Category Archives: MOVIES

Random Thoughts on Encore’s Elvis Collection — Part 4

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Phil Arnold | Leave a comment

When I decided to comment on every Elvis movie offered by the Encore channel in May, I never figured my old laptop would die one week into the series. And I didn’t know I would go into Data Transfer Hell with my new laptop. Everything is finally up and running now, so let’s talk about some Elvis movies.

Movies Presented in the Past Week That I Liked:

There were four: Live A Little, Love A Little, Viva Las Vegas, Blue Hawaii, and Kissin’ Cousins. All four are like must-see choices for me every time they show up on cable.

Viva Las Vegas — Ann-Margret can tune my race car any time.

Blue Hawaii — My favorite scene is when Elvis sings “Slicin’ Sand” while putting out a luau campfire. Those teenage girls are so energetic and really get into kicking sand around.

Live A Little, Love A Little — Of course, I know that Live A Little is a dumb movie, but long ago I decided it is so bad it’s cool. Michele Carey is a delight to watch, and the strange interaction between her and Elvis works for me. I also get a kick out of the surreal dream sequence where Elvis sings “Edge of Reality.” The talking dog in it is totally bizarre.

Kissin’ Cousins — This is a silly little movie, but it has its own charm. Yvonne Craig is one of my favorite Elvis co-stars. Here’s a trivia question for you. What actress was number eight in the credits but ended up with Elvis at the end of the movie? Check it out on your DVD case. And how about all “them darn Kitty Hawks” who live in a valley where no men have been born for twenty years. It takes a unique movie to have a clan of men-starved lovelies stage raids on mountain guys and Army soldiers. Finally, I always make sure my dog is in the room when Maw Tatum sings about missing beloved Pappy. Every time she sings the word Pappy, the family bloodhound moans loudly. It freaks my dog out.

The Ones I Didn’t Like:

Fun In Acapulco – Neither of the two leading ladies, Ursula Andress and Elsa Cardenas, do much for me.

Spinout – I like Shelly Fabares a lot, but she wasn’t enough to save this movie. It’s hard to believe that an Elvis movie could end without him getting the girl. He didn’t fall in love with any of three choices.

The Ones That Are So-So:

Paradise, Hawaiian Style – I haven’t watched this one very often over the years, and I had to miss it this time. I don’t have any feelings of regret about that because I just don’t remember that much about the movie. One thing I do remember is Elvis singing a song while piloting a helicopter full of dogs.

This Is Elvis — Unfortunately, this bio seems weaker with repetitive viewing. You start to pick out little factual errors and images that are out of sync with the storyline. Several better Elvis biographical movies have come out since this one.

Coming Up:

Saturday, May 18 — G.I. Blues:

Definitely going to watch this one. I especially like the funny faces Elvis makes in the scenes with the little babies.

Sunday, May 19 – Clambake:

I’ll be watching this one, too. More Shelly Fabares. Yum, yum.

© 2013 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Random Thoughts on Encore’s Elvis Movies — Part 3

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Phil Arnold | 1 Comment

Tuesday, May 7 – Speedway:

When I sat down to write my random thoughts on this movie, my mind went blank. I couldn’t remember any long-established opinions about Speedway. I knew Nancy Sinatra was in it and looked good in her miniskirt and high white boots, but that was about it.

So, I read the plot summary in The Elvis Film Encyclopedia by Eric Brawn, and I realized Speedway had to be the Elvis movie I was least familiar with. In reflection, I guess I saw it once maybe twenty years ago. Needless to say, I’m excited to watch it now. The book said Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough make cameo appearances, so I will be on the lookout for them.

Wednesday, May 8 – Stay Away Joe:

I’ve got lots of opinions about this one, but they are mixed. I’m really turned off by the depiction of young native-American men was rowdy, heavy-drinking, skirt-chasing louts. There are people today trying to get the Washington Redskins’ name changed because it is offensive and demeaning to native-Americans. I guess these same people have never seen Stay Away Joe, or they would really be making a big stink.

On the other hand, Stay Away Joe is basically a good-hearted farce. It has fight scenes like all Elvis movies, but they are comical as opposed to the savagery in King Creole. Elvis looks particularly fit and handsome with his rugged color and western wardrobe.

I’m always tickled with the scene Elvis has with young hottie Quentin Dean and the one with her protective mother Joan Blondell. Unfortunately, it is sad to see a quality actor like Burgess Meredith in such a stupid role.

Elvis wakes up amoung beer cans after wild party

Anyway, I’m going to overlook the bad stuff and enjoy this silly movie.

Thursday, May 9 — Fun In Acapulco:

This is on okay movie, and I haven’t seen it in a while, so I’ll watch it. But of all Elvis’ leading ladies, Ursula Andress gave the most boring performance. I just can’t get a good vibe watching her sleepwalk through her lines.

One character I did like was the young shoe-shine boy who becomes Elvis’ de facto talent manager. He pulls off all kind of schemes and reminds me of a mini Col. Parker.

I never found the scene of Elvis climbing the rock wall up to the diving cliff very believable. Here’s a photo showing how they filmed it.

So, it looks like my plans for the next three nights are set. These three Elvis movies will set the stage for party time Friday night when they show the film I anticipate the most in this series: Live A Little, Love A Little. More on that next post.

© 2013 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Random Thoughts on Encore’s Elvis Movies — Part 2

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Phil Arnold | 1 Comment

Did you enjoy Jailhouse Rock on Encore last night as much as I did? It was the fourth in a series called The Elvis Collection that gives us a commercial-free Elvis movie every night in May.

As I said in the last post, the plots are so well know after repeated viewings, that I try to find other things to look for to keep it interesting. So, I was happy to find a new one in Jailhouse Rock. It occurs after Elvis’ character Vince Everett signs a movie contract, and the scene is a celebratory party. There is a large man dancing with surprisingly nimble feet. It was Lamar Fike.

I knew Lamar travelled to Hollywood when he heard Elvis had swallowed a crown and was in the hospital. After it was extracted and Elvis recovered, Lamar stayed on with the rest of Elvis’ buddies already in town.

Elvis liked to get small movie cameos for his buddies, and Lamar is among the background people in several other scenes, in addition to his dancing at the party.

Sunday, May 5 – King Creole:

Okay, I’ve got to watch this one because it is unquestionably Elvis’ finest acting role. It’s not my favorite – a little too dark and violent – but I appreciate what Elvis accomplished.

It’s just too bad that Col. Parker and the producers never again gave Elvis a story of equal weight or a supporting cast of such talent. In addition to Walter Matthau, Dean Jagger, Delores Hart, and Vick Morrow, King Creole featured Carolyn Jones as Ronnie, the damaged-goods, kept woman of Maxie Fields, the hood nightclub owner played by Matthau.

Carolyn Jones plays the most sultry love interest in any Elvis movie, and she is the highlight of King Creole in my opinion. Every scene between her and Elvis bristles with tension and smoldering desire.

If there is a hotter scene than this in any other Elvis movie, I sure missed it.

There is one other female character in King Creole I like to watch. I called her the banana woman until I checked out the credits and her character’s name is Forty Nina. She was the stripper who headlined at the King Creole club before Elvis took over. Check out her outfit on the DVD cover above.

Considering that Forty Nina is only a bit character, she gets equal billing on this publicity photo.

AS I mentioned in the last post, I like to spot Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, and Bill Black in the early Elvis movies. They are in King Creole, but you could miss them if you don’t look closely. They are part of a seven-man band that backs Elvis at the King Creole club. The other four members are The Jordanaires. In addition to singing, they play (pretend to play) standard Dixieland instruments. That’s the late Gordon Stoker with the clarinet.

Elvis and Jordanaires singing New Orleans

Notice Scotty Moore is playing a banjo, not a guitar in this shot

In spite of all the intense action in the film, Elvis manages to sing some great songs on the King Creole club stage: “Hard Headed Woman,” “Don’t Ask Me Why,” and the title song. However, my ears always perk up when he does the blues numbers “New Orleans,” and “Trouble,” his only song at Matthau’s Gilded Cage club.

If you would like to learn a whole bunch more about King Creole, I suggest you check out my friend Troy Yeary’s The Mystery train Elvis Blog. Troy has proclaimed King Creole as the Movie of the Quarter, and has already done two posts on March 2 and March 23. And he promises more to come.

Monday, May 6 – Girls, Girls, Girls:

I think I’ll skip this one. I watched Girls, Girls, Girls again back in December while preparing for the 50th Anniversary Movie Pictorial article.

As I said, I consider this one a pretty lame Elvis movie. In addition to a weak story, it has crummy songs, especially the two Elvis sang to the two little girls: “Earth Boy,” and “Dainty Little Moonbeams.” Of course, every critic panning the songs from Elvis’ movies always includes “Song of the Shrimp” as a classic example.

If I was going to watch Girl, Girls, Girls, the one thing I would look for is the dance sequence between Elvis and Laurel Goodwin to the song “The Walls Have Ears.”

This photo doesn’t show what’s interesting about the dance, but the 50th Anniversary pictorial does.

© 2013 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Random Thoughts on Encore’s The Elvis Collection

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Phil Arnold | 1 Comment

Elvis fans ought to be happy this month. Cable channel Encore is showing an Elvis movie, commercial free, at 8 PM every night in May. Encore labels it The Elvis Collection, and their promo pitch is Whole Lotta Elvis. Six of the movies are shown twice, so that means they are presenting twenty-five Elvis films. This is so cool.

The first three Elvis movies have already been shown (two will be repeated later), but that leaves plenty to discuss on ElvisBlog. We’ll do it one week at a time, starting with Saturday May 4. However, there will be no serious reviews. For that, I suggest you check out my friend Alan Hanson’s wonderful reviews of all Elvis movies on his Elvis-History Blog. As the title of this article says, whatever random thoughts pop into my mind for each movie will be shared here. Most Elvis movies have been covered or mentioned in previous ElvisBlog articles, so there will be links back to them, as well.

Here is the entire schedule:

5/1 – Girls, Girls, Girls (repeated on 5/6)

5/2 – Frankie and Johnny

5/3 – Blue Hawaii (repeated on 5/13)

5/4 – Jailhouse Rock (repeated on 5/29)

5/5 – King Creole 5/6 – Girls, Girls, Girls

5/7 – Speedway

5/8 – Stay Away Joe

5/9 — Fun In Acapulco

5/10 – Live A Little, Love A Little

5/11 – Viva Las Vegas (repeated on 5/25)

5/12 – Spinout

5/13 — Blue Hawaii

5/14 — This Is Elvis (repeated on 5/22)

5/15 — Paradise, Hawaiian Style

5/16 — Viva Las Vegas

5/17 — Kissin’ Cousins

5/18 — G.I. Blues (repeated on 5/28)

5/19 – Clambake

5/20 — t Happened At The World’s Fair

5/21 — Follow That Dream

5/22 — This Is Elvis

5/23 — Easy Come, Easy Go

5/24 — Harum Scarum

5/25 — Viva Las Vegas

5/26 — Girl Happy

5/27 — Change Of Habit

5/28 — G.I. Blues

5/29 — Jailhouse Rock

5/30 – Roustabout

5/31 — Kid Galahad

Let’s do some random thoughts on the next week’s movies.

Saturday, May 4 (repeated May 29) – Jailhouse Rock:

Well, I guess I’ve seen it eight or nine times already, but I’ll do it again for sure. I like the good job Elvis does with a real dramatic part. And I consider the Jailhouse Rock soundtrack is the best Elvis ever did, without any close second. It has two huge hits: “Jailhouse Rock” and “Treat Me Nice.” It contains my second favorite Elvis song of all time: “(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care.” And, because I am partial to the blues songs Elvis recorded, I love the two in this movie: “I Want To Be Free,” and “Don’t Leave Me Now.”

Both songs were written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, as were the other four songs in the movie. It is incredulous that they composed this entire terrific soundtrack in four hours one afternoon.

I never get tired of watching the “Jailhouse Rock” dance scene, widely considered the predecessor of the modern music video. Elvis could really dance.

I also think Jailhouse Rock is where you will hear the best Elvis line in any movie. After co-star Judy Tyler rejects his advances, Elvis says to her, “That ain’t tactics, honey. It’s just the beast in me.”

Tyler is hotter is some of the off camera photos than she is in the movie.

But, the actress I like watching is Jennifer Holden. I love the scene where she really gets into kissing Elvis during the filming of a movie. It has to be indicative of what went on with a lot of Elvis’ co-stars. Oh, yes, when the camera switches to a shot of the hangers-on watching the kissing scene, you can see Elvis’ buddy George Klein in the crowd.

However, the biggest reason I never miss Jailhouse Rock is because there is so much screen time for Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, and Bill Black. Ever since I had breakfast with Scotty and DJ at Elvis Week 2007 I have been a big fan.

There is an interesting ElvisBlog article about a continuity blooper with Scotty’s sunglasses at the poolside party performance of “Baby, I Don’t Care.”

There is another interesting continuity blooper in Jailhouse Rock that you have to concentrate on or you will miss it. Drink glasses that Elvis knocks over during a moment of anger in the Club La Florita suddenly reappear as he storms out of the club.

So, now you know all the things I will be checking out while watching Jailhouse Rock: Elvis handling a true dramatic role, the songs, the dance scene, the classic line, the kissing scene, Scotty, DJ and Bill, and two bloopers. After all, if you’ve seen the movie eight times already, you really know the plot. So, it’s nice to have other things to look for.

It turns out I had more random thoughts on Jailhouse Rock than I realized. So, this article won’t cover all the Elvis movies on Encore the next week. Instead, I’ll do more articles covering two or three movies before their show time.

© 2013 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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50th Anniversary Movie Pictorial — It Happened at the World’s Fair, 1963

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Phil Arnold | 1 Comment

It Happened at the World’s Fair, Elvis’ twelfth film, opened nationally on April 10, 1963. By this time, Col. Parker and the producers had given up any pretense of putting Elvis into quality movies, and this one was a real stinkeroo, in my opinion. The plot was very thin, there was way too much of five-year-old Sue-Lin, and the songs were weak (especially the four Elvis sang to Sue-Lin). However, this is supposed to be a pictorial, not a review, so let’s look at some pictures.

Movie Posters:

Shots from the Movie:

The movie could have been a virtual advertisement for the Seattle World’s Fair, because it featured glamorous shots of nine different venues, including the Water Works Fountain in the Central Courtyard shown here. However, the film premiered several months after the fair closed.

Here we have Elvis and co-star Joan O’Brien in the famous Space Needle with its 360 degree rotation that provided stunning views. Actual filming was done on a set in Hollywood, and the floor didn’t rotate, just the section of windows behind them. Next time you watch the movie, note how the view never changes.

Elvis spent more time with Sue-Lin than he did with Joan O’Brien, and he sang more songs to the precocious child. However, the two songs he sang to O’Brien made her melt yieldingly into his arms.

Lobby Cards:

The One Scene I Can Watch Over and Over:

Early in the movie, there is a short scene that has nothing to do with the plot. Elvis shows up at the house where Yvonne Craig lives, and in no time they are doing this. Then, she decides things are getting too hot and pulls away. Elvis chases her all over the living room like a hound dog on the scent.

: Elvis the Hairdresser

Finally

Believe it or not, Elvis had time to sing a song during all that. It is said that Elvis dated Yvonne Craig during the filming of the movie. And, he must have liked her acting skills so much that he elevated her to co-star status a year later in Kissin’ Cousins.

Promotional Photos:

Elvis and two young girls who had about five seconds of film time in the scene depicted in the first lobby card – but they sure are pretty.

Elvis in his pilot outfit

In the movies, Elvis has sung on trains, trucks, cars, helicopters, and boats. Why not a rickshaw?

Foreign Posters:

French Poster

Italian Poster

Note what they feature on the Italian poster — Elvis in three fight scenes and putting the make on the girl who is not his co-star.

Behind the Scenes Shots:

Elvis the Hairdresser

Poker game. Gary Lockwood, Joan O’Brien, and cousin Billy Smith join in.

Kissing the Co-Star:

Kiss in Space Needle

This is about mid-way through the movie before Elvis messes up and she gets all mad at him.

Kissing at end of movie – after he wins her back.

.

© 2013 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Tagged Elvis movies, It Happened at the World's Fair, Joan O'Brien, Yvonne Craig

50th Anniversary Movie Pictorial: Girls, Girls, Girls — 1962

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Phil Arnold | 5 Comments

Elvis’ eleventh film was released in time for the 1962 Christmas movie season, and it did fairly well in the box-office, considering it was frequently critiqued as a light-weight. The title Girls, Girls, Girls telegraphed the new direction Elvis movies were going: lots of lovelies, lots of songs, and a simple plot. As my friend Alan Hanson said on his Elvis-History-Blog, this movie “convinced studio execs that they had nailed down the blueprint for an Elvis Presley film. It was a formula they would see no need to tinker with in the future.”

Here’s a trivia fact you can try on your Elvis fan friends. In what movie did Elvis dance the twist? It was in Girls, Girls, Girls in the final scene where Elvis sings the title song.

But, Elvis pleased several groups of girls with his dancing.

Movie Posters:

Publicity Photos:

This is Elvis with his two female costars, Laurel Goodwin and Stella Stephens. Goodwin got only fourth billing (see poster above), although she was his problematic love interest and had lots of screen time. Stevens got second billing, but she and Elvis had only a few conversations and no fireworks in the film.

Ah, yes, girls, girls, girls. Lucky Elvis.

I found this shot on the internet. I tried to screen capture it in color on the movie DVD, but Elvis’ hair never looks like this in any shot. I guess the black and white picture is from an outtake.

Lobby Cards:

The guy in the white T-shirt in the left picture above in Red West. Do you notice anything unusual about Elvis in the right picture above? It’s kind of difficult to see because of the dark wood of the counter in chair. Let’s look at the scene in the movie.

This is Laurel and Elvis doing a Flamenco dance to the song, “The Walls Have Ears.” Must have been a pretty stimulating dance.

What Happened to Laurel?:

This is the DVD cover for Girls, Girls, Girls. Where is Laurel Goodwin, Elvis’ love interest in the movie? She is also not listed on the back cover as a cast member, and not in the brief plot description.

The girl she is replaced by is one of two twins who have a minor part in the movie.

Kissing his Leading Lady:

Stella Stevens prevailed on the DVD Cover and in publicity photos for the film, but Laurel Goodwin ended up with Elvis and kissed him in five different scenes.

© 2012 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Tagged Elvis movies, Laurel Goodwin, Stella Stevens, the twist

The Ultimate Movie for Elvis Allusions

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Phil Arnold | 4 Comments

For the past three years I have done an annual review of Elvis allusions in the movies. Each time I explain that these allusions can be many different things: like his name being used in dialog, or his image on video clips visible in a scene, or his songs playing in the background (or over the credits), or familiar Elvis trappings like jumpsuits and those famous sunglasses, or even his well-known moves and mannerisms. But when it comes to Elvis images and memorabilia items used to decorate a room, there is one movie we must call the undisputed all-time champ.

It is Into the Night, which ran on one of the cable movie channels earlier this week. This 1986 comedy/drama/romance stars Michelle Pheiffer and Jeff Goldblum. They are sort-of on the run together, and she takes him to her brother’s apartment so they can hide out. It turns out the brother is a successful Elvis impersonator, and his pad has wall-to-wall Elvis photos, albums, posters, and magazine covers. Here are a few shots to give you an idea.

Then, the brother comes home – in costume.

Do you know who this actor is? His name is Bruce McGill, and he has been in dozens of movies and TV shows over the past thirty-five years. His break into the business was as “D-Day” in the cult classic Animal House.

He looks better in a jumpsuit and without the mustache, don’t you think?

So, add a white jumpsuit to the Elvis allusions in Into the Night. But there is still one more.

As a famous Elvis impersonator, the brother travels around in a Cadillac convertible emblazoned with “The King Lives.”

Elvis never owned a 1959 Caddy convertible. (He was in the Army over in Germany at the time.) But this model seems so intrinsically Elvis, that Graceland has one in their Car Museum in spite of that little discrepancy. Seriously, if I ever win the lottery, I want one of these.

And, if you want to watch a pretty good movie with lots of Elvis allusions, get Into the Night, and enjoy.

© 2012 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Tagged Cadillacs, Elvis Allusions in th Movies, Into the Night, jumpsuits

50th Anniversary Movie Pictorial — Kid Galahad, 1962

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Phil Arnold | 5 Comments

This article is a little late. Kid Galahad, Elvis’ tenth film, was released on August 29, 1962. It was significant because it represented the final real attempt to provide him with a substantial story line and a challenging character to play. The success of his next three films (Girls, Girls, Girls, It Happened at the World’s Fair, and Fun in Acapulco) firmly established the formula for Elvis movies — unpretentious light comedy with plenty of musical numbers.

The other thing interesting about Kid Galahad to me is his co-star, Joan Blackman. She also played his love interest, Maile Duval, in Blue Hawaii, just two movies earlier. This was the second repeat of an Elvis leading lady, following Delores Hart in Loving You and King Creole. There would be other actresses who appeared with multiple movies with Elvis — Shelly Fabares, Mary Ann Mobley, Yvonne Craig, Sue Ann Langdon, and probably others I can’t think of.

Movie Posters:

Shots from the Movie:

Although Joan Blackman had a substantial acting roll in Blue Hawaii, her roll in Kid Galahad consisted of little more than gazing dreamingly into Elvis’ eyes.

More Looking in his Eyes

Costar Lola Albright and Elvis

Elvis’ character had recently completed his Army service as the movie began. This marked the third Elvis movie in a row where Elvis played a former soldier. (He flies home to Hawaii in his Army uniform in Blue Hawaii, and he has an Army disability pension in Follow That Dream.)

This is a shot of Joan Blackman and Elvis early in Blue Hawaii. Check out his Sergeant stripes and unit insignia.

Here’s a second shot of Elvis in uniform in Kid Galahad. Looks like he didn’t accomplish anything in the Army this time – no rank, no insignia, no medals.

In addition to the two lovely actresses, Elvis was supported in this movie by Gig Young and Charles Bronson.

Elvis and Joan Blackman danced at an Independence Day picnic. She looked quite alluring in her low-cut sun dress, and Elvis seems to checking her out pretty intently.

This is an old car Elvis rescued from a barn and fixed up. In addition to learning to box in the Army, he also picked up good skills as a mechanic.

Lobby Cards:

Serious Make-Up:

Publicity Shots:

Foreign Movie Posters:

Italian Poster

French Poster

No Idea What Country This is From

Kissing the Costar:

As has become the standard for this movie pictorial series, we will end with a shot of Elvis kissing his costar Joan Blackman.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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The Movie Theater: One Building Elvis Will Never Leave — Part 5

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Phil Arnold | Leave a comment

Thirty-five years after his death, Elvis’ connection with movies shows no sign of ending. As a teenager, Elvis worked as an usher at Loew’s State Theater in downtown Memphis. In the late 50s, he started his career in movies, and it continued until 1969 for a total of 31 films. In the 70s, we had the Elvis theatrical documentaries “Elvis on Tour” and “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is.” In the later years were had movies about Elvis like “Heartbreak Hotel.” “Bubba Ho-Tep,” and “Lonely Street.”

Scene from “Heartbreak Hotel”

However, Elvis’ name, image, songs, iconic accessories and famous quotes continue to be found in movies year after year. These are called Elvis allusions, and John Beifuss, movie critic for the Memphis Commercial Appeal, has chronicled them for seventeen straight years. He watches every movie that comes to town and makes notes on any allusion to Elvis. He posts them on the newspaper’s website during Elvis Week each year. Here are the most significant ones in John Beifuss’ 2012 Elvis Allusions in the Movies.

Men in Black lll

As this series gets into even more bizarre science fiction, Agent J (Will Smith) must take a trip into the past in order to save both the future and his partner Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). So how does Agent J describe the appearance of his missing partner? He says K has, “sort of a surly Elvis thing happening with him…”

The Vow

Actually, the allusion in this movie is to Scotty Moore and Elvis’ first single. Channing Tatum plays a music producer who dislikes computer-affected music and cites Elvis early Sun recordings as his ideal: “The records I like have life and warmth and soul – like the slap-back on Scotty Moore’s guitar on ‘Mystery Train’… Come on, you can’t get the Sun Sessions on your laptop.”

The Guard

The title character is an Irish cop with a taste for alcohol, drugs, and hookers. But, he turns out to be a good guy and an Elvis fan. One line of dialog has him asking, “D’ya know where I’d like to be? Tupelo. Birthplace of the King.”

The Pirates: Band of Misfits

Aardman Animations, those talented folks who gave us Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run have come up with another stop-motion winner. In the movie, there is a competition for the “Pirate of the Year” award. An interesting group goes after it, including the Pirate King, who wears (what else?) a pirate jumpsuit.

The movie’s website says, “He’s Elvis and a hurricane rolled into one.

God Bless America

This movie went straight to video, so technically it doesn’t fit the movie theater analogy in this article’s title. The poster above hints that it’s not a very pleasant story. In it, the guy teaches the teenage girl to shoot guns by popping a bunch of teddy bears nailed to trees. He says, “I think Elvis would be proud.” Well, we know Elvis loved shooting his guns, but I think he would have drawn the line at teddy bears.

the Killer Elite

The first Elvis reference in this badass action thriller is rather gruesome. After an assignment, an assassin confirms, “He’s dead. He’s dead as Elvis.” The second line is better: “Stop the car. We gotta be sure Elvis has left the building.”

Arthur Christmas

Another Aardman Animations gem, but computer-generated this time. And, it contains yet another variation of the famous line about Elvis. On Christmas Eve, an announcement echoes through the North Pole toy factory: “Santa has left the building.”

Which brings us back to the theme of this article. The movie theater is one building Elvis has never left.

Note: If you would like to read more about all the Elvis allusions in the movies for the past five years, click here, here, here, and here.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Turner Classic Movies Delivers an Elvis Bonanza on August 16

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Phil Arnold | 1 Comment

If you can’t get to Elvis Week in Memphis this year, there is one other way for fans to get our Elvis fix. Turner Classic Movies has lined up fourteen Elvis movies for us on Thursday, August 16.

As a public service to help you plan your viewing schedule in advance, ElvisBlog is happy to present the TCM lineup. In addition, some unusual ranking data will be shown. It comes from the book Hollywood Rock by Marshall Crenshaw.

The book gives each movie a short review and assigns it up to five stars in three categories – Music, Attitude, and Fun. Music is self-explanatory. Attitude is explained as reflecting how well a movie succeeds on its own terms (whatever that means). Fun is meant to gauge whether the film works as entertainment overall. Also, for some movies, a special scene or line of dialog (some good, some bad) is noted.

Here is the TCM schedule for August 16:

6:00am It Happened at the World’s Fair

Music **
Attitude *
Fun *

Elvis Line: “Calm down, honey. Racing that sweet little engine of yours on a hot day, that’s bad.”

.

8:00am Kissin’ Cousins

Music ****
Attitude ****
Fun *****

Scene : The Army Guys give bikinis (purdy underwear) to the mountain girls as a bribe to win them over.

.

9:45am Girl Happy

Music ****
Attitude **
Fun ***

Line by Elvis Friend: (Describing the perfect girl) “Not much upstairs, but what a staircase.”

Scene : Elvis dresses in drag to escape from jail.

11:30am Harum Scarum

Music **
Attitude **
Fun ****

Elvis Line: “I’m in love with your daughter. How could I assassinate you?”

1:00pm Double Trouble

Music ***
Attitude **
Fun **

Line to Elvis by a Friend: “Must be the maternal instinct you bring out in chicks. Them mothers can’t live without you.”

2:45pm Stay Away Joe

Music **
Attitude ****
Fun ***

Elvis Line: “She can chew on my moccasins anytime she wants to.”

Scene: Elvis fights a bunch of guys and totally destroys his family’s house.

4:30pm Charro

Music **
Attitude *
Fun *

(Ed. note: How do you give Music two stars when the only song is the title track played over the opening credits?)

6:15pm The Trouble with Girls

Music **
Attitude **
Fun *

Line to Elvis: “The cannibals are complaining that their mattresses are too lumpy.” Elvis Line: “I told them to quit eating ‘em.”

8:00pm Elvis on Tour

Concert Documentary – Not in book

9:45pm Jailhouse Rock

Music ***
Attitude ****
Fun **

Elvis Line: “That ain’t cheap tactics, honey. That’s the beast in me.”

11:30 Viva Las Vegas

Music ***
Attitude ****
Fun *****

Scene: Elvis’ performance of “What’d I Say” in a crowded nightclub is both a reverie and a orgy.

1:00am Speedway

Music **
Attitude ***
Fun **

Scene: Elvis’ “love-trap” trailer – equipped with recordings of wild animals, fake radio announcements, and a remote controlled clock to assist him in his merry persuit.

2:45am Spinout

Music *
Attitude *
Fun *

4:30am Live A Little, Love A Little

Music **
Attitude **
Fun ****

Scene: Elvis’ psychedelic dream in which the dog speaks to him, and where Elvis sings a song with the lyrics, “The girl with the nameless name.”

So, according to the multiple stars rating system used in the book Hollywood Rocks, the best two Elvis movies to watch on August 16 are Kissin’ Cousins and Viva Las Vegas. I’ve got no argument with that and plan to watch both. However, the music of Viva Las Vegas deserves four stars, too.

There is a three-way tie for the next highest rating – Girl Happy, Jailhouse Rock, and Stay Away Joe. Now that’s just ridiculous. Stay Away Joe is an embarrassment, depicting Native Americans as irresponsible louts interested in only drinking, fighting, and chasing girls. It won’t be on my viewing list, but the other two definitely will. I can’t understand how the reviewer gave Jailhouse Rock only three stars for music. Come on, there’s six songs by Leiber and Stoller in the movie.

And the film with the dead last stars rating is Speedway. They got that right. No wonder it is scheduled for 2:45 in the morning. The movie that follows it is Live A Little, Love A Little at 4:30am. I love this one. It’s just so stupid and bizarre. Live A Little gets five stars for fun from me, and that’s why I’ll be setting the alarm to be sure I get up to see it.

Hope you all have a fun day watching Elvis movies next Thursday.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Posted in Main Page, MOVIES

Tagged Elvis movies

May 2013
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Category Archives: MOVIES

© 2013 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

© 2013 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

© 2013 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

© 2013 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

.

.

© 2013 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

© 2012 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

© 2012 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

© 2012 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

© 2012 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

6:00am It Happened at the World’s Fair

.

8:00am Kissin’ Cousins

.

9:45am Girl Happy

11:30am Harum Scarum

1:00pm Double Trouble

2:45pm Stay Away Joe

4:30pm Charro

6:15pm The Trouble with Girls

8:00pm Elvis on Tour

9:45pm Jailhouse Rock

11:30 Viva Las Vegas

1:00am Speedway

2:45am Spinout

4:30am Live A Little, Love A Little

© 2012 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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