Libramedi Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

MonsterPerfect Good idea lost in the noise

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

tforbes-2 "Palm Springs Weekend" benefits from a higher budget and better quality cast than many of the teen films produced during the 1960s, and it has some more emotional range.Among the featured players are Robert Conrad and Connie Stevens, coming off their "Hawaiian Eye" television series. Here, though, Mr. Conrad plays a spoiled playboy type driving around in a '63 Ford Thunderbird roadster, causing trouble, a real contrast to his role as Tom Lopaka on "Eye." Warner Brothers stock player Troy Donahue, who also appeared 26 times on "Hawaiian Eye" and had other WB shows such as "Surfside Six," plays the lead role of Jim Munroe.We also have WB players Ty Hardin and Andrew Duggan, as well as Stefanie Powers and Billy Mumy.Overall, it is an enjoyable film to watch, in part because it is an artifact of the late Kennedy era. It has its funny moments. And speaking of which, I think the performer who steals the show here is none other than Jerry Van Dyke, who has at least one musical number with his banjo.American International may have made the most teen flicks, but it seems as if Warners produced some of the more interesting ones. Definitely worth a watch.

wes-connors This is a mostly wimpy "Palm Springs Weekend" trip to "Where the Boys Are" (1960) territory. The studio stars an attractive cast of slightly long-in-the-tooth "teen idols" from Warner Bros. In case you miss the point, they court MGM lawyers by proclaiming "It's Where the Boys Are and Where the Girls Are" in advertising. From the just concluding youthful TV favorite "Hawaiian Eye" come cuties Troy Donahue, Connie Stevens, and Robert Conrad. Hollywood westerners Ty Hardin and Stefanie Powers round out the kissing quintet.You can't completely pan anything with a pre-teen Billy Mumy featured, but this one might make you want to be wished into the cornfield. Don't worry, Mumy's robotic companion Bob May is around to help you out. Mr. Donahue is assigned singing duty on the Elvis-like "Live Young" over the opening credits, which might have given Presley pal Red West déjà vu during "Roustabout" (1964). The Technicolor cast is sprinkled with familiar faces, contract players, and guest stars. Connections to Kevin Bacon should come in few degrees.**** Palm Springs Weekend (11/5/63) Norman Taurog ~ Troy Donahue, Connie Stevens, Stefanie Powers, Robert Conrad

bkoganbing Palm Springs Weekend which was unashamedly ripped off from Where The Boys Meet The Girls, gave the Warner Brothers television stars a last time to strut their stuff before the cameras. Within three years all of these contract players would be gone from the Warner lot as the British invasion led by the Beatles reconstructed the whole idea of what a teen heartthrob was supposed to be.Troy Donahue(Surfside Six), Ty Hardin(Bronco), and Robert Conrad (Hawaiian Eye), are all on spring break and bound for that favorite west coast location, Palm Springs. While there Donahue gets involved with Stefanie Powers the police chief's daughter and Hardin and Conrad get to fight over Connie Stevens who's lying about her age. She's borderline jailbait, but looks old.In that department Connie was the most ludicrous, but the notion that these guys were all students of some kind is beyond belief. All of them were past 25 at this point, they must have felt ridiculous. But the stars of 90210 didn't look much like high school kids so nothing's really changed.But romance was in the air in Palm Springs Weekend, even Jack Weston the college basketball coach gets to have a fling with hotel owner Carole Cook. Best in the film is Jerry Van Dyke who supplies some needed comic relief and plays a mean banjo.Still the film really hasn't worn well over the decades. But it's pleasant enough entertainment. Troy Donahue gets to sing over the title credits. That was a mistake.

mhrabovsky6912 You have got to give Warner Bros studios credit for milking Troy Donahue for all they could get with the teenage audience....there was "Summer Place", "Parrish", "Susan Slade", "Rome Adventure"...Warner Bros was riding the high waves with Donahue for the teenage audience in the early 60s.......then they apparently decided to remake "Where the Boys Are"....this time the film is in Palm Springs California instead of Florida....Stephanie Powers more or less recreates the role Delores Hart had in "Where the Boys Are".....a young student looking for teenage/young adult love...Troy Donahue basically recreates the role George Hamilton had.....the handsome lover boy looking for romance.....basically corny and overly silly in a lot of respects. Plenty of comedy though as Jerry Van Dyke plays a over the top goofball who winds up with the homely down and out girl...sort of like the role Frank Gorshin had in Boys Are with Connie Francis....lots of similarities with both films. Troy Donahue did not have to do much acting...just stand around looking handsome and available and the gals ate him up. In a silly teenage film like this much acting was not required at all. For my money a scene near the end where Donahue and Stephanie Powers were standing in front of a fake, paper rock, supposedly in the desert was laughable....Powers says "look out there, see the sands, it is the valley of lost lovers" ha=ha-ha.....or something to that effect....Donahue stands there listening to her with a silly gape on his face....just totally laughable acting. Nothing like that old puss himself Jack Weston to play the lovable loser - he was the basketball coach trying to keep his players under control and falling for the matronly owner of the motel they were at....Weston always a lovable loser, just like in "The Cincinatti Kid" and "Thomas Crown Affair" in the 60s..... For my money Jerry Van Dyke steals the movie as a looney over the top comedian....once again, this is a teenage love flick at it's best....if you saw "Where the Boys Are" you have seen "Palm Springs Weekend"....just the same two films stitched together with different actors....Bob Conrad as the spoiled, rich kid with the fast T-Bird and Connie Stevens as the nubile, and very available coed....she gets mixed up with the wrong guy. Top notch film for the teenagers in the early 1960s.