Year: 1968
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Country: US
Language: English
Starting with 1965’s Girl Happy and ending with Speedway in 1968, Elvis’s movies were all song-filled, light musical comedies. It was a three year long stretch of about 10 pictures that gradually diminished Elvis Aaron Presley's reputation among film critics, cinema-goers and Hollywood studio execs. Everyone knew it was time for a change, but could Stay Away, Joe be that change?
Half-breed rodeo champ (Elvis Presley) returns to the reservation to help his people prove they can be responsible.
Clearly departing from the tattered Elvis we've come to know, this picture contains only four throwaway Elvis vocals, including the title tune. Refreshingly, all songs fit the story and don't hinder its pacing. As the prodigal son of an American Indian family, Elvis stepped out of his standard role as a singing car racer/pilot/scuba diver/cowboy/gambler/speed boat driver.
Though Elvis stepped outside his character comfort zone, he did so in a way that was rather controversial. Produced at a time when Native American activists were fighting for rights and respect for their people, the movie offered an unfortunate stereotype of Indians. Due to much of the film being physical comedy, the Natives were portrayed as incompetent at out of touch. Elvis' childish portrayal of native Americans would have had some place in John Wayne 1940's Westerns, but not so much in the society of the late 60's.
Elvis does try hard to make a more serious picture with some light comedy mixed in and we should give him credit for going outside his comfort zone, but unfortunately this new venture comes at the expense of America's indigenous groups and thus did a bit more harm than good for the industry.
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