Change of Habit

Change of Habit
January 21, 1970
Universal
Comedy, Drama, Romance, Musical
VHS
B-

Welcome to the '70s, sort of.  Obviously, this movie was made at the tail end of the '60s although released at the dawn of the next decade, and movies wouldn't really stop feeling '60sish till I'd say '73.  Nonetheless, the punning title does indicate a shift, not just for Mary Tyler Moore and her two colleagues working as undercover nuns in the ghetto/barrio (more on ethnicity below), but also for Elvis, who, yes, sings four songs but does play a Vietnam vet and a doctor.  The movie is of course laughably dated in how it addresses serious issues, including autism, but there is a good movie buried inside this bad one.  There are too many genres, and too many writers (five), so it probably was not very good even at the time, but it is an interesting period piece.

Yes, the way that sex and race are handled are among the worst aspects.  While there's an attempted rape (of MTM) late in the film, Elvis makes a tasteless rape joke early on.  Another of the nuns, Sister Barbara (the activist one who says "groovy" and exchanges peace-sign fingers with a young priest), wears her dress off the shoulder to get neighborhood men to help her move furniture, and it looks like it's going to turn into a gang rape scene.   More benignly, a 17-year-old girl lusts after Elvis, who turns her down with gentle humor.  And, yes, this is the Elvis/nun romance movie, although that aspect isn't as tasteless as it sounds.  (They never kiss, but they do touch a few times, as when he teaches her to play the guitar.)  The open ending is tasteless, in a funny way, as the camera (offering Sister Michelle's POV) goes back and forth between The King and the King of Kings.

As for issues of race, Latinos and Negroes (I think those are the right period terms for the mainstream, correct me if I'm wrong) are presented both stereotypically and as overlapping groups.  The filmmakers never seem clear what the neighborhood's ethnic mix is, other than somewhat Catholic.  Interestingly, the main villains are white.  (The Hispanic rapist is presented as mentally ill and treated surprisingly sympathetically, although his attack is also taken seriously, if not seriously enough to press charges.)  The white Catholic characters are a mix of good and judgmental.  The most interesting scene that addresses race is marred by unintentionally hilarious dialogue, where two Black radicals ironically tell Sister Irene she "ain't no sister."  One of them says that around there, you're either part of the problem or part of the solution, and the other adds "And we have a feeling you're neither."  She replies, "I'm a Negro, I think that's pretty obvious."

A very late '60s film.  Ed Asner shows up as a reasonable, liberal policeman, but unfortunately he doesn't get any scenes with his soon to be TV costar.  As for Elvis, he was done with acting after this, and he'd be dead before the '70s were over.

Regis Toomey, who plays Father Gibbons, was Sanders in His Girl Friday and was 71 at this point but far from retirement. Timothy Carey, who was South Dakota Slim in a couple AIP Beach Party movies, is the Ajax Market manager.  Robert Emhardt was head of a corporation in Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? and he plays a more sinister "fat cat" here, as the "Banker" exploiting the poor.  Araceli Rey, who plays the elderly protesting Señora Gavilan, was the Italian cleaning lady in The Love God?  Darlene Love sang in that movie as well as this one.  Seventy-four-year-old Ruth McDevitt was Miss Keezy in that movie and plays Lily here.

Some of the kaleiodoscopic experience that this movie is

Live a Little, Love a Little

Live a Little, Love a Little
October 23, 1968
MGM
Comedy, Romance, Musical
VHS
B-

Although directed by Taurog, this is not a typical Elvis movie.  It's based on the book Kiss My Firm But Pliant Lips, which I've read but no longer own.  (And, yes, that would've been a more typical late '60s movie title than LaL, LaL, but it wouldn't sound like an Elvis movie.)  From what I recall, the wackiness of the book is actually toned down for the movie, but you still have Michele Carey, who was Michele in How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, as Bernice/Betty/Susie/Alice Baby, the ex-wife of Dick Sargent, chasing after Elvis-- to the point of making him lose his job and apartment and then renting him a house, and that's just for starters!-- which of course makes Elvis fall in love with her.  (It was the age of the "adorable kooky girl," so I don't think she's meant to be as annoying or felonious as she comes across now.)  Meanwhile, Elvis finds not one but two full-time jobs as a photographer, one at an ad agency, the other at a girlie magazine.  Mrs. Baby has a great dane played by Elvis's dog Brutus, except in the dream sequence where there's a man in a dog costume.  Oh, and Elvis sings "A Little Less Conversation," which became a huge hit about 35 years later, remixed by Junkie XL.

Thirty-five years earlier, International House featured two of the performers in this movie, Sterling Holloway and Rudy Vallee, who in Live a Little play a milkman and one of Elvis's bosses respectively.  And, yes, that's Gidget's most famous dad, Don Porter, as Elvis's other boss, the one at Classic Cat magazine.  Not surprisingly, two of the models, Veronica Ericson and Heidi Winston, were in girlie-magazine-centered The Swinger.  Another model, Brooke Mills, would be Mrs. Gibbons in Freaky Friday.

That's Joan Shawlee, best known as Some Like It Hot's Sweet Sue, as the new tenant in Elvis's apartment.  Larry Billman was a dancer in Beach Ball as well as here.  Thordis Brandt was in Spinout, Hal Riddle in Speedway.  Phyllis Davis, who plays the 2nd secretary, was in Spinout and The Swinger.

This time Elvis's buddy Red West plays a newspaper vendor, while his friend Joe Esposito plays one of the workmen at the newspaper that Elvis gets fired from.  And this time Myrna Ross, formerly one of Von Zipper's Mice, plays a "female companion" (I don't know whose).  Paul Sorensen would do some '70s Disney movies.

The Edge of Reality

Speedway

Speedway
June 12, 1968
MGM
Musical, Comedy
VHS
D+

Not only doesn't this match the fun of Spinout, I actually enjoyed this movie less than Fireball 500 and Thunder Alley.  Yes, part of the problem is there's way too much time spent on the races.  (As always, Sandy Reed is the announcer.  You could probably make a drinking game out of every time he remarks that a driver emerging from a car looks like he's OK.)  But a much bigger problem is the way that two of the characters are treated by Elvis and by the script: the one played by Bixby and the one played by Sinatra (both blonde this time).

Bixby's character is Elvis's best friend and manager, enabling him to steal Elvis's money and lose it gambling.  He also "seduces" girls, including partially tearing the clothes off one, who turns out to be waiting for Elvis to come home.  "No wonder you kept fighting me!"  Bixby is presented comedically (although there are no actual laughs), and he's never punished or even scolded.  Elvis looks at most mildly annoyed.

Meanwhile, Sinatra plays a tax collector, working for Gale Gordon.  The poor woman is just doing her job, but she gets called an "iceberg" and is later bullied by Elvis (in a hotel, not while working) because she won't listen to his excuses.  This leads to him kissing her and then them falling in love.  Ick!

I'm not sure if it's cute or icky that Elvis sings a song to a little girl of about seven (she's got four younger sisters) explaining that he can't marry her because it "isn't her time yet."  (And, yes, in real life Elvis had recently married Priscilla, who was 14 when they fell in love.)  The little girl's father is played by William Schallert, who for once doesn't seem like the smartest guy in the room.

The two songs you should actually listen to-- the reason why this isn't graded lower than Meet Me in St. Louis-- are Nancy's "Your Groovy Self," which is as silly as it sounds, but has that "Boots Are Made" touch, and "He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad," which is actually sillier than it sounds.  It's set in an IRS office and it shows that Taurog must've learned something at AIP, since it would've fit in just fine in Sgt. Deadhead.  (The "uncle" is Uncle Sam.)  Both numbers are easy to spot, so fast-forwarding or scene-selecting should be no problem.  Otherwise, stay away, Joe.

Claude Stroud, who plays a drunk here, was the pianist in All About Eve.  Go-go dancer Sharon Garrett was a yoga girl in Beach Party.  Gari Hardy, who plays "Dumb Blonde," was a harem girl in John Goldfarb.  "Miss Beverly Hills" was in I'll Take Sweden.  Courtney Brown was in Birds Do It.  Charlotte Considine, who plays Lori the crying waitress, was Miss Reynolds in Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding!

Sheryl Ullman was in Spinout.  Elvis's buddy Charlie Hodge, who was a barber in Clambake, is a guitarist here.  Arlene Charles was also in Clambake.  George Cisar, who's "Portly Bald-Headed Man," would be Charlie the Doorman in Skidoo.

Clambake

Clambake
December 4, 1967
United Artists
Musical, Comedy, Romance
VHS
C+

I'd put this on a level with Girl Happy, which was also set in Florida and had Elvis romancing Shelley Fabares.  Here she has very dark hair, which is as odd as Bill Bixby being blond, although he plays his usual playboy.  Both Elvis's and Bill's characters are rich, but Elvis has switched identities with Will Hutchins in order to see if he can get a girl who doesn't care about money.  So he romances Shelley, who's playing a gold-digger.  Well, logic is never a strong point in Elvis movies.  The music, when it's not too silly ("Claaaambake, gonna have a clambake!"), is pretty good, especially Elvis's rendition of the oft covered "You Don't Know Me."  But the movie is most interesting for its cast, including Gary Merrill looking out of place but making the best of things.

Yes, that's Hal "mmmyes" Peary as the doorman, but I think this is the only one of his movies I have.  Christopher Riordan plays "a beach boy," as he did at AIP.  Lee Krieger, who's the bartender, was in Beach Ball.  Suzie Kaye, as Sally, isn't given much to do compared to her role as Deborah Walley's friend in It's a Bikini World.  This time, Elvis's friend Red West plays the Ice Cream Vendor.  Elvis's other friend Joe Esposito has a bit part.  Teri Garr supposedly is in this, but I couldn't spot her.  (I also failed to recognize Corbin Bernsen as one of the kids at the playground.)

Charlie Hodge, who plays Mr. Hayward's barber, would be a guitarist in Speedway.  Arlene Charles, who had a bit role in Spinout and plays Olive here, would also show up in Speedway.  Dal McKennon, who plays the Bearded Gas Station Attendant, would be the Old Soldier in Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?  Angelique Pettyjohn, who plays Gloria, was in The Cool Ones and would be in Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? Robert P. Lieb, Mr. Barasch here, would be Rayfield in The Love God?*  The LG? would also have New-York-born James Gregory (probably best known for his appearances on Barney Miller), who's never quite convincing here as Elvis's Texan daddy.


*If you're noticing an increasing tendency towards titles that are long and/or questions as the '60s go on, you're correct, but I'll talk about that when we get to '68.

Easy Come, Easy Go

Easy Come, Easy Go
June 14, 1967
Paramount
Comedy, Musical
VHS
C

While this isn't like the Elvis movies that I couldn't get through even once (Roustabout springs to mind), it's hard to get excited about a movie that has indifference built right into the title.  That title is played on, with Pat Harrington's club, the Easy Go-Go, but mostly it applies to the way that all the major characters react to a treasure turning out to be relatively worthless.  Also, there are characters who appear in a scene or two and then disappear with no notice, including unfortunately Elsa Lanchester, who does get to sing a song about Yoga with Elvis.  Even with "beatniks" (here on the edge of the Summer of Love), including that dancer guy from The Swinger and The Cool Ones (still wearing his usual dark vest), Schneider, Marilyn Munster (Pat Priest), and Dodie Marshall (sort of playing Elvis's love interest, although romance is minor here), the movie had trouble holding my interest this time.  Oh, and it's got Tom Hatten, who in 1988 shared memories on Family Film Festival of making the film.  (The LA TV host has a very small role, but it's early on and you'll recognize him if you're an X-Generation Southern Californian.)

Besides Vest Dancer Guy, this movie shares a couple things with The Swinger.  Diki Lerner, who plays the crazy car-artist Zoltan here, was Svengali there.  Also, Dodie Marshall lives in an artists' commune where they have "happenings," including using women as paintbrushes.  Robert Isenberg, who plays an artist here, would have a small role in Elvis's Live a Little, Love a Little.

Perfect for a caption contest

Spinout

Spinout
December 14, 1966
Comedy, Musical
MGM
VHS
B-

The Medveds selected this as one of their 50 Worst Movies of All Time, when it's not even the worst Elvis movie.  (But then, they also picked Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!, which isn't even the worst Bob Hope sex comedy.)  It is the most entertaining of my '66 movies, an admittedly dubious achievement.  It has some things in common with Girl Happy, notably a romance with Shelley Fabares, and Elvis leading a music combo that features Jimmy Hawkins.  In that movie, the music cues told us that Elvis's pals were three blind mice, while here they are stooges named Larry, Curly, and...Les?  Les is a tomboy drummer, played by Deborah Walley, so already we can see that the formula's being mixed up a bit.  (Since she's a redhead, it's like she's the grandmother of the Kim character in Scott Pilgrim.)   Les has an unrequited crush on Elvis, and there's a Helen-Gurley-Brownish writer pursuing Elvis, too.  In the end he "marries all of them," to other men.  (I think he means he gives them away, although this may be a very early case of people getting married by Elvis.)  Along the way, there are some songs that range from romantic to silly, Elvis lines that include the word "kosher" and a Don Adams imitation, and Carl Betz, Shelley's TV dad, playing her attractive big-screen dad.  Oh, and some racing, but it isn't as boring as in most movies, because it focuses on the competition between various characters, rather than the racing per se.

Una Merkel, of The Bank Dick and The Road to Zanzibar, has one of her last roles, as Mrs. Radley.  Dave Barry (not that Dave Barry) was much more memorable as Beinstock in Some Like It Hot than he is as Harry here.  Christopher Riordan, who was a latecomer to the AIP Beach Party series, appears in a small role.  Victoria Carroll was the shoeshine girl in How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, and she plays Award Girl here.  (She's probably best known as Mel's girlfriend Marie on Alice.)  Nancy Czar was in Girl Happy and Winter A-Go-Go.  Arlene Charles was also in Winter AGG.  Phyllis Davis and Deanna Lund were models in The Swinger.

Warren Berlinger, who plays fainter Philip, and Diane McBain, who's writer Diana St. Clair, would be in another racing movie, Thunder Alley.  Dodie Marshall, who plays Susan, the girl who takes the drumming spot, would do Elvis's Easy Come, Easy Go, Will Hutchins ("Officer Tracy," the friendly gourmet cop) Clambake, Sheryl Ullman Speedway, and Thordis Brandt Live a Little, Love a Little.  James McHale plays Shorty and would do The Love God? Two of Elvis's real-life friends, Red West, who was in Girl Happy, and Joe Esposito, who'd be in Clambake, play members of Shorty's pit crew.

Girl Happy

Girl Happy
April 14, 1965
MGM
Musical, Comedy
VHS
C+

Almost a decade into his film career, Elvis was cranking these out at a rate of about three per year, although this is the oldest one I own.  (I used to have Kissing Cousins, 1964.)  Some are forgettable, some are moderately entertaining, and some are screamingly hilarious.  This is one of the moderately entertaining ones.  The songs are pretty good, although they do have some of the oddest titles, notably "Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce."  (Confusingly, "Do the Clam" is in this rather than Clambake.)  Despite the movie's title, Elvis romances only two girls, Mary Ann Mobley (looking rather sexy for a Miss America of the time) and Shelley Fabares.  The latter is playing a 21-year-old and was 21 in real life as well but already an acting veteran (The Donna Reed Show in particular).  She would team up with Elvis again.  My favorite "girl," however, is 34-year-old Nita Talbot, who plays the stripper Sunny Daze.  Her professional costume looks like newspapers, but she later wears a dress that she loans to Elvis so he can break out of jail, after breaking in.  (Don't ask.)  I would've given the movie a B- if she were in it more, or if any of the rest of the supporting cast could've come close to her contributions.

Elvis plays a singer in this one and he's got a trio of comic-relief actors who lip-sync to the Jordanaires somewhat convincingly.  Jimmy Hawkins, who's Doc (the naive one), was Tommy Bailey at age 5 in It's a Wonderful Life, and he would be Larry in Spinout.  Joby Baker, Wilbur here, is probably best known as Stinky/Judge in the Gidget movies.  (Gary Crosby, Bing's son, is the third of "the three blind mice.")

Peter Brooks, who plays nerdy Brentwood Von Durgenfeld, was forgettable Clay (with the umbrella) in Gidget Goes to Rome.  Dan "Grizzly Adams" Haggerty was muscleman Biff in Muscle Beach Party and he's Charlie here.  (His next role would be in Easy Rider, which I've never seen.)  Norman Grabowski plays a jock college student here, as he does in the Merlin Jones movies.  Lyn Edgington was in Dear Brigitte.  Jackie Coogan (playing Sgt. Benson here), Jim Dawson, Milton Frome, Kent McCord, and Olan Soule were all recently in John Goldfarb.

Red West was in John Goldfarb and would be in Spinout the next year.  (He was a close friend of Elvis's.)  Gail Gilmore and Chris Noel would do Beach Ball.  Nancy Czar, "Blonde on Beach," would be Gloria "Jonesy" Jones in Winter A-Go-Go, while Beverly Adams, here "Girl #2," would be Jo Ann Wallace in WaGG, but more importantly be sort of the title character in How to Stuff a Wild Bikini.   Tommy Farrell, Louis here, would be a reporter in Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!  Hank Jones would be in The One and Only...Family Band.