Croisière surprise

We've seen Elvis as the racecar driver, millionare texan, boxer (kid galahad), convict, hillbilly (kissin' cousins), dumb hilbilly again (follow that dream) Now we see the Tourist Elvis singing his way through England (although it's really Belgium, I'm told.)

Elvis is actually at his best when he is glib and cynical. In those instances his acting is really quite good in a comical way. Sort of like the wisecracking Jim Rockford of Rockford Files. When he tries to get serious, in most of his films, he appears wooden and scripted. This is not a bad Elvis movie, mostly due to the funny antics of the bumbling detectives following him, and Elvis' more relaxed acting style.

The fact that he breaks out in a song at the drop of the hat in some of the corniest situations doesn't matter. After all, it is an ELVIS movie.

One thing that baffles me is the title. Why DOUBLE trouble? Did I miss something? OK I think i get it.. 2 different women causing him trouble?...

Hear Elvis say "bikkies" (a kick for me, as one who grew up with that contraction of "biscuits," in America known as cookies), see Elvis lay his kenpo down on a bad guy who dies as a result, see Elvis drive a VW bug, witness Elvis smash windows, marvel at Elvis in a mustache and glasses mask, and watch him beat up a beautiful woman! Those are some of the highlights, anyway. In truth, this film is among my very least favorite of Elvis films, even judging by the somewhat unique standards of the '60s travelogue Technicolor musicals that became the standard by 1962. The formula had worn thin by 1965 ("Frankie And Johnnie," "Harum Scarum," "Paradise, Hawaiian Style"), to say the least, and -- other than some bright points in "Spinout" and the entirety of "Easy Come, Easy Go" (like "Double Trouble," shot in 1966...for some reason, I like that crazy film) -- nothing got better, in my opinion, until the formula changed radically with 1968's "Stay Away, Joe" and "Live A Little, Love A Little."

The period 1965-1967 was Elvis' nadir, in other words, though the May, 1966 Nashville sessions (that yielded the immaculate "How Great Thou Art" gospel album and a few stellar secular songs, including a definitive take on one of Bob Dylan's songs) and recently-surfaced home recordings from that period show all too well how phenomenal Elvis' talent was at the time, a contrast that would anger and frustrate anyone who cared about his place in American and world culture and history. But we have what we have, and the criminal waste of talent that to a great extent represented Elvis' film career during this time is undeniable but shouldn't necessarily result in us writing off the results out of hand for that reason alone. There are a few moments in this film that are good, and a few when Elvis seems to actually be engaged rather than bored with the whole proceedings and just sleepwalking through it to fulfill contractual obligations.

There're some great actors in supporting roles, too, like Leon Askin (General Burkhalter!), Chips Rafferty, John Williams, Norman Rossington (the only actor to appear in films with the Beatles and Elvis), and Michael Murphy. Annette Day is kind of lackluster in the lead female role. Yvonne Romain is much more like it. And the Wiere Brothers have always irritated the hell out of me in this film -- wish they were not in it, because they really stupid things up.

The songs are not the greatest even compared to other songs from Elvis movies of this time, but I do like the title track, "Long Legged Girl" (a tasty song, actually, written by Joy Byers, who usually contributed great songs even to otherwise not-so-great movies, such as "Let Yourself Go" in "Speedway"), and the jazzy "City By Night." "Could I Fall In Love" is a nice ballad, a duet of Elvis with Elvis, but the entire June, 1966 session for this movie suffered from sonic problems and I believe it's one that Elvis complained vociferously about. I also believe that Elvis walked out on recording "Old McDonald" before he'd produced an acceptable master take, being totally disgusted by the task, and the master was spliced from what the engineers had captured. Not his greatest recorded moment, anyway. And, darn it, it (and the rest of the soundtrack) was recorded on my second birthday.

IMDb mixes up the screen character credits for Chips Rafferty and Norman Rossington but, to be fair, so does the end title sequence in the film. Oops.

I am amazed this movie has at the moment so little stars compared to other Elvis movies.

Contrary to other comments I find Elvis in top form in this movie, very much in shape (I think his wedding was just around the corner) and charming. For an Elvis flick it was refreshing that the setting is in Europe and I find the direction and sets reflecting this quite well. Being European (an Englishman in Holland) I thoroughly enjoyed the old fashioned footage of different countries in that time and the sets.

There are quite a few good songs in the soundtrack and the story, though corny (an Elvis Flick), is entertaining and funny.

Amusing Elvis fare, in which E is stuck protecting a wealthy heiress (Day) from her greedy uncle (Williams) who wants her killed before her 18th birthday so it won't be discovered that he's been stealing from her inheritance. Of course, this same date also explains why Elvis is reluctant to hook up with the petite Brit, and enables the evil uncle to send bumbling Belgian cops on E's trail for kidnapping. Also, groupie Romain turns out to be after more than E's autograph -- she's in the employ of the uncle too! Elvis sings some pretty good songs, some pretty bad songs, and gets involved in some funny situations. He even kills a guy in a fight (well, actually, he does that in a lot of his movies).

Did frozen funds inspire this Anglicization of Presley? hmmmmm......

Guy Lambert (Elvis Presley) is a rock star touring Europe and chasing girls. In London, he brings Jill Conway back to his hotel room but it turns out badly. Jill's uncle Gerald Waverly is trying to keep her and her inheritance under his control. Guy is shocked to learn that she's a love-struck underage girl but she continues to pursue him. They get stuck in a jewel smuggling scheme when two criminals hide their jewels in her luggage. Someone is also trying to kill them.

Elvis always has his natural charms. I actually like his womanizing troubles. They humanizes him. I would change Jill age by advancing it four days. It would be funnier if she considers him her birthday present and less awkward if there isn't the smell of illegality. He can still try to keep her at arm's length due to her clinginess. Otherwise, I really like her character and she has fun with Elvis. I am surprised that Annette Day did not continue to act. This is her one and only notable appearance. The three idiot cops do go too far but I do understand having the Insp. Clouseau wannabes for comedic purposes. The movie struggles to keep going after someone dies. The death should be the climax instead of being in the middle. As for Elvis, he sings, he charms, and he Karate-chops. It's light Elvis fun with murder and mayhem.