biography
Born Francis Avallone in Philadelphia on September 18, 1939, Frankie Avalon first came to the attention of American Bandstand's Dick Clark while still in high school. He cut his first album in 1958 but had been making recordings for several years prior to that---primarily as a trumpeter, not a singer. Between 1958 and 1962, Frankie Avalon charted 13 singles in the Billboard Top 40, including two Number 1 hits: Venus was Number 1 for five weeks in early 1959, and Why shot to Number 1 in early 1960.Avalon entered films while still a teenager in the Warner Bros. western Guns of the Timberland (1959; with Alan Ladd and Gilbert Roland). In the 1960s, Avalon put his singing career on the back burner in favor of his acting career. Some of his films from this period include Panic in Year Zero (1962; with Ray Milland and Jean Hagen), Beach Party (1963; with Annette Funicello and Dorothy Malone), and The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967; with George Nader and Shirley Eaton). Avalon is best known for the Beach Party series of films; he appeared in six of the seven AIP entries in this genre.
the films of frankie avalon
Panic in Year Zero! (1962)
From the AIP science fiction thriller Panic in Year Zero with Ray Milland
Drums of Africa (1963)
From the MGM adventure Drums of Africa with Lloyd Bochner
Bikini Beach (1964)
Frankie Avalon in his dual role in Bikini Beach
Muscle Beach Party (1964)
The second of the seven beach party films, AIP's Muscle Beach Party finds the gang fighting for the right to cavort on the beach. Pictured are Jody McCrea, Dick Dale, John Ashley, Frankie Avalon, and Annette Funicello
Ski Party (1965)
From American International's comedy Ski Party. LEFT: With Yvonne Craig, Dwayne Hickman, and Deborah Walley. RIGHT: With Yvonne Craig, Deborah Walley, Aron Kincaid, Robert Q. Lewis, Mike Nader, and Dwayne Hickman
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
From AIP's Beach Blanket Bingo. LEFT: With Annette Funicello, Mike Nader, Jody McCrea, and Linda Evans. RIGHT: With Annette Funicello, John Ashley, and Deborah Walley. This marks the last beach party film in which Avalon has a major role, although he does appear briefly in How to Stuff a Wild Bikini
Sergeant Dead Head (1965)
From the AIP comedy Sergeant Dead Head. LEFT: With Harvey Lembeck and John Ashley. RIGHT: With Deborah Walley
I'll Take Sweden (1965)
With Jeremy Slate in the United Artists comedy release I'll Take Sweden
The Patty Duke Show (1963-1966 ABC TV Series)
With Patty Duke in a 1965 episode of The Patty Duke Show
The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967)
Avalon is secret agent Tommy Carter in the American International Pictures crime thriller The Million Eyes of Sumuru. Also pictured is George Nader
Horror House (1970)
Avalon stars in the American International Pictures horror flick Horror House
Love, American Style (1969-1971 ABC TV Series)
From the ABC situation comedy Love, American Style in an episode titled Love and the Tuba, originally airing in December 1971. Also pictured are Gary Crosby and Annette Funicello
Back to the Beach (1987)
From the beach comedy Back to the Beach with Tommy Hinkley, Lori Loughlin, and Annette Funicello
frankie avalon today
Since 1962, Avalon has been married to wife Kay, and the Avalons have eight children. Today, Avalon tends to his health products business and occasionally makes film or television appearances. Visit the Frankie Avalon Products web site for more information.frankie avalon dvds available from amazon.com
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filmography
FILM
Casino (1995)
The Annette Funicello Story (1995)
The Stoned Age (1994)
Troop Beverly Hills (1989) with Shelley Long
Back to the Beach (1987) with Annette Funicello, Connie Stevens, Lori Loughlin, Tommy Hinkley, and Edd Byrnes
Blood Song (1982) with Richard Jaeckel and Dane Clark
Grease (1978) with John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Edd Byrnes, Dinah Manoff, and Eve Arden
The Take (1974) with Billy Dee Williams, Eddie Albert, Sorrell Brooke, Vic Morrow, and A Martinez
Horror House (1969) with Jill Haworth and Dennis Price
Skidoo (1969) with Jackie Gleason, Carol Channing, Fred Clark, Frank Gorshin, John Phillip Law, and Groucho Marx
The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967) with George Nader, Shirley Eaton, Patti Chandler, Klaus Kinski, and Salli Sachse
Fireball 500 (1966) with Julie Parrish, Annette Funicello, Fabian, Harvey Lembeck, and Chill Wills
I'll Take Sweden (1965) with Bob Hope, Tuesday Weld, Dina Merrill, Jeremy Slate, and Beverly Powers
Ski Party (1965) with Dwayne Hickman, Yvonne Craig, Deborah Walley, Aron Kincaid, and Robert Q. Lewis
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) with Annette Funicello, Deborah Walley, Harvey Lembeck, John Ashley, Jody McCrea, Donna Loren, Marta Kristen, Linda Evans, Don Rickles, and Paul Lynde
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965) with Vincent Price, Dwayne Hickman, Susan Hart, Jack Mullaney, Fred Clark, and
Deborah Walley
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965) with Dwayne Hickman, Annette Funicello, Brian Donlevy, Harvey Lembeck, Beverly Adams, John Ashley, Jody McCrea, and Buster Keaton
Sergeant Deadhead (1965) with John Ashley, Deborah Walley, Eve Arden, Cesar Romero, Fred Clark, Gale Gordon, Harvey Lembeck, and Donna Loren
Pajama Party (1964) with Tommy Kirk, Jody McCrea, Annette Funicello, Elsa Lanchester, Harvey Lembeck, Jesse White Donna Loren, Susan Hart, Candy Johnson, Buster Keaton, and Dorothy Lamour
Bikini Beach (1964) with Annette Funicello, Martha Hyer, Keenan Wynn, Jody McCrea, Don Rickles, Harvey Lembeck, John Ashley, Candy Johnson, Meredith MacRae, and Donna Loren
Muscle Beach Party (1964) with Annette Funicello, John Ashley, Peter Lupus, Jody McCrea, Luciana Paluzzi, Don Rickles, Donna Loren, Peter Lorre, Dick Dale, and Candy Johnson
Beach Party (1963) with Robert Cummings, Dorothy Malone, John Ashley, Jody McCrea, Annette Funicello, Harvey Lembeck, and Yvette Vickers
Drums of Africa (1963) with Lloyd Bochner, Mariette Hartley, and Peter Mamakos
Operation Bikini (1963) with Tab Hunter, Scott Brady, Jim Backus, Gary Crosby, and Jody McCrea
Panic in Year Zero (1962) with Ray Milland, Jean Hagen, and Richard Garland
The Castilian (1962) with Cesar Romero, Broderick Crawford, and Fernando Rey
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961) with Robert Sterling, Barbara Eden, Walter Pidgeon, Joan Fontaine, Peter Lorre, and Michael Ansara
Sail a Crooked Ship (1961) with Robert Wagner, Dolores Hart, Carolyn Jones, Ernie Kovacs, Frank Gorshin, Jesse White, and Harvey Lembeck
The Alamo (1960) with John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Laurence Harvey, Patrick Wayne, Linda Cristal, Joan O'Brien, Chill Wills, and Ken Curtis
Alakazam the Great (1960)
Guns of the Timberland (1959) with Alan Ladd, Gilbert Roland, Jeanne Crain, Lyle Bettger, and Noah Beery Jr.
Jamboree (1957) with Kay Medford and Paul Carr
TELEVISION SERIES
Easy Does It... Starring Frankie Avalon, 1976 CBS TV series
TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Burke's Law, episode Who Killed the World's Greatest Chef?, originally aired March 21, 1995
Full House, episode Joey Goes Hollywood, originally aired March 29, 1991
Happy Days, episode Poohba Doo Dah, originally aired January 26, 1982
Here's Lucy, episode The Carters Meet Frankie Avalon, originally aired November 19, 1973
It Takes a Thief, episode A Friend in Deed, originally aired November 27, 1969
The Lucille Ball Show, episode Lucy and the Starmaker, originally aired October 2, 1967
The Patty Duke Show, episode A Foggy Day in Brooklyn Heights, originally aired August 23, 1965
Rawhide, episode Incident at Farragut Pass, originally aired October 31, 1963
frankie avalon links
The Official Frankie Avalon WebsiteAvalon's own site contains information about his current touring schedule and also promotes his successful line of health products.
frankie avalon now showing
Watch Frankie Avalon in a 1963 episode of The Jack Benny Program (Complete with commercials)
Click on the logo to go back to Brian's Drive-In Theater
This page premiered May 28, 1999.
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