G.I. Blues

I'm not sure too many other G.I.s in Germany after the war looked quite so pristine as "Tulsa" (Elvis Presley) and his squad as they bet that "Dynamite" (Edson Stroll) can't get a date with the lithe local dancer "Lili" (Juliet Prowse) who has a bit of a reputation rejecting the amorous advances of soldiers. If they win, well there ought to be enough cash for "Tulsa" to go home and own his own nightclub. Thing is though, about five minutes after the bet his pal is posted to Alaska and so he must try to fulfil the wager himself! Initially she's not remotely interested, but yes... it is all that predictable. Elvis fans will probably enjoy this as an expertly staged, choreographed and lit vehicle for a star who doesn't look remotely natural at any stage and who simply cannot mime to his own songs. His regular "Jordanaires" get in on the gig too, but most of the renditions of songs like Carl Perkins's timeless "Blue Suede Shoes" as well as "Wooden Heart" and "Pocketful of Rainbows" look like they are episodically shot and inserted into the weakly constructed drama that does, to be fair to Prowse, offer us one glimpse of her dancing skills. This is a very sanitised image of "The King" that looks like production line stuff from the most risk averse of marketing departments from end to end. Not great from anyone, sorry.