Elvis Presley: The Movies - Appreciation Thread

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Bink, Aug 22, 2021.

  1. Bink

    Bink Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Almost Always True (another singing in a car song).

     
  2. I’ve mentioned this elsewhere but it’s quite jarring hearing this song on the album as the female voice is completely mixed out (so just big vocal gaps in the song), as well as a quite long Yakety Sax instrumental introduction. This occurs in other Elvis movie songs too, but this is the one that sticks out most to my ears.
     
  3. Manapua

    Manapua Forum Resident

    Location:
    Honolulu
    This sequence is a hoot for us locals due to the changing scenery as they tool along, going from Waikiki, along Diamond Head road then jumping over to Makapuu, Sandy Beach and then what looks like somewhere along the North Shore before they've miraculously doubled back to Hanauma Bay. Like it was almost true!
     
  4. JamieC

    JamieC Senior Member

    Location:
    Detroit Mi USA
    Second Unit Director: One coast road looks like another...
     
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  5. Bink

    Bink Forum Resident Thread Starter

    The amount of clouds in the sky was equally changeable!!
     
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  6. Jayson Wall

    Jayson Wall Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    The "formula" works very well in Blue Hawaii and Elvis' performance is very charming--sure, it's not a great film but he's still engaged in the acting process, even being a silly musical-comedy, and it shows---Follow That Dream, which was shot next has the same type of feeling when it comes to his performance (which is better overall) and Kid Galahad isn't bad either from an acting standpoint. For me, the wheels start to come off on his next Hal Wallis Hawaiian adventure from Christmas of 1962......Anyhow, In the past 12 to 14 years, I've seen Blue Hawaii in the theater a few times (once at the Paramount lot), and on the big screen, it plays amazingly well with an audience. Even my wife, who is not a fan of Elvis, enjoys this film!
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2021
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  7. Bink

    Bink Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Can't Help Falling In Love

     
  8. That scene comes across beautifully on the screen.
     
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  9. I’m jealous!!! How/when did you see it on the Paramount lot? I used to have friends that worked there years ago and would get to visit them on the lot every now and then until security really clamped down post 9/11.
     
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  10. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    I am right with Jayson on all of his fine analysis above. Looking back now, I'm surprised that I like all of Elvis's first ten movies quite a bit. I thought Elvis's movie career was sort of hit and miss for me, but I really like his first ten motion pictures, but things start to get a lot more inconsistent with Girls! Girls! Girls! in late 1962. Here is my quick rating system for Elvis's first ten movies. I am just going to use a simple A thru F ranking system as I guess its the former teacher in me, Lol. It would be interesting to see everybody else's ratings for Elvis's first ten films as well. While I am basing most of my opinion on the movie quality itself, some soundtracks are so strong, like Loving You, Jailhouse Rock, King Creole or G.I. Blues, that they help boost the movie itself in my ratings just a tad.

    Love Me Tender (1956) B
    Loving You (1956) A-
    Jailhouse Rock (1957) A
    King Creole (1958) A
    G.I. Blues (1960) B+
    Flaming Star (1960) B
    Wild In The Country (1961) B-
    Blue Hawaii (1961) B
    Follow That Dream (1962) A
    Kid Galahad (1962) B+
     
  11. Manapua

    Manapua Forum Resident

    Location:
    Honolulu
    I've read where Elvis' musical development was influenced by his time in Europe, like this song which was based on a French melody Plaisir D'Amour. He also reportedly had his new love Priscilla in mind as his inspiration. Whatever the case may be, it's a lovely performance, certainly one of his most heartfelt.
     
  12. artfromtex

    artfromtex Honky Tonkin' Metal-Head

    Location:
    Fort Worth, TX
    I read that the producers of the film felt that "Can't Help Falling In Love" sounded too old and didn't have any hit potential and never even presented the song to Elvis. As fate would have it, Elvis was walking through their office and someone was playing a demo of the song and Elvis immediately inquired as to what song he was hearing. He fell in love with it and got it put into the movie.

    "Can’t Help Falling in Love" … Elvis Presley’s Classic Ballad
     
  13. Great idea! I’ll withhold my grade on the last two in your list as I need to rewatch them first but here’s mine. Like you, I’m basing this on the movies as a whole, not specifically Elvis’ performance:

    Love Me Tender (1956) C
    Loving You (1956) A
    Jailhouse Rock (1957) A
    King Creole (1958) A
    G.I. Blues (1960) B
    Flaming Star (1960) B-
    Wild In The Country (1961) B-
    Blue Hawaii (1961) B-
     
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  14. Bink

    Bink Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Follow That Dream

    Year of release: 1962
    Director: Gordon Douglas
    Studio: United Artists

    Plot:
    Elvis plays Toby Kwimpler, a not particularly bright young man, who wants to make a life for himself and his family in Florida. He gets more than he bargained for when he is hounded by a government official, a social worker and a criminal gang.

    Songs:
    What a Wonderful Life (opening credits)
    I'm Not The Marrying Kind
    Sound Advice
    Follow That Dream
    Angel

    Trailer:

     
  15. Yawndave

    Yawndave Forum Resident

    Location:
    Santa Clara CA
    Follow That Dream is partly responsible for the launch of another great musician's career: Tom Petty. His dad worked on the film and young Tom crossed paths with Elvis on the set. Experiencing the aura that surrounded The King was all it took for Petty to make up his mind about what he wanted to be when he grew up.
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2021
  16. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    Follow That Dream is an absolute delight of a film and also includes perhaps Elvis's most unheralded, but outstanding acting performance. His take on portraying lead character Toby as a much underestimated hillbilly with some serious gravitas underneath the surface is fascinating to watch as it emerges on screen right before your eyes. My lady is not half the Elvis fan that I am, yet she loved this performance from Elvis and requested to watch the movie a second time just a couple of months ago.

    This terrific movie also features one of Bruce Springsteen's favorite Elvis songs, Follow That Dream, which is one of Elvis's very finest title songs from a motion picture. I like all five songs from the soundtrack, but I'm Not The Marrying Kind and Sound Advice are both melodic and clever songs that fit well into the plot of the movie. Several of these songs got stuck in my head as a youngster when I first saw this movie, so that says something in and of itself.

    In conclusion, the thing that surprised me the most was how "Elvis" the superstar almost totally disappears from the screen and "Toby" the underestimated and loyal son of a hillbilly emerges. I actually did not think Elvis was capable of such a subtle and brilliant acting performance. This movie alone, upon seeing it last year and again this year after so many years, really changed my previous view of Elvis as a fairly limited actor.
     
  17. You sir have inspired me to re-watch this film! Hopefully today or tomorrow and will them post my thoughts.

    @SKATTERBRANE it would be great getting your input in this thread, assuming you’d be interested.
     
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  18. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    I second that motion as @SKATTERBRANE is the one who first reminded me of the brilliant, but subtle nature of Elvis's comedic timing in this film.
     
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  19. Bink

    Bink Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Follow That Dream is another Elvis movie that I had not seen until today.

    When I first started watching it I was curious to see where they were going with it. They are travelling along this road and are forced to set up home on this sandy piece of land......this is quite different to Blue Hawaii!!! But as the movie continues Elvis' acting abilities and comedy timing really reveal themselves.

    Of the songs, I read that Elvis really hated Sound Advice and this is why it is not on the soundtrack.

    It was nice to see Elvis showing off his natural hair colour.

    I think I spotted a couple of actors that were in Blue Hawaii. Am I right in thinking that the bank worker who faints and the judge were both in Blue Hawaii?
     
  20. sixtiesstereo

    sixtiesstereo Senior Member

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    "Angel" from the film is a terrific recording, and should have been a single.
    RCA finally released take 2 in stereo, and it sounded terrific. And very close
    to the released master...
     
  21. croquetlawns

    croquetlawns Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    A fantastic song and vocal. This and the title track are the highlights for me.
     
  22. IIRC the movie Follow That Dream benefited from being the first movie soundtrack sessions to be engineered by Bill Porter. Bill would return to the soundtrack sessions once more, for the Kissin’ Cousins backing tracks.
     
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  23. croquetlawns

    croquetlawns Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    Was this film a commercial success? I realise it won't compete with Blue Hawaii, but compared to his other 60s films up to this one?
     
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  24. RSteven

    RSteven Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookings, Oregon
    Here is a nice graph from an article that highlights what Elvis films actually grossed in equivalent U.S. dollars today (2017) vs. what he was actually paid in fees. Interesting to note that Elvis's fees actually rose over time, despite the fact that his overall gross receipts actually went down over time. It looks like Follow That Dream was about in the middle of the pact for the 1960's, earning the equivalent of 80 million U.S. dollars for 2017. The article also notes that Elvis's films earned over 2.2 Billion in today's dollars (2017), which is pretty damn impressive, if you ask me. Oh, in that is for U.S. box office only.


    [​IMG]
     
  25. croquetlawns

    croquetlawns Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    It's sad to see King Creole's box office so low. I'm also surprised to see that his fee rose for Tickle Me, as that was supposedly done on the cheap as a favour to save the film company! A very interesting graph - thanks for sharing :targettiphat:
     
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