TheLittleSongbird 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.Personally am of the opinion that some of his early stuff is actually pretty good (a few even more so than that), the writing and stories weren't always a strong suit but they had good supporting performances, great soundtracks with some iconic songs, they didn't look like they were made on the cheap and Elvis actually showed himself to be a decent enough actor when the songs and material allowed it. The later films when Elvis was past prime not only had those story and script problems but did have problems with production values, less good supporting cast and Elvis being past prime and didn't even have the benefit of having good soundtracks.After a two-year break for military service, Elvis makes a return to the screen with 'GI Blues'. While it is not quite one of his very best films, being somewhat of a disappointment after 'Jailhouse Rock' and 'King Creole' (his two best, 'Loving You' is high up too), it does fare significantly better than pretty much every film he did afterwards and when ranked it would still rank around the top half of his filmography.'GI Blues' is not perfect, its somewhat overlong length and the bland and corny script (then again the script has rarely been a strong suit in an Elvis film, with the odd exception like 'King Creole') being its two main drawbacks. The story is also pretty thin and formulaic.However, Elvis, even in a substantially changed image, once again looks natural and is charismatic and charming. The sultry Juliet Prowse is likewise appealing and Robert Ivers steals scenes with some amusing moments. The soundtrack is terrific also, standouts being the title song, "Wooden Heart", "Didya Ever" and particularly "Doin' the Best I Can", as well as inspired use of one of Elvis' best known songs "Blue Suede Shoes".Norman Taurog, a hit and miss director for me, directs assuredly, and of his nine features with Elvis 'GI Blues' is one of their better collaborations easily and one where Taurog's direction actually rises above just competent. 'GI Blues' is a good-looking film, being nicely shot in particular.All in all, pretty good fifth feature for the King of Rock and Roll. 7/10 Bethany Cox

tilloscfc One of my favourite Elvis movies since I was 6 years old! Having just completed a two year stint in the U.S. Army, Elvis Presley's first movie back was, inevitably I guess, a movie about an American Singer-Soldier stationed in Germany. The leading lady is Frank Sinatra's then girlfriend Juliet Prowse, whom Elvis (as Tulsa McLean) has been bet a small fortune from another division within the Army, that nobody can pull the dancing "iceberg". Being Elvis...a charming, not bad looking individual, Tulsa is nominated to attempt to the pulling and win the money for the troops. Despite a few obstacles, such a house mate who just happens to land Tulsa's best pal within the Army on the same night, Tulsa finally succeeds following a string of dates (and songs!) with the only problem being that he has fallen for the red headed beauty for real, not just for the bet... G.I. Blues is an enjoyable, fun, witty movie with a good pace that flies by. It's backed up even further by Elvis' best soundtrack - G.I. Blues the album was Elvis' best selling album through his career. 'Wooden Heart' was the big hit, but songs such as 'Shoppin' Around' , 'Tonight's So Right For Love' and 'Pocketful of Rainbows' really stand up as some of Elvis' best songs (of many 'best songs'!)

classicsoncall Funny, but when Elvis and The Beatles were hot I didn't care very much for them. Today I can appreciate their music on a whole different level. Now with Presley, the films are another thing. No one's going to claim this is Oscar caliber stuff, so that's not the reason anyone is going to tune in.When I counted them off, there were ten tunes performed by Elvis in the story, not counting the one in the shower. That one actually didn't sound very good, but then he got rolling with the title song along with his band members Ricky (James Douglas) and Cookie (Robert Ivers). The story line is loosely built around the idea that Presley's character Tulsa wants to buy a night club back in the States once they muster out.I can't remember the last time I saw Juliet Prowse, but it has to be on one of those ubiquitous variety shows back in the day. She can really wow 'em when it comes to her dance routines, and it helps that her legs go all the way to there. Prowse joins Presley in a duet on a ski lift doing 'Pocket Full of Rainbows', but it sounded to me like her voice went through a synthesizer.As for The King himself, he sounded great (except for the shower), and I thought 'Wooden Heart' was done pretty creatively with the puppet routine. But the best was his last number 'Do You Ever Get One of Them Days, Boys?", flexing those Elvis knees that made all the girls go gaga way before there was anyone going by that name. This is a fun flick and should appeal to Elvis fans, with an actual nod to 'Blue Suede Shoes' when a fellow G.I. makes a selection on the juke box.

MARIO GAUCI For being one of Presley’s more popular vehicles, I found this rather disappointing; in retrospect, its “reputation” clearly hinges on the fact that Hollywood was all-too-ready to cash-in on Elvis’ much-publicized military service (this was, in fact, his comeback film!).The Berlin locations (mixed in with the studio-shot footage of the actors via process-screen photography!) may have provided novelty value, but the plot was even cornier than usual – with the inclusion of not one, but two, wholly gratuitous subplots involving the individual dreary romance of two of Presley’s army buddies! Statuesque Juliet Prowse is initially played up as a sort of femme fatale but she’s soon under Elvis’ spell – so that, apart from her evident dancing skills, she emerges to be indistinguishable from most other leading ladies in his movies; Leticia Roman, best-known for playing THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1963) for Mario Bava, appears unremarkably in support (as Prowse’s love-struck Italian room-mate).Apart from a number of typically rollicking Presley numbers – including the title tune, the soundtrack features the star’s own “Blue Suede Shoes” as an in-joke, “Tonight Is So Right For Love” (which borrows the main theme from Offenbach’s celebrated “Barcarolle”), and even the popular German folk-song “Wooden Heart”!