Westside High School is having a Spinsters Hop dance. Gidget (Sally Field) made a date with the most awkward nerd at school, Norman Durfner a.k.a. "Durf the Drag" (Richard Dreyfuss, "Jaws", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"). She made a bet with her brother- in-law, psychology student John, that she can boost Durf's self-confidence. She returns home with her best friend Larue (Lynette Winter) to find strapping classmate and football quarterback Chuck Batson (Ed Griffith) waiting for her. Gidget plans to take advantage that he is trying to get in good with her so he can have influence with her father Professor Lawrence to be quarterback when Chuck goes to college. When Gidget sits down with Durf to break the date she explains the things she saw in him to boost his ego, and now he turns her down for the dance. At school, Durf challenges Deke, a very popular guy for class president and becomes increasingly conceited. Deke's girlfriend Shari Sue (Susan Yardley), one of the "it" girls, asks Gidget for her and Durf to double date at the dance. She agrees as each rival girl wants to upstage one another. Now, she must find a way to get Durf to take her to the dance.
2 Reviews
ENTER DURF THE DRAG???
tcchelsey20 February 2023
A sad note: with news (as of 2023) of the corporate bigshots deciding to tear down Gidget's old house (and many other famous houses) on the Warner Brothers backlot, there's even more memories in this episode. Every day crews are tearing down Hollywood history, at least in Burbank.
This is both a funny and poignant episode, especially if you think back to your own high school days daze! Durf the Drag (Richard Dreyfuss), suffering the pangs of NO confidence, minus an ego, is taken in by Gidget --who works her magic. Or atleast makes a bold attempt. She's also been working on a hopeless case known as Chuck, the high school quarterback, not the brightest bulb in the bunch, but a cool guy. If you're patient enough, right?
Getting back to Durf, after a crash course of self confidence 101 -- Gidge creates an ego maniac --who she has to "gently" bring back down to earth. And if things really work out, take her to the Spinster Hop Dance. This was Dreyfuss' third or fourth tv appearance, having done bits on such shows as BEN CASEY.
Well written by Barbara Avedon, who previously did many episodes for DONNA REED. Of course her claim to fame was CAGNEY AND LACEY. Jerrold Bernstein directed, who worked with the Three Stooges(!), and was behind some 50s cult films. He brings out the best in Sally Field here. Actually, there's more goofy scenes with her dad than Dreyfuss!
Check out the opening high school scene, filmed on the Warner Brothers lot. The park across the street, which was featured in so many tv shows, later had a swimming pool. Now filled in, bulldozed to make way for new soundstages.
On a sentimental note, catch a glimpse of Larue's cool red Mustang. Now that's a happy ending. SEASON 1 EPISODE 21 remastered color dvd box set.
This is both a funny and poignant episode, especially if you think back to your own high school days daze! Durf the Drag (Richard Dreyfuss), suffering the pangs of NO confidence, minus an ego, is taken in by Gidget --who works her magic. Or atleast makes a bold attempt. She's also been working on a hopeless case known as Chuck, the high school quarterback, not the brightest bulb in the bunch, but a cool guy. If you're patient enough, right?
Getting back to Durf, after a crash course of self confidence 101 -- Gidge creates an ego maniac --who she has to "gently" bring back down to earth. And if things really work out, take her to the Spinster Hop Dance. This was Dreyfuss' third or fourth tv appearance, having done bits on such shows as BEN CASEY.
Well written by Barbara Avedon, who previously did many episodes for DONNA REED. Of course her claim to fame was CAGNEY AND LACEY. Jerrold Bernstein directed, who worked with the Three Stooges(!), and was behind some 50s cult films. He brings out the best in Sally Field here. Actually, there's more goofy scenes with her dad than Dreyfuss!
Check out the opening high school scene, filmed on the Warner Brothers lot. The park across the street, which was featured in so many tv shows, later had a swimming pool. Now filled in, bulldozed to make way for new soundstages.
On a sentimental note, catch a glimpse of Larue's cool red Mustang. Now that's a happy ending. SEASON 1 EPISODE 21 remastered color dvd box set.
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