It’s been 45 years since Elvis left the building, but he remains firmly rooted in our zeitgeist. He seems more omnipresent than ever, thanks in no small part to Baz Luhrmann’s biopic. I lay no claim to being a connoisseur of Elvis cinema. I’ve only seen a few of his more than 30 films. I began with Blue Hawaii, and I’m so glad that I did.
I love 60s beach party movies, particularly those starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Blue Hawaii is just a more expensive rendition of those. The movie has no lofty aspirations above its station. It’s happy to be all froth and bubblegum; bright color palates, women in bathing suits, sandy beaches, and luaus. And Elvis, of course.
The plot of Blue Hawaii is disposable. Presley plays a young man who returns home to Hawaii after military service. Rather than enter the family business (a pineapple company, naturally), he becomes a tour guide, ferrying a group of teenage tourists and their teacher around the islands. That is just a clothesline on which to hang the scenic photography of Hawaii and musical numbers for Elvis.
Presley will never make it on AFI’s top 100 actors, but he’s likable in his role. I got the sense that he was playing himself. Whether he was or not is besides the point. He convinced me he was that person in reality; that’s the skill of any great movie star. Another notable cast member is Angela Lansbury, who, despite being both British and a mere 10 years Presley’s senior, plays his histrionic mother. How well does London-born Lansbury play an overbearing, Georgia-born mama? Like the legend she is. Her performance is a riot. Her exaggerated southern accent comes straight from a comedic rendition of A Streetcar Named Desire.
The film’s director, Norman Taurog, was a seasoned pro. After winning the Academy Award for Best Director in 1931, he went on to direct icons like Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland, and Fred Astaire. He helmed six films for Martin and Lewis, and ultimately nine of Elvis’s. Taurog provides a steady competency for the trifling fun. And nothing wrong with being trifling fun.
Blue Hawaii doesn’t take itself seriously, and that’s how you should take it. You’re meant to look at Elvis, listen to him sing, and arrive at the end credits with a smile on your face. What a nice way to spend your summer.
As of this posting, Blue Hawaii is available for FREE on Pluto TV.
-T.Z.
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