Hazme cosquillas

I have to admit this movie holds a special place in my heart as I saw in with the first girl I ever dated and fell in love with back in 1965. But all that aside, some 45 years later, I still enjoy the movie even if I haven't seen the girl in 40 years. Elvis as a singing rodeo cowboy gets sidetracked working at a dude ranch for young women wishing to look better and hooks up with Jocelyn Lane, possibly the best looking woman on the planet in 1965. The music, taken from some older Elvis LPs, fits fine. The songs "Dirty, Dirty Feeling" and "Slowly But Surely" are great songs on their own as is the opening sequence number, "Long Lonely Highway", which was released as a single. "Such An Easy Question", also released as a single in 65, is more of a romantic ballad and is quite good, tho it sounded better when it was released a couple years earlier on the "Pot Luck" album. They added some background orchestration to the movie version that is totally out of place. Julia Adams and "Wild" Bill Williams head up a stellar supporting cast. A good, solid Elvis movie and remember, these movies were not made to compete for Oscars.

Although the Elvis formula films were pretty much the same when they were released, two factors made some significantly more appealing and memorable than others; the actress playing his love interest and the songs that were incorporated into the production.

A third variable, more important 40 years later, is how well each film has held up. Generally the less exotic the setting and the further Elvis is from an ocean, the better they have aged. In this regard "Tickle Me" benefits from its desert ranch and western Ghost Town sets-nothing elaborate and the only water is a rain storm.

And while the song selection in "Tickle Me" is nothing to get excited about, the leading lady is spectacular. Whenever Elvis movies come up in conversation you will find someone asking which one showcased Jocelyn Lane as an exercise instructor, then they get this far away look in their eyes and a dreamy expression on their face.

Lane makes "Tickle Me" the most memorable of the Elvis films for male viewers. I would rank it second, edged out slightly by "Viva Las Vegas" which not only has Ann Margret but a great song selection.

Elvis Presley plays a singing rodeo cowboy waiting for the rodeo season to open and takes a job at a dude ranch/health spa for models and well-to-do women. The adorable Jocelyn Lane plays the cowboy/handyman's love interest. The ranch manager(Julie Adams) also has eyes for the singing distraction. Hidden treasure in a ghost town causes mild suspense and some slapstick comedy. In order to save money for the production company no new songs were recorded for the movie. Some tunes are almost five years old. The better ditties include:"Night Rider", "Dirty, Dirty Feeling", "Slowly But Surely" and "Easy Question". Some of the background sets are super cheap; the plot kind of flimsy; but the magic between Presley and Lane sizzles and smolders. I think that and the music are worth the price of admission. Also in the cast are: Jack Mullaney, Edward Faulkner and Barbara Werle.

While not receiving the same fanfare as some of Elvis' more renowned movies including Viva Las Vegas or Fun in Acapulco, this film is really very underrated and underscores the essence of Elvis flicks. Perhaps because Elvis is not cavorting with a well known star, such as Ann Margaret or Ursula Andress as in the aforementioned vehicles, this picture tends to always get underplayed. Most memorable is the ravishing English star, Ms. Jocelyn Lane, who absolutely lights up the scenery whenever she is around - what a stunner!

In Tickle Me (easily one of the great titles of Elvis' illustrious screen career), the King plays -- brace yourself -- a singing rodeo cowboy with a lucrative second job as a handyman at a beauty spa. Naturally, all of the women at the ranch compete for E's attentions, but he's only got eyes for the stunning Jocelyn Lane. The second half of the film gets supremely silly, as the lovers search for a hidden treasure of gold in a haunted house. The horrifyingly awful gags that accompany the climactic sequence belong in a Scooby Doo episode, but are more accurately akin to the Three Stooges -- since writers Elwood Ullman and Edward Bernds had put in time for the eye-gouging, hair-pulling, face-slapping nitwits. Tickle Me has a weird appeal to me, however, as it allows Elvis the opportunity to show off his talent for comedy (an under-appreciated aspect of his acting for which he shows remarkable aptitude).