User reviews

Elvis made quite a number of movies. Most of them of the cookie-cutter, formula variety designed to showcase his wonderful voice, a fact that should surprise absolutely NO ONE. Lets face it guys, Elvis achieved his fame by way of his singing, not his acting. His selection of movie vehicles (especially later in his career) is ample proof of this.

Having said this however, The King was not without some native ability as an actor, both dramatic and comedic.

As proof of this I give you his two best movies: King Creole, in which he gave a very credible dramatic performance (and right along side the likes of Carolyn Jones, Walter Mathau and Dean Jagger no less); and this movie - Follow That Dream.

Follow that Dream is a wonderful piece that has several things going for it: To begin with, it was a straight comedy, his first and best. Very different from his earlier films where he played characters (like Danny Fischer in Creole) that were somber and even dark).In contrast, his portrayal of Toby Kwimper was innocent and fun. The chemistry between Toby and his father (Arthur O'Connell) was terrific. Second, the theme of the movie is a crowd pleaser. Its story line is pure "David and Goliath" with the State playing the role of the pushy and overbearing villain. And finally, there are the songs. What can I say folks the musical score is the King at his best. The score includes a perfectly lovely ballad - "Angel" together with two positively jubilant toe-tappers "What a Wonderful Life" and the title song "Follow that Dream".

One last comment: This movie lifts my spirit, and makes me happy. Now I know those are two perfectly ridiculous reasons to like a movie but, fact is, there are far too few movies that do that for me now-a-days and this movie is one of them. It may not be academy award material (I gave it 7 out of 10) but if you need something to put a smile on your kisser, this one is worth your while.

This is one of Elvis's best films in my opinion. And one where he extended his range a bit. Usually he plays he troubled youths, or confident smart people who are trying to prove themselves. Here's he's an innocent in the world and it's a tribute to his acting skills that he was acquiring that he didn't descend into being Gomer Pyle.

Of course the film is greatly helped by the title tune which in my opinion is one of his best movie songs. Follow That Dream rightly belonged among Elvis's golden hits.

With an innocence here that rivals even Stan Laurel or Harry Langdon, Elvis manages to defeat some pretty sharp characters. The film itself has a charming innocence about it that makes it thorough going fun.

This is actually a very good Elvis movie. The plot concerns a bunch of hillbillies, the Kwimpers - a dad, his son, and three orphans, who take over some beach property under the Homestead act after they run out of gas there. Elvis portrays a dummy of sorts - he plays it very naturally and he's quite funny! It's not so much that he's dumb, but he's so guileless, literal, and helpful, he seems that way. With these attributes, he continually gets the best of the bad guys, including a mobster, Simon Oakland, Joanna Moore, from child welfare, and assorted others. The conceit makes for some hilarious scenes. In one, the mobster, after Elvis beats up his thugs, decides to blow up Elvis' family home. They prepare a bomb and put it in a box. When Elvis sees it, he thinks the mobsters have forgotten their package and dutifully returns it. BAM.

One poster mentioned that Elvis doesn't try to look as if he's singing. Apparently, he was notorious for not bothering much with lipsynching, though I'm not sure why. For my money, the only really good song in this film is the title one. And lipsynching or not, Presley looks great.

I guess we can spend time lamenting the fact that Elvis didn't make better films or get the acting opportunities he deserved, or we can enjoy what we have. And Follow That Dream is better than most.

For sheer entertainment and enjoyment, "Follow That Dream" was a great movie. It was one of Elvis' best. To watch it was to restore your vision of all that is good and right in the world. It was truly a great story of the victory of good over evil. I saw it when I was a young man and at age 64 I still enjoy watching it. This is one young people and older should view. We all would be better people by doing so.

Elvis usually made movies that were utterly shallow puffs of fluff. This one is completely different. For one thing, unlike his usual efforts here his part is anything but a one-dimensional stereotype and in his portrayal he proves he really could act. In fact, it is a shame he never did more of this kind of thing, because if you take this seriously you find that his character actually comes across as intriguingly ambiguous. Here he plays an utterly guileless, humble, unassuming "down-home" or "good-ole-boy" type (entirely different from his usual flashier persona) which really does look like some kind of combination not only of Jethro Bodine but also of Andy Taylor -- someone who is simultaneously naive and wise, as well as utterly cool, even-tempered and unflappable. In fact, the whole production can't help but remind you of the Beverly Hillbillies and the Andy Griffith Show, but with the intriguing sense that there is more going on than meets the eye. Moreover, the writing compares favorably with either of those shows, with quite a few clever lines of dialog and situational incongruities. As a lawyer I was similarly impressed with the treatment of the judge in the film, who proved pompous and yet also clear-headed and conscientious, a combination of contradictions such as you really can encounter in real life on occasion, and I'm inclined to think the writers had a better sense of characters than one expects in a B-movie of the era. Anyway, there isn't much on TV these days that is any better, so you would not waste your time to check this out in preference to yet another episode of *The King of Queens.* In fact, I actually agree with what another reviewer or message board poster said about this -- while watching it, it actually occurred to me that I would rather watch this than another screening of *Star Wars*.

Follow That Dream is one of my favorite Elvis movies.He proves he could have been good at light comedy.This is a fun,good natured role for Elvis.There is comedy,romance and Elvis music.If you like this combination,you will like this movie.

Highly entertaining comedy of the "Egg and I" type set in the everglades, Florida. Elvis and O'Connell are son and pa, with orphans in tow including a baby, a set of adolescent twins, and a very grown up Anne Helm. They decide to homstead a piece of highway fill land, bringing on the wrath of "social welfare" officials, the cancellation of their coveted benefits, and a group of mobsters attracted to the state of lawlessness in the "territorial land" (led by the competent Simon Oakland). Elvis becomes the sherrif and accidentally scares the hardened mobsters away, in a bit that must have appealed particularly to the Southern drive-in audience this film was clearly aimed at. Lots of laughs for a packing audience at the Parkway Theater, Oakland California 2002.

After years of only knowing about this Elvis Presley flick, I finally watched this with Mom right now. She thought it was weird with the setting staying in mostly one place and perhaps the behavior of a certain female social worker when giving Elvis the "word association" test. Also, there's less of Elvis singing and when he does, it definately looks and sounds like he's miming to his recordings. Still, Presley actually plays a character here as opposed to partially being himself as he acts both naive and perhaps a little smart and brave when his part calls for it. What else to say, well, the supporting cast is well chosen of which one of whom is Howard McNear who has appeared in quite a few of these Elvis pics. And director Gordon Douglas does quite well with the gags which isn't surprising since he started his career at Hal Roach Studios helming several Our Gang shorts and at least one Laurel & Hardy feature. So that's a recommendation for Follow That Dream.

This movie is in my top ten of all time. It is a pure romp! Even though you have the "bad guys" from the government to add some drama, and the fact that Elvis character "Toby" and his family are all government freeloaders, this is essentially just a feel good movie.

You can read the plot from the other reviews, but it is essentially about homesteaders coming to Florida with a composite "family" and trying to make their way.

This is Elvis at his best--as he was meant to be in movies--singing and romancing his way through, with a back woods innocence that Max Baer would later use as Jethro Bodine on "The Beverly Hillbillies".

Enjoy this film. It is a delight!

Elvis Presley plays the part of Toby Kwimper, whose rag tag family is forced to homestead along the beautiful Florida coast. The patriarch of the brood, played by Arthur O'Connell is hilarious. Anne Helm plays Toby's adopted sister; her love is more than sisterly. Simon Oakland is a mobster that tries to run the family out of their new home place. Joanna Moore tries to get Toby's attention by busting up the happy squatters. Funny situations and five lively tunes help make this one of the most watched Elvis vehicles. The songs "Follow That Dream" and "Angel" are superb. Elvis is very comfortable and natural doing comedy. Every member of the family, young and old, will fall in love with this film.

In Florida, girl-shy singer Elvis Presley (as Toby Kwimper) and his family are out driving on a road "closed to the public" when they run out of gas. The undereducated group, including heavily "on the dole" father Arthur O'Connell (as "Pop" Kwimper) and four orphans, decide to homestead on the sunny beach where their car conks out. Despite warnings from the highway supervisor, Mr. Presley and the gang build a home. Knowing all except the "nines", Presley recites multiplication tables to keep his sex drive in check. But, Presley still notices pretty 19-year-old Anne Helm (as Holly Jones), who both agree is "well built." The other three kids are pre-teens. As their beach community grows, Presley is elected "Sheriff" and must battle gambling gangsters...

This is a very typical and feather-weight film for Presley, who was comfortably sandwiched between John Wayne and Jerry Lewis in the "Quigley Publications" list of money-making stars for 1962. No chances were taken with the lucrative Elvis formula. Here, the main strength is in the colorful widescreen location. The title song is a highlight, but "Follow That Dream" is presented in dreadful manner; mouthed by Presley after the camera established it is from a radio, it accompanies an attempted seduction by Joanna Moore. The song, and others are much stronger on disc. Originally released on a 4-track RCA Victor "EP" record, the soundtrack eventually sold a million, with "Follow That Dream" becoming a major hit single on airplay strength alone.

*** Follow That Dream (4/11/62) Gordon Douglas ~ Elvis Presley, Arthur O'Connell, Anne Helm, Joanna Moore

Most of his movies I've seen seem to be an excuse to have him sing songs. However, this one has a plot and good acting. It's a lighthearted story that is a joy to watch each time I see it. The comedy is great. Elvis' portrayal of Toby is SUBERB!! Even knowing the jokes that are coming I can't help but laugh because they are done so well. I prefer this movie over any other he made.

A family of simple rural folk move to Florida and decide to squat on public lands, creating legal complications for everyone. Based on the novel Pioneer Go Home, this movie has the benefit of a real plot with unexpected comic turns for once, unlike so many of Elvis' more predictable later vehicles. The songs vary from tuneful to forgettable, but Elvis himself had not slipped into jaded boredom yet and his acting is sharp and his character charming and likable. Arthur O'Connell plays 'Pa' and carries off the picture with hillbilly gentlemanliness and grace. For viewers bored with Elvis antics in later junk like Clambake (shudder) who want to see what he could do when he wanted to, this picture is recommended. It holds up surprisingly well to repeated viewings (I have seen it four times) and does not fail to charm.

Wooh. Naive is not a strong enough word. Several times they question the intelligence of The Kwimper family. Enough that it leaves you squirming in your seat. Ugh that left a bad taste in my mouth.

Typical Elvis songs and shirt half off showing off his chest.

I don't know if it was actor choice or direction but every shot that showed Elvis seated his legs were splayed wide eagle. I know he left ladies aflutter, but this was really noticeable.

Cute enough..but with questionable moments that wouldn't fly in this day and age.

This was Elvis beginning to come into his own as good actor. This was one of his funniest movies. His character, Toby is a mentally limited young man with a heart of gold. I like the way that even the Kwimper's own mistakes cannot defeat them. This movie had a strong plot and once again a strong supporting cast, with the late Arthur O'Connell (Kissin Cousins), Anne Helm and the late Howard McNear. If Elvis had made more movies like this, his movie career would have been much better acclaimed.

Elvis Presley was a hugely influential performer with one of the most distinctive singing voices of anybody. He embarked on a film career consisting of 33 films from 1956 to 1969, films that did well at the box-office but mostly panned critically (especially his later films) and while he was a highly charismatic performer he was never considered a great actor.

While not one of the top three Elvis films, those being 'King Creole', 'Flaming Star' and 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Follow That Dream' is one of his better overall films. It's proof that his early films were actually pretty good, but unfortunately it was one of his last good ones when the formula started here wore increasingly thin and further suffered from looking less appealing and even the quality of the soundtracks and Elvis' acting wavering significantly.

'Follow That Dream' is not perfect. The dialogue is idiotic at times, then again the script was not a strength in a vast majority of Elvis' films, even in some of his better ones. The songs are terrific (especially the hauntingly beautiful title song), but there were too few of them in the film and Gordon Douglas judging from the indifferent at best way they were staged didn't seem to know what to do with them. Despite Elvis singing it beautifully, the title song is cheapened somewhat by the sloppy lip-synching, which showed the one time in the film Elvis was not comfortable or enthusiastic.

However, 'Follow That Dream' benefits from colourful locations and beautiful photography. While one wishes there were more, the songs are terrific, while there are several very funny and movingly romantic moments. The story is formulaic, but still very easy to like and energetic.

Douglas generally does an assured job directing, faltering only in the musical numbers, while the cast are a high point. Elvis' gently good-natured and laid-back performance is one of his better ones, and he is very well supported by a coolly graceful Arthur O'Connell, charming Joanna Moore and adorable Ann Helm. The chemistry is similarly great.

In summary, good Elvis film and one of the last ones properly worth watching. 7/10 Bethany Cox

A non-typical "Elvis Movie" with charming story line, terrific acting by The King, great supporting cast with Arthur O'Connell, Joanna Moore (Tatum O'Neil's mom), Simon Oakland and Roland Winters (who Elvis movie fans will remember as Elvis' father in "Blue Hawaii"). Elvis fans will love his performance, particularly as the family's lawyer in the courtroom scene near the end of the film. Very touching performance.

A very underrated Elvis film. Elvis is a natural in this story of homesteading in Florida - some of the lines are real beauties. Great locations too! This is not your regular Elvis film - he get's good support from the rest of the cast.

The only thing i can fault it with, is that it's a bit slow and talky at the start but apart from that, if you stick with it, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Conclusion - If you didn't like Elvis before, when this movie is over you can't help but love him afterward.

Rated this 7/10.

I think that this movie was good, but not great. I like many, many movies that fall into that category. Elvis movies are like that. They're not the best movies in the universe as far as plot and all goes, but they're somehow...comforting. Maybe because we enjoyed them as kids, I don't know. I like this one, I like the innocence of the characters. The little kids in it are funny. Elvis sings some more corny but lovable songs. There are no characters that are over the top, but somehow they seem to resemble people we all know in our own life! I love the bad guys...they're not so scary! Kinda goofy and mild. All around, it's fun to watch. I like to put them on in the kitchen while I'm cooking and sing along!

Although I had long been aware of this particular film from seeing a poster of it in one of my father's film books as a child, it was only when I heard it being described as a "black comedy" here that I truly became intrigued...

This often very funny satire (adapted to the screen by Charles Lederer – who worked most often with director Howard Hawks!) was surprisingly and somewhat uneasily turned into a star vehicle for Elvis Presley. He's a simple-minded country-boy (not that he was ever the kind of guy to truly convey intelligence) who, along with dad Arthur O'Connell and a slew of adopted siblings, gets caught in the middle of a 'diplomatic' incident over ownership of a newly-inaugurated strip of land.

The family sets up house there and even starts to profit by charging the public for fishing on their property. Meanwhile, government and (again) social welfare officials try to have them evicted – but mobsters Simon Oakland and Jack Kruschen, traveling in a sort of mobile gambling-house, also make a stop at the location and which they subsequently find a convenient safe haven from the law. The two, therefore, decide to buy off the land from the hick family but will have just as little luck doing so!

The songs this time around feel like an afterthought, merely serving as a prerequisite – and only the title tune sticks out at all. Several gags and scenes are undeniably hilarious, however: the twins' idea of sharing, the over-pressurized "john", Presley's first trip to a bank (which inadvertently turns into a near hold-up), the equally 'innocent' disarming of Oakland and Kruschen's thugs – specially brought in from Detroit (and culminating in the destruction of their casino), etc. The film is capped by a moralistic, but ultimately stirring, Capra-esque courtroom sequence.

The supporting cast is well-served by the character actors – with the stuffy government official, the friendly bank manager and the benevolent judge all scoring nicely. Unfortunately, despite a good showing here, Joanne Moore's career (playing the social worker who seduces Elvis) would soon be overshadowed by that of her husband and daughter, Ryan and Tatum O'Neal!

All in all, this is one of Presley's more entertaining films – but, on a preliminary viewing, the lack of good songs and the general low-key nature rob it of a higher rating (though I wouldn't exclude getting it on DVD in future).

And very heartwarming at the same time. This is by far Elvis' best comedic effort, and he delivers a near perfect performance as the allegedly dimwitted Toby. But methinks Toby has more on the ball than he's willing to let on. I have to believe Jethro Bodine of the Beverly Hillbillies was modeled after Elvis' character. Everytime he runs into an attractive woman he starts to "cipher" his "timeses". Absolutely hysterical. And his destruction of the neighboring

squating mobsters from Chicago is outrageous. Elvis just wanders through scene after scene as if he's totally oblivious...think again. Arthur O'Connell is wonderful as the patriarch of this near gypsy like family. What a treat. Check it out.

In this modest black comedy, Elvis Presley plays a gullible but likable sort of fellow who is driving through Florida with his old dad and three orphaned siblings when the family car runs out of gas and they become stranded along a public strip of land. On this spot, the hapless group decides to set up house as "homesteaders" and refuse to move off the spot, which leads to a series of semi-humorous events including neighboring gangsters and a court hearing to have Elvis and his family removed from their nest.

This is certainly one very odd situation for a movie, but the real highlight in spite of it all is Presley's spirited performance where he scores another of those promising moments in proving that he could have been a pretty good actor if he had only been given more chances. I've always felt that he had a flair for comedy too, and he plays it beautifully here. His characterization of a naive and dimwitted soul who's short on brain power but strong in heart is completely believable, and we forget we're watching Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll. As always, new songs were to be commissioned for every Elvis picture, and the tunes in FOLLOW THAT DREAM aren't much to rave about with the exception of the pleasant title track; it's just too bad the song wasn't put to better use as placed in the film itself, where Presley sings along to it on the radio while lying about on the ground. **1/2 out of ****

"Moonspinner" (previous reviewer) must have had his/her head in a spin. First of all, I'm an Elvis fan, so I'm biased; and I acknowledge that about 10 of his 31 films were pretty poor. But for people to imply that Follow That Dream was one of them is ridiculous.

Elvis' performance in this film is not simply good - it's outstanding. He plays an "idiot savant" type of role, and plays it to perfection. His speaking voice, his body language, his timing : they're all spot on for this characterisation.

The fact that the film lasts for 1 Hr 45 min proves that some integrity went into its making, in order to get the whole story across; and make no mistake, it's a good story with a number of good episodes. OK, we're all so sophisticated and know-it-all these days, and can say the story is unbelievable, but it is set the best part of 50 years ago.

Again, contrary to some other comments, the location filming is beautifully done and in the few instances where they have done back-projections, it is not at all obvious.

It's easy to pick fault with any film, if you set your mind on it, but my only criticisms of Follow That Dream are (i) that Joanna Moore's diction is very poor and difficult to follow and (ii) that the recording studio echo on the song Follow That Dream does not fit the simplicity of the scene where it's sung - yet it still has a charm to it.

Elvis's performance in this film deserved/deserves some wider recognition. There's no question that he was a competent actor. Contrast his role here, as Toby Kwimper, against the dramatic role as Pacer Burton in the superb Flaming Star, only a year earlier, and you can only express admiration.

One final word of praise for Anne Helm, who plays her part as Holly to perfection.

This was more a comedy than a musical, and definitely a better movie than his immediate previous movie "Blue Hawaii"! It's the first time I've seen this movie (honest), more than 50 years after it came out, but it was worth the wait. Even though it wasn't a serious movie Elvis did some good acting. The plot was pleasant and fun, with some good laughs at times. Watching this movie will get you thinking of Sheriff Andy Taylor and Mayberry, assuming you know who that was. It's a much easier movie to watch (and enjoy) than his prior musicals were.

Generally speaking - I have always liked Elvis Presley as both an actor and a singer - And since I had never heard of this 1962 Comedy/Romance/Musical before - I sure thought that I was in for a real treat here.

Well - Let me tell ya - (Now I know) - Just because the "King of Rock & Roll" happens to star in a picture doesn't guarantee that it's gonna be good (as is the case here with "Follow That Dream").

IMO - This total embarrassment was absolute, bottom-of-the-barrel movie-junk from start to finish. It really was.

In this utterly cringe-worthy garbage - Presley (27 at the time) plays Toby Kwimper, an unbelievably naive/ignorant hick from Cranberry County, Alabama. And, as the story goes - He, and his equally dumbass family, are now self-righteously squatting on public land in Florida.

Anyway - All that I have left to say is that I have finally come across an Elvis Presley movie that I completely despise. What more can I say?