La Strip-teaseuse effarouchée

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.

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

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 ****

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

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.