A look at Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966)

[jetblack]

Released in 1966 'Paradise, Hawaiian Style ' would be Elvis 21st motion picture and his third set in Hawaii.

Original movie trailer:-


'Blue Hawaii' (1961) and 'Girls,Girls,Girls' (1962) may have also had thin story lines but at least boasted some excellent music and some tracks that became classic songs ('Can't Help Falling In Love' / 'Return To Sender'). This 1966 vehicle had neither.

There were ten songs recorded for the movie. 'Sand Castles' would be the best of the bunch. Two songs would be a duet with young Donna Butterworth ('Queenie Wahine's Papaya' and 'Datin') while ' Scratch My Back' would be a duet with Marianna Hill. These would appear in the movie only and not on the soundtrack album.

The title song, 'Drums Of The Islands', This Is My Heaven' and 'Stop Where You Are' may not be top drawer material but are pleasant enough. The remaining two songs ('House of Sand' and ' A Dog's Life) are well below par.

UK album (RD 7810)

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Amazingly the soundtrack album did well in the UK through the summer of 1966. It would peak at position #5 for three non-consecutive weeks staying on the album chart for a total of thirteen weeks.

Number #15 would be the peak position in the USA where it would chart for nineteen weeks.

There would be no single release in the UK or the USA from the album though Elvis was in the UK singles chart with 'Love Letters' (RCA 1526) when the movie soundtrack was released. It would peak at position #6.

'Paradise, Hawaiian Style' would be the 40th top grossing movie of 1966 in the USA.

With Hal Wallis (August 1965)

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Andy

[Mona Lisa]

Love that movie...

Sent from my ANE-LX1 using Tapatalk

[DearGeorgie]

I'd rather look away from Paradise Hawaiian Style... he's so uninspired you can see it in his general appearance. And what a lousy batch of songs. "A Dog's Life" is one of the most embarrassing scenes in any Presley picture.

[Cryogenic]

It's a silly, lighthearted film; which, in a way, lives up to its title (i.e., basically set in paradise). Wish we could see a 4K version to fully appreciate all those gorgeous Hawaii-on-film colours. Surely, just for this film's lush cinematography and the gorgeous vistas, it has something going for it.

As for the songs: Yeah, okay, the soundtrack is a bit uninspired, and perhaps a deflating experience placed against what else was happening in music at the time, and also stacked against Elvis' best, but it has a bit of charm and sparkle in places; even if Elvis should really have moved on to new pastures by this point.

The title track is addictive (and re-used, of course, for the US version of "Aloha From Hawaii"), "Drums of the Island" is a treat, and "This Is My Heaven" is commandingly beautiful in the kind of way that only Elvis could pull off (if annoyingly short). An honourable mention, of sorts, must also be given to the hypnotic and slightly offbeat "Sand Castles" -- an imagistic lullaby that leans slightly into Surrealism (which EP would sink his teeth into a bit more with "Edge of Reality" three years later).

All that said, it is hard not to hear the disenchantment in his voice on much of the album, and hard not to notice his tubby appearance or phoned-in performance in the movie itself. He knew he was above this sort of material and had already tackled better in the same vein on more than a dozen post-army motion pictures preceding this one, and having already done two prior films set in the 50th state in the last four years. Third time here was not really the charm, even if PHS has a few endearing facets of its own and does mark the completion of Presley's cinematic Hawaiian trifecta.

[rlj4ep]

Released in 1966 'Paradise, Hawaiian Style ' would be Elvis 21st motion picture and his third set in Hawaii.

Original movie trailer:-


'Blue Hawaii' (1961) and 'Girls,Girls,Girls' (1962) may have also had thin story lines but at least boasted some excellent music and some tracks that became classic songs ('Can't Help Falling In Love' / 'Return To Sender'). This 1966 vehicle had neither.

There were ten songs recorded for the movie. 'Sand Castles' would be the best of the bunch. Two songs would be a duet with young Donna Butterworth ('Queenie Wahine's Papaya' and 'Datin') while ' Scratch My Back' would be a duet with Marianna Hill. These would appear in the movie only and not on the soundtrack album.

The title song, 'Drums Of The Islands', This Is My Heaven' and 'Stop Where You Are' may not be top drawer material but are pleasant enough. The remaining two songs ('House of Sand' and ' A Dog's Life) are well below par.

UK album (RD 7810)


Amazingly the soundtrack album did well in the UK through the summer of 1966. It would peak at position #5 for three non-consecutive weeks staying on the album chart for a total of thirteen weeks.

Number #15 would be the peak position in the USA where it would chart for nineteen weeks.

There would be no single release in the UK or the USA from the album though Elvis was in the UK singles chart with 'Love Letters' (RCA 1526) when the movie soundtrack was released. It would peak at position #6.

'Paradise, Hawaiian Style' would be the 40th top grossing movie of 1966 in the USA.

With Hal Wallis (August 1965)


Andy

Thanks Andy..., it's a not a great movie obviously. but it is a fun movie that one can just sit back relax and have some fun. Nothing serious, nothing to debate, just simply an "escape" from the pressures of life.
The title song and Drums of the Island are probably my favorite from the movie. Although I must quickly add, the studio outtakes of "Datin'" and "A Dog's Life" are hilarious to listen to. It's as if Elvis understands how silly they are and is just doing his best to honor the contract.

[pmp]

This film is an oddity for me. I loved it as a kid. Then hated it when I saw it about ten or fifteen years ago. Then shoved it on last year when I was unwell and found myself really rather enjoying it. That doesn't mean it's a good film, as it is most definitely not, but it passed ninety minutes of my time in an enjoyable fashion. Obviously, as with all of these formula Elvis films (and albums), if you watch the whole cycle, you're going to get pretty bored with them rather quickly, but one here and there isn't such a bad thing.

[Yamaguchi.Y]

Even as a kid, I thought Donna Butterworth was insufferable to watch and listen to in this film.
(Having said that, I do enjoy some parts of the movie though; after all, it is still our hero in paradise. )

[InheritTheWind]

This film is an oddity for me. I loved it as a kid. Then hated it when I saw it about ten or fifteen years ago. Then shoved it on last year when I was unwell and found myself really rather enjoying it. That doesn't mean it's a good film, as it is most definitely not, but it passed ninety minutes of my time in an enjoyable fashion. Obviously, as with all of these formula Elvis films (and albums), if you watch the whole cycle, you're going to get pretty bored with them rather quickly, but one here and there isn't such a bad thing.

I literally went through the exact same thing. Elvis movies were always on in the afternoon when I’d get home from school in the ‘70s and they were always comforting to me. This was one of my favorites. Many years later I saw it again and thought, what a terrible movie. Then about a year ago I watched it because it was on Prime (or some streaming service) and it found it fairly amusing. Funny how that happens.

[Cryogenic]

I do kinda dig EP's Hawaiian trifecta. I mean, "Blue Hawaii" sounds like a cocktail, "Girls! Girls! Girls!" could be advertising a strip-joint, and "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" must be either a really good pizza or an obscure sexual manoeuvre. The printing industry was probably also grateful for the sequels, since additional punctuation was required.

[elvis-fan]

Even the trailer was difficult to get through. Man, Elvis looked horrible, his voice sounded worse and the movie was just bad, bad , bad.
The only enjoyment I've ever got from this movie was the outtakes of Datin' on the EAP set where Elvis can't control his laughter...

[Kylan]

Even the trailer was difficult to get through. Man, Elvis looked horrible, his voice sounded worse and the movie was just bad, bad , bad.
The only enjoyment I've ever got from this movie was the outtakes of Datin' on the EAP set where Elvis can't control his laughter...

Double amen on that! My least fav movie. Least fav album. Just bad all the way around.

[rlj4ep]

Just a follow up question...., why did RCA use a picture of Elvis which appears to be from Fun in Acapulco on the album cover and not from PHS? Thanks

[elvis-fan]

Just a follow up question...., why did RCA use a picture of Elvis which appears to be from Fun in Acapulco on the album cover and not from PHS? Thanks

I believe Hal Wallis and Parker were both unhappy with Elvis' appearance during that film...

[Lonely Summer]

I like A Dog's Life. There are a couple of decent ballads on the album, but if they were hoping to recapture the magic of Blue Hawaii and Girls Girls Girls, they failed.
Donna Butterworth should be charming, as some of Elvis' previous child co-stars were (the girl in World's Fair comes to mind), but she's just annoying. I can watch pretty much anything Elvis was in, but this is pretty low on my list.

[Christopher Brown]

Bottom of the barrel, both film and soundtrack. No usable material for single on that album. And we got outtakes of one of his poorest songs on a major release way back in 1980. How exciting! I do like James Shigeta in the film, though.

[elvis-fan]

I do like James Shigeta in the film, though.

He's definitely one of the only highlights for sure...

[colonel snow]

Revised final product information & synopsis.


colonel snow

[colonel snow]

to be continued


colonel snow

[colonel snow]

last pages


colonel snow

[jetblack]

Of interest in those notes of Colonel Snow is that 'Sand Castles' was another movie duet with Donna Butterworth.

Cheers for posting.

Andy

[colonel snow]

mono LP RD 7810 / stereo LP SF 7810

colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Of interest in those notes of Colonel Snow is that 'Sand Castles' was another movie duet with Donna Butterworth.

Cheers for posting.

Andy

Sand castles - deleted scene

colonel snow

[jetblack]

Of interest in those notes of Colonel Snow is that 'Sand Castles' was another movie duet with Donna Butterworth.

Cheers for posting.

Andy

Sand castles - deleted scene

colonel snow

Miss Butterworth doesn't look awake. The duet as per the notes above may be an error but hard to say without movie footage.

Andy

[colonel snow]

Some interesting information about song selection

Mine (Tepper-Bennett)
After a few rejections during earlier recording sessions the song was submitted for the movie Paradise Hawaiian style. It was a replacement for Now is the hour. It has the same musical arrangement.
However the song was replaced for that scene by This is my heaven. The song was recorded later on 11 september 1967 in a non-movie recording session.

Now is the hour (Maori farewell song *)
* The Maori’s originate from New Zealand!!

The song is written by Maewa Kaihan – Clement Scott – Dorothy Stewart.
The original version(?) was recorded with the title “Po Atarau” in february 1927 by Ana Hato & Deane Waretini (Parlophone A 2806 – Australia). The first two verses are in Maori and the song continues with English lyrics “Now is the hour”.

The song is often mentioned in magazines – books as instrumental track recorded on 27 july 1965 for the movie. There are no documents about this recording and the song is rejected in the pre-selection.
There were problems with publishing rights about new English lyrics to be added to the tune.

The song was a big hit in 1948 with recordings by:
08-11-47 – Bing Crosby (Decca 24279);
00-11-47 – Eddy Howard (Majestic 1191);
00-11-47 – Grace Fields (London 110);
22-11-47 – Charlie Spivak (RCA 202704);
00-03-48 – Margaret Whiting (Capitol 15024).

colonel snow

[Greystoke]

At the very least, Paradise, Hawaiian Style was an improvement on recent projects like Frankie & Johnny, Girl Happy, Harum Scarum, and Tickle Me. In my opinion, at least. It was certainly made with higher production values for the most part, which is something that separated the Wallis productions from films made at MGM in which Elvis had the option to choose the producer and director (unless the studio disputed this or chose first). This being something Tom Parker latched onto, encouraging reduced budgets and decreased overheads in the process. Tickle Me was made under similar prerequisites at Allied Artists.

This said, Paradise, Hawaiian Style remains one of Elvis's lesser vehicles, although it's understandable why it exists, given that Hal Wallis surely wanted to make a broadly commercial film with Elvis. And was apparently going nowhere negotiating options to have him act in a non-singing role. Which might have been uncertain territory, but Elvis should have been trying to steer his career in that direction by this stage. It was overdue by 1966.

Not that Paradise, Hawaiian Style wasn't popular, because it surely was and it did respectable business for the most part. But it's clear that a production line of like-minded projects had been yielding lesser results for some time, whilst inspiration on Elvis's part was obviously gone. This was his most listless acting to date. And the soundtrack isn't much better.

The location undoubtedly helps, and being touted in some respects as a follow-up to Blue Hawaii didn't do any harm. Whilst, unlike Girls! Girls! Girls!, this film has a Hawaiian identity akin to what was sought with Blue Hawaii. The tourism aspects are central. There's a cultural flavour. But it doesn't delve any deeper than that. And it didn't have to.

Unfortunately, the sequence that had the most potential, that being This is My Heaven and Drums of the Islands, at the film's climax, feels half-baked. Elvis isn't well directed and he looks both out of place and quite lost. Whilst the scope of this sequence is narrowed by brevity and the shortcomings of director Mickey Moore. Who was directing his first feature film here.

The wider cast is mostly fine, in my opinion, or adequate at best, although I find Donna Butterworth to be refreshingly eager in comparison to Elvis and the starchy Suzanna Leigh. James Shigeta is likeable in his role, minor as this may be. Whilst John Doucette is amusing in a brief appearance.

I do think the title track is fairly good in respect to what it says about Hawaii and the film, purely from that same tourist perspective. This said, Elvis's singing lets it down to some extent. It needed a brighter and more effervescent vocal, and that is sadly absent. Otherwise, the likes of A Dog's Life and Datin' were and are the bottom of the barrel at this stage. They're just so charmless and banal.

I do appreciate that this film has its fans. Although I wouldn't say that it's my least favourite Elvis film. I've already mentioned a few of those. Whilst Paramount was still willing to give an Elvis Presley film the kind of marketing push that would soon be absent from subsequent projects. Certainly after Spinout, which MGM supported strongly.

Something I do like, is the cover of the soundtrack album. Which seems to exist more through necessity than purely being creative. The image, as we know, is from Fun in Acapulco, as opposed to Paradise, Hawaiian Style. And whilst it doesn't actually suit the tone of the film, it has an introspective quality that would have been appropriate for an album featuring the likes of I'll Remember You and Indescribably Blue. Especially with the exotic backdrop. Which looks more tempestuous than paradisiacal. With Elvis looking quite pensive in the foreground.

Some of the images below are from Paramount World, whilst Suzanna Leigh wrote in some detail about her experience working with Elvis in her autobiography, Paradise, Suzanna Style. Although this book is often fanciful and quite odd at times, in my opinion. But there's some nice photos here, too. Both with regards to this film and other projects Leigh was involved in.

Nice topic once again, Andy.

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The reception committee for the Manila premiere, which was a benefit event in aid of the Philippines National Red Cross

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Events taking place at the Manila premiere, which was held at the Avenue Theatre.

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Marketing activities in San Francisco, with leis being handed out to promote the film.

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The Singapore Palace Theatre in Katong, where Paradise, Hawaiian Style was screening in Malay, English, and Chinese (unspecified as to whether this was Mandarin or Cantonese).

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Marquee in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Suzanna Leigh with the film's director, Mickey Moore.

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Suzanna Leigh being interviewed by Barbara Henderson in Wolverhampton, England, for the Wolverhampton Express.

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Suzanna Leigh's autobiography, Paradise, Suzanna Style.

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