1h 52min | Comedy, Musical | 4 April 1963 | Color, WS
Director: George Sidney
Stars: Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Maureen Stapleton, Bobby Rydell, Jesse Pearson, Paul Lynde.
Gower Champion ... directed & choreographed by: New York play production
Tom Panko ... assistant choreographer
Onna White ... choreographer
Alex Romero ... choreographer (uncredited)
After Mad Men ('09) used the opening footage of AM singing the title song, that's what I thought of as the number played.
15 songs in the Soundtracks, all by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, except ballet by Tchaikovsky. Highlights:
- ch1&28. title song by AM on blue background
- ch6. The Telephone Song by ensemble
- ch14. Hymn for a Sunday Evening (aka "The Ed Sullivan Song") by PL
- ch17. Put on a Happy Face by DV & JL
- ch19. Kids by PL
- ch21. A Lot of Livin' To Do by AM & ensemble; big dance number
These are some excellent songs, and/or stagings of songs. I forgot that ...Happy Face and ...Livin'... come from this show.
It's weird to watch this in context, in the middle of Elvis' film career. Where did the gold lamé jumpsuit come from? Did EP wear something like it in concert? Because I don't remember it from any film. Then again, it could have been some other rocker. (Boy, how the meaning of that word is going to change.) This actor has impossible shoes to fill. He doesn't really try to imitate EP. But it's definitely suggested by the hair, the hips, and the Southern accent, plus the music and guitar.
Although I like this subset of songs within the film, the plot is tiresome. JL as a Latina is silly, although she might be prettier as a brunette than as a blonde. She doesn't have or need an accent, but it still seems silly. The subplot with DV as momma's boy is part of the wearying aspect. But the AM/BR romance, especially as teens, is also a little grating. However, it adds energy to the big dance number in ch21, since they're fighting via dance.
I wonder how the equivalent of the Telephone Song would look today; would people sing the Tweets?
Columbia, dir. Sidney; 7+
