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"Viva Las Vegas" (CD/LP)
FTD, 2003/2010/2018/2019)
Viva Las Vegas is Elvis' fifteenth film. Shot on location in Las Vegas and at the MGM studios in Hollywood, the plot revolves around a racing driver who needs to save money for a new engine for his car, an essential condition to be able to participate in the first Las Vegas Grand Prix. Between ups and downs, he also ends up having to fight for the love of a charming swimming instructor.
Considered one of the best films - if not "the" best - of Elvis in the 1960s, "Viva Las Vegas" is also one of the most extravagant in terms of production, heated discussions, gossip, hot moments, greed and everything else that Las Vegas is able to deliver.
Although clearly filmed from an helicopter flying over Vegas and its casinos, MGM reinforced in the opening credits that "the firms depicted in this photoplay are fictitious"
The extravaganza produced by the Las Vegas setting had already begun in July 1963, when the film's soundtrack was recorded, perhaps due to the fact that the production and score of the previous film, "Kissin' Cousins", had been extremely poor. During filming, the locations proved to be expensive and the director, veteran George Sidney, insisted on doing several takes and extended scenes, especially those involving Ann-Margret.
Elvis and Ann-Margret talk during a break while filming
Fearing that his client would receive less exposure than the actress, the Colonel resented this decision and provoked intense arguments with the director. The scenes criticized by Parker were, essentially, those in which Ann-Margret appeared dancing in several different scenarios and with many camera angles in "silly and endless sequences", according to the Colonel. For this reason, this is the only film in which Parker does not appear in the credits as a technical advisor.
The film's choreographer, actor and dancer David Winters, from the original cast of "West Side Story", was Ann-Margret's dance teacher and a born perfectionist, which helped to irritate the Colonel even more. For Parker, as stated above, it was an abuse to want the supporting actress to do better and appear longer than the lead actor, and this led to more arguments.
Whether due to competence or due to these problems, Elvis achieved an unprecedented feat in his productions: filming the scene in which he sings "Viva Las Vegas" during the contest near the end of the film in just one take.
The incessant rehearsals, re-recordings and use of multi-angles created what the Colonel called a "budgetary extravaganza", which led to the production of the most expensive film of Elvis' career: US$3.5 million in total, not counting the soundtrack. As a result of this, Parker cut the budget of all upcoming films by 50% - thinking that this would recoup the "losses" of this production - and throwing Elvis into a sea of meaningless songs and bizarre (as well as repetitive) situations.
Priscilla Beaulieu, 18 years old at the time, already had her concerns directed at the explosive and visible chemistry between Elvis and Ann-Margret, 22. And with good reason, as the pair began a brief romance that attracted the attention of gossip magazine columnists and, allegedly, caused a big fight between the three after one of the shoots.
The affection between Ann and Elvis was palpable
Priscilla later revealed in her 1985 book, "Elvis & Me", that everything really started to heat up when the press decided to publish everywhere that Elvis and Ann-Margret were engaged and were going to get married. The actress reveals in her memoir, "A Photo Extravaganza & Memoir", that she felt that Elvis was her soulmate and that "we felt that 'The Industry' needed a female version of Elvis".
Whatever the truth, the wedding scene between Elvis and Ann's characters in the film was a huge hit for the press. Some newspapers and magazines actually published them as being from a real wedding, which certainly generated a heavy atmosphere between Elvis and Priscilla.
Cover of one of the gossip magazines of the period
Despite everything, "Viva Las Vegas" raised almost 275% more than it cost, the incredible sum never reached before - and never after, either - of US$9.5 million. Another record, this one really unexpected, was that the production surpassed the revenue of the Beatles' film, "A Hard's Day Night", released almost at the same time that year, at the height of Beatlemania in the US.
Elvis received a Laurel Award in 1965 for his performance in the film and the production came in 2nd place among the best of 1964 in the same award. Apart from some fierce critics who hated the plot, specialized critics generally liked the film and only had eyes for Ann-Margret, who, according to them, was the real star.
Elvis and Ann-Margret act, at the end of the film, the scene that many fans wish it was for real
SOUNDTRACK
Recorded in 6 sessions at Radio Recorders and MGM Sound Stage between July and September 1963, the film's soundtrack consists of 12 songs sung by Elvis, two sung by Ann-Margret, one by George McFadden and several instrumentals. It is the most expensive, most extensive and the one that used the most musicians (42 in total) in its recording.
The single "Viva Las Vegas", featuring "What'd I Say"on the B-side, was released on April 28, 1964 with an average placement (side A at 21st, and side B at 29th).
Instead of investing a little more, RCA decided to release an EP, a format that was almost forgotten at the time, with just 4 songs. This meant that sales were worse than those of the single, leaving the album only in the 92nd position. "I Need Somebody to Lean On" didn't even chart.
Apart from the EP release, another reason why the album was not successful was the musical revolution at the time. While other American groups, and even foreign ones, such as The Beatles, were looking for new rhythms, Elvis had stopped in time.
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 28, 1941, Ann-Margret Olsson's career was boosted by Marilyn Monroe in 1959, when the actress noticed her stunning figure and encouraged her to go with her musical group, The Suttletones, to Las Vegas, which led her to RCA. Her husky and stylish voice made the record company sell her as "the female Elvis"; "Viva Las Vegas" was the culmination of this marketing process.
Ann made small appearances in film and TV during her career, the most lasting being her own series ("The Ann-Margret Show", 1968). The remainder of her time was dedicated almost entirely to music, releasing 30 singles and albums from 1961 to 2004.
In 1994, Ann-Margret publicly admitted to struggling with alcoholism. The following year she appeared on the list of the 100 Sexiest Actresses in History, coming in 10th place. Like Elvis, Margret is passionate about motorbikes and only stopped riding in 2000, when she broke three ribs in an accident.
The singer and actress is now 82 years old (2024) and still works in music, cinema and TV. She married actor, producer and screenwriter Roger Smith on May 8, 1967 (one week after Elvis' wedding) and remained with him until his death in 2017.
CESARE DANOVA
Cesare Deitinger was born in Italy in 1926 and went to the US in 1955 to film "Don Giovanni", catching the attention of MGM, which hired him in 1956. His big break would come in 1963, when he was part of the main cast of "Cleopatra", alongside Elizabeth Taylor. The following year, he would appear in "Viva Las Vegas" and end his film career.
From 1965 to 1992 the actor dedicated himself to TV, appearing in "Daniel Boone" (1964 - 1970), "Charlie's Angels" (1976 - 1981), "Fantasy Island" (1977 - 1984), "Hart to Hart" ( 1979 - 1984), "Mission: Impossible" (1988 - 1990) and "In the Heat of the Night" (1988 - 1995).
Cesare Danova passed away on March 19, 1992, at age 66, after having a heart attack during a meeting of the Hollywood Foreign Language Film Committee.
WILLIAM DEMAREST
Demarest was born in 1892 and was interested in acting as a child, taking part in Vaudeville. His film career began in 1926 and lasted until 1972, with more than 140 films. In his early work, Demarest had the honor of being part of the cast of "The Jazz Singer" (1927), the first film with sound and spoken dialogue.
On TV, the actor had his own series, "Love and Marriage" (1959-60). From 1965 to 1972, he played his best-known character, Uncle Charlie O'Casey in the series "My Three Sons". His last work was the TV film "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", filmed in 1972 and released the following year.
The actor passed away due to prostate cancer and complications from pneumonia in 1983, at the age of 91.
JACK CARTER
Born in Brooklyn, New York on June 24, 1922, Jack got his own show on NBC shortly after returning from his service in World War II. With a vintage comedy style, reminiscent of Milton Berle, Carter made his career and his life in theaters across the US, mainly in Las Vegas. In "Viva Las Vegas", he is the host of the talent show in which Elvis and Ann-Margret participate, alluding to his work in the city at that time.
After the 1970s, the comedian began to appear in several famous TV series and less celebrated films. His last film, "Mercy" (2014) is, strangely enough, one of his best. On TV, his last work was voicing a character in the animated series "Family Guy" (1999), in early 2015.
The comedian and actor passed away from respiratory failure on June 28, 2015, at the age of 93, at his home in Beverly Hills.
TERI GARR
Born December 11, 1944 in Ohio, Garr was the daughter of a Vaudeville actor and a dancer, influences that shaped her career choice. Her first appearance in cinema took place in 1963 as an extra in "A Swingin' Affair", but her name appeared in the credits for the first time only in "Viva Las Vegas".
A friend of David Winters, choreographer of 11 Elvis films, she was an extra in nine plots alongside the King of Rock. Her first speaking role was in "Head" in 1968. His most important appearances were in "Young Frankenstein" (1974), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1978) and "Tootsie" (1982 ). One of her last appearances on TV was as Phoebe Buffay's mother in the series "Friends" (1994-2004).
Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2002, she received fewer and fewer opportunities. The actress, now 79 years old (2024), lives with her family in Ohio.
