A riverboat singer with a weakness for gambling wants to find his lucky redhead, but his girlfriend Frankie is not amused.A riverboat singer with a weakness for gambling wants to find his lucky redhead, but his girlfriend Frankie is not amused.A riverboat singer with a weakness for gambling wants to find his lucky redhead, but his girlfriend Frankie is not amused.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 nomination total
- Bum Sleeping on Bench
- (uncredited)
- Casino Girl
- (uncredited)
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
- Earl Barton Dancer
- (uncredited)
- Gypsy
- (uncredited)
- Gypsy
- (uncredited)
- Joe Wilbur
- (uncredited)
- Dancer
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Pleasant enough. It's shot in BRIGHT color, the cast is attractive and Presley sings a few good songs. The comedy is OK (seeing Harry Morgan so young is fun) and it's perfect family viewing. Not Presleys best but not his worst.
The large amount of Broadway musical-type tunes simply doesn't fit Elvis' style very well. Only the title tune is really interesting and works very well. At the end, there is a gem called "Please, Don't Stop Loving Me." It comes at about 80 minutes of the film's 87 minute run and I'm not sure that anybody except Elvis fans will last that long.
Apparently Donna Douglas and Elvis had deep philosophical conversations on Paramahansa Yogananda and the Christian religion during the breaks while shooting this movie. This shows as there is very little chemistry between them. Second lead, Nancy Kovack provides whatever sexual chemistry the film does have. One suspects that if Douglas and Kovack had changed roles, the film would have worked much better.
This doesn't fit into the category of Elvis' good movies, but it also doesn't fit into the category of his bad movies. Lets just say that it is an okay movie that only Elvis fans will find pleasurable.
This was a light yet very satisfying Elvis feature film that has stood the test of time for over fifty (50) years and I would definitely want it included in his franchise collection if one is ever released.
Great song and dance numbers and a decent plot as well. A classic Elvis Presley franchise film with great songs, dance, action and plenty of attractive women that I would be more than happy to gamble on.
A pleaseing 7 out of 10 IMDB rating
Did you know
- TriviaEileen Wilson's voice was dubbed for Donna Douglas' singing scenes. It is her voice on the soundtrack as well.
- GoofsWhen Blackie puts the live round in the stage gun, it's a Colt single action. After Frankie shoots Johnny, the pistol is now a Colt double-action revolver that wasn't even introduced until years after the movie was supposed to be set.
- Quotes
Princess Zolita: The leaves are ready to speak.
Cully: No lemon?
Gypsy: The tea leaves have spoken.
Princess Zolita: If you do not mind, I work alone!
Cully: What do they spell, Mother?
Princess Zolita: How lucky you are, the wheel of fortune has stopped at your number.
Johnny: A wheel? That's roulette.
Princess Zolita: And I see a dice table, too.
Cully: No blackjack? This boy plays all games.
Princess Zolita: And a new woman is coming into your life. A beautiful, young redhead.
Johnny: It can't be a redhead, Princess. My girl's a blonde. Take another look.
Princess Zolita: Now I see a blonde. Oh, but she has been bad luck for you. The tea leaves say... you will have good luck with the redhead.
Cully: I know better, I married one. Take the advice of a 20-year loser, no redheads.
Princess Zolita: He must not defy the tea leaves.
Cully: How are you going to explain her to Frankie?
Johnny: Why explain? We'll just use her to make a bundle.
Cully: You're going to pass off a beautiful redhead as a good-luck piece? Good luck.
Gypsy: If, uh, if I may be so crude.
Johnny: Oh, sure.
[Johnny hands a $10 bill to the princess]
Gypsy: If you please. The princess never soils her royal hands with money. $10? When the tea leaves promise a beautiful redhead, it is $20.
Cully: A lot of money for a cup of tea. That's a gypsy for you. Takes all your dough so you can't take her advice.
Princess Zolita: Minor problems like that I cannot solve.
Cully: Maybe you can get another advance from Braden.
Johnny: Not a chance. I'm already in for five weeks' salary.
Cully: That you lost right back into his pocket. Braden's got a nice little thing going there.
- Alternate versionsThe 1982 variant of the United Artists logo appeared in the 1980s VHS prints while post-1996 VHS prints contain the 1994 variant.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Elvis in the Movies (1990)
- How long is Frankie and Johnny?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $4,500,000 (estimated)
- Runtime
- 1h 27m(87 min)