It Happened At The World's Fair

It Happened at the World's Fair (1963)

Runtime: 105 minutes

Directed by: Norman Taurog

Starring: Elvis, Joan O'Brien, Gary Lockwood, Vicky Tiu, H.M. Wynant

From: MGM

Yep, I watched a film 40 years to the day of Elvis passing away. Thankfully this was a little better than most, as I explain below: 

I was busy all day yesterday so that's why it took an extra day for me to post what I saw on Wednesday night, 8/16/17. As Elvis passed away on 8/16/77, it was most appropriate to watch something that Turner Classic Movie showed on this day. I chose this as it fit my schedule best and it was new to me. In my opinion, it's a little better than usual for an Elvis movie, at least one from the 60's.

It's the typical cornball effort you expect from something starring Elvis. If only he got to stretch his acting muscles more, but that is one of the many things you can blame on Colonel Tom Parker, someone who was pretty awful for The King's career. Anyhow, it's a silly, breezy movie where there's some humor, a few songs are sung, Elvis falls in love, he has to deal with a pal who is a doofus, etc. To be specific to this film, he and his pal are crop dusters with their biplane. They aren't the best gamblers so they get their plane taken away, to be auctioned if they can't get the dough to pay off their debts. They end up in Seattle at the 1962 World's Fair, where various shenanigans happen.

Elvis and pal meet up with a 7 year old Asian girl named Sue-Lin and her uncle. It may sound absurd in 2017, but the uncle allows his niece to hang out with Elvis, a man he only has known for a few hours. That goes well, although Elvis was a cad when it came to the ladies... and both his and his pal engage in what would be known now as “sexual harassment.” He becomes obsessed with a young nurse. In fact, he has a young boy kick him in the shin just so he can get an injury and hang out with his crush. You only see that young boy in one other scene but that was the film debut of Kurt Russell (no relation, and no kidding). How appropriate then that in 1979, Russell played Elvis in a TV movie, directed by none other than John Carpenter.

Why I say the movie's fine: sure, the plot isn't the best but at least the film is an easy watch. Sue-Lin thankfully was played by a child actor who was not intolerable or an annoying over-actor. While a lot of the movie was filmed in California (such as the big set that was the trailer park Elvis, his pal, and a henpecked supporting character who is also a gambler hang out), parts were filmed at the actual World's Fair in Seattle, 1962, sometimes referred to as the Century 21 Exposition. It looked like something I would have enjoyed attending in person, but as I was negative 19 years old at the time... that's when the Space Needle was built and a scene was set there.

Typically, the songs in these films are fine, and it was no exception here. Nothing is earth-shattering in its greatness, but they are all acceptable. To my delight, The King does some martial arts in one scene; I have dubbed it “King Fu.” I am glad I was able to watch one of his films on a sad anniversary.