Gidget Gets Married

Gidget Gets Married
ABC
January 4, 1972
TV-Movie, Dramedy
VHS
B-

It's funny, I recalled this as not as good as Gidget Grows Up, but I think that while Monie Ellis is not a great Gidget, she brings a certain naivete and enthusiasm to the role that works for this story.  (As for her being blonde, well, Gidget is blonde in the books.)  I think it helps that the story, written by Grows Up's John McGreevey, is more streamlined, focusing on Gidget and Jeff's (Michael Burns, looking and acting uncannily like Dean Butler, who'd take the role in the '80s) adjustments not only to married life but to his new job in a very employee-controlling company.  The movie is surprisingly dark, although the Paul Lynde scenes of course lighten the tone, and the story ends on a positive, and feminist, note.

Helen Funai reprises her role from Grows Up as Minnie Chan.  Michael Barbera, who's Chris, would soon be Harvey on The Brady Bunch, while Jimmy Bracken (Andy here) played three Brady parts.  Policeman Dennis Fimple would be Sergeant "Sparky" Pryor on M*A*S*H, while Corinne Camacho, playing Nancy Lewis here, would be Lt. Regina Hopkins there.  If Larry Gelman, as Louis's photographer Anatole, looks familiar, it's because he would shortly be Dr. Bernie Tupperman on The Bob Newhart Show.  And, yes, James B. Sikking plays Jim Johnson, while Elinor Donahue is Medley Blaine.