Joy Nichols

The main focus of Where the Boys Are is the 'coming of age' of four collegiate girls during spring vacation. Merritt Andrews (Dolores Hart), the smart and assertive leader of the quartet, expresses the opinion as the film opens that premarital sex might be okay. Her speech eventually inspires the insecure Melanie Tolman (Yvette Mimieux) to lose her virginity soon after the girls arrive in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Tuggle Carpenter (Paula Prentiss), on the other hand, seeks to be a 'baby-making machine,' lacking only the man to join her in marriage. Angie (Connie Francis in her first acting role) rounds out the group as a girl acting rather clumsily when it comes to romance. The girls find their beliefs challenged throughout the film. Merritt meets the suave Ivy Leaguer Ryder Smith (George Hamilton) of Brown and realizes she's not ready for sex. Melanie discovers the boy from Yale she thought loved her was only using her, passing her around to his friend when he grows bored. Tuggle quickly fixes her attention on the goofy TV Thompson (Jim Hutton), but becomes disillusioned when he becomes enamored with the older woman Lola Fandango who works as a 'mermaid' swimmer/dancer (Barbara Nichols). Angie stumbles into love with the eccentric jazz musician Basil (Frank Gorshin). Merritt, Tuggle and Angie's adolescent relationship angst quickly evaporates when they discover Melanie in a distressed state. Although not mentioned directly, the set up of the scene in which Melanie leaves a hotel, with a torn dress and in a serious state of shock, strongly suggests she was sexually assaulted. She ends up in the hospital. Now sobered up from the spring break joy, the friends realize the potentially serious consequences of their physical actions and resolve to act in a more responsible, mature manner. The film ends on a melancholy note, with Melanie recovering in the hospital while Merritt looks after her, with promises to continue a long-distanc