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.For a mid-60s onwards Elvis film, 'Girl Happy' is pretty good and while not one of his best films, like 'King Creole', 'Flaming Star', 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Viva Las Vegas' and 'Loving You', it is a long way from one of his worst (much worse followed).The story is thin and formulaic, with parts not always making sense, and the dialogue is corn and silliness-heavy and enough to make one cringe. The extras' acting is indeed awfully wooden and just looks amateurish.However, the settings are suitably exotic and the film is beautifully photographed. On the most part, the songs are good. Could have done without "Wolf Call" and "Do the Clam", the latter of which also being pretty embarrassingly choreographed, but the title song, "Puppet on a String", "Do Not Disturb" and "The Meanest Girl in Town".'Girl Happy' is fun and good-natured, knowing exactly what it wanted to be, who to aim it at and never tries to do anything more. It's all competently directed and breezily paced, while Elvis is clearly enjoying himself and is well supported by charming and fiery Shelley Fabarres, menacing Harold J. Stone and perky Mary Ann Morbley. The chemistry between Elvis and Fabarres is great.All in all, good bouncy fun. 7/10 Bethany Cox

MARIO GAUCI Another Elvis Presley movie, another cringe-inducing title: predictably, as trivial as can be but, surprisingly enough, quite a fun, comedic vehicle with Elvis and his band assigned to chaperone a gangster's teenage daughter at a holiday camp. Shelley Fabares is among Presley's cutest female leads (she would co-star with him twice more in just as many years) and at times reminded me of Martha Vickers's thumbsucking Carmen Sternwood in Howard Hawks' THE BIG SLEEP (1946)! Of course, the couple's eventual romance is complicated as much by the easily misunderstood situation as by their being needlessly involved with other partners.Familiar character actor Harold J. Stone, usually noted for drama, is the gangster but, while he plays it mostly straight, isn't exactly menacing either; the songs are a cut above-average, though "Do The Clam" – a would-be instant 'beach blanket' hit – is a definite low point! Former child star Jackie Coogan – of Charles Chaplin's THE KID (1921) fame and who was then undergoing a brief career renaissance as the lunatic Uncle Fester in the cult TV series, THE ADDAMS FAMILY – appears here as a flustered cop but his participation is, alas, an undistinguished one.Amazingly, I recently learned – through a newspaper article written by a friend of my father's who happens to be the No. 1 Elvis fan I know and who was also the one to introduce me to home video technology back in 1985! – that GIRL HAPPY was banned in Malta on original release (most probably due to a 'hot' striptease act the boys witness more than once during their runarounds after a tipsy Fabares)!!

w22nuschler If you want a great, happy, entertaining, sexy, fun movie this is the one to watch. Elvis and Shelley Fabares are in peak form for this film. The plot is straight forward. Elvis and his band(Gary Crosby, Jimmy Hawkins & Joby Baker) are sent by Mr. Frank(Harold J. Stone) to Fort Lauderdale to keep an eye on Valerie Frank(Shelley Fabares), his daughter. The movie starts with Elivs and his group on stage singing Girl Happy(great song). Then they head off to Fort Lauderdale to keep an eye on Shelley. They sing Spring Fever(great song)together with the girls in their cars. There are some great close-ups of Shelley's beautiful face in the car. They arrive at the Seadrift Motel. They find out Shelley is a hottie when she goes for a swim. Elvis goes out to sing Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce(great song). Shellley in coming out of the pool at the time. We get see her in a two piece swimsuit. Nice Body! Anyway, she goes to the club with a nerd that night and leaves with Roman(a Latin wanting to get romantic). Elvis and his clan find them on his boat and drive it back to their hotel before anything happens. Next day we get a scene with Shelley in a nice looking two piece yellow swimsuit. Ramano takes her back to the hotel for something. The guys get Elvis to intervene. He calls the manager in and he breaks up a card game they are playing. Elvis decides to add her to the act to keep an eye on her. Next scene is Elvis and group singing Meanest Girl in Town(great song). Shelley comes out in a gold top tied at the bust and black hot pants and high heels(she has never looked hotter than in this scene). She dances around with a sign reading I'm Evil. With her belly button exposed she does a few more sexy spins and the song ends. She goes in to change(too bad). That scene is worth a rewind or two. Next Elvis sings Do the Clam(great song) to get her to come to him. He takes her home singing Puppet on a String(great song). About this time his other girl Dina thinks he misses her. Elvis has Shelley to dinner and Dina also shows up. Elvis is very funny here as he tries to keep both women from seeing one another. Elvis and Shelley then have a good time riding, dancing and sailing. Finally Shelley gets a phone call from dad and he tells her about sending Elvis to watch her. She goes wild with Romano at a dance club and gets arrested. Elvis tries to break in, but is too late. He goes back to the club to sing on the last night. He goes out to pick a girl to take on stage for the last song Girl Happy. Shelley is there and all is forgiven after the Mr. Frank has told Shelley that he really has feelings for her. They go up on stage and dance and kiss. The movie ends happily the way I like. All the songs are top notch and every actor in the film is great. So if you want a happy, upbeat movie try Girl Happy, Elvis' best movie.

shelties4us Girl Happy is typical of the mid-sixties beach movies,and to some extent,it is similar to another earlier film,"Where the Boys Are".Both take place in Fort Lauderdale,Florida during college spring-break.The plot is simple,and the songs are plentiful.Besides looking and sounding great,Elvis displays his natural talent for comedy,which most actors will admit is more difficult than straight drama.The film is pure fun and moves pretty quickly.Harold J. Stone is excellent as the tough,gangster-like father of co-star Shelley Fabares,who is her usual adorably cute love interest.Plenty of slapstick comedy with Elvis assisted by Gary Crosby(Bing's son),Joby Baker,and Jimmy Hawkins.If you are looking for a fun-filled musical 90 minutes without profanity,violence,substance abuse, or nudity/sexuality,then Girl Happy will make you happy.What's taking the studio so long to release this title on DVD?