SoftInloveRox Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

Fulke Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

mark.waltz Seen 50 years after its premiere, this 1966 movie musical seems like something that Mickey and Judy would have done in 1943, that Doris Day and Gordan MacRae would have done in 1950, and that Gordon would have turned down in 1956 for a reunion with Shirley Jones. It's a period song and dance musical set aboard a show boat seems instantly dated, and Elvis seems way ahead of it in time period. It's all about the issues between singing gambler Elvis, his long suffering girlfriend Donna Douglas and the threats of a gypsy prediction. I wish that they had predicted that co-star Harry Morgan wouldn't sing, and proved to be right. No such luck. If I look at this as one of the many non MGM musicals of the early 1950's, I could have tolerated the simplistic atmosphere that was out of step in 1966. Even the traditional musical films of that time had modern elements; the ones here had been in use in the mid to late 1930's. The only difference is that when Elvis sings (and shows off his lacquered hair), you're transferred out of the era of the setting of the story and right back into a dress- up party in 1966. With Audrey Christie as Morgan's nagging wife (making them a copycat version of "Show Boat's" Captain Andy and Party), Nancy Kovack as Nellie Bly (the threatening redhead) and Sue Ann Langdon as ditsy Mitzi, this takes the legend of Frankie and Johnny to cheeky level, with Kovack attractive, but seemingly a bit long in the tooth to be the femme fatale. Robert Strauss adds another cad to his list of villains. As Frankie, Donna Douglas grows some claws every time Kovack is around, almost making you forget that she's the ingenue on a popular sitcom. For me, the only way to not dismiss this was to look past the silliness and enjoy the production numbers, the only one other than "Viva Las Vegas" to feature them. The title song is a little nasal for my taste, but a few takes on traditional American music made a huge difference.

moonspinner55 Listless, abysmal Elvis Presley outing, loosely based on a 19th century French folk song, concerns a riverboat entertainer (and luckless gambling addict) in New Orleans told by a gypsy soothsayer that his luck will change once he dumps his blonde steady for a redhead. Filmed on the cheap, with Presley faking his way through. Two good EP songs, "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" and "Shout It Out", though the latter number is stolen from the star by a woozy ho-daddy guitarist in the bottom left of the screen. Donna Douglas, Nancy Kovack, and Sue Ane Langdon are a fun femme trio, but Harry Morgan is a colorless sidekick and Elvis just looks beat. *1/2 from ****

gesandmas I generally like Elvis' music and movies, but this turkey of a movie should be permanently shelved and never shown again. The acting and dialogue are stilted, and the songs featured in this flick are far below Elvis' standards.When I first saw the movie in its theatrical run, I got up and walked out of the theater after only about 15 minutes of viewing.When I recently saw the movie again, I changed TV channels after enduring 30 minutes of the movie. Don't waste your time with this one.It's too bad that Elvis never got the chance to perform as a serious actor.

Michael O'Keefe Elvis plays Johnny, a riverboat entertainer that has a big gambling problem. Donna Douglas, better known as Elly Mae Clampett, is Johnny's girl, Frankie. A fortune teller tells Johnny how he can change his luck. Enter a new lady luck played by Nancy Kovack and the cat fight begins. Costumes range from classy to gaudy. A dozen songs make up the soundtrack featuring "Hard Luck" and "Please Don't Stop Loving Me". This film was directed by Fred de Cordova, director of Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show". Also in the cast are Sue Ane Langdon, Harry Morgan and Anthony Eisley. A fun movie to watch.