Starring Elvis Presley, Shelley Fabares, Will Hutchins, and Bill Bixby
Directed by Arthur H. Nadel
Music and Lyrics by various
With the new Elvis biography now in theaters, I thought it was time to visit another one of his movies. By this point, he'd been involved in a series of light-hearted romantic comedies, often set in some exotic location. I covered two of the better ones last year, Blue Hawaii and Viva Las Vegas. Elvis, however, was getting very tired of the silliness, and the goofy script for this one didn't help. He considered it to be his worst film, especially after it under-performed at the box office. Was he right, or does this tropical treat deserve more than a dunking? Let's begin with millionaire's son Scott Hayward (Presley) as he explains to his father why he wants someone who'll love him for more than his money, and find out...
The Story: Hayward takes off in his 1959 Stingray for Miami. At a gas station, he meets Tom Wilson (Will Hutchins), who is heading for a job as a water ski instructor at a Miami hotel. Scott switches identities with Tom in the hope of finding a woman who'll love him and not his money. Ironically, he ends up falling for Dianne Carter (Fabares), a gold-digger who is hoping to strike it rich with wealthy James J. Jamesion III (Bixby). Hoping to beat James at his own game, he borrows an experimental "Goop" to stick a speed boat back together in order to enter it in a speed boat race. That, however, ends up alienating him from Dianne and pushing her more than ever to James.
The Song and Dance: Considering Elvis' later films don't have the best reputation and Elvis himself called this his worst film, this was surprisingly cute. Elvis pairs fairly well with both Fabares and Hutchins, who has a great time playing the every-man who suddenly finds himself wealthy. It brings to mind both the "Beach Party" movies of this era or the slobs vs snobs comedies of the 1980's, with its cheery teen chorus numbers on the beach and everymen Elvis and Hutchins going up against the snootier Bixby.
Favorite Number: "Who Needs Money?" asks Tom and Scott in a nifty back-and-forth number after they've switched identities. Tom revels in Scott's fancy car and flashy Texas suit, while Scott's enjoying the freedom of anonymity. Scott reads Dianne's "future" on their first date as he explains she'll have "A House With Everything" - except love. The title number turns into a huge dance on the beach, with teens shimmying on roofs and all around tables filled with seafood as Elvis joins their wild gyrating.
He encourages a little girl to have "Confidence" coming down a steep slide as he joins her and her friends romping around a nifty western-themed playground, including a merry-go-round and "covered" wagon monkey bars. He says "Hey, Hey, Hey" to a group of local go-go girls when they all agree to dance while helping him clean up the speed boat. Elvis puts out a heartfelt rendition of the country ballad "You Don't Know Me" towards the end, when he thinks he's lost Dianne.
Trivia: This was filmed almost entirely in Hollywood. Any shots of Elvis in Miami are of stand-ins. The Florida footage comes from stock shots. There's obvious mountains in some shots towards the beginning and end of the film when he's driving.
What I Don't Like: First of all, see above. There's way too much stock backdrop footage, especially when anyone's driving. They couldn't have filmed in Miami? Nowadays, it looks cheap and obvious. Yes, the plot is adorable, but I can see Elvis' point with how fluffy it is. This is about as standard of a romantic comedy as you can get.
Though the "Confidence" number with the kids is enjoyable enough, it also comes out of nowhere and is never brought up again. Other than the hit "You Don't Know Me," the music is pretty dull, too. They also spend way too much time on the side plot with Scott working on that "goop" and the speed boat and not enough on him trying to help Dianne get Jamesion's attention or mingle with the working people.
The Big Finale: Charming bit of fluff is short on story but long on fun if you're an Elvis fan who doesn't mind a little goofiness in your musicals.
Home Media: The discs are in print, but expensive. You're better off streaming this one. Tubi and Pluto TV currently have it for free with commercials.
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