Harum Scarum * (1965, Elvis Presley, Mary Ann Mobley, Fran Jeffries, Michael Ansara) – Classic Movie Review 6233

Director Gene Nelson’s 1965 comedy musical is a ridiculous Elvis Presley vehicle, in which he plays Johnny Tyrone, an action movie star kidnapped by Arabs on the way to his new film’s Middle East premiere in order to get him to assassinate an Arab king. Instead, Elvis falls for Princess Shalimar and sings a handful of songs. It also provides an excuse to get Elvis dressed up as Rudolph Valentino and leaping about like silent star Douglas Fairbanks Sr.

Gerald Drayson Adams’s silly script, the poor songs (‘Harum Scarum’, ‘Shake That Tambourine’, ‘Animal Instinct’, ‘Mirage’. ‘Golden Coins’, ‘Go East Young Man’. ‘Kismet’, ‘My Desert Serenade’, ‘So Close Yet So Far’, ‘Wisdom of the Ages’, Hey Little Girl’), the fairly feeble star performance and forgettable characters mean that it is strictly for die-hard Elvis fans.

You might like to pity Elvis that his film career is reduced to this nonsense, but it is easy to feel sorry for Mary Ann Mobley, who has the usual dismal heroine star support act as Princess Shalimar to act her way out of.

Also in the cast are Fran Jeffries, Michael Ansara, Theodore Marcuse, Jay Novello, Billy Barty, Philip Reed, Dirk Harvey, Jack Constanzo, Larry Chance, Barbara Werle, Brenda Benet, Gail Gilmore, Wilda Taylor, Vicki Malkin, Ryck Rydon, Richard Reeves, Joey Russo, and Red West.

It is shot by Fred Jackman Jr, produced by Sam Katzman, scored by Fred Karger, and designed by George W Davis and McClure Capps, with music by Sid Tepper, Florence Kaye, Bernie Baum and Roy C Bennett.

Mary Ann Mobley died on 9 December 2014, aged 77 at her home in Beverly Hills. She was crowned Mississippi’s first Miss America in 1959. She played in two Elvis movies – Girl Happy and Harum Scarum – and in Young Dillinger.

Gail Gerber [aka Gail Gilmore] died on 2 March 2014, aged 76. She played in two Elvis movies – Girl Happy and Harum Scarum, The Loved One, a couple of Beach movies, and Village of the Giants.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6233

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