Year: 1965
Director: Boris Sagal
Country: US
Language: English
In his first seven movies, starting with Love Me Tender in 1956 and ending with Wild in the Country in 1961, 20th Century Fox and Paramount produced light musical dramas to boost Elvis' acting ability. Blue Hawaii opened a second phase of Presley pictures in 1961, when Hal Wallis and other producers decided to showcase Elvis' comedic timing with comedy musicals set in exotic locations. Girl Happy, however, was the first of a dozen straight Elvis pot-boilers, low-budget, formulaic productions designed to create $$$.
A Chicago mobster hires a rock and roll singer (Elvis Presley) and his band to keep an eye on his daughter during Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The film takes a while to take its stride, the over-acting on behalf of Elvis, Gary Crosby, Joby Baker, and Jimmy Hawkins comes off as too strong and thus can make the picture feel a bit cringy in the first 20 minutes. At about the midway point, however, Girl Happy suddenly morphs into pretty entertaining stuff. We see Elvis as an aggressive, scheming, sexually-charged young rock musician, who does whatever it takes to get his woman.
Elvis’s songs in Girl Happy present a mixed bag. The title tune is a catchy one, although it sounds a bit odd due to its original recording having been speeded up. The ballads are nice, but they're out of place considering the King was still able to produce some fine rhythm and blues. Elvis still has a fantastic voice however, and even though the soundtrack didn't make that much money, it would still have been a treat to see his musical numbers.
Girl Happy represents a decline in Elvis' filmography. It can be exciting at times, especially after the first 30 minutes, but overall it is underwhelming. Mega-fans of the King might find some enjoyment out of this, but its not for casual viewers.
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