We’ve watched plenty of classic Hollywood films but I realized that we’ve never watched a single film starring Elvis Presley. That’s probably because although his films were commercially successful, none of them are considered especially noteworthy from an artistic perspective. This one doesn’t particularly stand out either but it does star Ann-Margret who was pretty good in Bye Bye Birdie so it seemed as good a choice as any.
Lucky Jackson is a race car who aspires to win the Las Vegas Grand Prix but first he needs to buy a new engine for his car. Appropriately enough he wins the money at the casino but together with veteran Italian race car driver Elmo Mancini is distracted by the appearance of the beautiful Rusty Martin. The two try to track her down, thinking that she is a Las Vegas showgirl and eventually finds her working as a swimming pool instructor. While trying to woo her, Lucky loses all of his cash in an accident and ends up working as a waiter in the hotel to repay his debts. Meanwhile he tries to frustrate Mancini’s courtship of Rusty even as his trusty mechanic friend Shorty tries to get him back on track.
It’s clear from the onset that this film has next to no plot and the producers decided to put in scenes based on them looking good with zero consideration for logic or story needs. So Lucky and Mancini’s search through the many, many shows mounted in the city serves to very quickly cycle through troupe after troupe of dancing girls. When Rusty and Lucky finally go on a date, the supposedly impoverished Lucky is somehow able to afford such glamorous activities as a private helicopter ride and water-skiing. Only the flimsiest of excuses is required to start up yet another song and dance number, such as Rusty being also a part-time dance instructor. For a while I thought the production looked kind of low budget given the cheap and fake looking sets, but then the long awaited race arrived and I guess this is where they blew their entire budget. The event is thrilling but ridiculously lethal. It’s also silly how no one much cares how drivers seem to be dying left and right during the race.
The film does at least feature Presley’s songs, many of which aren’t his best known ones and so are a little more interesting to listen to. The dance routines are okay. Margret is clearly a good dancer but she dances with such frenetic energy that it’s actually alarming. Unfortunately due to the insipid writing, there’s no emotional connection anywhere so it all feels very superficial. Then again, this being a film set in Las Vegas and glories in its fun atmosphere, that might actually be appropriate. Apparently Margret had a real romance going on with Presley while this was being filmed so the on screen chemistry is real and they look good together.
Overall this is a very mediocre film, so simple in its construction that you’re left wondering if that’s all there is to it. The film was very successful when it was released so I suppose it makes for a good example of what was popular at the time. However it is definitely not something worth digging back up to watch and I have no interest in watching any more of Presley’s films after this.