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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".

Enjoyable light-hearted fun. A good movie by mid-sixties Elvis standards. Elvis' favorite leading lady was Shelly Fabres and it's easy to see the chemistry they had together. Most of the songs are very good, unlike many of Elvis' movie soundtracks of the time. Most memorable to me is the wonderful "Wolf Call". And this time the story seems to hold together, as Elvis plays an actual professional singer, rather than a his typical race car driver or daredevil who also sings. His group, which appears regularly in Ft. Lauderdale during spring break, has been asked, after some convincing from Elvis, by his gangster-like employer at their Chicago club gig to keep an eye on his daughter while down there. Lots of funny scenes which keep things rolling along. Anyone looking to laugh and relax s little for 90 minutes should check it out.

To me GIRL HAPPY was one of the best Elvis films ever, great acting, great music, great fun to watch. This is a film that no Elvis fan should miss. Go to your local video shop and rent this film if you haven't already seen it, its good stuff.

9/10

Elvis Presley formula movie at its best. Some catchy music, nice scenery and girls galore. Rusty Wells (Elvis) leaves the blowing snow of Chicago for the beaches at Fort Lauderdale during spring break. Rusty and his band are to guard a mobster's(Harold J. Stone) daughter(Shelley Fabares) without her knowledge. Boy sings; girls swoon. Best songs are "Cross My Heart And Hope To Die", "Puppet On A String" and "Got To Find My Baby". Cast seems like a party list featuring Mary Ann Mobley, Gary Crosby, Joby Baker, Jimmy Hawkins, Chris Noel and Nita Talbot. One of the most liked Elvis flicks. Soundtrack sold tons.

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 ****