Jenna Does Elvis #15 – Charro! (1969) / The Trouble With Girls (1969)

charrotrouble

It’s the home stretch! After this post, I have only ONE Elvis movie left to go!

I’ve thus far neglected to really delve into the historical backdrop for these films—however, it is now 1969, and boy have we come a long way. When Elvis’ first film came out, in 1956, he was a mere 21 years old and had just debuted his “Hound Dog/ Don’t Be Cruel” single. Elsewhere in 1956, Norma Jean changed her name to Marilyn Monroe, Eisenhower got his second term, Grace Kelly became a princess, and the Supreme Court declared the Alabama Bus segregation laws illegal. 

Now, in 1969, Nixon has become president, Neil Armstrong has taken one small step for man, Woodstock has burst onto the scene, The Beatles recorded Abbey Road, the Manson murders happened, and Don Draper had a zen moment on a California mountaintop. 

Though the world has changed, Elvis has largely stayed the same—if you judged America solely by Elvis movies, you’d think we never made it past ’63. These last ones, however, are real wild cards:

Continue reading Jenna Does Elvis #15 – Charro! (1969) / The Trouble With Girls (1969)

Jenna Does Elvis #13 – Clambake (1967) / Stay Away, Joe (1968)

clamjoe

When I first mentioned to Cody that I was going to start this project, his immediate reaction was “Have you seen Clambake!?” The title alone was enough to sell me, but no, I had not heard of this gloriously titled film. Cody couldn’t really remember what Clambake was about, just that it’s bizarre and fun, so all I could hope and expect was that it was just Elvis hangin’ all day at a sweet ass clambake, full of bikini-clad revelers, Beach Boys ripoff songs, and clams a-bakin’.

Well, I wasn’t too far off. Little did I know the horror that was lurking around the corner, though…

Continue reading Jenna Does Elvis #13 – Clambake (1967) / Stay Away, Joe (1968)