I remember seeing reruns of this episode of Gidget as a kid and it being one of my favorites. I loved Goth Gidget when she announced “We’ve gone spooky!” more than I loved the surfing/dancing Gidget (and I loved that Gidget a lot). It just seemed so out of the blue, so different, and totally fun. It also turns out that this episode was first aired on my birthday, not my birth year, that would not happen for another four, but on the day I would be born. In a side note, I do believe this is the first .gif I have ever posted on Waldina.
The Gories was a high school garage band from the television sitcom Gidget.
Gidget goes goth! No, seriously! In the “Gidget’s Career” episode (01/20/1966), Gidget (Sally Field) is trying to get her shy friend Larue (Lynette Winter) out in the world. Gidget forces her to take up an invite to join a little beach guitar jam with Paul (Jimmy Hawkins) and Doug (Murray McLeod) from her guitar class. Paul and Doug get the idea to form a band. They let Larue in, but get cute Gidget to front it, banging a tambourine. As the boys say, though: “Girls as cute as you don’t have to do anything.” The new nameless foursome play an uptempo folk number at the school’s Noon Dance the next day.
After getting asked to play another show, Gidget sees Rick Farmer (Sandy Kenyon) on TV announcing a band contest. She writes in about her band, getting them an on-air audition in 10 days. The band buckles down to brass tacks, changing their Up With People image. Gidget announces in whiteface, heavy mascara, and a black wig, “We’ve gone spooky!” They change their sound too, bringing on a drummer, Ringo Feinberg (Dennis Joel) and rocking out. But Larue’s guitar playing isn’t up to snuff, so the boys want to dump her, and make Gidget the bearer of bad tidings.
Meanwhile, dad (Don Porter) visits Farmer and finds out that it was the band’s fresh-faced, no-gimmick appeal he liked, Farmer complains it’s all “moaners, wailers and funny jumpies” these days. Dad chortles they have “hoisted themselves by their own guitars,” when it’s finally time for their TV performance. But Farmer likes the new look even better! And they win the contest! But Gidge isn’t on the show or in the band! She demanded they take Larue back or she’d quit. So the guys replaced her (and Larue), and changed the name from Gidget and the Gories to just The Gories. And insert generic valuable lesson about friendship here!
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Filed under: read, Watch Tagged: 1972 Democratic National Convention, Academy Award, Academy Award for Best Actress, Actor, Agence France-Presse, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, All That, American Cancer Society, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Armenia, Australia, Barbecue, Ben Youngs, Big Trouble in Little China, Black ice, Blind Guardian, Brain Pickings, Don Porter, Doug, Gidget, Gories, Jimmy Hawkins, Marilyn Manson, not so secret obsession, Oval Office, Sally Field, Sandy Kenyon, Television, United States
