Moondoggie

Surfers were not exactly pleased with the movie.

It had plenty of Hollywood hokey in it, and surfers didn't like James Darin, who played Moondoggy, the love interest of Gidget, played by Sandra Dee.

Darin didn't look the part of Moondoggy, couldn't begin to surf, and was apprehensive about even stepping into the ocean.

This meant nothing to teenage girls, who had crushes on Darin and flocked to the movie.

Several of our local Palisades guys worked in the movie.