Double Trouble

[FredAistair]

Worse moments will come in the next films. Yoga is as Yoga Does, Confidence and Dominic.

I actually just watched Easy Come Easy Go (Yoga is as Yoga Does) and enjoyed it as harmless fluff, my thoughts were that given the right script Elvis might have been good in light comedies.

Oddly enough, I started to watch it this afternoon as I recorded it in HD from Sky Cinema a few weeks back but my subscription ends in a couple of weeks. I just couldn't make it past about twenty minutes. The script is bad enough, but Elvis is absolutely awful. That scene where he first goes to the Easy Go-Go club just prior to The Love Machine. It's like watching bad amateur dramatics. We know from other films, from G I Blues to Speedway (and some in between) that he could actually be quite a good comedian - he even shows some good comic timing in an early scene in Double Trouble, IIRC (although it's a while since I've seen it). But in Easy Come Easy Go, it's nowhere to be seen.

Fair observations I think, I was more forgiving on Easy Come Easy Go, its 10's of years since I last saw it.

[Spellbinder]

You can say what you like about the movie, but I believe (without fear of sensible contradiction) that the title song was the last great R&B recording Elvis ever made.

[jurasic1968]

You got to be kidding.

[Greystoke]

You got to be kidding.

Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide highlights Long Legged Girl (with the Short Dress On) as one of Elvis's best post-army songs. Go figure!

IMG_20230529_152319188.jpg

[jurasic1968]

How wrong he was.

[colonel snow]

Press book


colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Double trouble
The first acetate track 2306-1 is cut by MGM on 30 june 1966; this is the unreleased version with the original ending.
The second acetate track 2406-4 revised version (with workpart ending) is cut by MGM on 9 july 1966.

colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Here the history of the scripts; it looks an old script is used and worked out to a new script / story

14-12- 59 – screenplay written by Charlotte Armstrong – title Run for your life (140 pages)

04-08-60 – screenplay written by Charlotte Armstrong – title Run for your life (148 pages)

06-09-60 – screenplay written by Phoebe and Henry Ephron – title Run for your life (120 pages)

20-07-65 – script written by Jo Heims – title: Somebody’s trying to kill me (150 pages)

01-02-66 – outline script by Jo Heims – title: Somebody’s trying to kill me (12 pages)

02-02-66 – undated script written by Jo Heims – title: Somebody’s trying to kill me (150 pages)

09-02-66 – script written by Jo Heims – title: You’re killing me me (150 pages)

16-02-66 – script with changes till 22 march 1966 - title: You’re killing me me (180 pages)

23-05-66 – wardrobe reference with photos (20 pages)

23-05-66 – script with changes till 24 may 1966 - written by Jo Heims (150 pages)

10-06-66 – script with changes till 13 july 1966 - written by Jo Heims (180 pages)

10-06-66 – composite script with changes till 13 july 1966 - written by Jo Heims (160 pages)

10-06-66 – final script with changes till 13 july 1966 - written by Jo Heims (123 pages)


colonel snow

[A. C. van Kuijk]

For me "Double Trouble" is more entertaining than many other Presley films. Even the songs are not too bad when I see the performances in the film. "Double Trouble" is no piece of art, but better "Charro!" or "Stay Away, Joe".

[jurasic1968]

Maybe, but it was close to the bottom of the barrel.

[Greystoke]

Maybe, but it was close to the bottom of the barrel.

I would say so. Whilst being released just weeks after Easy Come, Easy Go, didn't help Double Trouble's commercial fortunes at the box office. Although neither were successful.

It wasn't unprecedented for an actor to star in two films that were on release at the same time, but Elvis certainly didn't need competition from himself when he was now unable to hold his own at the box office. But with Clambake's impending release, MGM had to schedule as they saw appropriate. Especially when they had their own slate of releases being planned for Elvis the following year.

[jurasic1968]

Annette Day was very bad in her role in Double Trouble.

[Greystoke]

Annette Day was very bad in her role in Double Trouble.

She was a total amateur and didn't really show much aptitude for acting, and her career did come to a quick halt. But considering the calibre of Double Trouble, I don't think she's glaringly bad by comparison. This said, it must have been pretty exciting for her in a lot of ways. She didn't act in another movie.

annette-day-1118full-annette-day.jpeg

[colonel snow]

Smokey mountain boy (Tepper-Bennett)
The demo version was not used for the movie Double trouble; a song with the same title was written by Lenore Rosenblatt & Victor Miller for the movie Kissin’ cousins.
This demo is not the version for Kissin’ cousins!!!





colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Baby if you'll give me all of your love - acetate with demo version


colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Baby if you'll give me all of your love - lyrics sheet


colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Double trouble - songs + alternates according to the script (selection 27 july 1966):

1 – Double trouble scene # 38 – opening credits
(Pomus-Shuman)

2 – Royal blues ( ) or scene # 43 – 45 London night club
Crazy head ( )
replaced by My baby likes to stay at home ( )
but finally replaced by Baby if you’ll give all of your love
(Byers)

3 – On London Bridge (Sid Tepper)
replaced by Could I fall in love (Starr) scene # 59 – sung to Annette Day in appartment

4 – It ain’t gonna do no good ( ) scene # 96 – sung on deck of ship
replaced by Long legged girl (McFarland-Starr)

5 – City by night (Giant-Baum-Kaye) scene # 128 – sung in nightclub – Belgium

6 – Old MacDonald (Starr) scene # 156 – sung on pick up – truck loaded with chickens

7 – I love only one girl (Tepper-Bennett) scene # 156 – sung at festival in Antwerp

8 – There’s so much world to see (Wayne-Weisman) scene # 249 – sung to Annette Day in hotelroom

9 – It won’t be long (Wayne-Weisman) scene # 354 – finale
replaced by Baby if you’ll give all of your love but finally is this song removed to scene # 43-45.
It won’t be long wasn’t used in the movie.

I've no information about the rejected (alternate) songs


colonel snow

[Jaime1234]

It is the worse Elvis movie I ever saw in a theater. Then, when I watched it on a television set, it appeared to me to be even worse. The appearance of the three idiots is what sinks the movie. And the fact Elvis gifted his leading lady a Ford Mustang is proof he himself was feeling pity for her. The best moments in the movie are when Elvis sings. The songs are not bad, but terribly inserted

[drjohncarpenter]

You can say what you like about the movie, but I believe (without fear of sensible contradiction) that the title song was the last great R&B recording Elvis ever made.

[Paul Allen]

You can say what you like about the movie, but I believe (without fear of sensible contradiction) that the title song
was the last great R&B recording Elvis ever made.

[colonel snow]

Antwerp here we come
The song was written by Randy Starr.
Together with "Could I fall in love" it was one of his demo's for the movie Double trouble.
Elvis thought it sounded a lot like the traditional song Old MacDonald so Elvis decided to record Old MacDonald wit re-written lyrics by Randy Starr.

[Could I fall in love (Starr)
Version # 1
According to an interview with Randy Starr the lyrics for version # 1 were disliked by Freddy Bienstock.
Version # 2 – with new lyrics: rejected again
Version # 3 – new lyrics again; demo recorded by Malcolm Dodd and now acceptable for recording by Elvis. The demo version is without harmony vocal.
(source Frame by frame – Bill Bram – page 150).

colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Could I fall in love

Could I fall in love = movie version transfer track 2302/1 on acetate 1 july 1966 is track 2012 take 1.

Could I fall in love = movie version transfer on acetate 5 july 1966 is a splice from track 2012 takes 1 and 4

Could I fall in love = movie version transfer track 2404/03 on acetate 1 september 1966 is an edited version from track 2012 take 1


colonel snow

[colonel snow]

City by night - acetates

5 july 1966: movie version transfer = composite track 2013/12 & 2012/10.

26 july 1966: movie version transfer – track 2402 / 5 = track 2027 take 5 with a different mix

26 july 1966: movie version transfer – track 2402 / 6 = track 2027 take 5 with a different mix



colonel snow