It recalls the joyous Saturdays spent in local theaters during the 1960s watching each new Presley film when it came to my town. A reviewer in, To keep building the hype in the Hollywood press for, As for Elvis’s swimming skills, columnist Harrison Carroll got to observe them close up when he was allowed to watch the shooting of a pool scene for. Wallis, 62, was expected to remain in the hospital for a week. She appears as one of three underage girls sitting at a table in an Acapulco canteen named “El Torito’s.” When she spotted the father of one of the other girls enter the canteen, Darlene voiced her only line in the film: “Uh, oh. Amazingly, though, when the film came out, a few reviewers thought Elvis actually had made the dive. At times in the 1960s, Hal Wallis’s attempts to hype expectation for Presley’s films and the brutal competitiveness among Hollywood gossip reporters to draw the most readers to their columns resulted in such dramatic press commentary about Presley’s next film. Yes No. Not only does class come at an affordable “As the camera rolls,” Carroll observed, “Elvis heads for the opposite bank. So during exterior filming in early January 1963, every other crew member was able to be in various places in Acapulco and a stunt double had to be used for Elvis. “I don’t know,” Elvis replied. They included: In her Hollywood gossip column of December 6, 1962, Louella Parsons broke the news that Presley’s leading lady had been cast. He had played a travel service owner in. One sure way to do so is watching an Elvis Presley movie. Paramount, California, USA 2 of 2 found this interesting Interesting? She had a duenna (governess) glued to her side everywhere she went. In the middle of his casting process, Hal Wallis found his own name headlining a wire service article: “Producer Hal Wallis Undergoes Surgery.” On February 16, 1963, UPI reported that Wallis was in “generally good condition” after undergoing surgery for removal of kidney stones at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles. Puerto Vallarta. Principal photography on Fun in Acapulco was already underway, when a wire service article reported that Wallis had signed Robert Carricart for a “featured role” in the film. Legend has it that Elvis was denied a work permit in Mexico,so if you look closely,you can tell which was the "Elvis" standin/stunt double that actually had fun in Acapulco, and what footage was shot on a Hollywood sound stage. The melodies and staging are generally bright and imaginative. The melodies and staging are generally bright and imaginative. At times in the 1960s, Hal Wallis’s attempts to hype expectation for Presley’s films and the brutal competitiveness among Hollywood gossip reporters to draw the most readers to their columns resulted in such dramatic press commentary about Presley’s next film. 1968 - Filming began on "Live a Little, Love a Little." Elvis was actually pedaling a stationary bike in Hollywood. While exterior filming was undertaken in early January 1963 and involving every other member of the crew at various places in Acapulco, Mexico, Presley 's own shots had to be taken at the Paramount studios in Hollywood later that year, in March, as he had been declared "persona non grata" by the Mexican authorities following at least two then recent incidents which had taken place at the trendy "Las Americas" movie theatre in the Mexican capital during the openings of two of its earlier films, most notably "Melodia Siniestra" "King Creole" ( an entire chapter in a book by noted Mexican counter-culture writer Parménides García Saldaña aptly entitled "Rey Criollo", and finally published in 1970, deals on this subject which took place in 1959 and which resulted in Presley being banned from record stores) and "G.I. This page was last modified on 1 November 2015, at 11:58. Leave a Comment. Girls.’ And to help matters along, Wallis signed top Mexican actress Elsa Cardenas to co-star with Elvis in ‘Fun in Acapulco.’”, (Several sources later verified that Elvis never made the racist comments. Girls! Such beautiful Hawaiian locations as Waikiki Beach, Ala Moana Park, Lydgate Park, and the Coco Palms Resort Hotel were used in the film; also used were such unglamorous locations as the Honolulu jail. Wallis probably never intended that Elvis fly to Mexico City, or Acapulco for that matter, and Presley’s ability to work uncover anywhere would have been virtually impossible. “I like to be around the water, but I never cared a whole lot about swimming.”, • “Elvis To Risk Life In ‘Fun in Acapulco’”. One example occurs when Elvis sings “Mexico” as he and his young “manager” Raoul ride a bicycle through the streets of Acapulco. Of course, aside from the Elvis, the other person most involved in Fun in Acapulcowas producer Hal Wallis. In the finished print, it’s very obvious that Elvis at times is performing in front of background footage shot in Acapulco. Type image Format Elvis Movie 50th Anniversary Pictorials: Fun in Acapulco – 1963. One declared, “This entertaining musical, produced by Elvis’ screen discoverer Hal Wallis, is filmed on location in the romantic south of the border city of Acapulco.’” Others, however, noticed the Mexican setting seemed unreal. Mike dives off the cliff, and successfully lands in the water, earning the lifeguard's respect. Knowing the magic of Elvis’s name, Wallis knew he could build some hype for the coming film by keeping the Hollywood entertainment press informed of each step he took. Many reviews of Fun in Acapulco from 1963 and 1964 can be read on newspapers.com. She had a significant role in, One actor whose name did not appear in the gossip columns or in the cast list accompanying reviews was Howard McNear, who was appearing in his third Elvis film. It recalls the joyous Saturdays spent in local theaters during the 1960s watching each new Presley film when it came to my town. Well, you ought to see her now … a stunner if I ever saw one. Blues, Fun in Acapulco, Roustabout, Girls! The movie featured the Top 10 Billboard hit "Bossa Nova Baby" and reached #1 on the national weekly box office charts a week after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. The producer informed the press individually as each actor signed on. After Elvis’s character wrote out a telegram he wanted sent to his family back in the states, Rivera, as the hotel telegraph clerk, read it back to him aloud. FACEBOOK showcased Elvis’ best musical talents, and the plot was loosely based on his Fun in Acapulco was the No. All on March 13: 1963 - "Fun in Acapulco" finished filming and Col. Parker threw a wrap party for cast and crew. Fun in Acapulco - (Original Trailer) Film Details. Maryknoll is a community of Catholic missionaries bound together by oath who actively witness to Jesus through feeding the hungry, healing the sick, reaching out to outcasts, prayer, and sacraments. From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, Review of the collection "Lights! A group of bit players were sitting around drinking cool tequila drinks (actually a solution of water and just enough cola to simulate the color of the real thing). And his boss Hal Wallis is hoping the Mexican government will relent and permit the showing of Elvis’s latest, ‘Girls! While filming for this musical comedy, in which Elvis starred as Mike Windgren, took place on site in Acapulco, Elvis remained in Los Angeles, where all of his scenes were shot in a Hollywood studio. First, the bad: “Well, Elvis Presley may be having Fun in Acapulco, as the title of his latest movie has it, but it’s doubtful if very many other people will share the enjoyment. While exterior filming was undertaken in early January 1963 and involving every other member of the crew at various places in Acapulco, Mexico, Presley 's own shots had to be taken at the Paramount studios in Hollywood later that year, in March, as he had been declared "persona non grata" by the Mexican authorities following at least two then recent incidents which had taken place at the trendy … “Can’t remember when I last had news about Ursula Andress,” Parsons noted, “but up she crops with Elvis Presley in ‘Fun in Acapulco’ for Hal Wallis. And Mr. Presley has never seemed so relaxed and personable.” â€” The New York Times, February 20, 1964, "Hal Wallis probably never intended that Elvis fly to Mexico City, or Acapulco for that matter. In late 1962 and early 1963, Hal Wallis built Elvis’s supporting cast for in Fun in Acapulco. The film would be Presley's last release before the arrival of Beatlemania and was the top grossing movie musical of 1963. A few reviewers were fooled. On March 2, a Hollywood wire service reported, “Latin actress Linda Rivera has been signed by producer Hal Wallis for a role in Presley’s next film.” In 1957 Rivera had played a squealing bobby-soxer in Wallis’s first Presley movie, During Elvis Week 2007 in Memphis, Darlene and I had adjacent booths at Elvis Expo. A reviewer in The Ottawa Citizen observed that, “the technicolored Acapulco scenery has an artificial look to it.”, To keep building the hype in the Hollywood press for Fun in Acapulco, Wallis described a couple of dramatic scenes in the script. Mike Windgren works on a boat in Acapulco, Mexico. Parsons wrote, “She was such a shy little teenager. Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico 4 of 4 found this interesting Interesting? Lukas was a surprise addition to the cast. Background photography had been shot there, as well as some action footage of Mexican high divers, but all of the principal photography with the cast was done at Paramount Studios and nearby locations in Hollywood. Even more damaging to Presley’s reputation in Mexico, though, was a rumor that Elvis had made disparaging comments about Mexico and its people. Although he is never seen in the film, his influence is there, behind the scenes, from beginning to end. As I remember Ursula I’d hardly have picked her as a vis-à-vis of Elvis—but it’s been so long since I’ve seen her, she may have changed. Edit. Acapulco - Wikipedia Rey was most famous for his roles in movies such a Fun in Acapulco with Elvis Presley (1963), where although he receives no credit, his time on screen corresponds to that of a starring role. Noting a “problem” mentioned in the telegram, she looked up at Elvis and said, “Do you have a problem, senior?” Reaching out to touch his hands, she sensually added, “Anything I can do?”, A wire service article on February 26, announced, “Beautiful Darlene Tompkins has been signed by producer Hal Wallis for a role in ‘Fun in Acapulco.’ Darlene, winner of a record twenty Southern California beauty contests, appeared in an earlier Presley film, ‘Blue Hawaii.’”, During Elvis Week 2007 in Memphis, Darlene and I had adjacent booths at Elvis Expo. Poor Elvis! Paramount Studios will take every precaution to provide out-of-camera range safeguards for Presley, but the risk is great. If he really was there, perhaps it's a secret which was well-covered-up over all these years. In this shot Elvis rides a stationary bicycle as he sings "Mexico." Its extensive newspaper files from the early 1960s bring to light the producer’s actions in bringing Fun in Acapulco to the screen. It was Wallis’s sixth feature starring Elvis, so the producer didn’t have to plow new ground. It started in 1958, when the Wallis produced, • One at a time, Wallis revealed cast members of, In late 1962 and early 1963, Hal Wallis built Elvis’s supporting cast for in, A week later, Louella announced that Wallis had chosen Elsa Cardenas, the “reigning queen of movies in Mexico,” as Elvis’s second female co-star for, The next news from Wallis came on January 7, 1963, when a short news service article announced that Richard Thorpe had been signed to direct, In her February 1 column, Louella Parsons revealed that Paul Lukas “will play the part of a former European grand duke who winds up as head chef at an Acapulco hotel” in. You can tell from the title of this post that I am a little late getting it out. Showing all 4 items Jump to: Filming Locations (3) Production Dates (1) Filming Locations. One reviwered declared, “At one point in the plot, Presley displays his swimming and diving ability in a spectacular plunge of 136 feet from the cliff to the surf below.”, • “I never cared a whole lot about swimming”, As for Elvis’s swimming skills, columnist Harrison Carroll got to observe them close up when he was allowed to watch the shooting of a pool scene for Fun in Acapulco. ), • One at a time, Wallis revealed cast members of Fun in Acapulco. Buy it on eBay. ", As I advance in years, every so often I get an urge to relive the pleasant pursuits of my youth. “HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Elvis Presley will risk his life and limbs in a circus aerial act in Hal Wallis’ ‘Fun in Acapulco.’ Presley, as a circus aerialist, will swing from a high trapeze, 20 feet above the circus floor, in a scene in which he misses a catch and drops a fellow performer. The producer would have been well aware of the bad press Elvis had received in Mexico over the last few years. Girls! It was about another stunt that Elvis reportedly would perform himself. In Fun in Acapulco, McNear plays a tourist who, with his wife, engages in a short conversation with Cardenas’s lady bullfighter, concluding by inviting her to “drop in for a visit” the next time she is in Oklahoma. The rumor was widely believed in Mexico then, and even Hollywood columnist Sheila Graham reported it as fact in her column in December 1963. “Elvis Presley made some derogatory remarks about Mexican women in a fan mag article about two years ago. A few of the scenes are shot in what looks like an artisan market. It started in 1958, when the Wallis produced King Creole was banned in the country after teenagers rioted at a showing in Mexico City. He upsets the lifeguard by taking his girl and 3 … When Janie Harkins, the bratty daughter of the boat owner, gets him fired, Mike must find new work. Resort—The luxurious hotels, the bratty daughter of the scenes are shot in Acapulco, Mexico. 20. 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