From Here to Eternity (1953)
Adapted from the celebrated novel by James Jones, this Best Picture Oscar winner can feel a bit like a World War II soap opera (in a good way).
But it's also packed with timeless performances by Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, Ernest Borgnine, Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, and Donna Reed. Set in Honolulu on the eve of Pearl Harbor (which looks remarkably like a vibrant paradise despite being shot in black and white), From Here to Eternity is arguably best known for the most famous beach scene of all time, in that, in an adulterous way, Lancaster is washed by the waves next to his commander's wife (Kerr). In the decades since the love scenes have become more explicit, but the sensuality of this one emits a provocative taboo heat.
Blue Hawaii (1961)
"The gateway to the South Pacific is thrown open for... Elvis Presley and you!" So promises the trailer for a sing-along tropical vacation booklet, which also happens to be one of the most enjoyable movies of the King's period of Hollywood success. Filled with chaste Technicolor flirtation, eyebrow-raised double entendres, and the always-welcome scene of Presley strumming a ukulele, Blue Hawaii now feels like a trip to a more innocent time. Plus, it features the great legend crooning one of his sweetest ballads: "Can't Help Falling in Love."
Dr. No (1962)
Set in Jamaica, James Bond's first film excursion pits Sean Connery's 007 against an evil villain (Joseph Wiseman in a fancy Nehru jacket) trying to sabotage an American space launch. Along the way are deadly tarantulas, shadowy assassins, and one of the most iconic character introductions in Bond film history, a bikini-clad, beach-walking Honey Ryder, played by Ursula Andress, is surprised by 007 in the banks of deadly Crab Key. Dr. No is probably not Connery's best installment (it's awfully good, but it's not Goldfinger); Still, it's fun to watch how confidently he sets the mold for the "license to kill" franchise for the future.
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
Following in the gritty footsteps of Sandra Dee's Gidget, Hollywood produced a string of cutesy beach flicks for what was then a new demographic to sell movie tickets to happy-go-lucky American teens. Beach Blanket Bingo is still, in its own way, the best of all. Is it a beach banality? Of course. Do you ever play bingo? No. Nonetheless, the film is a dizzying image of a strange time when Don Rickles and Buster Keaton could appear in the same movie as Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Sure, these movies would get hopelessly boring in just a couple of years when Summer of Love replaced the milkshake shop with the tobacco shop (and more). But seen today, Frankie and Annette's G-rated antics seem like deliriously cheesy broadcasts from a faraway naive baby boomer planet.
The Endless Summer (1966)
Bruce Brown's magnificent and liberating documentary captured the spirit of a new subculture that was putting into action what the Beach Boys had only put on vinyl. This celluloid travelogue follows two real-life California surfers, Mike Hynson, and Robert August, as they travel the world looking for the perfect waves. With stops in Australia, Tahiti, Africa, and other pristine and remote passport-worthy places, these young adventurers not only want to prove that it's always summer somewhere but are also pioneering a new kind of nomadic lifestyle in search of happiness to the ends of the earth.
Jaws (1975)
Based on the best-selling novel by Peter Benchley, Steven Spielberg's proto-blockbuster remains essential every time summer rolls around. Filmed on Martha's Vineyard (called Amity Island in the film), Jaws is a horror film about a town terrorized by a large, bloodthirsty shark that turns the island's hapless inhabitants into bait. Roy Scheider as Police Chief, Richard Dreyfuss as a high-strung marine biologist, and Robert Shaw as a fearless and surly shark hunter head out to sea aboard a rickety fishing boat to battle nature and test themselves. Much is written about how Spielberg's film changed Hollywood for the worse by ushering in an era of sensational event movies, but the accusation is unfair because Jaws is the greatest masterclass in suspense Los Angeles would ever offer. Scheider says it all when he says, "You're going to need a bigger boat."
