RIP Johnny Fain – one of the Four Princes of Malibu

The fast-turning fast-talking Malibu local died on Wednesday aged 78. One of the original “Four Princes of Malibu” along with Miki Dora, Lance Carson and Dewey Weber, Fain was born into a well-heeled Hollywood family and grew up in the Colony near the Malibu Pier among writers, producers and film stars. 

All privilege aside though, he was a popular character on the beach and a brilliant longboarder - flamboyant yet precise, and he got some fame in early Bud Browne and Bruce Brown surf movies, mostly for his duels with Dora. He also worked as stunt double and had bit parts in a string of corny Beach Party movies.

Fain had a few good results in comps, topped with a second in the 1965 Malibu Invitational and he made the US team for a couple of world championships, but free-surfing and hot-dogging was his go. 

RIP Johnny, a true one-off – 1943 – 2022

In his own words:

 “Even though I was the youngest surfer at Malibu, I kept up with the older guys. That was the challenge. That’s what helped my drive. I knew if I didn’t keep up, I was gone. Later on, I got a Panama hat, and that was a big deal. If you had a certain ranking in the Pit, you were allowed to wear a Panama hat and stripes on your trunks. It was like being a commander with bars on your shoulders. The hat and the stripes were people’s way of knowing you were somebody without knowing your name. Then they got to know your name real quick. Rank and file.

“I was lucky because I had plenty of time to surf. My mother [Jeanne Bartlett] was a professional writer—she wrote the screenplay for Son of Lassie, the film that made Peter Lawford a star. My dad owned and operated Malibu TV. The chores I had at home were minimal. That helped me tremendously. While most kids were out doing their paper route or some other odd job, I was in the water advancing to new heights. I remember thinking of the Indy 500 while I surfed, I’m passing people in my Formula One race car, pitting myself against the wave, pushing myself to the limit. I wanted to see how far I could go to defy the force of gravity. Only the equipment was holding me back.”

The movies:

Beach Party (1963) surfer – as John Fain
Surf Party (1963) – as John Fain
Muscle Beach Party (1964) surfer boy – as John Fain
Bikini Beach (1964) surfer
Pajama Party (1964) pyjama boy
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) beach boy
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965) beach boy – as John Fain
Don’t Make Waves (1967) surfer 
Big Wednesday (1978) Breathman
Californian Dreaming (1979) Tenner– as John Fain