Elvis films - your thoughts?

[Richard]

I saw On Tour when it came out. That was the first film i watched in the cinema at the age of 11. But that's not really "an Elvis film" as regards this discussion. In the 1970s, as those of us who were alive in the 1970s will know, you would get a small cinema showing old films and often as double bills long after the films were made. Carry On, James Bond, that sort of thing. And Elvis. That's how I saw some of them on the big screen, and the rest were on TV. Then VHS etc. I did go to a 48 hour non-stop filmshow after he died, above a pub in Leeds. A few dozen of us in a room the size of our kitchen, breaking every fire regulation known to man.

On the whole, I can't watch them now. He was a dreadful actor, I don't care what anyone says, and they're mostly embarrassing. And you won't find a bigger Elvis lover than me, so it's not something I like to say.

[John]

I saw On Tour when it came out. That was the first film i watched in the cinema at the age of 11. But that's not really "an Elvis film" as regards this discussion. In the 1970s, as those of us who were alive in the 1970s will know, you would get a small cinema showing old films and often as double bills long after the films were made. Carry On, James Bond, that sort of thing. And Elvis. That's how I saw some of them on the big screen, and the rest were on TV. Then VHS etc. I did go to a 48 hour non-stop filmshow after he died, above a pub in Leeds. A few dozen of us in a room the size of our kitchen, breaking every fire regulation known to man.

On the whole, I can't watch them now. He was a dreadful actor, I don't care what anyone says, and they're mostly embarrassing. And you won't find a bigger Elvis lover than me, so it's not something I like to say.

Thanks Richard. I don't think he was a dreadful actor. Working with those scripts has to have been hard. There are a few films that stand apart from the dross.

[Richard]

Thanks Richard. I don't think he was a dreadful actor. Working with those scripts has to have been hard. There are a few films that stand apart from the dross.

The thing is, you can be a good actor in a lousy film. Elvis was a bad actor in lousy films, which just made everything worse. Everyone goes on about Jailhouse Rock and King Creole, and how if he'd only carried on making those kinds of films then he'd have been winning Oscars, but he's bad in those too. The films are a bit better, that's all. As a young fan I liked watching them because how else could I see him? But once I knew what real films and real actors were, I much preferred to stick to the records and the concerts.

I did watch Blue Hawaii a couple of years ago after buying an HD copy on Apple, and it was as bad as I remembered. Love the soundtrack, obviously, as I do with all the other films.

[John]

Thanks Richard. I don't think he was a dreadful actor. Working with those scripts has to have been hard. There are a few films that stand apart from the dross.

The thing is, you can be a good actor in a lousy film. Elvis was a bad actor in lousy films, which just made everything worse. Everyone goes on about Jailhouse Rock and King Creole, and how if he'd only carried on making those kinds of films then he'd have been winning Oscars, but he's bad in those too. The films are a bit better, that's all. As a young fan I liked watching them because how else could I see him? But once I knew what real films and real actors were, I much preferred to stick to the records and the concerts.

I did watch Blue Hawaii a couple of years ago after buying an HD copy on Apple, and it was as bad as I remembered. Love the soundtrack, obviously, as I do with all the other films.

We have to agree to disagree. He may not have been an Oscar winner ever, but I think he could act. He needed a strong director, in the same way that he needed a good producer when it came to his records.

Blue Hawaii is a lightweight film but to me is as good as any Doris Day/Rock Hudson film from that era. Follow That Dream is a lovely comedy. Wild In The Country is good, as is Flaming Star.

There are moments from the other films, but imagine having to act in PHS, or Tickle Me, or, well most of the 60s things. Kiss the girl, fight the bloke, drive a car, fly a plane......

[Private Presley]

Posted on the first page..

IMG_7089.jpeg

[Nolan Truth]

The only one I really struggle with is ‘Harem’, all the others I can watch straight through no problem.
I take them for what they are, entertaining on different levels, but ‘Harem’ is just so poor on every level.
Story, production, look, songs, acting.
Terrible, and even the album cover photo is reversed.
I think a talking camel might have actually helped !

Apart from Hey Little Girl with its very dodgy lyrics (how did that get through?), I don't mind the songs. Perhaps it's better just listening to them to watching them on screen. However, Elvis in a turban??? That would never happen in real life, would it? Nah, never.

Very good, I SEE what you did there.

[Mister Moon]

Turbans rock.

Holy Chuck Willis !

[John]

Turbans rock.

Holy Chuck Willis !

chuck willis.jpg

Elvis dug Chuck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDHAQYJnKJI

[iplayastrat]

After Elvis died they rereleased some of Elvis' movies to the theatres.
I saw Viva Las Vegas, Girl Happy and Girls, Girls, Girls.

Also I saw This Is Elvis at the theatre.

[Colin B]

...Apart from Hey Little Girl with it's very dodgy lyrics (how did that get through?)...

Hey Little Girl - Lyrics.JPG

Maybe the writers of this song were thinking it wouldn't be sung to a 'Little Girl' as young as it turned out in the film !

Harum Scarum - Little Girl.JPG

[John]

...Apart from Hey Little Girl with it's very dodgy lyrics (how did that get through?)...

Hey Little Girl - Lyrics.JPG

Maybe the writers of this song were thinking it wouldn't be sung to a 'Little Girl' as young as it turned out in the film !

Harum Scarum - Little Girl.JPG

It's strange, back in 1965 we didn't even give it a second thought. Were we all so innocent? I don't remember anyone questioning it. I don't think I even knew about paedophiles back then, that's for sure.

I'm not saying the song was anything more than a snappy, happy movie tune, and Colin, you may be right, but someone must have known it was being sung to a young girl, yet no one as far as I know said anything about it.

[Colin B]

It's strange, back in 1965 we didn't even give it a second thought.
Were we all so innocent?
I don't remember anyone questioning it. I don't think I even knew about paedophiles back then, that's for sure.
I'm not saying the song was anything more than a snappy, happy movie tune, and Colin, you may be right, but someone must have known it was being sung to a young girl, yet no one as far as I know said anything about it.

There was a different attitude to things back then.

Even earlier than 1965, we had Fats Domino singing 'Good Morning Little School Girl' with lyrics even more explicit:

Good Morning Little School Girl - Fats Domino.JPG

[John]

It's strange, back in 1965 we didn't even give it a second thought.
Were we all so innocent?
I don't remember anyone questioning it. I don't think I even knew about paedophiles back then, that's for sure.
I'm not saying the song was anything more than a snappy, happy movie tune, and Colin, you may be right, but someone must have known it was being sung to a young girl, yet no one as far as I know said anything about it.

There was a different attitude to things back then.

Even earlier than 1965, we had Fats Domino singing 'Good Morning Little School Girl' with lyrics even more explicit:

Good Morning Little School Girl - Fats Domino.JPG

Not quite right.

Those lyrics are from Good Morning Little Schoolgirl by Ten Years After. "bore" should be "ball". Muddy Waters did it, but slightly differently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptCvp17tTkQ

Fats Domino sung a couple of schoolgirl songs, but with innocent lyrics. If he did sing the one you're suggested, I've never heard it.

[Colin B]

Fats Domino sung a couple of schoolgirl songs, but with innocent lyrics.
If he did sing the one you're suggested, I've never heard it.

Whether you've heard it or not, he did it on a 1953 single:

Little School Girl - Fats Domino - Single Label.JPG

Yes, I got my lyrics wrong !

They obviously thought Fat's version was a tad risqué back then because, on the later album 'Fats Rock and Rollin'
they changed the song title to 'Are You Going My Way ?'

Hence my confusion with the lyrics.

[John]

Fats Domino sung a couple of schoolgirl songs, but with innocent lyrics.
If he did sing the one you're suggested, I've never heard it.

Whether you've heard it or not, he did it on a 1953 single:
Erm, that doesn't make sense. Actually he didn't sing the song you suggested on a 1953 single. It was an entirely different song.


Little School Girl - Fats Domino - Single Label.JPG

Yes, I got my lyrics wrong !

They obviously thought Fat's version was a tad risqué back then because, on the later album 'Fats Rock and Rollin'
they changed the song title to 'Are You Going My Way ?'
We don't know that for sure.

Actually apparently "they" changed a lot of his song titles. Maybe it was because they were remakes or to fool the buying public into thinking that there were new recordings. I doubt that Little School Girl being changed to Are you Going My Way had anything to do with being risque, particularly in the 50s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_2XWBdJJPU

Hence my confusion with the lyrics.