Movie Time! Surf’s Up and the American Dream: Gidget (1959) and The Endless Summer (1966)

It’s Popzara’s Movie Time! Podcast, where our in-house movie nerds Ethan Brehm and Nate Evans take you on an unscripted journey yakking and chatting about some of their favorite movie moments and cinematic scenes, from past and present, presented without snark and snobbery for your listening pleasure.

On deck for this episode are two mid-century movies that would define not just the “surfer movie” genre, but would dramatically influence the American culture landscape.

First up is 1959’s Gidget, Paul Wendkos’ classic starring Sandra Dee in her most iconic role as the lovable, irrepressible title character. Long credited as jump-starting both the summer beach movie genre and helping turn the sport of surfing into a national craze, beneath its bubbly exterior hides a deeper, more complex examination of a post-WW2 generational shift that would change America – and how young Americans saw themselves – forever.

Next is 1966’s The Endless Summer, Bruce Brown’s groundbreaking documentary showcasing a preternatural love not just for the sport of surfing, but those who dedicate their lives searching for the elusive perfect wave. Brown’s film, using only footage and his colorful commentary, manages to capture both the spirit of the 1960s while maintaining an optimistic outlook for humanity, despite the enormous cultural upheaval happening across the world.