Girls! Girls! Girls!

This certainly isn't one of Elvis'good movies -- but it holds a sentimental favorite place in my heart. It was one of the first Elvis movies I ever saw.

Set amongst the islands of Hawaii, Presley plays tuna-fisherman/tour-guide Ross Carpenter, trying to make ends meet so he can buy his dream boat and go into business for himself. Adding complications is Carpenter's love triangle with two very different dames: jaded nightclub singer Robin (Stella Stevens), and young heiress Laurel (Laurel Goodwin), who's looking to experience life on the other side of the social divide.

With it's exotic location filming and the charm of Presley, GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! is a pleasant movie to watch. It is worth reminding ourselves that Elvis did not write the scripts for the films. Hollywood did. Anything you don't like about any of Elvis' legendary movies, blame Hollywood. But mostly blame his greedy over-bearing manager, 'col' Tom Parker. He put all the deals together!

One of Elvis' best movie song performances comes in this film, and it's "I Don't Wanna Be Tied". The King is electrifying in this number! I like it better than "Return To Sender", which was the big seller. Elvis shakes and bakes like there's no tomorrow! Next to "C'mon Everybody" from "Viva Las Vegas", I think Elvis does his best movie dancing. EPE ought to re-release this song as they did with "A Little Less Conversation".

Stella Stevens was cool in this film as well.

The King's acting is unusually strong in this film. He has an edge here that is not often seen in his other roles. The scenes with Jeremy Slate and Elvis are particularly entertaining. His character (Ross Carpenter) is in a fix financially and Elvis' edge suits the role.

I think that as the formula plot movies piled up, you can see Elvis just kinda going through the motions, and not developing a character.

Let's face it - Elvis Presley was about as handsome and talented as a man could be. It's a shame that the Colonel put him on the movie treadmill with banal vehicles.

I've heard that Elvis was offered the role of Tony in "West Side Story", but the Colonel's greed screwed up the deal. What a shame. It could have put Elvis in a serious direction cinematically. The role went to Richard Beymer, who was panned by the critics. I think of Elvis singing "Maria", "There's A Place For Us", and I know he would have been fantastic.

A bit odd, but generally pleasing, colorful Elvis Presley vehicle casts the singing star as a tuna fisherman who longs to buy his own sailboat; he takes a job as a nightclub entertainer (nearly usurping former-girlfriend Stella Stevens) and balks at women who want to buy him things in exchange for his affection (another poor guy with principles!). Stevens is a tough broad who looks like she's been around a bit, though she's still a better fit for Elvis over newcomer Laurel Goodwin, who twinkles like a bobby-soxer. Elvis actually shows great passion for Goodwin (kissing her in the rain, even speaking of marriage), but she just doesn't seem his type. Musically, Elvis goes International: singing Chinese, dancing a Spanish Tango, crooning Calypso. In the rock 'n roll opener, he sings, "I'm just a red-blooded boy and I can't stop thinking about girls" (if he didn't like girls, what color would his blood be then?). The prettiest song, "Mama", is sung not by Presley but rather The Four Amigos, while Stevens seems to do her cabaret act in between various arguments. Goodwin (secretly rich) takes a job in a hat-shop, but why--to prove she has principles too? The script makes no sense, and the hot-headed character conflicts are contrived, but Jeremy Slate is a convincingly wormy adversary for Elvis, and E.P.'s performance is blithe and easy-to-take. **1/2 from ****

Certainly not one of Elvis Presley's best movies, OR soundtracks. 'Return to Sender','I Don't Wanna Be Tied' and a finish of 'Because of Love' are the only half decent songs in this rather boring tale that always fails to keep even me - an ardent Elvis fan - engaged for it's 95 minutes. Even the leading ladies Stella Stevens and Laurel Goodwin aren't particularly glamorous unlike those in other Elvis films. The leading ladies in Elvis films were on a par with the infamous 'Bond Girls' in my opinion, but not in 'Girls! Girls! Girls!'. Indeed, Stevens didn't take to Elvis at all, tried to pull out of filming and claims to have never watched the film... Elvis plays Ross Carpenter - a fisherman harbouring desires to run his own fishing business instead of working for his uptight, arrogant new boss. It's not much of a plot, and as stated, doesn't stand up as a memorable Elvis Movie.

I like this movie a lot, and I may be partial because I got to meet Stella Stevens and she's an adorable, outspoken lady. I asked her whether they used her voice in the scene where she sings in the nightclub, and she says they would not use her voice although she wanted them to (some books claim her voice WAS used). I won't tell you exactly WHY she says she wasn't allowed to, but let's just say she mentioned Ann-Margret doing them in "Viva Las Vegas" and say no more. Decent songs, some very annoying songs too, but I like the concept of Elvis as a singing fisherman, so what the hey?