{"id":4146,"date":"2018-02-21T03:05:41","date_gmt":"2018-02-21T03:05:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sixtiescinema.com\/?p=4146"},"modified":"2018-02-21T03:05:41","modified_gmt":"2018-02-21T03:05:41","slug":"mike-nader-tribute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tomlisanti.com\/index.php\/2018\/02\/21\/mike-nader-tribute\/","title":{"rendered":"MIKE NADER TRIBUTE"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Sixties actor Mike Nader just celebrated a birthday so I thought I would pay tribute to the former surfer who stayed afloat in Hollywood long after the tide washed away the Beach Party movies. Tall, slim, athletic, with dark haunting features Mike immediately took to acting and the camera took to him.\u00a0 Nader was just a part of the beach crowd in Beach Party<\/em> (1964) and the first few sequels.\u00a0 He graduated to featured player status with roles in Beach Blanket Bingo<\/em> (1965), Ski Party<\/em> (1965) and How to Stuff a<\/em> Wild Bikini<\/em> (1965), and on TV opposite Sally Field in the sitcom Gidget<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Michael Nader was born in St. Louis, Missouri on February 18, 1945.\u00a0 When he was a small child his family relocated to Beverly Hills, California.\u00a0 He attended Vista Grammar School and Beverly Hills High School where he became friendly with Ed Garner.\u00a0 However, Nader was not part of that Beverly Hills crowd of mansions and Porsches.\u00a0 His family lived in an apartment and he drove an old Woodie.\u00a0 At school, his rebellious demeanor was forever getting him into trouble.\u00a0 Surfing was his only escape.\u00a0 He remarked in TV Guide<\/em>, \u201cYou got a pair of trunks, the ocean, a board under you\u2014and no regulations.\u201d\u00a0 Nader began hanging out with that legendary Malibu surfer crowd that included Mickey Dora and Johnny Fain.<\/p>\n

Mike Nader was apart of the group of friends that Ed Garner introduced to director William Asher to surf double and populate the background in Beach Party<\/em> (1963).\u00a0 Asher immediately took to the young surfer and gave him lots of screen time.\u00a0 Though he didn\u2019t have many lines, Nader had a charisma that came across on the screen and made him a standout from the rest of the crowd. Nader remained part of the contingent of surfer boys in Muscle Beach Party<\/em> (1964), Bikini Beach<\/em> (1964) and Pajama Party<\/em> (1964) but he began studying acting with guidance from Harvey Lembeck.<\/p>\n

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He finally broke free from the surfer boy pack in Beach Blanket Bingo<\/em> (1965).\u00a0 With John Ashley playing Frankie Avalon\u2019s rival, this left the best friend role vacant.\u00a0 Nader was then cast as boyish Butch, loyal buddy to Frankie and boyfriend of the amorous Animal played by Playboy Playmate Donna Michelle. However, his bromance moment with surfer Johnny Fain feeding him weiners during Donna Loren’s moment singing about unrequited love stands out.<\/p>\n