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| Ann-Margret & Elvis Presley are a dynamic duo in 1964’s “Viva Las Vegas.” |
Viva
Las Vegas is a enjoyable little bit of fluff, and all of the credit score goes to its
well-paired stars, Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. There’s nearly no plot, even
for an Elvis film. But, when the 2 stars banter and bicker, or sing and
dance, you marvel at their youthful magnificence, intercourse attraction and vitality, and charismatic
expertise. They are a high-voltage wow collectively.
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| Elvis Presley& Ann-Margret’s chemistry was purple sizzling in 1964’s “Viva Las Vegas.” |
Elvis Presley’s
character Fortunate Jackson is so
multi-talented. He is a race automobile driver who additionally sings and performs guitar. He can
fly a helicopter and he is additionally a waiter on the aspect. Aspect hustles, as the youngsters
say at this time. Ann-Margret is Rusty Martin, a kids’s swimming teacher who simply
occurs to sing and dance as properly. A “fortunate” coincidence! A-M’s dancing is so energetic that audiences
can burn energy by simply watching her. Her singing, nonetheless, is a matter of
style. I’m simply not a fan of A-M’s babykins voice with that exaggerated
vibrato.
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| Elvis’ Fortunate is aware of his manner round a chopper in addition to race automobile in “Viva Las Vegas.” |
Elvis is a most dapper
dresser and dons some uncommon fits and mod boots. Ann-Margret is completely
lovable because the kitten with the whiplash hair! And for a lot of the film, A-M
is at her ‘60s slinkiest, with modern outfits that showcase her determine and a
easy, lengthy wave of hair. It’s solely in later scenes that she is teased,
lacquered, or bewigged, after which the substitute ‘60s Ann-Margret intrudes. It is
nice enjoyable to observe the celebs rock the 1964 fashions of their superb youth.
There’s nice humor and chemistry between Elvis and A-M, which was a lot famous
on the time.
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| Ann-Margret appears to be like merely pretty right here as Rusty Martin in “Viva Las Vegas.” |
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| …in scenes like this, Ann-Margret appears to be like like Jiffy-Pop! |
The padding is usually
tolerable, however the merry chase via on line casino showrooms on the lookout for Rusty is a complete
time waster. Fortunate and Rusty’s date day is simply watching the celebs clowning,
however they make it enjoyable. That Elvis sings “Viva Las Vegas” three
occasions in an 85-minute film speaks volumes to the filler on this slight characteristic
movie.
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| The title tune “Viva Las Vegas” is carried out thrice in lower than 90 minutes! |
Presley and A-M’s
numbers collectively are nice enjoyable and the spotlight of the Viva Las Vegas. The midsection has the most effective of them, the place Elvis
sings and gyrates, as Ann-Margret whips herself into a horny frenzy. Within the
background is Teri Garr in a black and white costume for “That is What I Say.” And
the woman “with the purple costume on” is Toni Basil. The three music medley is a
mashup of excessive vitality enjoyable.
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| That is Teri Garr in B&W on the left, wanting reasonably glum all through this quantity! |
After that, it is so much
of slapstick, and A-M going from her most interesting to comically caterwauling
via a few numbers. Ann-Margret was one among many feminine stars promoted
as the subsequent Marilyn, after Monroe’s current dying. Her “Appreciation”
quantity is a weak take off on some earlier MM numbers, notably of a nasty MM
quantity, “Specialization” from Let’s
Make Love. The shellacked, synthetic A-M in these scenes was thought-about
subtle. Almost definitely this got here from director George Sidney, who was
enamored/obsessive about A-M, once they made three movies collectively. It was mentioned
that Colonel Tom Parker needed to remind Sidney that this was an Elvis film. Observe the finale, the place
Elvis and A-M share a break up display collectively to sing the title tune, and one
wonders if even Presley was bored with vying for the display with A-M.
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| Ann-Margret in ruffles and a fall; Cesare Danova, sporting Tony Polar’s “Valley of the Dolls” nightclub act go well with? |
Elvis Presley is at
his mid-movie profession greatest: he sings and appears nice, plus his pure
self-deprecating humor is put to good use within the boy-meets-girl situation. This
could have been Presley’s introduction to Las Vegas, the place Elvis could be a high attraction
within the subsequent decade, as would Ann-Margret.
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| Elvis Presley’s Fortunate is playing on love in 1964’s “Viva Las Vegas.” |
Craggy William Demarest
(My Three Sons) performs A-M’s father,
amusing, since he was 72 on the time to her fresh-faced 23—hey, that’s present
biz! Cesare Danova is Elvis’ rival on the race monitor and for Ann-Margret’s
Rusty. Since A-M’s arduous to get angle towards Presley’s Fortunate is virtually
non-existent, Danova’s not a lot of a menace.
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| Director George Sidney shows all of Ann-Margret’s charms in “Viva Las Vegas.” |
Viva Las Vegas isn’t any musical traditional, however is a tasty trifle.
Simply take pleasure in these nice stars of their prime, some enjoyable music and dances, and
nostalgic Las Vegas surroundings—overlook the remaining!
Right here’s
my have a look at one among Elvis Presley’s greatest, Loving
You: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2019/08/elvis-presley-fans-still-loving-you-1957.html
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| Love this candid shot of Ann-Margret & Elvis Presley on set of “Viva Las Vegas.” |
