In several places I write about a purposely left unnamed fellow-student I met in college that I give title to as being a gorgeous raven-haired beauty, a direct quote I use from a friend of mine used to describe her. I bring her up here because she appeared in a brief dancing scene in one of the beach party movies, most specifically the last in the series called The Ghost In the Invisible Bikini.
She had only turned age 21 by two months when we met, having just finished community college and earning an AA degree at the end of the fall semester. She had applied to Otis Art Institute and Chouinard's, now known as California Institute of the Arts, and been accepted by both, planning to start one or the other in the upcoming fall semester. To do so she expected to cover costs using a "turned age 21 after proving herself to go to college trust fund" that instead got bogged down in some legalistic quagmire. With scholarships from either school not covering costs and her own finances tight she pushed her start date into the following year. In the meantime, rather than letting the year slip by unproductively she began taking several transferable classes at the same state university I was attending.
With the spring semester ending and summer coming on she wasn't sure if she would be back in the fall, but taking advantage of early registration for already enrolled students she and I sat down and signed up for a couple of classes together just in case. The summer passed with no contact. Then with school just about to start, she called telling me she planned to be back in the fall and wondered if we could meet over coffee or something before then, of which I more than quickly agreed to. During that end of summer meeting, in general conversation, she told me she met a specialty-niche actor at a party that had the same last name as mine and for no other reason but to make small talk she mentioned me and the fact that my dad had worked for the studios in the late 40's. She said the man told her he was sure he knew my dad and that he had helped him get out of a tight spot once, expressing an interest in meeting me. Thinking it would give me an excuse for more face time with her if nothing else I told her to go ahead and set it up.
The three of us met at the location-shoot of a movie he was working on that ended up being given the title The Ghost In the Invisible Bikini, the last in the series of beach party movies that included such era-specific hits as Beach Blanket Bingo. They were shooting a dance scene around a pool with a gaggle of bikini clad well built girls and a few guys. During our talk, as it came out, he had a part in the 1948 film titled The Street With No Name, which was one of the three movies I cite my father having worked on while with the studios. The otherwise minor actor with the same last name as my dad met my dad during the production of that film. See:
WILLIAM LINDSAY GRESHAM, NIGHTMARE ALLEY AND THE WANDERLING'S FATHER
While we were talking and the dance segment by the pool in the Invisible Bikini was just about to be called to "action," the gorgeous raven-haired beauty, and what this is really all about, slowly wended her way into the mingling extras and from there bopped herself right into the dance scene with all the others. She is easily seen as linked below around the 42 minute mark, the only one amongst the barefoot bikini clad dancers wearing full length to her ankles jeans, a sweater, and sandals. Nancy Sinatra can be seen just to her left sitting on the edge of the pool. Two things before moving on. One, the minor actor was not listed in the credits for appearing in the film The Street With No Name. He is, however, listed for having done so in movies he has performed in. Secondly, in The Ghost In the Invisible Bikini a girl, Lulu, played by Claudia Martin, the daughter of Dean Martin, in a small speaking role, appears in a bedroom scene --- but no where else in the movie --- who, after I have pointed out the raven-haired beauty, is sometimes confused as being her in the pool scene. Such is not the case. The bedroom scene was shot on a set in the studio and although the two women are dressed similarly it was just a coincidence and why there was no need to reshoot or cut the location dance scene because of a girl in pants, that is, if anyone even noticed or cared. They may have even back-dressed Lulu in the bedroom scene for cinematic consistency, something American International Pictures was ever accused of however. The raven haired beauty never did enroll in either Otis or Chouinard's, the two of us continuing to take classes together until we both eventually graduated.[1]
-----
RAVEN HAIRED BEAUTY IN RED AS LULU, POOL SIDE-----CALUDIA MARTIN IN RED AS LULU, BEDROOM SCENE
HOW THE RAVEN HAIRED BEAUTY GOT INTO THE DANCE SCENE AND ALLOWED TO STAY
(please click image)
The otherwise minor actor remembered my dad well, especially, albeit in a slight exaggeration, of how my dad practically saved Darryl F. Zanuck and his movie Nightmare Alley from nearly collapsing and keeping him, the actor, who was working in the movie, in a job. He also recalled my dad spending several years working the gold fields in the High Sierras before settling down and marrying my mom and how he came really close to being rich. Which is true, that is, until one of his two partners ran off with most of the gold, only to die trying to bury it.
I told the actor if my dad hadn't caught his partner in the process it could have become one of those infamous lost treasure stories of the old west that you always hear about like the Lost Dutchman Mine and almost still is. My dad was able to catch his partner and get the gold only to end up being caught in the same oncoming snow storm. Because of the weight of the gold and facing the same circumstances as his partner, nearly freezing, my dad buried most of it somewhere along his route trying to save his own life only to be saved by his other partner. I don't know how much gold was worth when the actor and I talked, but the amount of gold my dad carried out compared with what he left behind, the left behind gold would be worth around $7,000,000 in todays market. As far as I know it's still there.
LOST GOLD OF THE SIERRA PROSPECTOR
Why did my father never go back and get the gold himself. Two reasons, but mainly because of the Cowboy Code of the West. First, he and King Barton made a vow that one would never go to retrieve the gold without the other, and secondly, my dad never wanted to go there and find the gold gone with King Barton being the only person knowing where it was. He always said he would rather never have the gold than to know Barton took it. Besides he said, if he went to the spot to get the gold in violation of their vow and it was still there, he would be setting himself up to such a terrible dilemma he didn't want to face it.
COWBOY CODE OF THE WEST
BELOW FROM ABOVE, FRANKIE AND DEE DEE: THE BEACH BLANKET BINGO GIRL ATTEMPTS TO FLY
---
----
COMPLETE ONLINE VIDEO. FREE WITH NO SIGN UP. JUST CLICK AND WATCH
FOR A FREE NO SIGN-UP INDIVIDUAL ONLINE COPY OF ANY OF THE SIX COMICS BELOW PLEASE CLICK IMAGE ----
----
----
THE CLASSIC 1960s MOVIE IS AVAILABLE AT THE SAME SITE THE LOST DUTCHMAN'S GOLD
(please click image}
THE ARTIST IN ME
OUTER SPACE TO THE RENAISSANCE UFOs
THE WANDERLING
(please click)
SO, DID THE WANDERLING FLY?
(please click)
As to the subject of donations, for those of you who may be interested in doing so as it applies to the gratefulness of my works, I invariably suggest any funds be directed toward THE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT and/or THE AMERICAN RED CROSS.
