[INTRO: I am a die hard, card carrying Elvis fan and have been for as long as I can remember. There is so much about Elvis to love; his incredible singing voice, his generous spirit, his looks (the most gorgeous man ever), his movies (yes, his movies. They make me happy, so critics can just shush), his service in the army, his magical presence on stage, his transcendent charisma, and…I could go on and on. As a matter of fact, on my 50th post, I believe it was, I DID go on and on. I listed 50 things I love about Elvis. It wasn’t difficult. I am an author and I mention Elvis in almost every story I write. I named my son Presley. I was fortunate to see Elvis in concert three times. I have been to Graceland five times… See? I love Elvis. I have been blogging weekly for more than a year, but going forward, I will blog every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. My life is insanely busy and I found myself missing weeks from time to time. This way, I’m more likely to be consistent. Hopefully, even if you are not an Elvis fan, you appreciate something about him and will find my posts interesting. Feel free to comment. Thank you so much for stopping by!]
Easy Come, Easy Go:
Not one of my top Elvis movies, but as long as I can look at him, I enjoy ANY of his movies. I didn’t feel Elvis and his love interest had much chemistry, and Elvis usually has great chemistry with his leading ladies. Also, their love story didn’t really develop. They didn’t have many moments or sexual tension, etc, but at the end, they were just together.
About: Elvis plays Lt. Ted Jackson, a Navy frogman who recently got out of the service and is singing for a living. He discovers a buried treasure and decides to go after it. The treasure belonged to the grandfather of Elvis’ love interest (played by Dodie Marshall who was also in Spinout). She is none too pleased to learn Elvis is after it, but she decides to help him after extracting a promise that he’ll donate the money to a commune for her hippie artsy friends. Someone else is after the treasure too, and although there are some dicey moments at the end, with a little help from his friends, Elvis gets the treasure and the girl. However, they discover the coins are not gold and are almost worthless. The ‘team’ donates their shares to the girl anyway, so she has enough to help her friends.
Side notes: The move was originally planned by Paramount as a vehicle for Jan and Dean, but after a train wreck that injured them an many of their crew, the project ws scrapped and the script was rewritten for Elvis.
This was the last movie Elvis and Hal Wallis did together.
The director, John Rich, is the only director in Elvis’ movie career he didn’t get along with. He’d also directed Roustabout. While filming a scene in Easy Come, Easy Go, Elvis and Red West kept screwing up and laughing. The director was pissed and threw all of Elvis’ buddies out. Elvis was furious. He told the director and producers, “Now, just a minute. We’re doing these movies because it’s supposed to be fun, nothing more. Now when they cease to be fun, then we’ll cease to do them.”
Favorite Song: I wasn’t crazy about the songs in this movie, but I suppose my favorite would be You Gotta Stop. The title song isn’t bad.
Favorite Scene: It would probably have to be him in the all-black shirt and pants doing yoga. Adorable!
Double Trouble:
I enjoyed this movie because it was different, since it took place in Europe and had sort of a crime caper feel to it. It was actually filmed in California. Other than when in the army, Elvis never visited Europe. Elvis had many scenes in fog, which is very sexy. 🙂
About: Elvis plays Guy Lambert, an American singer who falls for a teenage heiress whose uncle, it turns out, is trying to kill her. They are chased and murder is attempted throughout the movie until the end, where the bad guys are caught and Elvis gets the girl.
Side Notes: An Elvis fan bought a jacket as a gift to Elvis. Elvis told her to watch the movie carefully when it came out. The film came out and she saw that the jacket was in the suitcase which belongs to Elvis’ character on film.
This was the first and only movie Annette Day (his leading lady) ever made.
Elvis gave Annette a sports car as a gift, which she later gave to her brother.
Favorite Song: Probably Long-Legged Girl.
Favorite Scenes: I loved any of the scenes where he fought. And there was a really sexy part where he threw a chair through a glass window. I loved this line after the rich uncle says that as a musician Elvis can’t have much money. Then he says, “I didn’t mean to offend.” Elvis says, “I’m not offended, I’m just in a hurry. I don’t want to lose my place in the brad line.” In this really annoyed sexy way. (Are you sensing a ‘sexy’ theme to my recap of Elvis movies???) 🙂
Clambake
LOVE this movie. Sigh…Elvis was so sexy and I always love Shelley Fabares as his leading lady. And, Bill Bixby is in it, and I loved watching him in Elvis movies. He plays the perfect cad in Clambake. This was another movie where people said Elvis was fat. UGH…SO not true.
About: Elvis plays Scott Heyward, the rich son of a rich oil field magnate who is discouraged because he feels women only love him for his money. (Yeah, right!). He takes off for some ‘me-time’ and heads to Miami Beach. On the way, he meets poor water ski instructor, Tom Wilson, and they switch identities so Scott can see what it’s like to have people know him for who he really is. He meets Shelley (Dianne), who is there to look for a rich man and finds him in the form of Bill Bixby. But, of course, she ends up falling for Elvis, he wins the boat race and all live Happily Ever After. One reason I love this movie so much is that there was true chemistry between Elvis and Shelley, and there were some emotional, angsty moments that I always enjoy. You could really see the romance develop, which was lacking in some of his films.
Side Notes:
The movie was set in Florida but filmed in California. In some shots, you can see the California mountains in the background. 🙂
Elvis was becoming more discouraged with his film career at the time this movie was made and he and his buddies pulled more shenanigans than usual on the set.
Elvis’ character used a mobile phone and the gas station attendant remarked something to the effect of, “That must be one heck of a long cord.”
One of the children at the playground during the song “Confidence” is Corbin Bernsen.
Lee Majors visited the set and filmed a cameo; he can be seen in the background of the restaurant scene, wearing a fake mustache.
Favorite Song: Probably “You Don’t Know Me” – Check it out here:
Favorite Scene: Just before he sings the above song. Shelley comes to see him before her big date with Jameson (Bill Bixby) and the scene is charged with sexual tension. She turns to leave and Elvis says, “Hey, come here.” (in this cave-man sexy way) She returns to him and he takes her hanky from her purse and says, “Blot.” He blots her lips and then tosses the hanky away aggressively and tugs her hair out of its pins and settles it loosely around her shoulders. He gives her a smoldering look and says, “Unless Jameson is blind, maybe he can see the forest for the trees.” Sigh…
Thank you for joining me. Have you seen these movies? What did you think?
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EOLS Charity
Elvis was known for his giving heart and charitable work during his lifetime. Lisa Marie and Elvis Presley Enterprises have continued that tradition with their involvement in various charities. In 1984, The Elvis Charitable Foundation was formed. The EPCF created a scholarship fund for students majoring in the arts. The charity also contributes to one of Elvis’ favorite charities, Goodwill Homes, a Memphis facility that provides counseling and services for abused children and their families. The EPCF also assists numerous other charities, especially focusing on arts, education and children’s programs.
Learn more here, including how to donate:
http://www.graceland.com/epcf/
END OF LONELY STREET – Now Only 99 Cents!
On Elvis’ birthday this year, I released a Vintage Romance short story set in 1957, and of course, my heroine is an Elvis fan. 🙂 As a tribute to Elvis’ generosity, and in order to assist with this worthy cause, 10% of my proceeds for End of Lonely Street will go to the EPCF.
All Toby Lawson wants is to go to college to become a teacher and to be free of her alcoholic mother and some painful memories. But when her mother nearly burns the house down, Toby must put her dreams on hold and return home to care for her. The only time she isn’t lonely and miserable is when she’s listening to her heartthrob, Elvis Presley. His music takes her away and helps her escape from everything wrong in her life.
Noah Rivers has always loved Toby, but no matter what he says, she can‘t get past the fact that her drunken mother once kissed him. He soon realizes the true problem lies in Toby’s belief she’s not good enough for him and in her fear she will be just like her mother.
What will it take to prove to her that she deserves to be happy, and that he would give anything to be the man to make her dreams come true?
Author Alicia Dean 