Blue Hawaii

Elvis goes to Hawaii

After a two-year enlistment in the service, Chad Gates (Presley) returns home to Hawaii, but prefers the genuineness of the Polynesians and blazing his own trail to being the heir to his parents pineapple plantation. With his half-Caucasian/half-Polynesian girlfriend (Joan Blackman) he tries his hand as a tour guide. Angela Lansbury is on hand as the amusingly snooty mother.

Blue Hawaii (1961) was the first and easily the best of three Elvis flicks set in Hawaii, followed by Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) and Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966). Actually, it ranks with his better movies, like "Kid Galahad" (1962), Roustabout (1964) and Viva Las Vegas" (1964).

Several things make this one work: The magnifice...

I'd been watching this for ages before I realised that it was actually the real life Angela Lansbury (aged 35) playing Elvis's mother - he being 25 years old at the time! A bit of much needed cinematic licence in this otherwise really rather staged romantic comedy that doesn't really do anyone any favours. Having returned from Germany, "Chad" is at a loss as to what to do. He doesn't want to join the family fruit business, preferring to work with girlfriend "Maile" (Joan Blackman) - much to the chagrin of the aforementioned mum. Sorry, mom. "Maile" is a tour guide showing off all the beautiful sights of Hawaii. That's when he encounters the teenage "Ellie" (Jenny Maxwell) who takes a mischievous shine to him, causing no end of havoc between...

I'd been watching this for ages before I realised that it was actually the real life Angela Lansbury (aged 35) playing Elvis's mother - he being 25 years old at the time! A bit of much needed cinematic licence in this otherwise really rather staged romantic comedy that doesn't really do anyone any favours. Having returned from Germany, "Chad" is at a loss as to what to do. He doesn't want to join the family fruit business, preferring to work with girlfriend "Maile" (Joan Blackman) - much to the chagrin of the aforementioned mum. Sorry, mom. "Maile" is a tour guide showing off all the beautiful sights of Hawaii. That's when he encounters the teenage "Ellie" (Jenny Maxwell) who takes a mischievous shine to him, causing no end of havoc between...

I'd been watching this for ages before I realised that it was actually the real life Angela Lansbury (aged 35) playing Elvis's mother - he being 25 years old at the time! A bit of much needed cinematic licence in this otherwise really rather staged romantic comedy that doesn't really do anyone any favours. Having returned from Germany, "Chad" is at a loss as to what to do. He doesn't want to join the family fruit business, preferring to work with girlfriend "Maile" (Joan Blackman) - much to the chagrin of the aforementioned mum. Sorry, mom. "Maile" is a tour guide showing off all the beautiful sights of Hawaii. That's when he encounters the teenage "Ellie" (Jenny Maxwell) who takes a mischievous shine to him, causing no end of havoc between...