Ele e as Três Noviças

Elvis Presley made his last acting appearance in this film, playing a doctor opposite nun, Mary Tyler Moore. The story revolves around 3 nuns abandoning their habits, and adopting 'street clothes' to work as nurses in a ghetto practise run by Dr.John Carpenter (Elvis). There are some good scenes where Elvis is allowed to show some acting skills for which he was never really appreciated, mostly due to the woeful scripts he endured during his acting career. On the few occasions that he was given good material, his acting talents shone through. (Most notably in King Creole).

At this point in Elvis' career it is obvious that he was relishing completing his 10 year film contract as he had become completely disillusioned with the film industry and the bad material he had been given for the best part of 6 years.

The good moments in this film only emphasise the disappointment that Elvis' film career did not reach it's full potential, and we can only ponder what might have happened had he accepted roles in films such as Midnight Cowboy or A Star is Born with Barbra Streisand, both of which were offered to him.

Although I am not a fan of the legendary Elvis Presley (in music or on screen), I must say that after seeing his 1969 film, "A Change of Habit," I realized his talent as an actor was very underrated. Of course, he was placed in his share of cheezy B-movie musicals, some so terrible that, to quote the King himself, they made him "physically ill." But this film lets Presley perform in a more relaxed atmosphere, without the restrictions of having to have a guitar at his side every second (though he does sing a bit in this film, but not so much that it ruins the drama). The same year, Presley was offered Jon Voight's role in the Academy Award winning "Midnight Cowboy." This film has led me to believe that Elvis may not have been bad at all in that role. --Bud Sturguess, Texas

A hip, young Dr. John Carpenter (Elvis Presley) comes to a bad neighborhood slum to manage a clinic. He hires three nurses, unknowing that they are nuns in plain clothes. One of the nurses (Mary Tyler Moore), falls in love with the guitar playing doctor and has to make up her mind to stay with him or go back to the church. This is Presley's last scripted movie and probably never looked better. Four songs make up the soundtrack featuring the million seller "Rubberneckin'". Also in the cast are Jane Elliot, Barbara McNair, Robert Emhart and Ed Asner. Great for repeat viewing.

Believe it or not, this flick starts off with a three nun strip-tease (of sorts). Very provocative.

Some decent Elvis songs, a pretty young MTM, a good performance from the supporting cast, and an amusing and well-acted brief appearance by Ed Asner as a liberal police officer, combine to address (albeit superficially) a number of important socio-economic, racial, sexist, and religious issues, to name but a few.

Even though this movie tackles some serious subjects, it does so in a light and entertaining fashion, infused with some enjoyable songs. I didn't expect to enjoy this movie as much as I did.

A sad lament among fans of Elvis Presley is that his handlers (read: Col. Tom Parker) thought so little of him and his talents that they put him in piles of cinematic dung such as "Paradise Hawaiian Style" and turned down movies like "A Star is Born". If you've spent your life watching "Girls Girls Girls" and "Kid Galahad" then seeing a "normal" Elvis sans jumpsuit or guitar or a bevy of bikini-clad babes may jar you.

However, "Change of Habit" is not one of his mindless musicals. It is instead an attempt at a "real" movie, and Elvis fares well. It is odd to see Mary Tyler Moore as his love interest, but it's odd to see her as anything but Laura Petrie to me anyway. A little better script, maybe a different actress as his foil, and "Change of Habit" would have been a better movie. But when you compare it to "Clambake" ....well.....that's not really fair is it?