Beach party movies were an American film genre of feature films produced and released between 1963 and 1968, created by American International Pictures (AIP), beginning with their surprise hit, Beach Party in July 1963. With this film, AIP is credited with creating the genre. These films also featured Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello: the “IT” Couple.

Although both Columbia Pictures’ Gidget (1959) and Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) have been cited as precursors to the genre, AIP’s premiere Beach Party took the Gidget idea, removed the moral lesson and the parents, added more young talent with fewer clothes, and followed the studio’s usual format of pandering to teenage moviegoers with popular trends, original songs and music.