G.I. BLUES is a goofy movie

[@margueritavankempen850]

I love the puppetshow!!!! What are you talking about!!! He was sooo cute, doing it

[@Mary-d5x6g]

Every mothers son, every soldiers brother, every woman's dream you wanted to have his kids.🥰

[@belinda35_77]

elvis was a fantastic comedic actor something he never gets the credit he deserves for but irl elvis was an extremely hilarious guy genuinely so it was very natural for him it was part of the irresistible boyish charm he possessed his entire life and there is no denying he has a face that was made to make people laugh... the expressions he was capable of lol his left eyebrow does a lot of heavy lifting in that regards..it like his eyebrows were sentient comedy was a natural fit for him & its criminal he was never allowed to really fly in that regards & that it is very underappreciated you'll discover this more & more with his movies, all his behind the scenes, interviews, rehearsal stuff & live performances i love gi blues like i said his next 4 movies are fantastic im looking forward to the next one flaming star a fun & great review thanks zakk! edit: i absolutely adore wooden heart & the puppet show elvis completely slayed that scene i truly believed he was about to turn her into a real flesh & blood girl with the magic of his rizz and also props for his german in the song elvis has quite a few songs that required him to learn a song in a different language oh and the mocking..he came by that naturally too lol you'll also see in many performances & bts

[@jackielouise7538]

Very well said, Belinda. I completely agree with you. Elvis was a very talented actor who could instinctively do both drama and comedy. As far as Elvis' natural comedy timing goes, I can't wait for him to watch 'Follow That Dream' 😄

[@Mary-d5x6g]

So true, and all the junk bio's that make him a depressed drug addict are not true.

[@alexcastillo8892]

"Kid Galahad " with Elvis as a boxer and costarring the legend Charles Bronson as his trainer was SERIOUS - with great songs - good acting and writing - and Elvis was named best actor ever to play a boxer (in a pre Sylvester Stallone world).

[@TTidewater41009]

Per Kathy Westmoreland, Kid Galahad was the only movie Elvis liked to watch his performance.

[@tlo3571]

Wooden Heart was #1 on the charts in Australia, Austria, Belgium, and the UK. It was #2 in Canada and West Germany. So, there were plenty of people that liked it.

[@christianman73]

I like "Wooden Heart." Tom Petty covered the song, so he must have liked it too. I *love* "A Pocketful of Rainbows" though! It's actually one of my favorite Elvis songs!

[@GrumpyFlyr1995]

I think it is just a requirement for critics to hate on Elvis movies. I know they are not going to blow anyone away, but I find most of them enjoyable. And I definitely think Elvis had good comedic chops. Thanks for the review 😊

[@Henderson_gal08]

Elvis was a musical and comedic actor I enjoyed his movies too bad he did not think better of the films they were very popular and made money for the studios

[@Mary-d5x6g]

You are so right, I was a fierce defender at 12 in 1956, when the movies came, all the jealous guys whose girls, sisters and mothers adored him, were so mad at him. Some would ask him for an autograph and punch him in the face, thus the bodyguards. One northern based motorcycle gang went to a concert to disrupt and get him, but came out fans. That's how charming Elvis was.

[@ianraymondback]

It's not like there wasn't other silly films being made in those days the majority of musicals those days wear and the elvis films made more money than most and after all elvis was a singer after all

[@Mary-d5x6g]

@@ianraymondback I thought most musicals were corny back then, my parents took me to see South Pacific, and it was boring to me, one thing about Elvis he was so beautiful, even if there was no plot you could just stare at him for an hour and a half. And on a huge screen.

[@elvisleeboy]

​@@Henderson_gal08Some are excellent. Follow That Dream for example is a genuinely good comedy with a brilliant performance by Elvis. Some however, like Harum Scarum and Kissin' Cousins, are a disgraceful insult to the man, and he knew it.

[@Henderson_gal08]

Elvis was quite the ladies' man when he was stationed in Germany he could get any woman he wanted. The best movie to see his comedic talent is Follow that Dream I believe one of his best films he made.

[@jayceewaldner8505]

Definitely, it’s 100% in my top three movies of his, maybe second place right behind flaming star. He’s so adorable and funny in Follow that dream😂😂

[@Henderson_gal08]

Absolutely loved it it ties for me between it and Flaming Starting

[@TTidewater41009]

My favorite, he’s so damn funny in it. In my book, he was a great dramatic and comedic actor.

[@dsoule4902]

Thank you. A delightful critique. May I compliment your grasp of the context of the era. Very cool for a young guy 😉

[@alexcastillo8892]

Former Tonight show host and Comedian Jay Leno says "To this day, Elvis Presley is THEE only actor in Hollywood history - to NEVER make a movie that lost money! Elvis' manager once said that there are Academy Award winning actors and actresses who can barely pay their bills while Elvis was the only sure money maker according to the movie investors.

[@keetonplace]

I saw Johnny Carson, a big Elvis fan and Tom Hanks go on about their knowledge of Elvis. It's true about the only star to make money on every movie and he was the first to make a million per.

[@Snorkebogan]

Elvis was a very funny actor😉

[@Mary-d5x6g]

Elvis was the ultimate joker, once repelling water from the band who had water guns during a Vegas performance. He thought it was hilarious.

[@davidharrison1523]

Wooden Heart reached top of the charts in the number one spot & stayed there for a while, here in New Zealand. This movie is one of my favourite Elvis ‘pictures’ as we used to call them when I was young ….. almost 73 now. Walter Matthau, who was a well-known Hollywood star, acted in King Creole with Elvis & said in an interview that Elvis was a fine actor, & with experience & some decent roles, could go far. Unfortunately, Elvis seldom got the serious acting roles he was told by his manager, Col. Parker, he would have. He hated making most of the movies he was in. In fact he said in an interview that he felt physically sick at the thought of acting in certain movies. It was a sad waste of his acting talents.

[@terrysimpson3092]

I was stationed at that same place. In Germany 12 years later

[@WoodsWoman822]

Two more Serious Elvis Movies Coming Up are: "Flaming Star" & "Wild In The Country"

[@jayceewaldner8505]

Yup I love both of them. Flaming Star is one of the top contenders for my favorite movie of his. And for the non-serious ones, my favorite is Follow that Dream. I love it😂😂 he’s so funny and adorable in that one

[@Mary-d5x6g]

Totally agree, he was never given credit for "Flaming Star" because of the promotion, and the early release, so close to "loving you".

[@TTidewater41009]

I loved his as a cowboy, and he was superb in Wild in the Country.

[@Henderson_gal08]

@@TTidewater41009 He is super sexy in Charro love the beard

[@margarettaylor8107]

I love this movie.His directors state Elvis jad perfect comedic timing.One famous director of Casa Blanca came to Elvis' movie set just to see Elbis act. He stated that Elvis had more rare talent than Brando or Dean

[@alexcastillo8892]

@@margarettaylor8107 Interesting. I didn't know that. Michael Curtiz directed "Casablanca" and Elvis' movie "King Creole". Unfortunately, Colonel Parker committed Elvis 4 years in advance to scripts that had the same format because they made money in the past.

[@HeavenlyPresley-Tonya]

Dont' put down Elvis's puppet show - Wooden Heart do you know how many little girls loved that so much!!!! I was 10 when I saw it - Elvis Loved kidssssss

[@davidharrison1523]

I was one of those little girls who loved Wooden Heart.

[@janetd6686]

I'm a 63 year old female, and I love that sequence!

[@lechat8533]

@zakkthrowback I agree with you. That was a good analysis. The song "Muss I Denn" was a "nail in the coffin." Elvis's "problem" was that he had never been a rebel or troublemaker. He became famous for being different and he was different for many reasons but mainly because he had all his talents and grew up in a black and poor environment. That`s what had shaped him, not a rebellious teenage gen.

[@HeavenlyPresley-Tonya]

In Elvis' 1972 Audio Interview -- He said they couldn't of payed me any amount to do those movies again - He said he got so sick and ran fever all the time not knowing anything about what script he would get but he knew after reading a few lines it was the same and He gets riled up saying IT STAYED THE SAME!!!!!! EOT - OUTTAKE BECAUSE COLONEL WOULD NOT ALLOW ELVIS SAYING THESE THINGS ABOUT HOW MUCH HE HATED DOING THOSE MOVIES SO NONE OF THAT WAS INCLUDED IN ELVIS ON TOUR

[@belinda35_77]

"they couldn't have paid me any amount of money to feel a sense of satisfaction inside" "i cared so much that i would become physically ill"

[@SusieOrSueOrSusan]

Yes, I felt so bad for him 😥

[@SusieOrSueOrSusan]

@@belinda35_77 You nailed those quotes hon! Poor Elvis ☹

[@belinda35_77]

@@SusieOrSueOrSusan i just wanted to add **his** actual words instead of what others said about those things i think its important to let elvis' words be heard & not just what others around him have to say about it :) wishing a wonderful holiday sue in case we don't cross paths before then cheers friend 🍂🧡🦃

[@SusieOrSueOrSusan]

@@belinda35_77 I understand and thank you so very much! Happy Thanksgiving to you hon! 🦃🤤😂🧡

[@thomaswidener4916]

If you think Wooden Heart is bad, just wait to you hear him sing Old MacDonald in his movie Double Trouble.

[@eabcool]

Elvis reportedly told the Colonel that most of the songs should be thrown out. Elvis walked through these musical comedies with ease, but he shouldn't have had to. Maybe a third of them should have been made, the rest of the time he should have been co-starring with other stars, building his career, but the Colonel only saw the immediate buck and he wanted Elvis as the sole star of his movies.

[@jackielouise7538]

Yep, I agree. As soon as the Colonel and Hollywood realised that a movie that starred Elvis made money at the box office, it didn't matter how good or bad the script was and that was all that mattered to them 😠

[@Snorkebogan]

Wait till 68’ Comeback and the 70’..great stuff❤

[@Mary-d5x6g]

People are starting to see all the layers of Elvis in his glory. Every decade was a different Elvis, first the rebel in the 50's, an actor and a sexy grown up God in the late 60's, a gorgeous vision in white on a Vegas stage in the 70's. He broke all records in Vegas, he reshaped it from a rat pack senior citizen leisure town to a rocking vibrant mecca. That's why it's so hard to make a documentary, there are so many layers. And always under rated as a vocalist.

[@terrysimpson3092]

That song sold over a million copys in Germany

[@lindawhite5006]

I LOVE ANYTHING I SEE ELVIS IN! CHEESY...I DON'T CARE, HE WAS A WONDERFUL MAN INSIDE AND OUT. I HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF DAD AND I DRIVING TO ANOTHER TOWN TO WATCH "GIRLS, GIRLS GIRLS!" I'VE BEEN TO GRACELAND MANY TIMES. FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENTS WHO LIVED IN OUR HOME, WANTED 2 THINGS, HAVE THEIR PICTURES TAKEN BY OUR FRONT PORCH "AMERICAN FLAG," AND GO TO GRACELAND!

[@Henderson_gal08]

I agree just looking at his beautiful face is great for me

[@TheKopyKatz]

Great video 🔥🔥🔥

[@jeanineking6327]

he hated these movies but he signing a contract, really though they would give him a chance

[@MichelleAtnip-iw2ym]

I love your Elvis!

[@alexcastillo8892]

"Girl Happy" is the one that over the years, I've heard many people say they enjoyed with a lot of slapstick comedy. Elvis and his band secretly chaperone and spy on a Chicago mobster's daughter while on Spring/Easter break in Florida.

[@elvisleeboy]

You've articulated everything perfectly here. Elvis was too good, charismatic and charming for his own good. This was not what he wanted for himself, but, unfortunately, as several comments here continue to illustrate, enough people wanted the artificial Hollywood version of Elvis to make it commercially viable.

[@MichelleAtnip-iw2ym]

You are such a hoot I love watching you😊

[@johnrowley4410]

Wow! Thanks for this brilliant video Zakk. You are sounding like an Elvis expert maybe you are. Or have you just "done your homework" for this. Elvis has a lot of fans here in the United Kingdom. Can I just ask you. Are you an Elvis fan ? (It doesn't matter if you're not) I think you're a great guy and I love your videos! Many thanks!!

[@patticriss2238]

I miss the days when actors didn’t all have to be ripped with perfect teeth. As bad as I hate to say it, Elvis was the guy who made beautiful a television requirement.

[@Mary-d5x6g]

Your Elvis movie reviews are a little bit like a rectal exam, but I get it. Again the times and the way his manager, Parker was trying to use his army service and paint him as an all American guy, was the object. Parker wanted him to be family viewing, and appeal to a broader audience that you could take grandma and the kids to. And you won't believe me but the scene you hate the most, "Puppet Elvis" is probably the most popular song in the whole movie. You can show that to a young audience and they melt. Especially girls. Unfortunately the idea that all Elvis' movies made money, the colonel knew a million a year for 3 movies would keep Elvis rolling and make him a household name and it did for a while. But, it was detrimental to the next generation that were protesting the war and rioting at colleges. The 1968 comeback special revived his career and image. He became the bad boy in Leather and looked like a god. An interesting note. In General Colon Powells book, he talks about being a young sergeant in Germany and was driving the back road of the countryside where army maneuvers were going on and out comes a filthy looking Elvis with his weapon breathing hard. Powell noticed it was Elvis and pulled his Jeep over and said, "Elvis?", Elvis followed perfect protocol saluting Powell, "Sir, Yes Sir". He shook his hand and drove away. Powell said out of all the things in his military service ever got a comment was his meeting of Elvis on a dirt road in Germany. Thanks Zakk. Btw. For a real dramatic role see "Flaming Star", it is really good. Later watch, " Wild in the Country". This was fun, you are a trip.

[@SusieOrSueOrSusan]

"Your Elvis movie reviews are a little bit like a rectal exam, but I get it"...That literally made me lol 😂...Your entire comment was great ( Parker 😠). I didn't know that about Powell, thank you for the information ☺

[@Mary-d5x6g]

@@SusieOrSueOrSusan Thanks, Be Blessed

[@SusieOrSueOrSusan]

@Mary-d5x6g Thank you, Bless you 😊🎶🎻

[@christophertyler3425]

I think it's ironic, too, as Elvis averaged around a million per pic and even, today - Austin Butler with his incredible performance as Elvis - was paid less than that. As I believe Butler was paid perhaps $900,000 max.

[@belinda35_77]

austin was paid $650,000

[@Henderson_gal08]

A million in 1960s money way more in today's money

[@eabcool]

The Paramount pictures like this one were only paying him about $175,000. The other studios paid more, MGM paid about half a million, but some he head profit sharing on after the movie made back it's cost. Supposedly he was the highest single taxpayer in the early 60s.

[@ritabilsbrough3463]

For a woman he still looks sexy and great voice as always

[@Mary-d5x6g]

Always in my heart, from 1956 when I was 12 to now 80. I never get tired of hearing and seeing him.

[@GrandmaSue-52]

GI Blues is one of my favorite movies. I Have them all and I love the puppet show! I am surprised you like the song Rainbows as so far you have criticized the whole movie! Do you have anything good to say about any of Elvis' movies?

[@margarettaylor8107]

For the producers and Parker, quality did not matter.Profits did.Quality would have taken away profits.Regardless, I love all of Elvis' movies I am able to stare at Elvis.

[@SusieOrSueOrSusan]

I enjoyed your review and agree with most of what you said. Thanks Zakk!

[@jeanineking6327]

elvis was in he army in germany

[@douglassmith6663]

Yep just checked it on Google I am correct Wooden Heart was number 1 for sis weeks in🇬🇧👍

[@douglassmith6663]

If I am correct Wooden Heart was a number 1 Hit in 🇬🇧

[@kats72951]

Clearly you are not the target audience for the Wooden Heart scene lol 😂

[@dcftcb7764]

👑✌️

[@davidhess8935]

Some scenes seem fake..look like his waving to a fake back drop..didn't think chemistry between Elvis n the female lead worked for me...but as usual ,I will have another look today

[@marion_R]

💚☀️

[@2011littlejohn1]

It set the formula and marked the beginning of the rot that was his film career from then on. The only decent thing was Juliet Prowse. Every song apart from the juke box version of Blue Suede Shows was vomit making. I may be wrong but I think a lot of this was because Lieber and Stoller wrote no more songs for his films due to the dispute with the Colonel who believed in cheap and cheerful with bigger profits. His management turned down kudos movies like West Side Story and produced what... Kissing Cousins? Yeccchhhh!!

[@amandarayray9340]

Poor Elvis! They should have given him better scripts, but impossible with the Col in charge. Do you know he even sped up his songs so he could get extra track on the soundtrack. Elvis was just a cash register to him!

[@schlafwandler1427]

I would‘nt recommend the movie era albums, if you re looking forward to listen to them. In a musical way they are bad. I would go further to the Comeback Special and From Elvis in Memphis! Movie reactions would be funny though