DR.
GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE (1965)Director: Norman Taurog
MGM
DR.
GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE (1965)By the mid 60s, AIP had all but exhausted the Poe cycle--well they probably would've continued the series, but Roger Corman wanted to direct different types of films like THE WILD ANGELS (1966). Attempting to fittingly utilize the talents of Vincent Price, AIP's greatest star attraction, he was now being thrown into silly spoofs such as this, and it wouldn't be until the late 60s (when AIP set up a production unit in England) that Price would again return to serious, more genuine horror films.
Enter Dr. Goldfoot (Price), an eccentric "mad scientist" wearing a shiny gold jacket and gold pixie shoes. Goldfoot has created an army of gold bikini-clad robots who are programmed to seek out wealthy men all over the world and "charm" them into signing over their assets. Fresh from AIP's popular "beach" series, Frankie Avalon is Craig Gamble, an agent with SIC (Special Intelligence Command), a poor man's investigative unit run by his hardheaded uncle (Fred Clark). Sexy Susan Hart (soon to be the wife of AIP head James Nicholson) is a alluring robot that gets the attention of Gamble, but it turns out that she was supposed to go after rich playboy Todd Armstrong (Dwayne Hickman, who played a similar role in HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI the same year). It seems that Goldfoot's assistant Igor (Jack Mullaney) goofed and now Diane is sent after Armstrong.
In a scene that had my hormones boiling watching this as an adolescent on Channel 7's "4:30 Movie," Diane lifts her raincoat to reveal her bikini-bottomed rump and long legs, causing Armstrong to crash his car. He immediately falls in love with Diane and marries her, but Gamble intervenes convincing the new groom that he married a robot and that she's out to swindle his fortune. Frankie and Dwayne team up to fight Dr. Goldfoot at his castle, giving us a glimpse at a lot of leftover sets and props from other AIP horror movies, and Price gets to spoof the climatic torture sequence from THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM. The film ends up with a zany chase through the streets of San Francisco.
The title song was performed by the biggest girl group of the 60s, The Supremes, but it WASN'T one of Diana Ross and company's many hits of '65. The great clay-animated titles were done by Art Clokey, the man behind "Gumby" and "Davey and Goliath," and there are cameos by Annette Funicello, Deborah Walley, Aron Kincaid, and Harvey Lembeck (as Eric Von Zipper again). Veteran Elwood Ullman co-wrote the screenplay, so fans of The Three Stooges and The Bowery Boys might enjoy the familiar sight gags and get a chuckle or two.
DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI is far from being on the list of the most desirable Vincent Price DVDs, but MGM has done a great job with this release nonetheless. The transfer has the film in its full 2.35:1 (not 16x9 enhanced) aspect ratio, and it looks terrific with bright colors and sharp detail. The audio is also available in Spanish, with optional French and Spanish subtitles. There are no extras except for the trailer. That's a shame since the ultimate extra would've been the tie-in TV special called "The Wild World Of Dr. Goldfoot" starring both Price and Hart, and featuring songs that were cut from the final release of the film! (George R. Reis)