't a character study, it isn't brainless but neither is it particularly witty. Just an occasional big laugh, and it certainly looks good. Sharon Tate gets an "introducing" credit, just as she did on "Eye Of The Devil" released the year before. Her role as "Malibu" is utterly undemanding, but still it's nice to see her having fun. ** from ****

'Don't Make Waves' was hardly one of those films that was doomed from the outset. Tony Curtis' film career was spotty but he was always appealing enough, and the same can be said for Claudia Cardinale. Sharon Tate in my predictions would have become a bigger star if she hadn't been so brutally murdered in one of the most shocking mass murder sprees in history. Also like to love Alexander Mackendrick's previous work, especially 'Sweet Smell of Success' and 'The Ladykillers'.

While it is watchable enough and has some good things, 'Don't Make Waves' didn't really do much for me regrettably. Curtis' career was, or at least his film choices were, particularly hit and miss at this time of which this was a middling project for him, and as far as Mackendrick's films go 'Don't Make Waves' is a lesser effort of his and not a particular fair representation of him. Actually find it a little sad that a promising director ended his film directing career on what is actually a contender for his worst film.

There are certainly good things here. The film looks great (excepting the more stock moments not always being seamlessly incorporated), very artfully shot without trying to be overly clever and quite vibrant. The music is quite infectious, easy on the ears and doesn't feel tacky or like it belong, while the title song epitomises charm. 'Don't Make Waves' starts off very promisingly, very good-natured and amusing.

It also finishes great, the climactic sliding house sequence is quite thrilling and holds up impressively. The cast do more than gamely, while Curtis is very likeable and Cardinale likewise the one that makes the biggest impression is Tate, who is both sensual and witty.

However, 'Don't Make Waves' is pretty all over the place when it comes to the story. The mishmash of genres, some meandering aimlessness and quite muddled structure gave off a weirdly wacky feel and rather suggestive of the film never being sure what it wanted to be. The pace can suffer too, it starts off great and it picks up in the climactic moments but in between the energy sags. Some of the pace is fine, some of it is dull, while there are still amusing moments between the start and climax in some places the strangeness gets a bit over the top.

Also felt that Mackendrick's direction was disappointing pedestrian and only workmanlike in its best moments. There are some good-natured and witty moments in the script, but too much of it falls on the wrong side of cheesy. The rest of the cast other than the mentioned three never rise above just getting the job done level.

Summing up, not bad but not particularly good. 5/10

New Yorker Carlo Cofield (Tony Curtis) is driving in southern California. He encounters flighty Italian Laura Califatti (Claudia Cardinale) who accidentally sets his car on fire destroying all his worldly possessions. He asks for her insurance but she offers a place to stay instead. Her patron Rod Prescott (Robert Webber) shows up and kicks him out. Carlo is forced to sleep on the beach and Malibu (Sharon Tate) saves him from drowning. He pushes his way into Prescott's company as the high priced pool salesman. He also discovers that Prescott is married to Diane (Joanna Barnes). He schemes to break up Malibu from her muscle bound boyfriend Harry.

I don't really like Carlo. The world is transitioning outside. The muscle beach concept is a little fun if a little silly. This feels like two stories smashed into one. I think Carlo as a fish out of water in the California beach lifestyle holds good possibilities. As for the other half with Cardinale and Webber, that should be the love triangle if that's the story for the movie. The movie needs to cut out one side or the other. The combination becomes a mess. Also, Carlo schemes too much for my liking for the lead. I don't want him to end up with anyone. Overall, I don't find much funny in this comedy.

Perfect posture and great bodies dominate in this oddball Tony Curtis comedy. Just about everyone in these reels of celluloid has a superb physique: Claudia Cardinale, Sharon Tate, and even the muscle men pumping iron on the beach. Hard to believe fact: this movie was based on a novel! Some of the bloated beach bums must have stumbled in from a "method" acting class. The leader savors every line of dialog as if it was Milton or Shakespeare. Weird. The setting is radiant to the eye. The special effects people deserve a gold metal for delivering some of the most realistic shots, up to that time, of the ground cracking open and an upscale villa sliding and tumbling down a steep embankment and into the surf. Impressive. It's sad to see Sharon Tate--so young and pretty--just three years before the Manson Gang got their hands on her. Miss Tate's character is skilled in many physical pursuits: trampoline and skydiving included. In one improbable scene, she saves Tony Curtis, James Bond-like, by strapping herself to the free-falling con-man. Miss Cardinale has the curves to match her rival, but she is straddled with shrill dialog and a cranky demeanor. Jim Backus plays himself and performs his "Mister Magoo" routine. I think the movie works so well because it perfectly captures the Southern California scene at a time when many things were changing--and not always for the best. The mid-sixties was the last gasp of a more innocent time and cinema. View after midnight--it rocks.

Having just arrived in Malibu "Carlo Cofield" (Tony Curtis) has the misfortune of meeting an accident-prone young woman named "Laura Califatti" (Claudia Cardinale) who manages to wreck his car and set fire to all of his possessions inside. Feeling somewhat guilty she invites him to her house in order to give him her car insurance paperwork. Unable to locate it right away she allows him to spend the night on the couch with the hope that she can manage to obtain it from her boyfriend "Rod Prescott" (Robert Webber) the next day. But as luck would have it Rod comes to the house unexpectedly and that's when trouble begins for everyone involved. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that, although this film started off pretty well and certainly had potential, it fizzled out about half-way through due to both a lack of chemistry and humor. It does, however, feature two extremely beautiful women in Sharon Tate (as "Malibu") and the aforementioned Claudia Cardinale as well as a decent performance by Tony Curtis. But other than that there really isn't that much here and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.

"Don't Make Waves" -- is it an attempt at an mature beach movie? A spoof of beach movies? A midlife crisis movie? A Tony Curtis-as-middle-aged-hustler movie?

Tony Curtis plays a not-so-young man whose life is ruined and all his earthly belongings destroyed by an accident prone mistress (Cardinale) of an obnoxious pool magnate (Webber). Curtis worms his way into the pool company -- apparently not to wreak revenge (or is it) but just to get ahead. On the way he picks up a cute sky-diving obsessed young woman (Tate -- who unfortunately has become a curiosity piece in the few movies she lived to make) who was also being sought out by a good-hearted and dull-witted Muscle Beach type (Drake).

The characters wind confusingly through each others lives until they come to a climax that needs better special effects than they had in 1967, and then the movie ends abruptly.

The movie shows lots of potential trying to get out. There are many good ideas thrown out. Some lie flaccid after being thrown out, others are merely thrown out and left to die.

The cast is full of surprises: Mort Sal as a wry house salesman, Edgar Bergen as a fortune teller, Jim Backus (as wife) as themselves, being hustled by Curtis into buying a pool! And this also proves how the movie went wrong. Edgar Bergen had a charming persona in his act, which (for those of you who don't remember) as a ventriloquist -- on the radio, no less. Instead of playing to his charming persona, they cast him as a waspish old man; and instead of playing on his ventriloquism to make the character wacky, they ignore it completely. They shoehorned a man with special talents into a part that could have been played by any competent actor, and which should have been played as a gift cameo part for someone who would pull out all the comedic stops (say,Paul Lynde?)

Pluses include the Vic Mizzy sound, and the fact that, and the obvious fact that none of the actors take the material seriously, except for Robert Webber, whom no one seems to have told was in a comedy. It's a movie that one watches the way one eats sour cream and onion potato chips if one doesn't like sour cream. The taste both repels and attracts. It's movies like this that ensured the decline of Tony Curtis' career.

MGM must have thought, let's throw as many genres as we can into one movie with this odd amalgam of '60s sex comedy, beach party frolic, and Irwin Allen-type disaster flick for the last 10 minutes. It's one of several misbegotten efforts at the time to revive Tony Curtis's career (he had a good one the following year, "The Boston Strangler"), and he seems dispirited and out of sync as an opportunistic nobody who gets involved through unlikely circumstances with Claudia Cardinale, Sharon Tate, and Joana Barnes while pursuing a "How to Succeed"-like climb up the corporate ladder at a swimming pool company. Maybe it's meant to be satirical; the screenplay, by Ira Wallach, is so listless and episodic it's hard to tell. Cardinale's fine, and David Draper, as Tate's boyfriend, displays not only a muscular physique but some comic timing. Guest appearances by Jim and Henny Backus, Mort Sahl, and Edgar Bergen round the thing out, and the climax, with a crowded Malibu beach house plunging down a cliff, does generate some tension. It's an odd duck, but valuable as a time capsule, and a demonstration of directorial nadir: Did Alexander Mackendrick, who made "The Ladykillers" and "The Sweet Smell of Success," really helm this?

It sure looks like TCM's Alicia Malone has been taking Dave Karger lessons, huh? How else to explain this usually discerning gal's calling this empty, 60s beach flic "fun" or the most boringly inept of its cast "delightful"? Best adjective I can come up with is "sad", considering that it was the final film of a great director. Solid C.

PS...Great title song by The Byrds. And downhill from there.

This is one of my favorite movies about Los Angeles. It has everything.

Gorgeous locations on the beach, stunningly beautiful actors, a brilliant and witty script full of hilarious, exageratted incidents which are nevertheless typical of LA.

It is not only funny but engaging, the plot is interesting. It was even better the second time I saw it on the big screen, where it is best seen.

I was totally captivated by this film.

I find this film much wittier and funnier, for example, than "Some Like It Hot", also with Curtis, and I find Sharon Tate much sexier than Monroe in that film.

The plot is a bit crazy but compeletely believable and consistent with itself and reality; as a comedy it falls in the exagerrated or surrealistic category, only slightly dark because of the various difficulties that beset the hero.

Above all it is a brilliant comment on Los Angeles of the sixties and is still valid in the 2000's. An overlooked gem, a great cast, which may work best for those who have lived in LA.

Another film like this, with good LA locations, less comedy more suspense, is "Into the Night".

This movie seems to have a lot going for it. The stunning photography of gorgeous Los Angeles; a charming theme song by The Byrds; two of the most beautiful women you could imagine , Sharon Tate and Claudia Cardinale; plus some funny folk in supporting roles. Strangely it misses. It just goes on and on with no laffs, and no particular purpose. Sharon , As in The wrecking Crew, proves she had great potential in comedy, and is so gorgeous you want to see more of her. So I would recommend this movie only for Sharon Tate fans. If you arent a fan, you will be disapointed as there is really nothing else here worthwhile. I waited to see the movie for a long time, and felt ripped off.

It's like it's trying to be a naive, dopey 'Beach Party' movie. Nice to look at, a cast worth looking at - but curiously dated, and misses the mark.... Tony Curtis was about...40? (he must have been in it for the paycheck)... and the tragic gorgeous Sharon Tate showed off her slim acting talents to fit right up with him! Claudia Cardinale is breathtaking, and doesn't belong here....no nice peppy music, curious flat. Maybe they were trying to make a 'beach party movie for adults? I suppose it's a good time killer to just look at the beautiful beaches and beautiful actors, but they all seem miscast and run around like 16 year old ninnies. MEH.

I will begin by saying that YES, Sharon Tate was totally beautiful and I have ALWAYS followed every story about her horrific death at the hands of the Manson Family but this was just an awful film. I recorded it because I wanted to see one of her last films but this is just dreadful. I realize it was one of those 60's beach films but OMG what awful acting!!!!!!! She did a really good job in Eye of the Devil but that did not require much acting. It was obvious she was a beautiful woman inside and out but not as an actress!!!!! Watch Eye of the Devil if you want to see a really good movie with her in it but thats about it...................

I like to watch movies as I workout on my exercise bike, and this movie was visually entertaining--all those sights and sounds and styles of Southern California in the late '60s, big fun. Sure, this is a 'light read' but it is a colorful chronicle and a trip back to Muscle Beach, dude. Well, that's all I had planned to say until I was prompted to write more text--I have to write a minimum of ten lines. Whoa, that's like taking an essay test. How am I going to write ten lines about this movie? I'm not a movie reviewer. Well, pass me the popcorn and let me give this a go. It starts with a guy and his Volkswagen and if you watch it, you'll see what happens next. Thanks for reading my movie review. I think it was excellent.

Tony Curtis, Edgar Bergen, Sharon Tate????? While the first thirty minutes of this film are perhaps promising, the plot quickly becomes insanely silly.

Perhaps the pedestrian direction of this film is predetermined by the fact that Filmways was the production company. One would expect no less from the makers of numerous mindless sitcoms of the 60s.

Slow motion scenes of Sharon Tate bouncing about, and numerous shots of various California beefcake bodybuilders strutting their stuff, are interspersed with ridiculous, unrelated scenes of supposed comedy.

The "introducing Sharon Tate" credit is dubious, considering she "debued" in FOUR films the same year, including "Valley of the Dolls." An experience to be missed.

This movie was truly a treat to watch. I was born in 1991 and I have a profound love for these times and Sharon Tate. She was so special. This movie is timeless, it was truly very funny. Everything feels so very great, the intro...the tunes, and the camera work and special effects were phenomenal for the time. Anybody from any generation could watch this an enjoy it. I waited patiently to see what Sharon was going to look like in this film, it was SO worth the wait. When Malibu appears, she was the most stunning thing I'd ever seen and proceeded to become the most beautiful character of all-time.