MovieChat Forums > Gidget (1959) Discussion > oddly sexual?

oddly sexual?

posted 18 years ago by yamichik
32 replies | jump to latest

Okay, is it just me or did this movie seem to give off some like, "innapropriate" vibes?

I mean, it's nothing compared to the more modern teen movies of today (Mean girls, Clueless, American Pie, etc...)

But I seemed to catch a few things that it just seemed like it would have been sort of racy for that time period. Like Gidget saying to her MOTHER that she went out on a "manhunt" on purpose, but still came back "as pure as the driven snow". Or the huge age gap between her and Kahuna, or the orgy on the beach. Plus that whole thing at Kahuna's beach house.

LoL, I mean, it doesn't bother me, but wasn't that kinda of taboo back then? I asked my mom if she liked Gidget when she was young, and she said yeah sure. But I asked didn't y'all think it was kinda suggestive? And she said they weren't as "enlightened" as we are today.

[–] movie-viking 12 years ago

I agree. Probably Sandra Dee's sincere and innocent portrayal of the very naiive Gidget helped the sort of creepy would-be seduction scene with "The Big Kahuna" get by censors.

Magically, Dee is protected from her own initial foolishness concerning sexual relations. (How? None of the otherwise rather experienced males around her on the beach will choose to seduce her...and thus she has time to think through her values and to learn self respect without suffering the emotional or physical consequences of too-early sexual involvement.)

(The Cynical Sixties soon arrive...and movie youth seeking sexual experience begins to be treated as something a youth "must" do...with no thought of consequences or meaning of the act ..."allowed").

[–] ethrush 12 years ago

I was taken to see this movie as part of a friend's birthday party. My mother nearly had a fit when she found out. She did not consider the movie appropriate for a young teen. So yes, it was seen as rather racy for its time.

[–] cathy-creswell 10 years ago

When was this? 1960? How did they play the movie, reel to reel on a rented projector?

[–] cathy-creswell 10 years ago

Yes. I agree. I was bothered by her dressing up and going to Kahunas' place. She says she's going to "give him what he wants". That alone makes my skin crawl.
Then when she is in Kahunas' arms and he says, "hey! You ARE sweet!" , I thought, "No! Run away, Gidget!"

Maybe he knew what he was doing, trying to scare her into seeing what could happen. I'd like to think he had good intentions. But, there was an unspoken danger in her being on the beach all day with boys and men. Flat chested or not, she faced being molested.

[–] kaskait 9 years ago

I think they made that quite clear she could have been taken advantage of when Loverboy was feeling her up when he gave her a surfboard lesson. He probably wasn't the only one who had notions of taking advantage of her. I think it was the Kahuna who told everyone to behave, leave her alone or leave the gang.

[–] xenophile2002 9 years ago

She bribes her way into the luau which she has been told is an orgy. She's trying to grow some boobs before she goes to this orgy. She goes with Kahuna planning to not be a virgin by the time she leaves. When she tells her mother that after all her efforts she's still "pure as the driven snow," she's complaining.

She's pure and innocent in spite of herself.

I disagree with you, but I'm pretty sure you're not Hitler.
- Jon Stewart

[–] Forlorn_Rage 8 years ago

Yes. I agree. I was bothered by her dressing up and going to Kahunas' place. She says she's going to "give him what he wants". That alone makes my skin crawl.
Then when she is in Kahunas' arms and he says, "hey! You ARE sweet!" , I thought, "No! Run away, Gidget!"

Yeah, she reminds me so much of a friend of mine who has that same sort of naive innocence to her and, oddly enough, also has very large, dark eyes and flawless complexion as Sandra Dee.

Maybe he knew what he was doing, trying to scare her into seeing what could happen. I'd like to think he had good intentions. But, there was an unspoken danger in her being on the beach all day with boys and men. Flat chested or not, she faced being molested.

That is strange... Francie's "friends" who actually wanted to be "bothered" get no attention, but Gidget, (who they claim is just a "kid" and not attractive at all) gets flirted with, even almost molested twice! They just can't seem to make up their minds what they want!

[–] jl-39962 8 years ago

Kahuna *was* trying to scare her into seeing what could happen, by playing along. But then he realized he was in fact attracted to her.

That's why he had to abruptly stop things.

And obviously, while Moondoggie and others described her and her friends as "jailbait" (when she was 16), some like "loverboy" were still all over her.

But that's what made the film somewhat realistic.

[–] kurt-2000 8 years ago

You're right OP. And a little provocative for it's time as Gidget is doing breast enlargement exercises, and her girlfriend attempts to measure improvements. Not something you find in film made in 1959.

[–] jl-39962 8 years ago

It depends on the film. Bridgette Bardot and Sophia Loren were both making movies in the 50's.

There was a lot of sexual innuendo and allusions in the 50's. Just less actual sex.