While in an extremely intoxicated state, a man by the name of "Terry O'Brien" (Gardner McKay) makes a wager with an unscrupulous businessman named "Josh" (Fred Clark) that he can sail his boat to Tahiti with an all-girl crew in less time than Josh with whatever crew he can acquire. Needless to say, 'Generous' Josh accepts the bet which consists of Terry offering his sailboat against $30,000 in return. Unfortunately, since Josh is quite wealthy he can afford to lose while Terry depends on his sailboat for his very livelihood. In any case, the next morning Terry realizes his mistake but since he cannot renege on his bet he suddenly has to find five women who will volunteer to sail with him on short notice from California to Tahiti. To remedy this he places an ad in the local newspaper which generates a hearty response. Naturally, being a young, red-blooded male he selects the most attractive ones rather than those with any actual experience. To make matters even worse, one of the females he hires is a saboteur who has instructions to cause as many problems as she can so that Josh can win the race and subsequently take possession of Terry's sailboat. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say this film was essentially a product of its time. It doesn't have any risqué scenes to speak of and pretty much runs its course as one might expect with few surprises thrown in. In short, the movie was okay with the young ladies being perhaps the best feature presented. Average.
12 Reviews
Great High Camp
yvonna-12 May 2003
This movie is so bad that it's enormous fun to watch. Who can forget the line:"She may not be an old salt but she sure does have a fancy shaker". I remember the first time my friend, Jay, and I watched it, we could not believe how low the movie industry could go.
The Great Race all over again
Goingbegging16 April 2021
Two rivals competing in a marathon contest, with the usual comic thrills and spills, only this time it's a yacht-race across the South Pacific.
A slightly inebriated Terry (Gardner McKay) bets his old mate Josh (Fred Clark) that he can beat him from California to Tahiti with an all-girl crew. Josh's roar of derision - a truly horrible sound, repeated throughout - signals that the bet is on, and next morning Terry realises you shouldn't make plans over drinks. But he's an honourable man (as his rival turns out not to be) and he sets about advertising for female shipmates in the paper. The headline 'Wanted 5 girls' would not normally have attracted the bevy of beauties who turn up for selection, clearly based on glamour rather than seamanship, but one can't have everything.
Under the test, the girls actually turn out much more useful on-board than we expect, but with their attention centred on one notably handsome young ship's captain, there's going to be trouble in paradise - especially when he discovers that a sixth one has managed to stow away too. The hectic action does not allow us to get to know any of the girls in depth, but a convenient stopover in Honolulu manages to drive the plot in a satisfying way. And a clownish character from the boondocks, who keeps popping-up and boring everyone with his endless conversation, turns out to have more significance than we thought.
Although the production values are not great (the music sounds like an ice-cream commercial), there's enough to keep us amused and occasionally intrigued, until the surprise ending which cannot be revealed here. There's another ending too, though, as this turns out to be the last film for both McKay, who quits acting in favour of the writing life, and Clark who dies all too soon after the wrap.
A slightly inebriated Terry (Gardner McKay) bets his old mate Josh (Fred Clark) that he can beat him from California to Tahiti with an all-girl crew. Josh's roar of derision - a truly horrible sound, repeated throughout - signals that the bet is on, and next morning Terry realises you shouldn't make plans over drinks. But he's an honourable man (as his rival turns out not to be) and he sets about advertising for female shipmates in the paper. The headline 'Wanted 5 girls' would not normally have attracted the bevy of beauties who turn up for selection, clearly based on glamour rather than seamanship, but one can't have everything.
Under the test, the girls actually turn out much more useful on-board than we expect, but with their attention centred on one notably handsome young ship's captain, there's going to be trouble in paradise - especially when he discovers that a sixth one has managed to stow away too. The hectic action does not allow us to get to know any of the girls in depth, but a convenient stopover in Honolulu manages to drive the plot in a satisfying way. And a clownish character from the boondocks, who keeps popping-up and boring everyone with his endless conversation, turns out to have more significance than we thought.
Although the production values are not great (the music sounds like an ice-cream commercial), there's enough to keep us amused and occasionally intrigued, until the surprise ending which cannot be revealed here. There's another ending too, though, as this turns out to be the last film for both McKay, who quits acting in favour of the writing life, and Clark who dies all too soon after the wrap.
My god this film blew my mind when I was 14...
eightball26 April 2001
I cant believe it, after years of searching video stores & scouring tv guides I have stumbled across SOMETHING that know's what I am on about when I mention 'I sailed to tahiti with an all girl crew'. I remember having a dubbed version of this off TV back in the mid 80's or so & I used to watch it repeatedly. The details I remember are sketchy at best. But basically it is a silly little ditty about a chap who makes a bet to sail to tahiti with a crew of (you guessed it) women. The basic appeal of this from memory are the women, for all of you out there who lusted over Batgirl, Catwoman, Genie, Sabrina, Ginger & Maryanne this is the film for y'all. I dont think it has any of them in it but it has a dozen or so 'mod' chicks with groozy hair & bikini's that stumble & futz around on the boat, It's starting to sound like some Russ Myers wet dream but it is all innocent in that sexist 60's fashion & no one get's hurt in the end. Damn I gotta find this sucker on DVD.... Top viewing,, as we say in Australia.. this is an absolute balltearer
For Camp lovers only - spoilers
LeroyBrown-210 November 2003
Warning: Spoilers
I first saw this movie on WBBM TV Chicago back in the early eighties, the same station on which I first saw `Melody'. In my review of that film I said that WBBM had a rather poor film library and this movie is the best proof. Yes it is a bad film. The premise is that Gardner McKay makes a bet with Fred Clark that he could beat Clark sailing to Tahiti with an All Girl crew. Of course he didn't bother looking for girls who know anything about sailing he went for the babe factor. It's the classic male fantasy. He even had individual scenes with just about every girl where it seems as if they were going to hook up but didn't. The one girl left out was Jimsy, who I believe was a castaway and who looked like she was about 17. She looked like a very young Bo Derek, but it isn't Bo who was 12 at the time. In the end they ended up together anyway because the other girls went on to do something else. One went on to write a book I believe, the other was a local Tahitian Princess and I believe Diane McBain, one of my childhood crush, turned out to be a fugitive from the law. The Script was pretty lame, the direction was amateurish and the acting was so campy that it made Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello look like Tracey and Hepburn. The only highlight was Fred Clark basically doing the standard Fred Clark role, the rich, sneaky, somewhat pompous, yet funny and lovable villain. Despite all that I still have fondness for it. Or maybe it just brings back the memory of being young and carefree and living in my parents' basement and staying up all night to watch forgotten films instead of worrying about career, family and mortgages like I do now. Two more things: I believe it was shown either on TMC or AMC sometime ago, I remember some host talking about how this was Gardner McKay's only leading role in a movie, I know he was in the `Pleasure Seekers' but in a supporting role. The other thing is I wonder whatever happened to Mary O'Brien who played Jimsy? She did look a lot like Bo Derek.
A slow boat to Tahiti
bensonmum227 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The title, I Sailed to Tahiti with an All Girl Crew, pretty much sums up the plot. To expand just a little, in a drunken state, Gardner (Gardner McKay) bets fellow boat owner Fred (Fred Clark) that he could beat him in a race to Tahiti with the titular All Girl Crew. The stakes – Fred puts up $30,000 while the inebriated Gardner bets his boat. Once in his right-mind, Gardner realizes his chances of winning are slim. So, instead of looking for women who can actual sail, he hires his crew based on appearance.
I Sailed to Tahiti with an All Girl Crew is a harmless enough movie, but it's not got a lot going for it. The endless scenes of boats sailing through the Pacific, while very nicely filmed, get a bit dull after a while. The humor is lame and too safe. For example, the attempt to add variety and comedy to the film with the ill- advised silent movie treatment is just plain silly. And the acting is below par. I didn't expect much from some of the female cast who were most likely hired for looks – not acting ability – but Gardner McKay is awful. He's dull, dry, and painfully uninteresting. Beyond the excellent cinematography, character actor Fred Clark (in his last role), and a surprisingly nice performance from Diane McBain (known to me from her role in The Mini-Skirt Mob), there's really not much to recommend. I haven't rated it lower because, despite all the flaws, it didn't offend my senses like some of the truly awful movies I've seen.
I Sailed to Tahiti with an All Girl Crew is a harmless enough movie, but it's not got a lot going for it. The endless scenes of boats sailing through the Pacific, while very nicely filmed, get a bit dull after a while. The humor is lame and too safe. For example, the attempt to add variety and comedy to the film with the ill- advised silent movie treatment is just plain silly. And the acting is below par. I didn't expect much from some of the female cast who were most likely hired for looks – not acting ability – but Gardner McKay is awful. He's dull, dry, and painfully uninteresting. Beyond the excellent cinematography, character actor Fred Clark (in his last role), and a surprisingly nice performance from Diane McBain (known to me from her role in The Mini-Skirt Mob), there's really not much to recommend. I haven't rated it lower because, despite all the flaws, it didn't offend my senses like some of the truly awful movies I've seen.
Certainly no award winner, but no Razzie either.
mark.waltz20 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The late 1960's had a lot of really bad movies, and some of them aren't worth a discussion past one viewing, but this one is delightfully funny even if it is one of the silliest movies I've ever seen. It could be worse. It could be as bad as the 1954 Sonny Tufts movie "Serpent Island", just plain stupid and without redemption. But for star Gardner McKay address cast of half-a-dozen lovely ladies, an innocent little voyage and there's almost nothing dirty going on.
The only name people in this film are Diane McBain as a lady of mystery. Pat Buttram as a squeaky-voiced fellow racer and character actor Fred Clark, cackling like a loon as he imagines in the contest to get to Tahiti first being as easy as pie with his male crew. His misogynistic comments are delightfully funny in their wackiness because for every chauvinistic remark he ssys, he falls on his rear end twice or becomes the subject of a delightful takedown.
Underage stowaway Mary O'Brien would go onto daytime immortality briefly as Heather Webber, the wife of Richard Dean Anderson on "General Hospital" who tried to destroy a rival with heroin laced iced tea and drank it herself. She's delightfully impish here and determined to fit in. Edy Williams is the only other member of the crew I recognized, mainly for her outrageous Academy Award appearances. She's very sultry and Ginger Grant like, and you can certainly see why she thought she had what it would take to be a movie star.
The blue screen is obvious for the sailing sequences, but the locations they use certainly are stunning. This is a great deal of fun for just silly entertainment, and you can't expect much great acting out of it. But it is a throwback in many ways to older movies, and even if it has a title which suggests a lot more, anybody expecting something a little risque will be sadly disappointed. For a movie said to be one of the worst films of the sixties, I never had so much fun laughing along with it in addition to at it.
The only name people in this film are Diane McBain as a lady of mystery. Pat Buttram as a squeaky-voiced fellow racer and character actor Fred Clark, cackling like a loon as he imagines in the contest to get to Tahiti first being as easy as pie with his male crew. His misogynistic comments are delightfully funny in their wackiness because for every chauvinistic remark he ssys, he falls on his rear end twice or becomes the subject of a delightful takedown.
Underage stowaway Mary O'Brien would go onto daytime immortality briefly as Heather Webber, the wife of Richard Dean Anderson on "General Hospital" who tried to destroy a rival with heroin laced iced tea and drank it herself. She's delightfully impish here and determined to fit in. Edy Williams is the only other member of the crew I recognized, mainly for her outrageous Academy Award appearances. She's very sultry and Ginger Grant like, and you can certainly see why she thought she had what it would take to be a movie star.
The blue screen is obvious for the sailing sequences, but the locations they use certainly are stunning. This is a great deal of fun for just silly entertainment, and you can't expect much great acting out of it. But it is a throwback in many ways to older movies, and even if it has a title which suggests a lot more, anybody expecting something a little risque will be sadly disappointed. For a movie said to be one of the worst films of the sixties, I never had so much fun laughing along with it in addition to at it.
If I could pick One film to be my life ...
mpsilvertone29 October 2010
...I'd pick this one.
It's a fun ride from start to finish. It's funny, sexy, and chock full of eye candy. It's also got a fun sixties mod feel -- including a bizarre "silent movie" sequence.
Gardner McKay is quite charming as the lead, and his crew members are ... well ... think Playboy Bunnies. :-D Fred Clark does a nice comic turn as McKay's slightly underhanded rival.
I'd first heard about this movie in a book on filmmaking by its director, Richard L. Bare, who seems to have felt rather highly of it as well.
I later caught it on the late, late, late show (more than once), and it remains a delight on repeat viewings as well.
It's a fun ride from start to finish. It's funny, sexy, and chock full of eye candy. It's also got a fun sixties mod feel -- including a bizarre "silent movie" sequence.
Gardner McKay is quite charming as the lead, and his crew members are ... well ... think Playboy Bunnies. :-D Fred Clark does a nice comic turn as McKay's slightly underhanded rival.
I'd first heard about this movie in a book on filmmaking by its director, Richard L. Bare, who seems to have felt rather highly of it as well.
I later caught it on the late, late, late show (more than once), and it remains a delight on repeat viewings as well.
Worst movie ever made?/Retro masterpiece?
reelguy211 June 2003
Incredibly bad by most standards, I Sailed to Tahiti With An All-Girl Crew is enormously enjoyable if you're in the right retro mood. The film was probably the main factor in Gardner McKay abandoning his acting career and turning to writing. He certainly lets his hair down in this one - especially when he fantasizes about being a pirate a la Captain Blood. I also like when McKay corrects one of his crew members who calls him "skippy" by insisting "It's skipper - SKIPPER!" Apart from a bevy of gorgeous women playing the All-Girl Crew, McKay looks terrific in his mid-thirties, which for many viewers is reason enough for seeing this film.
Gardner McKay
charlienocala23 October 2003
Oh, GARDNER McKAY, anything with him in it is worth watching! While the movie may not be one of the classics, it is worth watching because of that wonderful human being, Gardner McKay, was in it. He is a treat to look at, even if he is just standing there with a smile on his face.
Not exactly a film classic.
WOverly0428 May 2005
OK, as a movie it stinks. It is sort of an inferior extension of gorgeous Gardner McKay's once popular TV series ADVENTURES IN PARADISE, and verification of McKay's own worst suspicions that acting wasn't his forte. (He once told an interviewer he never even FELT good looking and HATED the pretentiousness of Hollywood). Such unassuming admissions almost COMPELLED one to like him! Still, with all the publicity he garnered, who could have blamed this nice, basically introverted guy for trying? This film couldn't win dramatic awards. But it is pleasantly inoffensive--and even has a few chuckles--as well as a bevy of cute girls and some nice tropic photography. It is also hard to deny that Mr. McKay could easily qualify as one of the best looking men to have ever passed through Hollywood's portals--something the film helps attest.
McKay died in November of 2001, having enjoyed critical success as a playwright and novelist.
McKay died in November of 2001, having enjoyed critical success as a playwright and novelist.
Good sailing movie
Australian4You11 November 2004
Though a bit flimsy on plot the sailing sequences were quite good. I personally feel that Gardner McKay's dialogue seemed kind of stilted and more forced than it should have been. His comment of "All hands on deck, all hands on deck" didn't seem natural for a boat captain.
Incidentally some of the dialogue was redone in the studio because of the poor quality of it onboard the sailboats. Though not mentioned in the credits it may have been based on actual incidents though not as flamboyant and not a race. Ron
Incidentally some of the dialogue was redone in the studio because of the poor quality of it onboard the sailboats. Though not mentioned in the credits it may have been based on actual incidents though not as flamboyant and not a race. Ron
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