Reely Bernie Faves: The Endless Summer (1966)

A message in a bottle from 1966 washed ashore to today’s comedic beat.

Yes, Africa is noted as “primitive,” and social norms are run on 1960s glib, but there is viable respect here—respect for the beaches (which may be non-existent today), the indigenous people, and the ocean. This is a typical point-and-shoot documentary, but with a tongue-in-cheek narrator/director and an array of footage from around the world, what was supposed to be a focus on surfing ends up being an endearing travelogue.

The Endless Summer was my first official documentary, introduced by my dad and enjoyed over a dozen times on the screen or via illegally-dubbed cassette tape playing in the background (this seems to be a recurring theme throughout my entries).

Bruce Brown’s The Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surf movies of all time. The film documents American surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August as they travel the world during California’s winter (which, back in 1965 was off-season for surfing) in search of the perfect wave and ultimately, an endless summer [Letterboxd].

The entire production is a meditation of sorts. It’s all about finding the perfect wave in an “uncrowded surf” around the world. California had too many bodies (and sharks) in the water. Hawaii and Australia’s waves were too monstrous. Cape St. Francis in South Africa, however, proved immaculate—supporting a wave that lasted so long, Director Bruce Brown had to finally make a cut.

Your knowledge of surfing or lack thereof matters not because Brown photographs everything intriguing about it, and The Sandals complement each wave, curl, and wipeout with musical joy and humor.

Within a second of seeing this image, I hear The Theme from The Endless Summer by The Sandals.

It’s the humor that still gets to me. There is a charming surfing buddy mockery in here that is as innocent back then as it is today. Bruce Brown was ahead of his time, and this remains his humble ode to a sport that is fun in the ocean as well as a celebration of world coexistence.

The Endless Summer is an example of unbridled, documented passion on a self-earned budget. Even when the summer eventually ends, you just rewind the tape and watch it again.

Reely Bernie Faves:

1. Amadeus (1984)

2. Magnolia (1999)

3. Poltergeist (1982)

4. Pulp Fiction (1994)

5. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

6. The Godfather Part II (1974)

7. Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)

8. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

9. Goodfellas (1990)

10. Nosferatu (1922)

11. Pollock (2000)

12. Kicking and Screaming (1995)

13. Jaws (1975)

14. Fargo (1996)

15. Citizen Kane (1941)

16. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

17. The Endless Summer (1966)

18. Back to the Future (1985)

19. Angel Heart (1987)

20. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

21. The Goonies (1985)

22. Trainspotting (1996)

23. King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

24. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

25. Bambi (1942)

26. The Paradise Lost Trilogy (1996-2011)

27. Psycho (1960)

28. Parenthood (1989)

29. Swingers (1996)

30. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

31. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

32. Smoke (1995)

33. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

34. A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

35. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

36. City of God (2002)

37. 1917 (2019)

38. Black Swan (2010)

39. School of Rock (2003)

40. Mulholland Drive (2001)

41. Groundhog Day (1993)

42. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

43. The Greatest Showman (2017)

44. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

45. The Florida Project (2017)

46. Cinema Paradiso (1988)

47. So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)

48. Shadowlands (1993)

49. Steve Jobs (2015)

50. ¡Three Amigos! (1986)

39 thoughts on “Reely Bernie Faves: The Endless Summer (1966)”

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  1. This one is great along with On Any Sunday. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed both of those. I’m a guy from Tennessee and I had no interest in surfing…but he made it in a way where that doesn’t matter.
    Off topic….Bernie we have probably talked about this before…but another documetary that is great is “Alone in the Wilderness.”
    Everyone I’ve pointed to that one enjoyed it.

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          1. I put it in the Beatles folder…it might have to upload…it’s not huge.
            I have watched it at least 3-4 times…this is a real man in this documentary.

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            2. I loved it…after I watched it I went online and thought I found something that only I liked…no…it is really popular….for a damn good reason. You will really like this guy.

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            4. Small world. My cousin just bought land close by there. They are building a house over there.

              Yeah, I hope my daughters get to live and breathe the next 100 years…

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            7. Close to Hillsborough probably means out in the county (Orange) but, there has been some new construction going on in Hillsborough, proper, recently. We have seen some McMansions spring up but, for the most part, downtown Hillsborough is full of very old historic homes. Ancient area. This town was built on an old Native American trading path and it has some haunted places. No kidding…

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            8. Love haunted Native American places! Not sure if they fit under the MacMansions, but they are wealthy, and he united with his in-laws to build two houses on the property. I’ll ask him for clarification at some point…

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            12. Haha! We used to be very close cousins growing up from K-8 grade, but we’ve become more distant since they moved. His texts are very short and to the point. I think I’m going to leave him be. I will say, however, a lot of Coloradans are moving that way because things are booming over here. People need space!

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            13. I have nine maternal cousins and two paternal cousins. I’m not particularly close to any of them. I was close to one for a while, when we were little. I get it.

              There has been a massive building boom going on in NC, due to migration…mostly in the Piedmont. A lot of NYC folks have moved here to get away from the insanity up north.

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  3. Bern! Excellent! A favorite documentary! Another wonderful memory of me being with my brother Jimmy. In 1966, Jimmy took me to the Esquire theatre (6th ave), to meet with Butch Woods, Don Henry, and Butch Woods sister ( who Jimmy had taken out on a date a week earlier).
    Butch Woods and Don Henry were Jimmy’s best friends from Regis. These were the three who decided they were “ qualified “ to rebuild the V-8 engine on Jimmy’s 1954 Ford. That’s a great story for another time.
    The Endless Summer movie provided them a break for the afternoon with the total frustration of rebuilding a car engine.
    I LOVE this movie! The innocence and acceptance of two white surfers in
    all of the Africa locations…. The Chief who got right up the first time….
    the children running to retrieve the boards… and that great surfing music from the Sandals!
    SO glad this made the cut!
    Love, y o d

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    1. Love that story, Dad! And, the Esquire is still one of the best indie flick spots in Denver! Great memory of Jimmy too. I love how the music made an impression on my—my personal soundtrack. The Sandals were so talented. Love you!

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