Editing Annette Funicello (section)

===Beach party series===
[[File:Beach Party Annette Funicello Frankie Avalon Mid-1960s.jpg|thumb|left|Funicello and [[Frankie Avalon]] at the height of the ''Beach Party'' era]]
Funicello moved on from Disney to become a "[[teen idol]]", starring in a series of "[[Beach party film|Beach Party]]" movies with [[Frankie Avalon]] for [[American International Pictures]]. These started with ''[[Beach Party]]'' (1963) when Funicello was 21 years old. The movie was so successful [[American International Pictures]] signed Funicello to a seven-year contract and starred her in a series of beach party movies.<ref>Gary A Smith, ''American International Pictures: The Golden Years'', Bear Manor 2013 p 211</ref>

Funicello guest-starred on episodes of ''[[Wagon Train]]'', ''[[Burke's Law (1963 TV series)|Burke's Law]]'' and ''[[The Greatest Show on Earth (TV series)|The Greatest Show on Earth]]''; she then starred in another two-part Disney telemovie with Kirk, ''[[The Misadventures of Merlin Jones]]'' (1964). This was released to cinemas in the US and became a surprise box office hit.  The follow ups to ''Beach Party'', ''[[Muscle Beach Party]]'' (1964) and ''[[Bikini Beach]]'' (1964)<ref name="beach">{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|date=4 December 2024|magazine=Filmink|title=Beach Party: An Appreciation|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/beach-party-an-appreciation/|access-date=11 December 2024}}</ref> were also popular. 
[[File:Annette's Beach Party - Billboard ad 1963.png|thumb|''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' advertisement for ''Annette's Beach Party'', July 20, 1963]]

When she was cast in her first beach movie, Walt Disney requested that she wear only modest bathing suits and keep her [[navel]] covered. However, she wore a pink two-piece in ''Beach Party'', a white two-piece fishnet suit in the second film (''Muscle Beach Party''), and a blue and white bikini in the third (''Bikini Beach''). All three swimsuits bared her navel, particularly in ''Bikini Beach'', where it is visible extensively during close up shots in a sequence early in the film when she meets Frankie Avalon's "Potato Bug" character outside his tent.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Myth of the Hidden Navel|url=http://www.beachpartymoviemusic.com/TheMythoftheHiddenNavel.html|access-date=February 20, 2012|publisher=Beachpartymoviemusic.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103012357/http://www.beachpartymoviemusic.com/themythofthehiddennavel.html|archive-date=January 3, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Funicello made ''[[Pajama Party (film)|Pajama Party]]'' (1964) for AIP with Kirk, not Avalon, though it was an unofficial Beach Party movie, and Avalon made a cameo. Avalon was back as Funicello's co-star in ''[[Beach Blanket Bingo]]'' (1965); she and Kirk then did a sequel to ''Merlin Jones'', ''[[The Monkey's Uncle]]'' (1965). ''The Monkey's Uncle'' featured Annette singing with [[The Beach Boys]] and was another huge hit.<ref name="Cotter">{{cite book
  | last = Cotter
  | first = Bill
  | title = The Wonderful World of Disney Television
  | publisher = [[Hachette Books#Hyperion Books|Hyperion Books]]
  | year = 1997
  | location = New York
  | isbn = 0-7868-6359-5 }}</ref>

Funicello made a cameo in two AIP comedies starring Avalon, ''[[Ski Party]]'' (1965) and ''[[Dr Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine]]'' (1965).  Following these, she filmed ''[[How to Stuff a Wild Bikini]]'' (1965) with [[Dwayne Hickman]]. Box office receipts for the series were in decline, and neither Avalon nor Funicello appeared in the final installment, ''[[The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini]]'' (1966).