ELVIS MONTH Day 15 Kissin Cousins (1964)

Year:  1964

Age:  29

Movie:  15th

Well E is in the armed forces again, but this time we are going to mix it up a little for the audience…he’s in the Air Force.

The Army/Air Force want to build an ICBM base on Josh’s kins mountain.  They don’t take kindly to their type up in them there hills.

This movie was filmed in about 17 days and from here on in that was pretty much the standard.  I really like this movie, just cause it’s fun and the songs are Elvis movie songs.  But those mountain girls really start to give me the shits after a while.

Double Elvis and Double the trouble.  Played by Lance LeGault.   I think blonde Elvis is growing on me.  When he has the blonde wig on he talks like I imagine Elvis talked, with that fantastic Mississippi accent.  When Josh and Jody are wrestling Josh looks around to make sure he is in the correct position to fall onto the tree stump.  Josh starts romancing 2 girls, hhmm, I know your shocked, but yes 2 girls.  I always found this strange when I was a kid.  What girl would find this acceptable?  Apparently most of the Elvis movie girls.

After a song we meet Ma.  Both Ma and Pa are fantastic characters.  (Master Sgt William Bailey and Ma Tatum are Mother and Son) and so the bloody Kittyhawkes show up, apparently mountain folk only have girl babies.  Pappy shows up to save all the men from those darn Kittyhawkes.  Salbo (Jack Albertson…Grandpa Joe, from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory…you know…the good movie) and Josh go to have dinner with Ma and Pa…and turns green, that shot was just unnecessary, looked pretty dumb.  Ah Pappy steals the scene, he is such a lovable character, I could watch him in more movies, I must see what else he has been in and give it a go.

The costumes in this movie are very well chosen to say the least.   When we do see scenes shot on location, the shots are really beautiful, I could certainly spend a night or two in the old wheel house, going fishing during the day and sitting by the camp fire reading at night…

I always forget just how endowed the Kittyhawkes leader is, always surprises me.  The girls go to town, literally and buy a heap of city type things.  They turn up wearing some interesting bikinis.  And blonde Elvis is super cute when he meets the typist.  I’m beginning to prefer blonde Elvis 🙂  The local journalist (how does one get hair to go that colour?)  turns up and takes a few shots of the gals in their bikinis.  One of the Kittyhawkes name is Lorraine, played by Maureen Reagan, daughter of Ronald Reagan.

Jody sings Tender Feeling to Midge Riley.  It really is a beautiful song too.  Then we cut to see Ma with the howling dog, Pappy is lost and the Army has to find him.  Ma sings P-A-P-P-Y.  The army boys start disappearing, courtesy of those dang Kittyhawkes, every time one of them captures a male they play this stupid sound, Oh God it is so annoying.  They all team up to rescue Pappy and distract the visiting General.  The back of Jody’s head looks strange in the Pappy rescue shot.

The final scene is a celebration for Pappy’s safe return.  The Barefoot Ballad, very country and hillbilly, reminds me of the barn raising scene in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.  Jody and Josh take turns singing the final song, Kissin Cousins,we see  the back of Jody’s head with Josh singing then the back of Josh’s head while Jody sings.

The next half a dozen movies are not going to change the world, but there are quite a few good to great song in them and sometimes you just have to take it for what it is…an bit of light entertainment, an Elvis movie…unlike the first few movies where he was playing his character, now I just feel like he is playing a screen version of Elvis (I don’t know if that makes sence?).  Towards the end of the month there is some really great acting again, but in the meantime we’ve just got these light entertainment movies.  I hope you stick with me until the end of the month.  I kind of regret starting this, cause it is a hell of a lot of work and soooo many Elvis movies…anyway gotta fly, Roustabout is just about to start in my house, my daughter can hardly wait…NOT.  🙂

Co Stars Alive:  Pamela Austin  YEP

                                    Yvonne Craig  YEP

                                    Cynthia Pepper  YEP

                                    Jack Albertson  NOPE

My Favourite Song:   Tender Feeling

Most Popular Song:  Kissin’ Cousins

Stay tuned for Day 16 of ELVIS MONTH