Where the Boys Are (1960) is an American coming-of-age comedy film, written by George Wells based on the novel of the same name by Glendon Swarthout, about four Midwestern college co-eds who spend spring break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The title song “Where the Boys Are” was sung by Connie Francis, who also co-starred in a supporting role. The film was aimed at the teen market, featuring sun, sand and romance. Released in the wintertime, it inspired thousands of additional American college students to head to Fort Lauderdale for their annual spring break.

Where the Boys Are was one of the first teen films to explore adolescent sexuality and the changing sexual morals and attitudes among American college youth. It won Laurel awards for Best Comedy of the Year and Best Comedy Actress (Paula Prentiss). The kind of cool modern jazz (or west coast jazz) popularized by such acts as Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, and Chico Hamilton, then in the vanguard of the college music market, features in a number of scenes with Basil. Called “dialectic jazz” in the film, the original compositions were by Pete Rugolo.

MGM had bolstered the film’s success potential by giving a large role to Connie Francis, the top American female recording star and a member of the MGM Records roster. Francis had solicited the services of Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, who had written hit songs for her, to write original material for her to perform on the film’s soundtrack including a “Where the Boys Are” title song. Sedaka and Greenfield wrote two potential title songs for the film, but producer Joe Pasternak passed over the song Francis and the songwriting duo preferred in favor of a lush ’50s style movie theme. Francis recorded the song on 18 October 1960 in a New York City recording session with Stan Applebaum arranging and conducting.

Although it only peaked at # 4 in the US, the theme song of “Where the Boys are” became Connie Francis’s signature tune, followed by several cover versions.

Besides the theme song, Francis sang another Sedaka-Greenfield composition: “Turn on the Sunshine”, in the film.

The film’s soundtrack also features “Have You Met Miss Fandango”. The song was sung by co-star Barbara Nichols and featured music by Victor Young and lyrics by Stella Unger.

By Connie Francis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUBT69YWqBA

Lyrics

Where the boys are, someone waits for me  A smilin’ face, a warm embrace, two arms to hold me tenderly

Where the boys are, my true love will be  He’s walkin’ down some street in town and I know he’s lookin’ there for me

In the crowd of a million people I’ll find my valentine  And then I’ll climb to the highest steeple and tell the world he’s mine

Till he holds me I’ll wait impatiently  Where the boys are, where the boys are  Where the boys are, someone waits for me

Till he holds me I’ll wait impatiently  Where the boys are, where the boys are  Where the boys are, someone waits for me