The Trouble with Girls

Rating:
Summary: A Presley Film Worthy of Rediscovery
Review: "The Trouble With Girls" (1969) is a hidden treasure in the genre known as Elvis Cinema. This charming, offbeat comedy-drama about a traveling medicine show is among Presley's finest. The 1920s setting is beautifully evoked and the supporting cast (including Sheree North, Edward Andrews, Vincent Price, John Carradine) is excellent. For once, Elvis is part of an acting ensemble and delivers a refreshingly mature performance. He also sings a standout rendition of "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" -- one of the few gospel numbers Elvis performed on film. Because of its misleading title, "The Trouble With Girls" remains one of Presley's most underrated and overlooked efforts.

Rating:
Summary: Glad to see it on DVD!!
Review: "The Trouble With Girls" brings on a big change of pace for Elvis as he plays the manager of a tent show who has a lot of trouble coming his way. Mainly when the local pharmacist played by Dabney Coleman is murdered, and efforts are made to track the killer down. Sounds like a mystery. Elvis finally solves the mystery and has caught the crook who definetly needed to sober up. You want to see something pecaueful in this picture is, where Marlyn Mason finds Elvis in a close-up shot playing the piano and singing "Almost", as the tent show Chautauqua is about to pull out of town. This is not a cheap film. There were over 400 extras used, lots of special effects, and lots of costumes. By the way, what the heck is Marlyn Mason saying to Elvis when the firecrackers go off? It didn't sound pleasent. In a unique film, due to Elvis only showing up in only half the picture, Elvis looks good in the sleek white suit. I'm going to get me one of those.

Rating:
Summary: Clean up your own backyard, then buy this movie
Review: Elvis is so cool. In a lot of his movies, though, you'd never know it. Don't get me wrong. I love him in all of his movies (big fan, here) but let's face it. He's a cornball in most of his movies. Most of his movies. Not Live a little, Love a little. And Definitely not this one. Elvis might be at his absolute coolest in this one. The story is entertaining, but it's one that you need to watch all the way through in order to enjoy; miss a few spots, and you'll lose interest. Big deal, though. Make your snacks in advance, go potty, then sit down and watch the movie from beginning to finish. You'll be given a treat as far as the story goes, but then you'll get a bonus: Elvis singing Clean Up Your Own Backyard. For this scene alone, the movie is definitely worth the price. The song is cool, and Elvis is just so damn laid back singin' a little Rockabilly...and the camerawork for this song is totally socks. It really is.

It's not a typical Elvis movie like Worlds Fair or Girl Happy or Spinout or even Paradise, Hawaiian Style. But it's very cool in its own way.

You'll dig it, and you'll appreciate how absolutely effortlessly cool the King is.

Rock on, baby.

Rating:
Summary: The King at His Cinematic Best
Review: Forget the stupid title (which has nothing to do with the story) and enjoy one of Elvis Presley's best movies. A recent Los Angeles Times review ranked this 1969 effort as a "turkey" along the lines of "Harum Scarum" and "Spinout." The reviewer obviously did not see this charming 1920s period piece, which is remarkably different from most Elvis films. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Better than average Elvis vehicle
Review: I found this to be quite entertaining. What raises this above the usual dreadful Elvis movies is: the cast is better than average (Marlyn Mason, Dabney coleman, Sheree North, Vincent Price, etc.), the songs fit the context of the movie and there is quality not quantity (of songs). Elvis got mired in light musical comedy - more often than not it didn't work. If he had only made a few movies of this quality (and less like Paradise Hawaiian Style and Girls, Girls) I don't think his career would have suffered so much. I agree with another reviewer about the quality of the picture and disc - a good reissue. Worth checking out.

Rating:
Summary: His Best Post-Formula Flick
Review: It's funny to consider a movie title suggesting the SAME OL'-SAME OL' ELVIS MOVIE, when the actual movie is such a success in a new arena: it's Elvis Presley in an admittedly light but enjoyable old-timey comedy/drama with decent tunes. The project was previously discussed with Dick Van Dyke in mind, and that would have been interesting, but he couldn't touch Elvis on "Clean Up Your Own Backyard" - just kidding. (Actually the anachronistic country blues rocker is another plus for this enterprise). The fine cast is well-utilized and the art direction is impressive. Marilyn Mason, Sheree North, Dabney Coleman and others work well with Elvis.

Rating:
Summary: Not Elvis' best . . . but
Review: OK, we all know that Elvis starred in some pretty bad movies. However, every one of them MADE money. What other actor can say that about their movies? Not very many. This is one of his better roles. The great thing about this DVD is the print that was used. The picture is VERY clear and crisp. The audio is mono (but you can play around with it if you have a surround sound system) but also very clear. Elvis sings a few very good songs ("Clean up your own back yard" is one of my favorites). Elvis in good form - some laughs - some good acting. An all-around good time to be had by all. Again, the picture is the story of this DVD - such a BIG difference from the VHS. Warner is to be complemented on this and the "Double Trouble" DVD. I hope the boxed set with 6 movies (a re-re-re-re-re-release of "Jailhouse Rock" and "Viva Las Vegas") along with 4 others to be released later this month have the quality of picture and sound as these two have.

Rating:
Summary: A snooze, but a change of pace for Presley
Review: The second film in which Elvis plays a character named Walter (the first was "Kid Galahad", "The Trouble With Girls" is a snooze, but a worthy addition to the King's filmography if only because it represents a complete change of pace from most of his other 1960's vehicles. Set in the 1920s, he's the manager of a travelling tent show rocked by assorted scandals, and he's surrounded by a cast of solid professionals (Vincent Price appears in a cameo). Slim, relaxed, and impeccably dressed

in a white suit, Elvis looks better here than he has in a decade, and it's no wonder. By the time this film entered production, the TV special that would represent his return from the ashes of low-budget Hollywood pap, was already in the can, and he had only one more movie to go ("Change of Habit") before bidding adieu to the film capital that saw him as nothing more than bait to reel in an often undiscriminating teenaged audience.

Rating:
Summary: A pleasant change of pace for Elvis
Review: The Trouble With Girls was a pleasant change of pace for Elvis, who had long grown weary of the typical formula flicks, regardless of how well they did at the box office.

The light comedy had a good story to it, and the 1927 setting was great. Elvis is the manager of the traveling Chautauqua, and he blends in well with the rest of the performers, highlighted by Vincent Price, Dabney Coleman and John Carradine.

It was nice to see the movie not centered totally around Elvis' singing, although his rendition of "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" was really motivating. "Clean up Your Own Back Yard" was a great song as well, especially when compared to some stinkers he had done in recent movies.

I read where they were originally going to call the movie "The Chautauqua." They should have done so. I agree with another reviewer who said "The Trouble With Girls," is a deceiving title, making people think it's an "Elvis" movie. This has indeed made it one of his more forgotten and underappreciated efforts. Elvis was in the best physical shape of his life, having come off of the filming of his comeback special, he obviously enjoyed making a different type of movie, and he put more effort into it knowing that his comeback to the stage was just over the horizon once he finished filming "Change of Habit."

And we even see Elvis smoking a cigar. To my knowledge, that is the only time Elvis was seen smoking on screen. Definitely a change from his squeaky clean image from the "Blue Hawaii" days.

See this movie. It won't win any awards, but it lets Elvis fans see him in a different light as his movie career came to an end.

Rating:
Summary: Glad to see it on DVD!!
Review: This is a great Elvis movie set in the roaring 1920's.I'm glad to see that it will finally be released on DVD along with his other great movies!!