Rambling From Hear to There

One of our annual traditions this time of year on The Mystery Train Blog is that I make note of the fact that I haven’t posted in many months.

Indeed, it has been many months since I posted. Outside of a quick tribute to Elvis Presley in August, my last real post here was in April! I did have a seemingly strong start to 2023 as I began (but never finished) a multi-part review series of Sony’s then-new Elvis On Tour set. I also examined two more Elvis movies.

In the Elvis world, 2023 will be remembered with sadness due to the loss of Lisa Marie Presley on January 12. Nearly a year later, I still find it hard to believe. On a brighter note, Lisa’s daughter, Riley Keough, seems to have risen to the occasion as far as taking up the Presley mantle. Her mom would be proud.

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A few tidbits when it comes to Elvis news since I last posted. While reviewing the top-notch Elvis On Tour set back in the first few months of 2023, I kept thinking, “If only Madison Square Garden would get a similar treatment.” I thought it would never happen, since that event had already been revisited as recently as 2012 with Sony’s excellent Prince From Another Planet set. Wow, did I underestimate the Elvis re-release machine. Indeed, the FTD collectors label for Elvis fans released new mixes of the Madison Square Garden concerts not long after I had that very thought.

On the main Sony label, a set containing new mixes of the 1973 Aloha From Hawaii concerts and related material on 3 CDs as well as a Blu-ray version of that event were also released. Sony’s 2023 Aloha From Hawaii release was slightly controversial, though, and rightly so.

FTD only a year before had already released 2 of the 3 CDs of new mixes at a premium price. The remaining CD of the 2022 FTD set used a vintage 2013 Sony mix – meaning that, Blu-ray aside, fans that already bought the 2022 FTD set but wanted all of the new mixes would still have to buy the 2023 Sony set for the 1 CD. Why Elvis’ music catalog continues to be treated in this haphazard manner is beyond me. Incompetence? Contempt? Greed? A little of all of these? Your guess is as good as mine.

While I originally intended not to touch Sony’s 2023 Aloha set until after I had listened to the “new” As Recorded At Madison Square Garden, I couldn’t help but watch the Aloha From Hawaii Blu-ray the night of August 16. I wanted to experience it as a fan rather than as a writer, so I did not take any notes or watch it from a critical or analytical perspective. I just sat back and immersed myself in the shows again. As I’ve mentioned many times on here, my mom was a first-generation Elvis fan who first started listening to him in 1956 when she was 12. For her, 1973’s Aloha From The Hawaii was the absolute pinnacle of Elvis. I miss seeing her watch it.

Elvis Presley conquers the world during the 1973 ELVIS: ALOHA FROM HAWAII VIA SATELLITE television special (NBC)

As for that FTD Madison Square Garden set, I still haven’t even opened it. So, I’m looking forward to listening to it in 2024.

There is also word that Baz Luhrmann, director of 2022’s very successful ELVIS movie, might be assembling a re-edit of “lost” footage from documentaries Elvis: That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis On Tour (1972) – possibly as a streaming series à la Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back (2021). While intriguing, when it comes to any Warner Brothers project involving Elvis, I will believe it when I see it. I am very cautiously optimistic.

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On a more personal note, this month I started wearing hearing aids at the age of 48. I have mild hearing loss in the high frequencies. I am not sure what caused it, though I have theories. Anyway, though “mild,” the hearing loss was affecting my quality of life – particularly when it came to understanding and taking part in conversations. It was impacting my bride and family, too, as they would have to repeat themselves in every conversation sometimes three or four times before I could understand what they were saying, or we would just give up and move on to something else.

While I am still adjusting to them and working with my audiologist to ensure the best settings, hearing aids as a concept have already been life-changing for me. Finally, I can participate in conversations again. As for listening to music, I’m still working through the best approaches on that. In any event, whether processed through my hearing aids or heard naturally with hearing loss, I will no longer be evaluating sound quality if I review audio releases at all.

I still have a couple of posts to go in that review of Elvis On Tour. Will I ever finish them? I am not sure. Maybe. I will surely continue my re-watch of Elvis’ movies, Lord willing. My goal is to cover at least three Elvis movies in 2024. There is also at least one new-to-me book I would like to feature in a future post.

2023 has been a year full of blessings for me – more than I could ever begin to list here. Know that I count those of you who take the time to read my infrequent ramblings here to be among those blessings.

Thank you for reading. May your 2024 be full of joy.

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“I pray that God, the Source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13

Only Memories Remain Through the Ages

Elvis Aaron Presley: January 8, 1935—August 16, 1977

“It’s a long, lonely highway when you’re traveling all alone,
And it’s a trail full of teardrops that keep on being cried,
And you pass through towns too small to even have a name,
But you gotta keep on going on that road to nowhere.”
–Adapted from “Long Lonely Highway” by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman; Elvis Presley song, 1963

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“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 NIV

Elvis Movies: EASY COME, EASY GO

Up next in my rewatch of Elvis Presley movies is Easy Come, Easy Go – his 23rd movie to be released.

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“Excitement! Adventure under the sea! Skin-diving for treasure, adventure and fun!”

Easy Come, Easy Go (Paramount)
Wide Release: March 22, 1967 (United States)
Starring: Elvis Presley, Dodie Marshall, Pat Priest
Screenplay By: Allan Weiss, Anthony Lawrence
Music Score By: Joseph J. Lilley
Produced By: Hal B. Wallis
Directed By: John Rich
Running Time: 95 Minutes

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1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO features multiple underwater scenes (Paramount)

Easy Come, Easy Go premiered only two weeks before Double Trouble, which was actually filmed first.

Elvis stars as Lieutenant Ted Jackson, a US Naval officer who serves aboard the USS Gallant, an Aggressive Class minesweeper. Ted is nearing the end of his military service and during his final Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) mission, he discovers a sunken treasure chest. Wealthy Dina Bishop (Pat Priest) skippers a civilian boat in the area and deploys her boy-toy Gil Carey (Skip Ward) to obtain a photo of the Naval officer, interfering with Ted’s work.

Elvis Presley is Ted Jackson and Dodie Marshall is Jo Symington in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)

Once he leaves the Navy, Ted is determined to raise the treasure chest. He enlists help from Judd Whitman (Pat Harrington) and Jo Symington (Dodie Marshall). Ted was former partners with Judd in a nightclub business, while Jo is a free spirit looking to open an art center with her share of the pending fortune. Both Marshall and Harrington are strong in their roles. Marshall, in particular, brightens the movie whenever she appears.

A 1967 Dodge Dart becomes a work of modern art in EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)

Dina and Gil find out about the treasure, too, and begin trying to thwart Ted’s plans in order to get the treasure for themselves. Gil’s motivation is that if he becomes wealthy through the treasure, Dina might begin treating him as an equal.

Jo and Ted are usually friendly to one another through most of Easy Come, Easy Go, but a romance between the two late in the film seems to happen only out of obligation to the Elvis movie formula rather than as a natural result of the story.

Elvis Presley is Ted Jackson in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)

Easy Come, Easy Go makes a good second movie in a double feature with Spinout, for Marshall appears briefly near the end of the latter (as a different character, for Elvis never made a sequel to one of his narrative films). In fact, Spinout was the Elvis movie released just prior to Easy Come, Easy Go, so her appearance almost acts as a kind of advertisement for the next movie in the Elvis Cinematic Universe.

Easy Come, Easy Go reflects the culture of its time by the mostly sexist ways it portrays women – the worst of which is exemplified by a dreadful musical number, “The Love Machine.” Navy men spin a wheel of fortune where the “prizes” are available ladies, complete with photos, measurements, and phone numbers.

Elvis Presley is Ted Jackson and Dodie Marshall is Jo Symington in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)

The movie includes a number of well-filmed underwater scenes, though they often drag on too long by modern standards – especially considering that the underwater version of “Ted Jackson” is not portrayed by Elvis. Though Elvis often did many of his own stunts in his movies, scuba-diving was not among his skillsets. At one point, Gil even attempts to kill Ted underwater – pretty intense for an Elvis movie.

Elsa Lanchester and Elvis Presley in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)

As for the music, there are no real stand-out numbers – at least not for the right reasons. The legendary Elsa Lanchester (Bride Of Frankenstein) appears briefly as a yoga instructor – just long enough to become one of the few people ever to sing a duet with Elvis. Unfortunately, “Yoga Is As Yoga Does” is a disservice to both stars, and I’ll just leave it at that.

Ted performs “Easy Come, Easy Go” during the opening credits on a small Navy boat – even using a paddle to play air guitar along to an unseen background music source (Elvis movies had long ago given up trying to make such scenes make logical sense).

Ted Jackson (Elvis Presley) tries to part the waters of a crowded party in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)

Faring better in the music department are “Sing You Children,” an inspirational number that Ted uses to “part the waters” of a crowd and “I’ll Take Love,” which serves as the film’s finale.

Easy Come, Easy Go is a good example of an average Elvis movie. It is not very ambitious, but it manages to entertain.

Elvis Presley is Ted Jackson in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)

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Boldly Go

Shari Nims, who played Mary, one of Dina’s friends, in 1967’s Easy Come, Easy Go, appeared as Sayana, a Vaalian, later that same year in the Star Trek episode “The Apple.”

I knew where Nims was in Star Trek, but I sure couldn’t find her in Easy Come, Easy Go. Instead, my friend and Elvis movie superfan Gary Wells over at SoulRide Blog tracked down one of her scenes for me. Thanks, Gary!

Shari Nims is Mary in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)

William Shatner is James T. Kirk, Shari Nims is Sayana, and Leonard Nimoy is Spock in the 1967 STAR TREK episode “The Apple” (Paramount)

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Easy Come, Easy Go Tote Board

• Punches: 11
• Songs: 6
• Kisses: 5

Songs In Easy Come, Easy Go

1. “Easy Come, Easy Go” (1966), written by Sid Wayne & Ben Weisman
2. “The Love Machine” (1966), written by Gerald Nelson, Fred Burch, & Chuck Taylor
3. “Yoga Is As Yoga Does” (1966), performed with Elsa Lanchester, written by Gerald Nelson & Fred Burch
4. “You Gotta Stop” (1966), written by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, and Florence Kay
5. “Sing You Children” (1966), written by Gerald Nelson & Fred Burch
6. “I’ll Take Love” (1966), written by Dolores Fuller & Mark Barkan

The Mystery Train’s Easy Come, Easy Go Scorecard

• Story: 4 (out of 10)
• Acting: 5
• Fun: 7
• Songs: 5
• Overall: 5 (For Elvis Fans Only)

Easy Come, Easy Go Around The Web

• SoulRide Blog – “Easy Come, Easy Go (1967)” by Gary Wells
• Graceland.com – “Starring Elvis Presley Podcast: ‘Easy Come, Easy Go'” featuring Savannah Faircloth and Sheena Barnett
• ScottyMoore.net – “1961(2) Gibson SG Standard (used in Easy Come, Easy Go)” by James V. Roy
• BrianRxm – “Coins In Movies: Easy Come, Easy Go”
• Smug Film – “Jenna Does Elvis #12 – Easy Come, Easy Go (1967) / Double Trouble (1967)” by Jenna Ipcar
• The Sheila Variations – “A very confused (and confusing) party” by Sheila O’Malley
• Graceland.com – “Elvis Presley’s ‘Easy Come, Easy Go’ Turns 50”
• StarTrek.com – “Catching Up with TOS Guest Star Shari Nims”
• Elvis Information Network – “Elaine Beckett Interview” by Piers Beagley
• Internet Movie Cars Database – “Easy Come, Easy Go, Movie, 1967”

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“Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!”
Exodus 14:21-22 NLT

Thomas Sails Away With Elvis Trivialities #18

No stranger to The Mystery Train’s Night Riders, Thomas correctly answered Elvis Trivialities #18 after nearly 24 hours. I was planning to end the challenge and declare the train stumped only 41 minutes later, so he answered in the nick of time.

And the answer is…

Even Elvis movie superfan Gary Wells missed this one!

The above image slice is from the Elvis movie Easy Come, Easy Go.

Another mystery solved!

The 1967 movie happens to be the next post in my random rewatch of Elvis Movies (coming soon). Pictured next to Elvis Presley (Ted Jackson) is Pat Harrington (Judd Whitman), who is perhaps best known for his 1975-1984 role of Schneider on the TV series One Day At A Time.

As for eight-time winner Thomas, he receives a yacht full of bragging rights. Congratulations to Captain Thomas!

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The Mystery Train’s Night Riders – Trivia Winners Hall Of Fame

• April 2, 2023: Thomas (23:19)
• October 30, 2020: Tmydee (0:15)*
• October 7, 2020: Sammy (3:18)
• June 14, 2013: Alec (0:18) | Honorable Mention: Wellsy (3:01)
• February 22, 2013: Thomas (13:36)
• January 11, 2013: George Millar (4:19)
• December 23, 2012: Thomas (0:36)
• October 9, 2012: David (14:38) | Honorable Mention: John (22:06)
• February 4, 2012: Thomas (13:52)
• February 3, 2012: Thomas (2:18)
• December 21, 2011: Wellsy (2:37)
• October 31, 2011: Thomas (17:32)
• October 1, 2011: Jimmy Cool (1:01)
• September 9, 2011: Steve Brogdon (0:17)
• August 6, 2011: Thomas (2:26)
• July 9, 2011: Thomas (5:26)
• June 23, 2011: Fred Wolfe (0:18)
• June 22, 2011: Ty stumps the train (no winner)

*Record time

Can You Be First To Solve Elvis Trivialities #18?

This is no April Fools. No product of a careless imagination. No, my friends. This is a new edition of Elvis Trivialities, here on The Mystery Train Blog.

Your question is:

From which Elvis movie is the following image slice?

You have found a clue!

The first person to answer correctly in the comments below will earn more bragging rights than you can imagine. Only one answer per person, please, so choose wisely.

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“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”
Proverb 13:20

As Recorded At Greensboro Coliseum: ELVIS ON TOUR – First (or Second) Reactions

I really struggled during my first run-through of CD 3 of Elvis On Tour, as I initially found it disappointing. I decided to give it another try about a week later, so this consolidated review actually represents impressions from both my first and second listens of the show.

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I’ve been enjoying the new Elvis On Tour boxed set, so I’m continuing my informal, off-the-cuff reviews. This time, I’ll be listening to CD 3, which captures Elvis Presley’s concert on Friday, April 14, 1972, at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina. Though this show is previously unreleased, it does have 3 songs that appear in the actual movie.

Elvis Presley performing at the Greensboro Coliseum on Friday, April 14, 1972 (MGM)

Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey)

See See Rider: Though nothing really distinguishes it, this is a fine 1972 version of “See See Rider.”

Proud Mary: This is a rockin’ version but, much like “See See Rider,” nothing really distinguishes this one from other fine performances of this tune in 1972.

Never Been To Spain: This is an okay version of this song on Elvis’ part, with nothing standing out. “We’ll get the ending right one day,” he notes after completing it.

I must admit, I’m disappointed in this concert so far. I’d been looking forward to it. Hopefully things will pick up. I’m also hoping for a surprise or two in terms of the setlist (I have not read the accompanying booklet yet, which includes the track listing).

You Gave Me A Mountain: I’ve mentioned in previous reviews that this is a poor spot in the setlist to downshift to slow songs. “Polk Salad Annie” right here would be so much better. I love slow songs, but this should be a little later in the show. This is not an especially good version of “You Gave Me A Mountain,” either.

Until It’s Time For You To Go

Polk Salad Annie: The Greensboro crowd reacts loudly as “Polk Salad Annie” begins. I love the wild Jerry Scheff bass guitar solos on the 1972 versions of the song, and this one is no exception.

Love Me: The crowd is definitely enthusiastic in Greensboro. Way to go, North Carolina!

All Shook Up: Elvis offers up a surprisingly spirited version. At least he doesn’t seem bored like he often does on this song.

Teddy Bear/Don’t Be Cruel: I usually don’t enjoy the “oldies” section of the show in 1972, but Elvis again seems enthusiastic on this medley.

Hound Dog: Well, that all just went out the window. Elvis really should have retired “Hound Dog” after 1970. This is a rather poor version.

Heartbreak Hotel: I normally like 1972 versions of “Heartbreak Hotel.” This one is good, though he gets distracted.

A Big Hunk O’ Love: Here we go! “A Big Hunk O’ Love” really takes off! Elvis says, “It’s your big chance, man” during Glen Hardin’s piano solo. I love how this song has two instrumental breaks, one for Glen and the other for James Burton on lead guitar. This should have happened more often. I love this song! So awesome!

Bridge Over Troubled Water: This version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” appeared in the Elvis On Tour movie. I know some fans consider it Elvis’ best version ever, but I can’t grasp how they can think that when 1970 exists. In any event, it’s fun to hear a 1972 version of this song. As a teen, I remember being surprised to see this in Elvis On Tour when I watched it for the first time. I associated the song with 1970, for it was such a climactic moment in Elvis: That’s The Way It Is, and I didn’t realize he continued performing it after that year.

Suspicious Minds: All right, let’s do it right, Elvis! The start is fairly strong, for 1972. Overall, a decent version. It’s probably the best version of the three I’ve heard so far on this set – which isn’t necessarily a huge compliment. Why did Elvis allow his most recent #1 hit to become almost a throwaway?

As the band begins “Comin’ Home Baby” for the introductions portion of the show, Elvis says, “My first movie, ladies and gentlemen, was Love Me Tender. I’d like to sing that for you,” and the band quickly shifts into “Love Me Tender” instead.

Love Me Tender: A short but fine version. Includes the ad-lib, “You have made my suit turn blue, and I love you so.”

Elvis Presley performing at the Greensboro Coliseum on Friday, April 14, 1972 (MGM)

Comin’ Home Baby/Introductions By Elvis

For The Good Times: I really enjoyed the multiple attempts of “For The Good Times” on the Hollywood Studio CDs of this set. While I prefer studio versions of this song, this live version is still good. Possibly my favorite live version of this song.

An American Trilogy: Dixie/Battle Hymn Of The Republic/All My Trials – This appeared in the Elvis On Tour movie. It’s a great version. I like the Hampton Roads version better, but I can see why they went with this one for the movie – it’s visually better than Hampton. This makes me want to watch the movie again. It’s been a few years.

Burning Love: Oh, cool! Elvis debuts his soon to be hit song, recorded only a couple of weeks earlier. You’ve gotta crank the sound up on this one. Go Elvis! Who cares if some of the words are wrong? It’s the feel of the song. That’s always been the case when listening to Elvis. This Greensboro version of “Burning Love” is possibly my second favorite live version, after San Antonio.

Release Me: This one appeared in the excellent Elvis: The Lost Performances VHS video in 1992. It’s a good version of “Release Me,” but certainly anticlimactic after “Burning Love.”

Funny How Time Slips Away: This is a good 1972 version of “Funny How Time Slips Away.” It will probably be my go-to version for that year. This performance appears in Elvis On Tour. I love finally hearing these songs in context of the full shows. When multiple police officers pull a fan away after trying to reach Elvis on the stage, he says “Let her have that, let her have that, man,” to one of them, handing the officer a scarf to give to the overzealous fan. How cool.

Generally, this song indicates the show is almost over (because time is slipping away). I am hoping he squeezes in at least one more song before the “Can’t Help Falling In Love” finale, though. “Let me drink a little Gatorade, and I’ll sing another song for you,” he says. Maybe!

Can’t Help Falling In Love: Well, darn. The show is just about over. 1972 versions of “Can’t Help Falling In Love” are way too fast, but he does sound good here.

I really wish the show was a bit longer. Most Elvis concerts are around 60 minutes. This one clocks in at 62 minutes. For some reason, it feels shorter than that. The overall Greensboro experience feels unsatisfying compared to Hampton and San Antonio.

Well, 51 years later, I guess I shouldn’t complain since at least I get to hear this show at all. The first listen was definitely disappointing, but I enjoyed it more the second time through, including multiple highlights noted above.

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“May the mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful.”
Psalm 72:3

Elvis Movies: BLUE HAWAII

After an eight month break, I am continuing my rewatch of Elvis Presley movies. Next up in the random sequence is Blue Hawaii – his eighth movie. Except for the Elvis: That’s The Way It Is documentary, I’ve probably seen this one more than any of the others.

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“Ecstatic romance … Exotic dances … Exciting music in the world’s lushest paradise of song!”

Blue Hawaii (Paramount)
Wide Release: November 22, 1961 (United States)
Starring: Elvis Presley, Joan Blackman, Angela Lansbury
Screenplay By: Hal Kanter
Story By: Allan Weiss
Music Score By: Joseph J. Lilley
Produced By: Hal B. Wallis
Directed By: Norman Taurog
Running Time: 101 Minutes

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Just before filming began on Blue Hawaii, Elvis performed a benefit concert for the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. It would prove to be his last live performance until the June 1968 shows captured for the ELVIS television special (NBC) and his August 1969 concert series at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.

Elvis Presley is Chad Gates in 1961’s BLUE HAWAII (Paramount)

In Blue Hawaii, Elvis stars as Chadwick Gates – and I can’t even get started on this post without noting that if there was ever a less Elvis character name than “Chadwick” in one of his movies, I sure don’t know what it is. Anyway, after a 2-year stint in the U.S. Army, where he served in Europe, Chad returns to Kahalo, Hawaii, where he has lived for the last 15 years with his parents. His father is an executive at the Great Southern Hawaiian Fruit Company, and Chad’s entire future has been neatly laid out for him there – mostly by his mother.

Chadwick’s mother has entire life plotted out for him in 1961’s BLUE HAWAII (Paramount)

Chad is having none of it, though. Instead, he hides out for a week at a beach shack until his father gets word through Chad’s girlfriend, Maile Duval, that he needs to come home before his mother finds out. The return home does not go well, particularly for the audience.

This is where we are introduced to one of the most annoying characters in any Elvis movie ever: Chad’s mother, Mrs. Sarah Lee Gates – portrayed by Angela Lansbury, who was only nine years older than Elvis.

Angela Lansbury is Mrs. Sarah Lee Gates and Elvis Presley is Chad Gates in 1961’s BLUE HAWAII (Paramount)

Mrs. Gates is from Georgia, and, as much as the Hawaiian portrayals in this film unfortunately are often stereotypes, so, too, is Blue Hawaii‘s portrayal of a Southerner. Mrs. Gates, of course, has to speak in an over-the-top Southern accent, call her husband “Daddy,” and bring up the Civil War, including a required reference to General “Stonewall” Jackson of the Confederacy. She also notes embarrassment around the fact that a war hero relative was a “Yankee” (i.e., he fought for the North/Union, rather than the South/Confederacy).

Mrs. Gates is alcoholic, racist, classist, and just all around insufferable.

All that said, Roland Winters, who plays Mr. Fred Gates, Chad’s father, does an excellent job playing off of Lansbury’s outlandishness. Winters gets two of the funniest lines of the movie – in two separate scenes. In the first, Mr. Gates has just commented to his wife that Maile is pretty.

Mrs. Gates: “Daddy, aren’t you forgetting yourself?”
Mr. Gates: “I’m trying, Mother. I’m trying.”

Later, Chad storms out of the house after an argument with his parents.

Mrs. Gates: “Oh, Daddy, what did we do wrong?”
Mr. Gates: “Offhand, I’d say, we got married.”

Maile is portrayed by Joan Blackman. The character’s father is French and mother is Hawaiian. Blackman and Elvis often seem wooden together in Blue Hawaii, though they would have much better chemistry in the following year’s Kid Galahad.

Joan Blackman is Maile Duval in 1961’s BLUE HAWAII (Paramount)

Shunning the fruit company, Chad instead decides to become a tourist guide and is soon hired by Floyd the Barber (Howard McNear), who owns the tourism company where Maile works. Okay, it’s not really Floyd the Barber, but Mr. Chapman does appear otherwise to be the exact same character that the beloved McNear played on the Andy Griffith Show from 1961 to 1967.

Howard McNear is Mr. Chapman and Elvis Presley is Chad Gates in 1961’s BLUE HAWAII (Paramount)

Chad’s first assignment? Escorting an attractive schoolteacher and four teenage girls around Hawaii, naturally. Jealousy and hilarity ensues. Well, jealousy anyway.

Jennie Maxwell’s portrayal of angry teenager Ellie Corbett soon livens up the movie, including this zinger she launches at Chad: “I believe you’re being paid to show us a good time. When does it start?”

Jennie Maxwell is Ellie Corbett and Elvis Presley is Chad Gates in 1961’s BLUE HAWAII (Paramount)

Considering that Blue Hawaii is his eighth movie overall and his fourth since returning from the Army in real life, Elvis’ acting is disappointingly poor several times – particularly when he does this high-pitched yelling thing that he tends to revert to in his movies when he seems uncomfortable in a scene (e.g., “I’ll getcha!” in one of the scenes of this movie).

I suspect director Norman Taurog was simply not focused on getting the best acting performance out of Elvis, and Hal Kanter’s flimsy script doesn’t help matters, either. Elvis had natural talent as a singer and musician, but he should have taken acting classes to hone his craft if he was serious about making films. 1957’s King Creole had already proven what Elvis could do under the guidance of an inspiring director (Michael Curtiz).

While Elvis may stumble on the acting side at times in Blue Hawaii, he brings his A-game on the music side. There are a number of stone-cold classic songs here, especially “Can’t Help Falling In Love” – which he sings in a beautiful version to Maile’s grandmother on her 78th birthday.

Years later, Elvis would reminisce about another musical highlight, saying, “We did a movie called Blue Hawaii, and in the movie, there was a song called the ‘Hawaiian Wedding Song,’ and it was so real, it took me two years before I realized, it was just a movie.”

Hawaii is the real star of 1961’s BLUE HAWAII (Paramount)

Blue Hawaii has some highlights, including the idyllic locations, great music, and a sense of escapism, but overall, it feels like a missed opportunity. Its subsequent success at the box office, however, would help lock Elvis into mostly similar movies going forward.

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Boldly Go

Frank Atienza, who played Ito O’Hara in Blue Hawaii, later played a Kohn villager in “The Omega Glory” (1968) episode of Star Trek.

Frank Atienza is Ito O’Hara and Elvis Presley is Chad Gates in 1961’s BLUE HAWAII (Paramount)

Frank Atienza (far right) is a Kohn villager in the 1968 STAR TREK episode “The Omega Glory” (Paramount)

Ron Veto, who has an uncredited role as a Hawaiian in Blue Hawaii, later appeared in numerous Star Trek episodes as a member of the crew of the USS Enterprise as well as other uncredited roles on the show.

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Blue Hawaii Tote Board

• Punches: 21+
• Songs: 15
• Kisses: 13

Songs In Blue Hawaii

1. “Blue Hawaii” (1961), written by Leo Robin & Ralph Rainger
2. “Almost Always True” (1961), written by Fred Wise & Ben Weisman
3. “Aloha Oe” (1961), written by Queen Liliuokalani
4. “Hawaiian Beach Chant (Slap Happy/Shave And A Hair Cut)” (1961) [performed twice], performed by the Surfers, written by unknown
5. “No More” (1961), written by Don Robertson & Hal Blair, based on “La Paloma” by Sebastián Iradier
6. “Can’t Help Falling In Love” (1961), written by George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, & Luigi Creatore, based on the classical composition “Plaisir d’Amour” by Giovanni Martini
7. “Rock-A-Hula Baby” (1961), written by Fred Wise, Ben Weisman, & Florence Kay
8. “Moonlight Swim” (1961), written by Sylvia Dee & Ben Weisman
9. “Ku-U-I-Po” (1961), written by George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, & Luigi Creatore
10. “Ito Eats” (1961), written by Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
11. “Slicin’ Sand” (1961), written by Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
12. “Hawaiian Sunset” (1961), written by Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
13. “Beach Boy Blues” (1961), written by Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
14. “Island Of Love” (1961), written by Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
15. “Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)” (1961), written by Charles E. King, Al Hoffman, & Dick Manning

The Mystery Train’s Blue Hawaii Scorecard

• Story: 2 (out of 10)
• Acting: 3
• Fun: 7
• Songs: 8
• Overall: 5 (For Elvis Fans Only)

Blue Hawaii Around The Web

• @CineFile – “The Elvis Files: Blue Hawaii (1961)” by Joanna Arcieri
• Trailers From Hell – “Blue Hawaii 4K” by Glenn Erickson
• Deena’s Days – “Blue Hawaii 1961: Elvis’ 8th Movie” by Deena Dietrich
• Elvis Today Blog – “Blue Hawaii on New Year’s Eve” by Thomas Melin
• Graceland.com – “Starring Elvis Presley Podcast: ‘Blue Hawaii'” featuring Libby Perry and Sheena Barnett
• Graceland.com – “Elvis Presley’s ‘Blue Hawaii'”
• Beat Of Hawaii – “60 Years Ago Elvis’ Blue Hawaii + Jets Transformed Hawaii Travel”
• Rob On Location – “Blue Hawaii”
• Atlas Obscura – “The Not-So-Chill History of Hawai‘i’s Breeziest Shirt” by Sabrina Imbler
• Hawaii University International Conferences – “‘Pop’ Goes Hawaii: The 20th Century Origins of Tourism in Hawai’i & the Impact of U.S. Pop Culture on Women in the Islands of Aloha” by Megan Monahan, Ph.D
• Moody Blue Elvis Blog – “Blue Hawaii (1961)” by Ashley Renay
• ElvisBlog – “50th Anniversary Movie Pictorials: Blue Hawaii, 1961” by Phil Arnold
• Internet Movie Cars Database – “Blue Hawaii, Movie, 1961”
• Internet Movie Planes Database – “Blue Hawaii”
• Elvis In Hawaii – “Blue Hawaii”

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“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT