Blue Hawaii

Watch: Blue Hawaii

11/22/19611h 42m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ Ecstatic romance... Exotic dances... Exciting music IN THE WORLD'S LUSHEST PARADISE OF SONG! ~

Overview:

Chad Gates has just been discharged from the Army, and is happy to be back in Hawaii with his surf-board, his beach buddies and his girlfriend.

Director:

Norman Taurog

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$2,000,000.00

Revenue:

$4,200,000.00

Key words:

hawaii
musical
romcom
tiki culture

Cast

Elvis Presley

~ as ~

Chad Gates

Joan Blackman

~ as ~

Maile Duval

Angela Lansbury

~ as ~

Sarah Lee Gates

Nancy Walters

~ as ~

Abigail Prentice

Roland Winters

~ as ~

Fred Gates

John Archer

~ as ~

Jack Kelman

Howard McNear

~ as ~

Mr. Chapman

Steve Brodie

~ as ~

Tucker Garvey

Christian Kay

~ as ~

Beverly Martin

Iris Adrian

~ as ~

Enid Garvey

View full cast & crew

Reviews (4)

Wuchak
Written 5 year(s) ago
7
Elvis goes to Hawaii

After a two-year enlistment in the service, Chad Gates (Presley) returns home to Hawaii, but prefers the genuineness of the Polynesians and blazing his own trail to being the heir to his parents’ pineapple plantation. With his half-Caucasian/half-Polynesian girlfriend (Joan Blackman) he tries his hand as a tour guide. Angela Lansbury is on hand as the amusingly snooty mother.

“Blue Hawaii” (1961) was the first and easily the best of three Elvis flicks set in Hawaii, followed by “Girls! Girls! Girls!” (1962) and “Paradise, Hawaiian Style” (1966). Actually, it ranks with his better movies, like "Kid Galahad" (1962), “Roustabout” (1964) and “Viva Las Vegas" (1964).

Several things make this one work: The magnificent locations, the trivia about Hawaii & Hawaiians, the compelling story, the serious-but-fun vibe and, of course, the music. Speaking of which, this one has more songs than usual.

On the downside, the female cast could’ve been better, although winsome Blackman is a’right. Nevertheless, the subplot about Chad (Elvis) being the tour guide of an attractive school teacher (Nancy Walters) and five teenage girls is entertaining, especially the shenanigans with the curmudgeonly lass (Jenny Maxwell).

The film runs 1 hour, 42 minutes and was shot in Hawaii and Paramount Studios, California.

GRADE: B
CinemaSerf
Written 1 year(s) ago
6
I'd been watching this for ages before I realised that it was actually the real life Angela Lansbury (aged 35) playing Elvis's mother - he being 25 years old at the time! A bit of much needed cinematic licence in this otherwise really rather staged romantic comedy that doesn't really do anyone any favours. Having returned from Germany, "Chad" is at a loss as to what to do. He doesn't want to join the family fruit business, preferring to work with girlfriend "Maile" (Joan Blackman) - much to the chagrin of the aforementioned mum. Sorry, mom. "Maile" is a tour guide showing off all the beautiful sights of Hawaii. That's when he encounters the teenage "Ellie" (Jenny Maxwell) who takes a mischievous shine to him, causing no end of havoc between everyone, her teacher "Abigail" (Nancy Walters) and a bout of fisticuffs with just about the entire island! He's undoubtedly a charismatic man to watch but an actor he isn't. His renditions of "Blue Hawaii" and "Can't Help Falling in Love" demonstrate clearly that he can't lip-sync very well either. Lansbury adopts a squeaky accent and looks like she's having some fun, but the rest of it is all too rigid and unnatural looking - I think some of the cyclorama photography was just on a loop and even I know that you have to change chords playing an ukulele. I guess the star's timetable didn't allow Norman Taurog to spend too much time finessing what is just essentially a feel-good film for the star, but this is all pretty standard and unremarkable fayre from everyone.
CinemaSerf
Written 1 year(s) ago
6
I'd been watching this for ages before I realised that it was actually the real life Angela Lansbury (aged 35) playing Elvis's mother - he being 25 years old at the time! A bit of much needed cinematic licence in this otherwise really rather staged romantic comedy that doesn't really do anyone any favours. Having returned from Germany, "Chad" is at a loss as to what to do. He doesn't want to join the family fruit business, preferring to work with girlfriend "Maile" (Joan Blackman) - much to the chagrin of the aforementioned mum. Sorry, mom. "Maile" is a tour guide showing off all the beautiful sights of Hawaii. That's when he encounters the teenage "Ellie" (Jenny Maxwell) who takes a mischievous shine to him, causing no end of havoc between everyone, her teacher "Abigail" (Nancy Walters) and a bout of fisticuffs with just about the entire island! He's undoubtedly a charismatic man to watch but an actor he isn't. His renditions of "Blue Hawaii" and "Can't Help Falling in Love" demonstrate clearly that he can't lip-sync very well either. Lansbury adopts a squeaky accent and looks like she's having some fun, but the rest of it is all too rigid and unnatural looking - I think some of the cyclorama photography was just on a loop and even I know that you have to change chords playing an ukulele. I guess the star's timetable didn't allow Norman Taurog to spend too much time finessing what is just essentially a feel-good film for the star, but this is all pretty standard and unremarkable fayre from everyone.
CinemaSerf
Written 1 year(s) ago
6
I'd been watching this for ages before I realised that it was actually the real life Angela Lansbury (aged 35) playing Elvis's mother - he being 25 years old at the time! A bit of much needed cinematic licence in this otherwise really rather staged romantic comedy that doesn't really do anyone any favours. Having returned from Germany, "Chad" is at a loss as to what to do. He doesn't want to join the family fruit business, preferring to work with girlfriend "Maile" (Joan Blackman) - much to the chagrin of the aforementioned mum. Sorry, mom. "Maile" is a tour guide showing off all the beautiful sights of Hawaii. That's when he encounters the teenage "Ellie" (Jenny Maxwell) who takes a mischievous shine to him, causing no end of havoc between everyone, her teacher "Abigail" (Nancy Walters) and a bout of fisticuffs with just about the entire island! He's undoubtedly a charismatic man to watch but an actor he isn't. His renditions of "Blue Hawaii" and "Can't Help Falling in Love" demonstrate clearly that he can't lip-sync very well either. Lansbury adopts a squeaky accent and looks like she's having some fun, but the rest of it is all too rigid and unnatural looking - I think some of the cyclorama photography was just on a loop and even I know that you have to change chords playing an ukulele. I guess the star's timetable didn't allow Norman Taurog to spend too much time finessing what is just essentially a feel-good film for the star, but this is all pretty standard and unremarkable fayre from everyone.