Four coeds from snowbound Penmore U. know that the only place to be during Spring Break is Where the Boys Are. The rites (and wrongs) of the spring migration of thousands of college students to sunny Fort Lauderdale are celebrated in an era-defining film that combines a cast of 1960s up-and-comers with youthful hijinks and a cautionary will-she-or-won’t-she storyline of sex and romance. Among the girls seeking the perfect tan and man are Dolores Hart, Yvette Mimieux, Paula Prentiss and Connie Francis (who also performs the hit title tune and the zippy “Turn on the Sunshine”). Among the guys: George Hamilton, Jim Hutton and Frank Gorshin. So many chances for love. So little time!

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Video Quality

Warner Archive brought Where the Boys Are to Blu-Ray with a terrific 1080p master transfer in 2.40:1 when it was released in 2017 sourced from a 2K scan of the Interpositive. Even earlier on in their Blu-Ray output, Warner Archive always showed their prowess when spotlighting Cinemascope elements. The film displays some dazzling colors within the costumes and late 50s production design that radiate off the screen. This is perhaps most forefront in the modest bathing suits featured on the beach.

Highlights stay crisp during the runtime and black levels are deep and stable. The film is virtually pristine with no notable instances of damage or dirt detected here. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such issues do not arise as an issue in this transfer. From the opening moments, even in the wintry locale, you are treated to great detail and clarity. This can be attributed in part to the preservation of the natural film grain which allows the picture to sing. Warner Archive can always be counted on to deliver something great for fans.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono track that is quite a force and free of damage. Music is one of the key elements of this feature, and the tunes hold up with impeccable fidelity even in the upper registers. Dialogue and background noises remain in balance along with the catchy score from George Stoll. Dialogue comes through clearly with no elements overwhelming the quippy exchanges. The more kinetic moments are handled well and give the track a bit of excitement. There is no notable age-related wear and tear to the track such as hissing, dropouts, or popping. Warner Archive has provided a disc that stands up with the best of them. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Actress Paula Prentiss provides a lively audio commentary recorded in 2003 in which she joyously recalls her first movie role, her friendship with her co-stars, what it was like on set, where some of the ensemble ended up, the revolutionary nature of certain plot elements, navigating the studio system, and more.

Where The Boys Were – A Retrospective: An eight-minute featurette from 2003 with Paula Prentiss and Connie Stevens discussing stories from the production that will be of great interest to those who want insights into the old-school studio system.

Fort Lauderdale – Scene of the World Premiere: A minute-long black-and-white glimpse of the premiere.

Theatrical Trailer: The three-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Where the Boys Are is a film that conjures mixed emotions. On the one hand, we recoil at some of the reductive notions that the movie places on women and what they can achieve in the world. We expect some of this from older films of this era, but this movie has some lines of dialogue that are a doozy (do we need a character who yearns to be a “baby-making machine”?). But there is a part of us that can compartmentalize these shortcomings and delight in the progressive ideas expressed along with the talented group of young women getting into ridiculous situations who command this narrative. It’s not great art by any means, but it is fairly enjoyable if you are looking for some mindless studio beach charm with fleeting moments of dramatic resonance. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and some excellent special features. If you are a fan of beach outings or the talent involved, this should be on your list. Recommended

Where the Boys Are can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.