VIVA LAS VEGAS!(1964):
VIVA LAS VEGAS:
This is a wonderful movie if only for the fact that
it's set in old Las Vegas! Several scenes show most
of the old casinos that are no longer alive! It also
has Ann-Margaret who does a pretty good job of
keeping up with Elvis in this!
This also has William Demarest(Uncle Charlie in My
Three Sons [he replaced William Frawly after he
left the show]), and Teri Garr(TVs Star Trek TOS
episode "Assignment: Earth")!
The scene at the pool early on in the movie was
a lot of fun! And the music, while a lot of it was
just so-so, had a couple of top-notch numbers,
including the great title song, "What'd I Say", and
"I Need Somebody Tonight"! A number done by a
group called the Forte Four, "The Climb" was
another decent song.
The race at the end of the movie is absolutely
great, as the course runs through downtown
Vegas, as well as over the dam and through
a lot ot the desert surrounding Vegas!! Overall
a great movie! A
From another reviewer at Amazon:
It's pretty tough to beat Jailhouse Rock in
terms of sheer entertainment, but Elvis
lovers are particularly fond of this 1964
hit. The Big E plays race-car driver Lucky
Jackson, who arrives in Las Vegas for an
upcoming Grand Prix race. Lucky's car
needs a new engine, so he gets a waiter
job at a casino and starts working his
crooning charms on Rusty Martin
(Ann-Margret). It's their on-screen
chemistry that makes this flick a lot of
fun; Presley never had a better costar
than Ann-Margret, and their race-car
romance is quintessential 1960s fluff.
Then there are the songs, of course,
including the snappy title tune, a rockin'
rendition of Ray Charles's "What'd I Say?,"
and "The Yellow Rose of Texas." Viva
Las Vegas is one of the Elvis movies that
stands the test of time, when the legend
was still at his peak. And if you're wondering
if the King gets his car fixed in time to win
the race, well, check out the movie to find
out. --Jeff Shannon