Grown-Up Annette Funicello Bids for Top Teen Idol Spot in New "Muscle Beach Party"

Today we take another look inside the press book for American International Pictures Muscle Beach Party, to see how the studio presented Annette in their prepared publicity materials for the film.

From Muscle Beach Party press book:

Grown-Up Annette Funicello Bids for Top Teen Idol Spot in New "Muscle Beach Party"

Move over Sandra Dee and Ann-Margaret and make way for shapely, raven-tressed Annette Funicello as top feminine teen-age movie idol!

Bolstered by the heaviest volume of fan mail response in Hollywood and a best-selling "Beach Party" album, 21-year-old Annette re-affirms her top star ranking with her newest singing-acting role in American International's "Muscle Beach Party."

The color and Panavision musical comedy, opening .............. at the .......................theatre, reunites her with Frankie Avalon who stars with Luciana Paluzzi, John Ashley, Don  Rickles, Peter Turgeon, and Jody McCrea.  "Muscle Beach Party" also stars Morey Amsterdam, introduces; "Little Stevie" Wonder and stars Buddy Hackett as "the rich business manager."

The former singing and dancing star of Disney's "Mouseketeers," Annette numbers among her present-day fans, hundreds of thousands of teenagers and those in their early twenties who literally grew up with her on television. These young contemporaries form a unique fan nucleus unmatched my any other young film star.

Today Annette not only possesses and eye-catching, whistle-provoking figure, but an acting talent - both serious and comedic - that has matured with her years.  She also maintains her charming singing voice which has made her records among the most popular in the nation with at least two new ballads in "Muscle Beach Party" destined to add to her Hit Parade stature.

Born on October 22, 1842, in Utica, New York, her family migrated to Los Angeles', San Fernando Valley when she was four.  Annette's father owns a garage business in the area, while her attractive mother runs the family home in Encino and takes care of two younger sons Joe, 18, and Michael, 12.

She started studying danging at the age of five and won her first beauty contest, "Miss Willow Lake" at nine and began a part-time modeling career.  Annette, at 13, got her big break with the lead role in a "Ballet versus Jive" presentation in nearby Burbank, the home of Walt Disney Studios.

Her "break" came when Disney himself chanced to witness one of her performances.  He promptly signed her up as one of the Mouseketeers on his "Mickey Mouse Club" television show to firmly launch her on her career.

Out of the 24 young Mouseketeers, the last-to-be-hired Annette immediately was singled out by the nations young TV fans as their favorite.  Soon she was cast in other Disney features and later had an entire TV series of her own called "Annette."

In addition, Annette got her first chance to sing on "The Mickey Mouse Club" and so impressed Disney executives that she was put on records.  As she grew up, she branched out to star in Disney feature length films and in top outside TV shows.

With her twenty-first year, Annette's exclusive contract with Disney expired and she got a chance to play her first grown-up role in a non-Disney picture.  That role was her second big lifetime "break" - opposite Frankie Avalon in American International's big musical comedy hit "Beach Party."

This spring, just before beginning work on her third musical comedy for AIP, "Bikini Beach." Annette will make a personal appearance tour in England for "Beach Party" and then returns home for "Muscle Beach Party" personal appearances as well.

Annette has many hobbies, including a large stuffed animal collection, and is also very athletic, favoring horseback riding, swimming and rollerskating.  Right now she is too busy with her career to have any romantic entanglements, but she is very definite about wanting to marry and raise a family......when the right man comes along, preferably one not in show business.