Like many women, I grew up with the Gidget film series and have seen them all many times over. A lot of people say Sandra Dee is their favorite Gidget, no doubt because she was the first and defined the role, but I always liked Cindy Carol in Gidget Goes to Rome and Sally Field in the Gidget television series. Years ago, I read about a television movie being made with Karen Valentine in the role but never looked into it, so when Gidget Grows Up started playing on television, I had to check it out...and I am so glad that I did!
Karen Valentine does an excellent job of playing Gidget in her various stages of maturing. She begins much like Sally Field, as an energetic headstrong girl and then blossoms - in the span of one hour and fifteen minutes - into a lovely young woman. As one might expect, Gidget has a breakup with her surf-hero Moondoggie again (played by Paul Peterson) and once more falls for an older man, but not the grizzled Kahuna from the first Gidget movie, instead it is the dapper Australian diplomat Alex McLaughlin (Edward Mulhare). For you see, Gidget has taken on the job of being a guide at the United Nations building in New York City so she is a long way from the beach now.
The film has a surprisingly good cast of seasoned actors for a made-for-television movie. These include Robert Cummings as Gidget's father, Paul Lynde as a movie-loving landlord, Nina Foch as her teacher at the UN, and Warner Anderson as an ambassador. In addition to the big name actors, you will enjoy spotting a number of bit-time actors who were busy in television in the late 1960s and 1970s.
James Sheldon, a veteran TV director, did an excellent job of filming Gidget Grows Up and the musical montages are especially nice. The background music is performed by Jean King who sings "Growing Up" beautifully. You can hear it in this sequence.
Gidget Grows Up is currently available to watch on DVD, via streaming with Tubi (along with all of the other Gidget films), or for free on Youtube.
I love Paul Lynda as her movie loving landlord. He’s one of the best things in the movie unlike Paul Peterson who seems to be lost and looking for a way to get out.
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Yes, Paul Lynde is always fun to watch! I especially liked his role in Send Me No Flowers as the cemetery plot salesman ("I love my job!"). I thought Paul Peterson did a good job as Moondoogie although I wonder if Kurt Russell couldn't have been a little better. In 1969, he would have been about the right age... maybe a bit on the young side.
DeleteI could see Kurt Russell as Moondoggie, in the movie. I do like the movie, but I also didn't buy Edward Mulhare as a 'love interest,' as he was old enough to be Gidget's father. It's been a while since I've seen the movie, but from what I remember, Gidget had more chemistry with the Louis B. Latimer character, then either of the male romantic leads. I mostly I want to live in the apartment building owned/run by Louis B. Latimer aka Paul Lynde. He's great and the apartment building is so interesting, not to mention Manhattan in the late 60's.
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