O Seresteiro de Acapulco

Fun in Acapulco is your standard, run of the mill Elvis flick. Unfortunately, it suffers from bargain basement production, but it is good enough to help you forget your troubles. It is obvious that some of the scenes filmed in "Mexico" were actually done in front of a blue screen. According to Priscilla Presley, the hotel scenes were filmed at a Mexican style hotel in California. Of course with every Elvis film, there is a few big names thrown in for good measure. In this case, the beautiful Ursula Andress, fresh from Dr. No and Alejandro Rey, who would find fame in The Flying Nun and Moscow on the Hudson. The cast is amicable, and most of the songs are passable (with the exception of the stupid 'No Room To Rumba In A Sportscar').

Elvis was still searching for that big role. While a few of the stars went on to meatier roles, Elvis was stuck doing the same thing. You could tell by the time he was finished with movies, he was just burned out. Still, you can see he has the knack for acting, even in a flick like this. I know it sounds like I am putting down this film, but I still find some charm in it. You can't say no to Elvis or Acapulco.

coulda-shoulda(s): Elvis is King of Pop and King of shoulda-wouldas > since so much of his '60s career was based upon movies and move soundtracks, we have a perfect example of what coulda shoulda woulda been: in 1962 Elvis traveled to the Seattle World's Fair to film IT HAPPENED AT THE WORLD'S FAIR. in 1963 Elvis traveled to Mexico to film FUN IN ACAPULCO. not really > he had traveled to Canada before, so the excuse of his Manager not being a citizen and therefore couldn't travel, won't take.

so the movie co. gets down some nice location shots for cheesy rear projections.

having said all that, we have some positives: yes Elvis played once again the loner, fighting inner demons, and outer angels (aka girls, girls, girls). but the storyline is quite enticing: can this young man, playing lifeguard during the day and nightclub swinger at night, manage to overcome his fear of heights and do the big dive off the cliff? good storytelling! very good script (for an Elvis musical). and very importantly, although there are way too many songs, they are all good, some fantastic, like MARGARITA (written by noted ballad writer, Don Roberson), and the unknown Leiber and Stoller BOSSA NOVA BABY. Elvis really sings his heart out and we have the most "production" since the BLUE HAWAII recording sessions.

After her big break role in Dr. No Ursula Andress got to co-star with Elvis Presley in Fun In Acapulco. Not that she or Elvis got to have any fun in Acapulco off the set because Paramount did all their location footage with doubles. On learning that fact I carefully watched all the scenes and if you examine it closely which the average member of the movie-going public did not do you can clearly see that the King is being doubled.

Still Acapulco is certainly shown to best advantage with that second unit cinematography. And Elvis sings some nice songs, none of which really charted for him.

Fun In Acapulco find Elvis working as a charter boat skipper who gets fired and is stranded in the famous Mexican resort town. He has a past which involves him being involved in a family trapeze act and when he failed to catch his brother during the act resulting in the brother's demise it left him with a fear of heights and failure.

Still he can sing and he gets a job at one of the resorts due to an enterprising shoeshine boy played by little Larry Domasin. And he gets two girls falling for him, lady bullfighter Elsa Cardenas and an exiled princess Ursula Andress. That gets Mexican high diving champion Alejandro Rey all bent out of shape. Ursula's dad, a former Grand Duke from some Zenda like duchy is played by Paul Lukas who is now making a living as the head chef at the resort hotel Presley is singing at. Another great example of Colonel Tom Parker getting Elvis the best support possible. I have no doubt that Parker also got former MGM contract director Richard Thorpe who did a number of MGM classics back in the day to direct the film.

Elvis does a bit of acting here and Fun In Acapulco gives the King a bit of an acting job which he carries off as he struggles with his fears.

I'm sure Presley felt gypped along with the rest of the cast in not actually shooting in Acapulco. The second unit shooting though gives Fun In Acapulco a look like the Hawaiian location films that Presley did. And it's a nice story with a capable cast backing up the King.

Released in 1963, "Fun in Acapulco" stars Elvis Presley as a lifeguard/singer at a ritzy Mexican resort who stirs the interest of two women and rivalry of a Mexican diver. Fun in Acapulco is an amusing musical/comedy directed by Richard Thorpe, the same director from 'Jailhouse Rock'.

It plays out exactly as you expect and production values waver from scene to scene. But there's nearly always something cheery about Presley's movies, and this one is no different. If you can accept them for what they are, and ignore what a shame that Presley's early acting promise wasn't fulfilled? Then there's a good time to be had in Acapulco.

The acting is good,a good fun story line and great singing make for a very enjoyable 95 mins. Recommended to all regardless of whether you're an Elvis fan or not. After all, how can you say no to Acapulco And Elvis...

.....You can see Garr in a few scenes, yer basic bikini/dancer gal as she was in all these Elvis flix-Viva Las Vegas, Roustabout, etc. She is listed here as being born in '49 (yeah guys...)-but Leslie Halliwell had is right-1944. Hello!!!!! Do yer homework IMDB.

As for the flick-this is a FUN Elvis meets Mexico meets Ursula movie, typical travelogue, see him dance, rumbha, romance Ursula, etc. All the usual things he did-but here he seemed to be having fun doing it. The movie does have 'Bossa Nova Baby', his last top 10 before the British invasion too.

**1/2