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Elvis Presley was a hugely influential performer with one of the most distinctive singing voices of anybody. He embarked on a film career consisting of 33 films from 1956 to 1969, films that did well at the box-office but mostly panned critically (especially his later films) and while he was a highly charismatic performer he was never considered a great actor.

For a mid-60s onwards Elvis film, 'Girl Happy' is pretty good and while not one of his best films, like 'King Creole', 'Flaming Star', 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Viva Las Vegas' and 'Loving You', it is a long way from one of his worst (much worse followed).

The story is thin and formulaic, with parts not always making sense, and the dialogue is corn and silliness-heavy and enough to make one cringe. The extras' acting is indeed awfully wooden and just looks amateurish.

However, the settings are suitably exotic and the film is beautifully photographed. On the most part, the songs are good. Could have done without "Wolf Call" and "Do the Clam", the latter of which also being pretty embarrassingly choreographed, but the title song, "Puppet on a String", "Do Not Disturb" and "The Meanest Girl in Town".

'Girl Happy' is fun and good-natured, knowing exactly what it wanted to be, who to aim it at and never tries to do anything more. It's all competently directed and breezily paced, while Elvis is clearly enjoying himself and is well supported by charming and fiery Shelley Fabarres, menacing Harold J. Stone and perky Mary Ann Morbley. The chemistry between Elvis and Fabarres is great.

All in all, good bouncy fun. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Girl Happy is typical of the mid-sixties beach movies,and to some extent,it is similar to another earlier film,"Where the Boys Are".Both take place in Fort Lauderdale,Florida during college spring-break.The plot is simple,and the songs are plentiful.Besides looking and sounding great,Elvis displays his natural talent for comedy,which most actors will admit is more difficult than straight drama.The film is pure fun and moves pretty quickly.Harold J. Stone is excellent as the tough,gangster-like father of co-star Shelley Fabares,who is her usual adorably cute love interest.Plenty of slapstick comedy with Elvis assisted by Gary Crosby(Bing's son),Joby Baker,and Jimmy Hawkins.If you are looking for a fun-filled musical 90 minutes without profanity,violence,substance abuse, or nudity/sexuality,then Girl Happy will make you happy.What's taking the studio so long to release this title on DVD?

Producer Joe Pasternak gave us "Where The Boys Are" in 1960, about Fort Lauderdale during Spring Break, from a female point of view. That movie starred pop singer Connie Francis, but she only sang two songs (the theme & "Turn On The Sunshine" during the film). Five years later, Pasternak gives us "Girl Happy" from a male perspective. What "Where The Boys Are" lacked in musical numbers, "Girl Happy" makes up for with several fluffy, enjoyable tunes. Elvis & pals are "watching over" his Chicago bosses daughter (Shelley Fabares) while she's in Florida. Of course, he eventually falls for her, & things go hay wire when she finds out he was hired to look after her. Mary Ann Mobley is thrown in to complicate matters & add some semi-comic moments. The clothes, colors, faux motel (so obviously NOT filmed on location & SCREAMS: Hollywood backlot!!!) are visually attractive & festive. Nita Talbot is also thrown in for sleazy fun, much like Barbara Nichols was in "Where The Boys Are". Elvis looks fit (although he's the only male actor who never wears shorts, or a swimsuit) with that perfect black hair & piercing blue eyes.

Ft. Lauderdale frolic has Elvis Presley cast as a Chicago rock 'n roller who, along with his outfit-matching band members, takes an assignment to secretly chaperone the boss's daughter as she vacations with her girlfriends down in Florida. Plush MGM musical with a dandy production design, lots of fun slapstick and girl-watching. The plot, such as it is, doesn't make a whole lot of sense (especially with Elvis having his cover blown by Shelley Fabares' tyrannical father, who then gets mad at Presley when his daughter decides to go wild). The songs range from very good ("Puppet on a String", "The Meanest Girl In Town") to awful ("I've Got to Find My Baby", "Wolf Call"), but there's a groovin' beach bash with excitable dancing and a funny prison breakout sequence in which E.P. gets stuck in a cell with 20 females (and escapes in drag!). Mary Ann Mobley has an insulting role (and her make-up is too dark, causing her to look overcooked by the sun), but Fabares is breezy and there's a nice supporting turn by Nita Talbot as a streetwise stripper. Not bad Presley-fest, though the screenplay could've used some sharpening, and the extras are often hilariously wooden. **1/2 from ****

Perhaps it's the beach pleasant atmosphere, perhaps it's lovely leading lady Shelley Fabares, perhaps it's an overall decent story and competent supporting actors but Elvis seems to be enjoying himself in "Girl Happy" and chances are you will too.

Elvis plays a lead singer of a hot rockn' roll band who manipulates himself and his band into chaperoning a gangster's daughter while she's partying in Fort Lauderdale - so they can escape the freezing cold in Chicago. And soon he falls for her and she for him.

It's a simple, lightweight story as usual with Presley's later films but the songs are good ("Puppet on a String" especially beautiful), it's got lovely scenery (although heavily set in studio, as most Presley films) and competent performances from all involved. Shelley Fabares is a knockout beauty but she's also a good performer and looks quite dashing on stage with the King performing "Meanest Girl in Town".