Pazzo per le donne

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 ****

Nightclub singer Elvis Presley (as Rusty Wells) is hired to chaperone sexy Shelley Fabares (as Valerie Frank), with predictable results... While it was not strong enough to have be trumpeted as a significant improvement at the time, "Girl Happy" is a cut above the (then) average Presley movie. Most importantly, director Boris Sagal, along with the writing team of Harvey Bullock and R.S. Allen, effectively make more of a situation comedy with Elvis music, than the more often used, and vacuously plotted, "Elvis travelogue" with tunes. The comedy is well-paced, nicely played, and includes some genuinely funny moments.

Ms. Fabares' innocent sexuality compliments Presley, and they play very well on screen together. Fabares was understandably invited to co-star in additional Presley movies (with mixed results, due to weakening material). Also very good are Elvis frantic band-mates Jimmy Hawkins (as Doc), Gary Crosby (Andy), and Joby Baker (Wilbur). Fabares and Mr. Hawkins had been a cute teenage couple on "The Donna Reed Show". Mr. Crosby was one of Bing's sons (which turned out to be less fortunate than you'd think). And, Mr. Baker was in a regrettably short-lived Dick Van Dyke-type comedy called "Good Morning World".

MGM wisely used RCA's soundtrack studio record takes for "Girl Happy" (for the most part). In the past, there were sometimes completely separate versions for film and record, with the lamer versions making the film. Presley recorded the "Girl Happy" songs in June 1964; in hindsight, these and the just completed "Roustabout" were the last gasp of Presley as a dependable pop soundtrack singer. Critics weren't enthusiastic about his 1960s film songs, but there were scattered gems throughout. Nothing herein approaches "Return to Sender", but there are no real dogs, either.

The speeded-up vocals evident on "Girl Happy" were not uncommon; recording stars and record companies routinely speeded-up recordings. In the 1960s, many radio stations speeded up every record they played; this way, they could play more records, and get in more commercials. Many old TV shows are speeded-up, also… but, back to Presley: His next film, "Tickle Me", featured no newly recorded soundtrack songs. After a long period of inactivity, he recorded "Harum Sacrum", the first wholly substandard soundtrack of his career. That was followed by "Frankie and Johnny". So, dig right in and "Do the Clam".

****** Girl Happy (3/27/65) Boris Sagal ~ Elvis Presley, Shelley Fabares, Jimmy Hawkins, Gary Crosby

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.

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

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".