DOLL OF THE WEEK

The doll of the week is Chris Noel. She played with Elvis in the movie Girl Happy which is one of my all time favorites. Here she is visiting troops in Vietnam. She spent a lot of time doing this and very involved with helping solders. I got to visit with her in Memphis this past EW and she was very nice. I enjoyed talking to her and got a copy of the Girl Happy script along with an autographed picture from the Girl Happy.

You've got to Fallow That Dream

I have not done a movie review in a long time so I thought I might do one tonight. The movie I am going to discuss is Fallow That Dream. Elvis would start filming the movie in July of 61 and the movie would open in May of 62. The film would be Elvis' ninth and fifth since getting out of the Army. Elvis plays the role of Toby Kwimper. Arthur O'Connell played his father "Pop". They have took in twin boys that are some sort of cousins, a baby girl who is a orphan, and a young lady named Holly whose parents died when she was thirteen. The whole bunch are on their way to Florida for vacation when they run out of gas on a new highway that has not been opened yet and has not got the first thing on the road. So they set up on the side of the road beside the water until someone can come by to help. A government official stops by and gives the family a hard time and Pop says they are homesteading there just to rile the official. Holly seems to like the idea of starting a life here and making her a real home for herself and she expresses this to Toby. They talk Pop into doing that so they decide to stay put. After finding out they have a perfect spot for fishing right in their backyard, they decide to open a business that ties into the fishing. In the meantime the government official had not forgot about the Kwimper's and is hatching a plan to get rid of them. Joanne Moore plays a social worker who the government official has brought in to help plan to run the Kwimpers off. She has a an immediate interest in Toby even though he pays her no mind. That would come back to hurt them later. More problems were beginning to arise for the family. Some traveling gangsters who run a gambling ring have just popped in next door. After they find out that the Kwimper's are homesteading and trying to make their own little town and no government officials had any rule there, they decide to stay. The gangsters try to get the Kwimper's to leave but the family will have none off it. After they have some disagreements about the rowdy ways of the gangsters crowd, they try to get a hit on Toby. It fails of course, and they finally leave after Toby blows up their trailer, which was a total accident. The social worker and government official have been at work to get back at the Kwimper's and they have the twin boys and little girl took away by a children welfare group. The Kwimper's go to court, and they are made out to look really bad by the social worker and official. Though Toby comes in and acts as the lawyer for the family and tells the total truth. The judge sees this was all brought on just to make the Kwimper's look bad and that they are good people and should get the kids back. The young girl Holly(Anne Helm) seems to be interested in Toby throughout the movie but Toby doesn't seem interested in her or any other girl. Finally at the end of the movie she makes a real move and Toby ends up with her in his arms and kissing her. This is an Elvis movies of course you knew he was going to end up with the beautiful girl in the end!

This movie would end up doing pretty well and would get to as high as #5 at the box office. I have always thought Fallow That Dream was a really good movie and toward the top of the list as far as decent Elvis films and good performance's. Toby is a character that seems to maybe be a little slow, but in face he is just laid back and a lot smarter than giving credit for. Elvis plays a kind of backwoods type of guy but does it in such a charming way you don't really even think about that. I think his speech in the courtroom ranks as one of his two or three best moments on film. This movie has everything I love about Elvis movies. Great scenery, good music, humor, and lots of beautiful women. Arthur O'Connell who plays the father is wonderful and I have always been a big fan of his. Joanne Moore, who I always remember from the Andy Griffith show, was good in her role as well. I can't forget Anne Helm. She's not just knock dead gorgeous like some women of Elvis movies, but she is very pretty. She has a certain innocent vibe about her I always have liked. Her and Elvis dated for a while during filming and got pretty hot and heavy during breaks during filming from what I have heard. I usually do a music review separate so I will not go into much detail about that. The film doesn't contain many songs. Some are a hit and some are a miss but Elvis' voice is great. Overall I give this film very high marks. It is a film I think maybe even the non Elvis fan might enjoy and is worth finding if you have not seen it.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Elvis in concert in 1972.

Sound Advice

I am still in a serious Elvis movie marathon. I watched Blue Hawaii about 6 times, Girl Happy a few times yesterday. Today is has been Fallow That Dream and Spinout a few times each. I am hoping to get to do a review on Fallow That Dream tomorrow. Until then enjoy the song below from Fallow That Dream.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

I am going to start doing my posts again honoring some of the hot ladies I have always had a thing for. Quentin Dean played in the movie Stay Away Joe with Elvis. I have been watching this movie a lot this week. She was so freaking hot! Too bad she pretty much disappeared in the late sixties. She cracked me up in Stay Away Joe.

My Internet has been down for this whole week so I am going to catch up on some stuff this weekend on here. I am pretty much doing nothing but listening and watching Elvis this weekend.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

From the movie Stay Away Joe.

Finally!

It was announced last week that DJ Fontana and Bill Black will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in April. It is long overdue. Elvis fans have been yelling about this for a long time. It is only right they are in the hall considering they were instrumental in Elvis' early success.

FTD to release Blue Hawaii

FTD is going to be releasing a 2 disc edition of the Blue Hawaii soundtrack. I have been waiting on this for years. Blue Hawaii is on of my favorite Elvis movies and contains some of my favorite music from his films. Some Elvis fans have a negative reaction to this upcoming release for various reasons. I don't understand the complaints really. I think it is a very good collection of Elvis tunes and one of his best efforts during the movie years. I am excited and can't wait for this to come out.

Aloha!

The Image Of The Week comes from the 1973 Aloha From Hawaii concert. I have been listening to it a lot the last few days.

New additons to Graceland tour

It was announced that some new stuff is to be added to the Graceland tour to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Graceland. Some new stuff is being added to the automobile museum including a skit boat Elvis owned named after his mother. An interactive exhibit called " Elvis Lives: The King and Pop Culture". Also an exhibit called Elvis in Hollywood charting Elvis rise in the movies. I am excited about it all but really think the Elvis in Hollywood thing is going to be cool. Even though a lot of people mock his movies I love them and they are one of the first things I can remember watching when I was young and they introduced me to Elvis. Also he did make a few good movies. Now I am ready to go to Memphis and visit Graceland!

A late Happy Birthday

This past Thursday was Elvis' birthday. I was so wrapped up in the National Championship I didn't have time to get on here to post. Also I was busy watching Elvis On Tour waiting for the game to come on. Some good Elvis movies and documentaries were on this week to celebrate Elvis.

CLAMBAKE!

I finally was able to hunt down a Clambake movie poster. I have been wanting one of these for a long time now. It was not very easy to find one. I am very excited about it because Clambake is one of my favorites and also I think it just looks cool.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Elvis with a group of girls in 1957.

Sorry I have not been around in a few weeks. The holidays were very busy for me and I have been slammed at work. We have been pretty much running the store with just two of us(compared to four under normal conditions) and I have not had time for much else. A lot of work and sleep is been about all I have had time. What little time I have had on the internet I have been tied up in fallowing Florida 2009 recruiting class. I am going to get back to posting here every few days very soon hopefully.