Well this is a weird one. Interesting but weird. A mix of a Gidget type of teenage comedy with a spy spoof. Not sure why it's so hated. Leonard Maltin gave it a BOMB rating, for crying out loud. That's completely unfair. It's a cute and harmless little bit of fluff with some funny moments, especially early on. I liked Kathy Dunn and Lynne Sue Moon. Maybe people hate it because it's from William Castle and has a misleading title that makes it sound like a horror movie? I don't know. Admittedly the fun and cuteness of it wears off after awhile. When it seems to take its spy plot seriously is when things get a little dull. But it picks back up towards the end. I didn't think it was bad at all. Ignore the overly harsh criticisms and judge it for yourself.

Or "Secret Agent Miss" or even "The Spy Who Annoyed Me". The puns could just keep coming for this messy farce. If you are the type of person who avoids taking buses or subways during school rush hours, then find an alternative movie in addition to a way home, for this film will just grate on your nerves and possibly leave a ringing sensation in your ears of all this teen-aged girl chatter.

It all focuses on an American teenager (Kathy Dunn), the daughter of an American diplomat (Hugh Marlowe) in Paris who uncovers a murder and turns amateur spy. This 16 year old Jane Bond isn't as much annoying as she is nosy, and the storyline is simply absurd. Using the code name "Kitten", she sends pop Marlowe notes (cut out of course from magazines and newspapers) to assist him in breaking this spy ring. To make matters even worse, Marlowe discuses "Kitten" and other confidential in front of her.

There are some nice William Castle touches (the cat jumping out in a dumb waiter Dunn is maneuvering her way around in; The revelation of who one of the spies is and how Dunn manages to get away from him) but it is mixed with 90% absurdity. Then there is the mix of the other 12 girls, actually never presented as "frightened", just juvenile. Played by representatives of a dozen other countries, some of these actresses seem more late college age than high school boarding school age. Veteran character actress Norma Varden is totally wasted as the school proprietress.

Murray Hamilton plays Marlowe's assistant, the object of Dunn's affections and the only one in on "Kitten's" true identity. It really is embarrassing to watch Dunn throw herself at this 30-something man, even knowing that he's already in love with pretty Joyce Taylor.

I just pray that some current filmmaker doesn't see this film and decide to update it to today's technology obsessed teen crowd, giving these thirteen girls cellphones, I-Phones and I-Pads to be even more annoying (let alone reading spy instructor manuals on a kindle). Just wait until you see the ending (if you make it that far) which combines the conclusions of "Sister Act" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie", but minus the laughs of these classics.

Miss Pittford's Academy for Young Ladies is a Swiss boarding school for the daughters of competing diplomats from various countries. American Candace Hull earns the right to drive the bus for a school trip. She has a desperate crush on secret agent Wally Sanders (Murray Hamilton) who is involved with his work partner Soldier (Joyce Taylor). She is in the Chinese embassy when she accidentally comes upon a murdered man. She becomes secret agent Kitten, a secret even to her father and Wally.

How old is this girl? She's 16 and driving the bus? Then she's chasing around forty year old Murray Hamilton. This is a weird premise of Gidget fights the Cold War. Kathy Dunn is a fine Gidget. It has the feel of a bad Disney movie with murder and suggested sexuality. It's intriguingly despite being weirdly bad. I am never sure if this is intended to be a silly comedy or a serious thriller. It's both and not quite successful in either.