Girl Happy (1965)

Best movie of this year hands down!

From my favorite movies..

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Elvis Presley goes to the beach in this musical comedy romp about college coeds on spring break. Elvis gets tasked by a Chicago Mobster to keep tabs on his daughter while she is on spring break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The only qualm I found was that in a movie set at and about the beach and spring break Elvis was always clad in long sleeved, long necked clothing. It was noticeably weird.

This fun 1965 movie starring Elvis Presley and Shelley Fabares should be put in a time capsule for a movie representing the carefree mid-1960's in America. Kids were still fairly innocent, the Vietnam War hadn't jaded the country and the drugs that pervaded the late 1960's weren't as prevalent the time this movie was made.Elvis plays Rusty Wells, a musician hired by a mobster Big Frank (Harold Stone) to guard his daughter Valerie (the lovely Miss Fabares) who has gone with some girlfriends to Ft. Lauderdale on Spring break. Valerie doesn't know her overprotective father has hired Rusty and his group of rag tag musicians to watch her, and of course, she and Elvis fall in love.The movie is similar in some ways to "Where the Boys Are", but is not as serious. Of course, with it being an Elvis picture, we have to have the Pelvis sing in several cheesy but fun song and dance numbers. The songs "Girl Happy" and "Do the Clam" are classic cornball songs, but fun to watch. This movie was one of my favorites from my childhood and it is amazing to me how I can still remember the lyrics to these songs after all these years! Elvis never was a great actor, and over the years his movie roles kept getting sillier and sillier, but this movie, silly as parts of it are, is still a lot of fun to watch. And boy was Elvis hot when he was young!

Thinly "plotted" Elvis Presley comedy with Shelley Fabares, who reportedly was Elvis' favorite of all his leading gals. Elvis is the front man in a vintage '60s pop group who leaves the snowy city of Chicago along with his band mates for a spring break down in the warm and bikini-busy Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He manages to secure the trip by telling his mobster employer that he'll be sure to keep an eye on his boss' college-aged daughter (Fabares, who's cuter in SPINOUT) while she's also vacationing down there with her girlfriends. Typically zany mishaps ensue, but along the way there are some enjoyable songs... "Girl Happy," which is the best of the bunch, "Do Not Disturb," "Puppet on a String", "Ft. Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce", and the latest beach blanket rage, "Do the Clam"! Presley still seems to be pretty game. **1/2 out of ****

Producer Joe Pasternak gave us "Where The Boys Are" in 1960, about Fort Lauderdale during Spring Break, from a female point of view. That movie starred pop singer Connie Francis, but she only sang two songs (the theme & "Turn On The Sunshine" during the film). Five years later, Pasternak gives us "Girl Happy" from a male perspective. What "Where The Boys Are" lacked in musical numbers, "Girl Happy" makes up for with several fluffy, enjoyable tunes. Elvis & pals are "watching over" his Chicago bosses daughter (Shelley Fabares) while she's in Florida. Of course, he eventually falls for her, & things go hay wire when she finds out he was hired to look after her. Mary Ann Mobley is thrown in to complicate matters & add some semi-comic moments. The clothes, colors, faux motel (so obviously NOT filmed on location & SCREAMS: Hollywood backlot!!!) are visually attractive & festive. Nita Talbot is also thrown in for sleazy fun, much like Barbara Nichols was in "Where The Boys Are". Elvis looks fit (although he's the only male actor who never wears shorts, or a swimsuit) with that perfect black hair & piercing blue eyes.