Girl Happy

Released April 7th 1965

Euterpe / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer   96 minutes

Produced by Joe Pasternak

Directed by Boris Sagal and Jack Aldworth

Music by George E. Stoll

Written by Harvey Bullock and R. S. Allen

Cast:

Elvis Presley (Rusty Wells), Shelley Fabares (Valerie Frank), Harold Stone (Big Frank), Gary Crosby (Andy), Joby Baker (Wilbur), Jimmy Hawkins (Doc), Nita Talbot (Sunny Daze), Mary Ann Mobley (Deena Shepherd), Fabrizio Mioni (Romano Orlada), Jackie Coogan (Sgt. Benson), John Fiedler (Mr. Penchill), Chris Noel (Betsy), Beverly Adams (Girl #2 - uncredited), Dan Haggerty (Charlie - uncredited), Red West (Extra in the Kit Kat Club - uncredited)

Story:

Florida nightclub singer Rusty Wells and his band are coerced by the owner, Big Frank, into extending their engagement instead of taking their annual holiday in Fort Lauderdale. However, when Frank's daughter Valerie decides to take off to Fort Lauderdale with a bunch of friends, he is worried about their safety and Rusty offers to go there to keep an eye on them, thereby thinking that he is reinstating their 'holiday', but they end up having to chaperone the college girls. These just happen to include a local gangster's daughter and they have a habit of getting themselves into the most difficult situations from which they have to be 'rescued'. Rusty and his pals also have a problem trying to keep a girl-mad Italian exchange student called Romano away from Valerie, playing havoc with Rusty's love life as he has to keep coming up with excuses for being late for dates with a girl named Deena who is not used to being stood up. Valerie, who has fallen in love with Rusty, finds out that he is being paid by her father to 'look after' them, disappears, gets drunk at a local night club and ends up in jail. Big Frank arrives to sack Rusty and get her out, but realises that they love each other and it all ends happily ever after.

Notes:

Working titles: ' The Only Way to Love' and 'Girl Crazy'. Although presented as a 'beach party' film, Elvis never appears without a shirt at anytime, even when water skiing!

Songs:

Spring Fever / I've Got News For You / Girl Happy / Courtesy Of Fort Lauderdale Chamber Of Commerce / Let's Party Tonight / Wolf Call / Do Not Disturb / Cross My Heart Hope To Die / She's Evil / Do The Clam / Puppet On A String / Gotta Find My Baby

Tickle Me

Released May 28th 1965

Allied Artists Pictures Corporation   91 minutes

Produced by Ben Schwalb

Directed by Norman Taurog and Arthur Jacobson

Music by Walter Scharf

Written by Elwood Ullman and Edward Bernds

Cast:

Elvis Presley (Lonnie Beale / Panhandle Kid), Julie Adams (Vera Radford), Jocelyn Lane (Pam Meritt), Jack Mullaney (Stanley Potter), Merry Anders (Estelle Penfield), Bill Williams (Deputy Sturdivant), Edward Faulkner (Brad Bentley), Connie Gilchrist (Hilda), Barbara Werle (Barbara), John Dennis (Adolph), Grady Sutton (Mr. Dabney), Allison Hayes (Mabel), Ines Pedroza (Ophelia - as Inez Pedroza), Lilyan Chauvin (Ronnie), Angela Greene (Donna)

Story:

An unemployed rodeo star, Lonnie Beals, finds work in the unlikely-sounding town of Zuni Wells by singing in a local club, but he gets fired after getting involved in a fight with one of the customers. Vera Radford sees his performance and offers him a job at her ranch, the Circle-Z, looking after horses. It turns out to be a 'health ranch' populated by women trying to lose weight and get in shape. He gets involved with Pam, a dancing instructor, and discovers that she is secretly trying to find treasure that was hidden by her grandfather in Silverado, a ghost town. They end up spending a stormy night in a deserted hotel which seems to be haunted, but is actually a set-up by a gang of men, headed by the local sheriff, trying to get their hands on Pam's treasure. Lonnie helps her escape the clutches of the men, who are eventually defeated and unmasked, and they manage to locate the hiding place of the treasure which turns out to be in the hotel. Lonnie and Pam get married, followed by a big reception at the Circle-Z.

Notes:

Working title: 'Isle of Paradise'. The film's budget did not allow new songs to be commissioned, so the soundtrack was made up from previously released recordings, nine songs in total with some dating back to as early as 1960. Four of the songs were released as singles with the other five on an EP as the official soundtrack. Elvis won a 1966 Golden Laurel Award for best male performance in a musical film - the only acting award he received during his film career.

Songs:

Just Keep Movin' Down The Line / If It Feels So Right / Such An Easy Question / Dirty Feelin' / Put The Blame On Me / I'm Yours / Night Rider / I've Loved You Forever / Slowly But Surely

Harum Scarum

Released November 24th 1965

Four-Leaf Productions / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer   84 minutes

Produced by Sam Katzman

Directed by Gene Nelson

Music by Fred Karger

Written by Gerald Drayson Adams

Story:

Johnny Tyronne, an American film star and goodwill ambassador, is on his way to premiere of his new picture, 'Sands of the Desert', when he is seduced by the lovely Aishah, then drugged and kidnapped by a guild of terrorists and assassins who transport him to the mythical Arabian kingdom of Lunarkanda, hoping to recruit him to help them kill the king. He resists and eventually escapes, luckily not before becoming involved with such oriental necessities as slave-girls, princesses, belly dancers, midgets and one of the irate sword-wielding nobility. One of the slave girls, Shalimar, turns out to be the king's daughter and, after he helps to restore order in the government, Johnny and his royal bride spend their honeymoon in Las Vegas, with a few of her dancing girls.

Notes:

Working title: 'In My Harem', released in Europe as 'Harem Holiday'. The film was shot on the original Cecil B. DeMille set from the film 'The King of Kings' with costumes from the 1944 movie 'Kismet' and its 1955 remake. At the end of filming, Elvis presented the cast and crew with watches that he had designed by Harry Levitch, one of his favorite jewellers. They featured both a cross and a Star of David and was meant to symbolise Elvis' 'universal brotherhood'. The entire film was shot in only 18 days.

Songs:

My Desert Serenade / Go East Young Man / Mirage / Kismet / Shake That Tambourine / Hey Little Girl / Golden Coins / So Close Yet So Far / Harem Holiday