MovieChat Forums > Viva Las Vegas (1964) Discussion > Couple reasons why this 'Elvis film' wor...

Couple reasons why this 'Elvis film' works so well

posted 17 years ago by amolad-1
9 replies | jump to latest

1) It was well directed by George Sidney. He keeps the camera back and
doesn't push in for a lot of close ups. You get to see what's going on
in a scene. He's especially smart in doing this in the dance numbers;
when Elvis and Ann-Margret are really working it (and they both can
move) you get to see the whole thing. You'd be suprised how many directors
today would splice in some unnecessary head shots in the middle of a
dance number.

2) This film is a definitive example of "screen chemistry" between
the two leads. There is nothing a studio can do if it isn't there.
No rewrite or change of directors can manufacture it.
And we all know that chemistry spilled off screen, as well....

[–] wolfbane49 17 years ago

and you know what...? outside of the pretty spectacular productions numbers...what made me sit up and take notice...there are actually 2 numbers that you rarely saw in Elvis movies...one, where he's wandering through the nightclub watching other couples and singing about a song about loneliness, and one with A-M complaining about his baby blue racing car being a rival for his affection! I mean 2 numbers that actually carried the story along instead of being just production numbers!
I can't think of too many other Elvis movies that had something like that...!

[–] amolad-1 17 years ago

Not often in "Elvis films" -- especially as they got formulaic (dumber and
dumber) in the mid to late 60s -- did they give numbers to the female lead
that were substantial in any way. But A-M is so formidable onscreen that
they smartly give her a number like "My Rival."
Maybe it was all the Broadway experience she had.
Maybe it was because she was hot and could sing.
Who cares? It worked.
Usually, the best they would do is give Elvis' counterpart a song like
"Spring Fever" in "Girl Happy." And it's not actually a solo number:
E and his guys are singing it and Shelley Fabares and her girls are
singing it on parallel drives down to Florida.
(Compared to VLV, "Girl Happy" is a "bad" Elvis film, but I just love it.
For some fun info about the soundtrack, see the Trivia section on GH's
imdb page.)

[–] vrabecj 16 years ago

Regarding point #2, in the scene where Elvis is playing the piano on Rusty's father's "houseboat", you can see the love/lust in her eyes when she opens the door, looking at him.

My favorite Elvis movie, hands down.

As an aside, for people that live out west like me and have driven over Hoover Dam lately, look at the bathtub ring around Lake Mead and compare then and now. Looks like about 30 feet or so lower now. 40+ years and sustained droughts...

[–] MedioSiglo 16 years ago

Elvis' performances in this film and in "Blue Hawaii" are my absolute favorites. He's so smooth it doesn't seem like he's acting at all.

Why ain't you at the garden party you heathen?

[–] bradford-1 9 years ago

Wow, 7 years later I join the thread. It helped that George Sidney had directed loads of MGM musicals and knew the correct camera placement and the correct editing. See KISS ME KATE, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, JUPITER'S DARLING and even the non-musical SCARAMOUCHE, which features one the great film sword fights.
May I bone your kipper, Mademoiselle?

[–] joedonato234 8 years ago

..and whoever had the brilliant idea of filming the "Viva Las Vegas" and "My Rival" numbers in one take.

[–] kapnkirk 7 years ago

The sad thing is that this film was fairly successful (I think it made $11M which was a good take back in'64) but it didn't lead to better films for Elvis. You would have thought that the head of Paramount or MGM would have said "Gee, give this guy a decent script, a female co-star who can actually do something and some good songs and look what he can do!" But his films got worse.

This film works perfectly for Elvis because his character doesn't change throughout the film. He comes into town as a race car driver, falls for Ann-Margaret and that's it. He doesn't give up racing for her. It's Ann-Margaret who changes. She doesn't like him at first, falls for him and then breaks up when he won't stop racing. But in the end she accepts that he'll always be a race car driver. She changes not him.

No! That's not true at all, Elvis takes 50% of everything I earn!

Col. Tom Parker

[–] ylopez-23794 8 years ago

I agree Elvis and Ann-Margret made on screen couple/off screen both were perfect for once, they gave Elvis a Co star that can be as good as he was in the movie . Ann-Margret was awesome, she can sing, act and dance!!!!
That's one of the reason's why this is my favorite movie of Elvis :)

"young White Blonde Tall European Green eye Girl born in the US that Loves Movies"

yeah my signature LOL mine

[–] 7 years ago

[deleted]