Blue Hawaii *** (1961, Elvis Presley, Joan Blackman, Angela Lansbury) – Classic Movie Review 2605

Director Norman Taurog’s 1961 musical romantic comedy Blue Hawaii stars Elvis Presley as Chadwick ‘Chad’ Gates, a just-demobbed soldier who returns to Honolulu.

Mum wants him to follow in his father’s footsteps and take over management of the family business at the Great Southern Hawaiian Fruit Company. But instead he goes to work as a courier/tour guide for his girlfriend’s tourist agency. This involves him in chaperoning four schoolgirls, one of whom, Ellie Corbett (Jenny Maxwell), falls for him, understandably annoying his girlfriend Maile Duval (Joan Blackman).

Angela Lansbury, aged 35, is a big asset as his mother, Sarah Lee (Elvis was 26), in this high-spirited vehicle for Presley, who performs 15 top songs, including ‘I Can’t Help Falling in Love’, ‘Rock-a-Hula Baby’ and the 1937 title number (a hit for Bing Crosby in the film Waikiki Wedding). The soundtrack album was on the Billboard Pop Albums chart for 79 weeks, with 20 weeks at number one and three million sales in the US.

Big asset she may be, but nevertheless Lansbury later said her appearance was one of the worst in her career.

Taurog enjoys making the most of the island resort’s picture-postcard scenery. It was the year’s number 10 top-grossing film in America, earning $4.2 million. Producer Hal Wallis used his profits to finance his new film Becket, starring Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole.

Nancy Walters, playing the older school teacher, was only 18 months older than Presley. Also in the cast are Roland Winters, John Archer, Howard McNear and Iris Adrian.

Blue Hawaii is the first of three Elvis films to be shot in Hawaii, followed by Girls! Girls! Girls! in 1962 and Paradise, Hawaiian Style in 1965. 

Much of the film was shot on location at the Coco Palms Resort on the east coast of Kauai, abandoned since Hurricane Iniki in 1992.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2605

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