the reputation of the original gidget ( 1959 ) have erode over the year thanks to two weak sequel and a truly dreadful television series . so if you have never see the original do not dismiss it base on the extremely shallow content of the gidget stuff that come later . while not a good double feature match for rebel without a cause and it be dark and serious enough to still have some relevancewhile present a rather tame portrait of california surf and beatnik counterculture and it fit solidly with the good coming of age or generational revolution stuff of the 1950 and 60 . sixteen year old francis lawrence ( sandra dee at her most innocent ) be the film title character while girl plus midget equal gidget . dee manage to avoid the other two feature and the television series but not fatal type casting . she would become more associated with tammy than any other character . although soon to be a teen idol and look at her film it be probably difficult for today audience to understand her appeal . she be a talented actress with an especially good performance in the young and the innocent but be never able to transcend the teen idol stigma . francis and her more mature and boy hungry friend ( watch for batgirl yvonne craig ) start their summer vacation troll the beach for excitement . francis doesn not really like boy but she can see that they will inevitably become a big factor in her life . rescue by a boy name moondoggie ( james darren who be never much of an actor but would also develop into quite a teen idol ) and francis be introduce to the surf culture ( watch for billy jack tom laughlin ) . she be both attracted and repel by the hedonist freedom and the inherent hypocrisy of the culture preoccupation with money . in no sense be she the ditzy gidget later portray on television by sally field . there be a pervasive sexual undertone to the film with the possible loss of gidget virginity a unifying theme . but she be essentially a child and and the three main male character be each protective of her in their own way . along with moondoggie be her clueless father ( arthur oconnell ) and the big kahuna ( cliff robertson ) . robertson be a combat veteran ( korea ) who have basically drop out and be live in a shack on the beach . robertson do a good job in a challenging rol and a the big kahuna alternate between the seriousness he would soon bring to his portrayal of jack kennedy in pt 109 and the manic quality of a dick shawn character . ultimately some irony be introduce a moondoggie turn out to be jeffrey mathews and the clean cut boy mr. lawrence have be try all summer to persuade his daughter to date . their summer at the beach be just a transitional point on the road to a ranch house in sherman oak . then again and what do i know . i be only a child .