Tickle Me: A Long Lonely Highway

[Greystoke]

When Allied Artists president, Steve Broidy, made a proposal via Abe Lastfogel of The William Morris agency, for Elvis to star in a film for the floundering studio, there was no doubt that Tom Parker's price would be met -- $750,000 (salary + expenses) plus 50% of the profits.

This, after all, was a studio that was $1,580,000 in the red for 1962, and would report net losses of $2,747,000 in 1963. They needed a sure thing, or at least less of a risk than some of the projects Allied had embarked upon in recent years, both at the production end and as a distributor. And with Elvis proving to be one of the most bankable stars in the industry at that time, seemingly, all that was needed, was a price.

motionpictureexh72jaye_0_0389.jpg

Allied did have some tantalising prospects in 1963 and 1964, and whilst they hoped for big things from Soldier in the Rain, this didn't materialise, and despite sinking $2.9 million into the marketing and distribution of 55 Days at Peking, Samuel Bronston $10 million production could only return $5 million domestic.

Screenshot_20220915-114906~2.png

Soldier in the Rain was a project that found Steve McQueen miscast in a misfire for which he was paid $100,000, along with second billing behind Jackie Gleason. McQueen's run of success and increased popularity leading up to The Great Escape allowed him to renegotiate for $200,000 and 20.5% of the profits, but the film wasn't successful. And neither was the Pat Boone vehicle, Never Put it in Writing, which the studio was also pinning some hopes on.

boxofficeoctdec183boxo_0099~2.jpg

Elvis, by the time an agreement with finalised with Allied Artists in August of 1964, had already completed principal photography on Girl Happy for MGM, whilst Viva Las Vegas was one of six MGM films (along with The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Night of the Iguana, How the West Was Won, Looking for Love, and Flipper's New Adventure), that contributed significantly towards record box office receipts of $3,350,000 for the studio in the first week of July.

This couldn't have gone unnoticed with regards to Broidy, whilst a distribution campaign that began with a New York release on May 1st, before going citywide in Los Angeles on July 1st, wasn't dissimilar to the way in which Tickle Me was rolled out nationwide, especially with a focus on drive-ins. Although it's worth adding that the aforementioned record takings for MGM in the first week of July, 1964, is close to Allied Artist's entire international rentals for the previous year ($3.8 million), and almost a quarter of the studio's $14 million domestic rentals for 1963.

Screenshot_20240122-194019~2.png

Granted, Allied was never the studio powerhouse that MGM was, but they needed to find a port in the midst of a storm, which came in the shape of Elvis Presley and Tickle Me. A film based on the stage play, Rodeo, which Hal Wallis owned the rights to in the 1950s, and was considering - along with Sing You Sinners (which became King Creole) - as his next project for Elvis in 1957.

Had Wallis opted to take Rodeo into production this undoubtedly would have been a different film to what Tickle Me ultimately became, and certainly part of Allied and Tom Parker's remit with regards to this project was an agreement to reduce the budget and overheads for the sake of maximising profit margins. Which is something Elvis clearly agreed to, and whilst this agreement didn't have to result in another musical comedy, in being such, it was aimed squarely at the same audience that made Kissin' Cousins a box office success.

In taking this route, which surely took Elvis's audience for granted and treated filmgoers with a degree of contempt, the only thing that mattered with regards to this project was making money. It didn't have to be a good film, and it wasn't, in my opinion. It didn't have to feature new songs, which it didn't. Importantly, it did have to be produced on a budget of $1,480,000, an agreed amount between Parker and Broidy that Allied probably struggled to meet. But they did, with the project being completed $4000 under budget.

By the end of 1964, Allied Artists were still reporting significant losses, including over $1.3 million net losses for the second quarter of that year alone. Elvis, on the other hand, was now in a position where he was among the highest paid actors in Hollywood, which was a reflection of the success his films were experiencing at the box office. And with losses continuing through early 1965, the studio was banking on Tickle Me at least helping to balance their books for the year.

By this stage, however, Broidy had moved out of his position as company president and into the role of board chairman, whilst long-time stockholder in Allied Artists, Claude Giroux, took over as president. Broidy would exit the company by the end of the year, establishing his own independent production company in the process, although an apparent agreement with Tom Parker for Broidy to have first refusal on a future Elvis project never came to any realisation.

motionpictureexh73jaye_0066~2.jpg

For the film's Atlanta premiere on May 28th, 1965, Allied Artists' publicity and marketing executives secured five theatres and the presence of Elvis's gold Cadillac to help boost the film's profile, although it was made clear that this wouldn't be a star-studded event. Whilst invitational previews in South Carolina played to capacity houses, before subsequent releases in New York, on June 23rd, and in Los Angeles, on July 14th, somewhat mirrored MGM's release of Viva Las Vegas. And with box office receipts of $1,028,000 by July 26th, it was clear to all involved that they had a hit on their hands.

Screenshot_20231115-093523~2.png

Broidy estimated that Tickle Me would earn over $3 million domestic and between $4.7 and $5 million worldwide, including $250,000 - $300,000 in Canada, and in the region of $425,000 in Britain, where girls carrying giant Tickle Me feathers promoted the film for screenings at the ABC cinema in Woolwich, South London. Whilst international distribution rights excluding Canada and Great Britain, were acquired by Columbia Pictures, who embarked upon a summer release through 1965.

In Atlanta, a mock-up of a giant Tickle Me LP was installed in one of the theatre lobbies where the film premiered, whilst takings at the RKO Palace during the film's first week on Broadway totalled $17,000. Significant earnings in Chicago ($342,100) and Detroit ($172,582) also helped Tickle Me on its way to earnings of $3.4 million domestic and over 4000 play dates across the US.

motionpictureexh73jaye_0_0238~2.jpg

For Elvis and Tom Parker, this was one of the most lucrative projects they ever embarked upon, and for Allied Artists, profits from this release helped block a leaking financial dam as they ceased film production and moved solely into distribution, which was influenced by the presence of Claude Giroux as the studio's new president.

By the end of 1965, Steve Broidy had outlined a slate of seven films for his new production company, although a project with the Beach Boys fell apart amidst a dispute involving the lack of a working script and the group seeking script approval. Something Elvis seemingly had no qualms about when negotiations with Broidy were being ironed out at Allied, who initially announced Isle of Paradise as the title of the film he would star in.

Broidy's Motion Pictures International got off the ground with its first production in 1967, Good Times, which starred Sonny & Cher and was directed by William Friedkin. Although this low budget musical, made for $800,000, stumbled at the box office, earning only $600,000 domestic (plus $200,000 international) after Broidy sold distribution rights to Columbia for $1.2 million.

Screenshot_20240122-140614~2.png

By 1967, with regards to Elvis, he was at a nadir that seemed inevitable in his career, given that projects like Tickle Me, Kissin' Cousins, Harum Scarum, etc., were preferred or accepted properties, with no attempts made to embark upon anything more ambitious or creative. In 1972, Elvis commented that he had "no say-so," and no script approval. And that he couldn't say "this is not good for me."

Sounding quite defeatist, Elvis also said that Hollywood's image of him was wrong, although I've always felt the opposite was true, in that Hollywood's image of Elvis was right, when it came to giving audiences what they wanted. And in some ways, Tickle Me exemplified this.

Unfortunately, Elvis didn't seem to take his career seriously enough, and seemed unwilling to make the kind of commitments needed to steer himself away from projects that could only be cut from a mould he allowed to set. And if he didn't know how, which I think was the case, he certainly didn't have the right kind of support or encouragement from Tom Parker.

Which isn't to say that finding good properties is easy, or that good roles are there to be handed to actors every time they want to do something different. It's a tough and challenging industry that Elvis didn't seem to understand, and comments to the effect that he expected better properties or "interesting stories" to come his way seem naive and misguided.

I thought the 1972 On Tour interview was worth referring to once again because Elvis mentions Tickle Me, although this seems like a title he plucked out of the air in saying with no conviction: "not all the movies were that bad. In between I would do something that was entertaining to people, which is to a pure entertainment nature, so, like Tickle Me or something like that. They work well on television."

That same year, Irwin Allen's production of The Poseidon Adventure was released, with Allen securing half of the film's production budget with the assistance of Sherrill Corwin and Steve Broidy. Whilst Allied Artists moved back into film production after they paid $1.5 million for the rights to the Broadway musical, Cabaret, in 1969. Cabaret was also released in 1972, earning over $20 million at the domestic box office and winning eight out of ten Academy Award nominations in 1973, including Best Picture.

1972_02_actress_minnelli_supporting_grey (1).jpg

At this time, Elvis's acting career probably seemed like a distant memory, even though his last role was only three years earlier, in 1969. By which stage, there were no studios or producers reaching out with offers and opportunities, and major salaries were no longer forthcoming, as his final movies failed to find success at the box office.

"They couldn't have paid me no amount of money in the world to make me feel any self-satisfaction inside."

20220225_181301~2.jpg

[Christopher]

if this tarzan guy ever considers writing a book, i'd be the first in line.

[prosp68]

An extremely competent analysis of Elvis's mental situation using the example of the worst of his bad films. Respect.

[drjohncarpenter]

When Allied Artists president, Steve Broidy, made a proposal via Abe Lastfogel of The William Morris agency, for Elvis to star in a film for the floundering studio, there was no doubt that Tom Parker's price would be met -- $750,000 salary plus 50% of the profits.

This, after all, was a studio that was $1,580,000 in the red for 1962, and would report net losses of $2,747,000 in 1963. They needed a sure thing, or at least less of a risk than some of the projects Allied had embarked upon in recent years, both at the production end and as a distributor. And with Elvis proving to be one of the most bankable stars in the industry at that time, seemingly, all that was needed, was a price.





Allied did have some tantalising prospects in 1963 and 1964, and whilst they hoped for big things from Soldier in the Rain, this didn't materialise, and despite sinking $2.9 million into the marketing and distribution of 55 Days at Peking, Samuel Bronston $10 million production could only return $5 million domestic.





Soldier in the Rain was a project that found Steve McQueen miscast in a misfire for which he was paid $100,000, along with second billing behind Jackie Gleason. McQueen's run of success and increased popularity leading up to The Great Escape allowed him to renegotiate for $200,000 and 20.5% of the profits, but the film wasn't successful. And neither was the Pat Boone vehicle, Never Put it in Writing, which the studio was also pinning some hopes on.





Elvis, by the time an agreement with finalised with Allied Artists in August of 1964, had already completed principal photography on Girl Happy for MGM, whilst Viva Las Vegas was one of six MGM films (along with The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Night of the Iguana, How the West Was Won, Looking for Love, and Flipper's New Adventure), that contributed significantly towards record box office receipts of $3,350,000 for the studio in the first week of July.

This couldn't have gone unnoticed with regards to Broidy, whilst a distribution campaign that began with a New York release on May 1st, before going citywide in Los Angeles on July 1st, wasn't dissimilar to the way in which Tickle Me was rolled out nationwide, especially with a focus on drive-ins. Although it's worth adding that the aforementioned record takings for MGM in the first week of July, 1964, is close to Allied Artist's entire international rentals for the previous year ($3.8 million), and almost a quarter of the studio's $14 million domestic rentals for 1963.





Granted, Allied was never the studio powerhouse that MGM was, but they needed to find a port in the midst of a storm, which came in the shape of Elvis Presley and Tickle Me. A film based on the stage play, Rodeo, which Hal Wallis owned the rights to in the 1950s, and was considering - along with Sing You Sinners (which became King Creole) - as his next project for Elvis in 1957.

Had Wallis opted to take Rodeo into production this undoubtedly would have been a different film to what Tickle Me ultimately became, and certainly part of Allied and Tom Parker's remit with regards to this project was an agreement to reduce the budget and overheads for the sake of maximising profit margins. Which is something Elvis clearly agreed to, and whilst this agreement didn't have to result in another musical comedy, in being such, it was aimed squarely at the same audience that made Kissin' Cousins a box office success.

In taking this route, which surely took Elvis's audience for granted and treated filmgoers with a degree of contempt, the only thing that mattered with regards to this project was making money. It didn't have to be a good film, and it wasn't, in my opinion. It didn't have to feature new songs, which it didn't. Importantly, it did have to be produced on a budget of $1,480,000, an agreed amount between Parker and Broidy that Allied probably struggled to meet. But they did, with the project being completed $4000 under budget.

By the end of 1964, Allied Artists were still reporting significant losses, including over $1.3 million net losses for the second quarter of that year alone. Elvis, on the other hand, was now in a position where he was among the highest paid actors in Hollywood, which was a reflection of the success his films were experiencing at the box office. And with losses continuing through early 1965, the studio was banking on Tickle Me at least helping to balance their books for the year.

By this stage, however, Broidy had moved out of his position as company president and into the role of board chairman, whilst long-time stockholder in Allied Artists, Claude Giroux, took over as president. Broidy would exit the company by the end of the year, establishing his own independent production company in the process, although an apparent agreement with Tom Parker for Broidy to have first refusal on a future Elvis project never came to any realisation.





For the film's Atlanta premiere on May 28th, 1965, Allied Artists' publicity and marketing executives secured five theatres and the presence of Elvis's gold Cadillac to help boost the film's profile, although it was made clear that this wouldn't be a star-studded event. Whilst invitational previews in South Carolina played to capacity houses, before subsequent releases in New York, on June 23rd, and in Los Angeles, on July 14th, somewhat mirrored MGM's release of Viva Las Vegas. And with box office receipts of $1,028,000 by July 26th, it was clear to all involved that they had a hit on their hands.





Broidy estimated that Tickle Me would earn over $3 million domestic and between $4.7 and $5 million worldwide, including $250,000 - $300,000 in Canada, and in the region of $425,000 in Britain, where girls carrying giant Tickle Me feathers promoted the film for screenings at the ABC cinema in Woolwich, South London. Whilst international distribution rights excluding Canada and Great Britain, were acquired by Columbia Pictures, who embarked upon a summer release through 1965.

In Atlanta, a mock-up of a giant Tickle Me LP was installed in one of the theatre lobbies where the film premiered, whilst takings at the RKO Palace during the film's first week on Broadway totalled $17,000. Significant earnings in Chicago ($342,100) and Detroit ($172,582) also helped Tickle Me on its way to earnings of $3.4 million domestic and over 4000 play dates across the US.





For Elvis and Tom Parker, this was one of the most lucrative projects they ever embarked upon, and for Allied Artists, profits from this release helped block a leaking financial dam as they ceased film production and moved solely into distribution, which was influenced by the presence of Claude Giroux as the studio's new president.

By the end of 1965, Steve Broidy had outlined a slate of seven films for his new production company, although a project with the Beach Boys fell apart amidst a dispute involving the lack of a working script and the group seeking script approval. Something Elvis seemingly had no qualms about when negotiations with Broidy were being ironed out at Allied, who initially announced Isle of Paradise as the title of the film he would star in.

Broidy's Motion Pictures International got off the ground with its first production in 1967, Good Times, which starred Sonny & Cher and was directed by William Friedkin. Although this low budget musical, made for $800,000, stumbled at the box office, earning only $600,000 domestic (plus $200,000 international) after Broidy sold distribution rights to Columbia for $1.2 million.





By 1967, with regards to Elvis, he was at a nadir that seemed inevitable in his career, given that projects like Tickle Me, Kissin' Cousins, Harum Scarum, etc., were preferred or accepted properties, with no attempts made to embark upon anything more ambitious or creative. In 1972, Elvis commented that he had "no say-so," and no script approval. And that he couldn't say "this is not good for me."

Sounding quite defeatist, Elvis also said that Hollywood's image of him was wrong, although I've always felt the opposite was true, in that Hollywood's image of Elvis was right, when it came to giving audiences what they wanted. And in some ways, Tickle Me exemplified this.

Unfortunately, Elvis didn't seem to take his career seriously enough, and seemed unwilling to make the kind of commitments needed to steer himself away from projects that could only be cut from a mould he allowed to set. And if he didn't know how, which I think was the case, he certainly didn't have the right kind of support or encouragement from Tom Parker.

Which isn't to say that finding good properties is easy, or that good roles are there to be handed to actors every time they want to do something different. It's a tough and challenging industry that Elvis didn't seem to understand, and comments to the effect that he expected better properties or "interesting stories" to come his way seem naive and misguided.

I thought the 1972 On Tour interview was worth referring to once again because Elvis mentions Tickle Me, although this seems like a title he plucked out of the air in saying with no conviction: "not all the movies were that bad. In between I would do something that was entertaining to people, which is to a pure entertainment nature, so, like Tickle Me or something like that. They work well on television."

That same year, Irwin Allen's production of The Poseidon Adventure was released, with Allen securing half of the film's production budget with the assistance of Sherrill Corwin and Steve Broidy. Whilst Allied Artists moved back into film production after they paid $1.5 million for the rights to the Broadway musical, Cabaret, in 1969. Cabaret was also released in 1972, earning over $20 million at the domestic box office and winning eight out of ten Academy Award nominations in 1973, including Best Picture.





At this time, Elvis's acting career probably seemed like a distant memory, even though his last role was only three years earlier, in 1969. By which stage, there were no studios or producers reaching out with offers and opportunities, and major salaries were no longer forthcoming, as his final movies failed to find success at the box office.

"They couldn't have paid me no amount of money in the world to make me feel any self-satisfaction inside."

Always interesting to see how business decisions and profit margins affected what went on during Elvis' Hollywood slide in the mid-sixties.

But what was most interesting about "Tickle Me" was the fact that the songs heard were previously-issued studio creations, not from a soundtrack session. So the quality was a notch or two higher than what had been offered in the past few years. One song was taped on the Paramount soundstage for use in the film. There were even two tracks from Elvis Is Back! in the movie!

Elvis' co-star was the stunning Jocelyn Lane, perhaps second only to Ann-Margret in being his most charismatic film partner. She also did TV publicity for the film, which must've helped a bit with the box office.





Jocelyn Lane on "American Bandstand" (Syndicated, Saturday, July 17, 1965)
April and Nino, Duane Eddy and Jocelyn Lane are Dick Clark's special guests.
Disk jockey Kelly, of MinneapolIs-St. Paul station KDWB, Is Interviewed.
Songs are: "I'm Sweet On You," "Think of You," "Puddln'" and "Trash."



Also disagree about the idea Elvis lacked "conviction" when referencing "Tickle Me" in his 1972 MGM interview. He could've mentioned "Blue Hawaii" right off the bat if he was just searching for an example of a moneymaker. But he didn't. I transcribed the complete quote in another topic.

In a remarkable, private interview at MGM Studios in Culver City, "Elvis On Tour" co-director Bob Abel delved deeply into the singer's mediocre 1960s Hollywood career, and how it gave the impression Elvis did not care. Presley refutes this, and plainly details his private physical and emotional pain regarding his situation at that time.

Then Abel relates how his Hollywood impression of the singer completely changed when they met that year, and observing him on the concert stage. Yet, Elvis does stick up for some of his movie work before leaving the subject, and specifically cites "Tickle Me" as being "pure entertainment."




Interview with MGM co-director Bob Abel, Culver City, CA - July 1972
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSD19igmbco&t=35m43s

That's why when you get on stage, I think it's ...

It comes out.

It's honesty, it's real, it's, uh, it's you. I had, like I told you before, I had a completely different, different image of you until I met you, until I saw you in a live performance. And I think, uh, a lot of people do, they have an image like that.

Well, not, you know, not all the movies were, were that bad. I, I, uh, in-between I'd do something that, uh, was entertaining to people, it's just a pure entertainment nature, so, like "Tickle Me" or something like that, you know. They worked well on television.

A lot of people still watch them.

Yeah.

Best of all, the Allied Artists film was a major influence on the "Scooby-Doo" Saturday morning cartoon franchise, the movie apparently almost an exact template of the series, as created by Hanna-Barbera for CBS-TV in 1969.

Watch the film and then any of the first few seasons and you'll see.


'

[minkahed]

Another lost opportunity for Elvis was RCA Victor not issuing a 1965 soundtrack for, "Tickle Me", instead we got the glorious hodgepodge, "Elvis For Everyone".

I actually really love this film.

[jetblack]

I am not a huge fan of 'Tickle Me'.

Jocelyn Lane may be a pretty lady but i find her acting quite wooden. Her other movie credits were not that good thus her finding more work as a tv actor.

As good as most of the songs are, much of the soundtrack does not work for me on film using only previously recorded material.

Only 'Long Lonely Highway' and '(Such An) Easy Question' seem to fit though I also enjoy Elvis as 'The Panhandle Kid' and the 'Put The Blame On Me' song/sequence.

RCA UK released all nine tracks on two EP's in July 1965 sporting the same cover art on both releases.

359c95_74ea448d94ab47c98273523f16e2346b~mv2.jpg

359c95_e5c6cb5fc3f446359cc7f08ad4d8cb8f~mv2.jpg

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Thanks for another excellent and informative post Hugh.

Andy

[colonel snow]

Script + songlist

colonel snow

[jetblack]

The USA EP stayed on the Billboard chart for seven weeks, peaking at position #70 and selling 100,000 copies. Not bad for a record that contained all previously released.

Elvis_Presley_original_EP_cover_for__Tickle_Me_.jpg

Andy

[Greystoke]

The USA EP stayed on the Billboard chart for seven weeks, peaking at position #70 and selling 100,000 copies. Not bad for a record that contained all previously released.


Andy

Not bad at all. Although Elvis's record sales in 1965 were apparently 40% lower than they were in 1960, and his chart presence had certainly declined. This said, Elvis did experience exceptional levels of success in 1960 and 1961, and this wouldn't easily have been maintained.

content - 2024-01-24T113028.203.jpeg

[drjohncarpenter]

But, of course, by summer 1965 any interest in maintaining the quality and success of of 1960-1961 had been abandoned for more than 18 months.

Elvis was now on the outside, looking in.

[mike edwards66]

I am not a huge fan of 'Tickle Me'.

It does have one or two redeeming features:

[jetblack]

I am not a huge fan of 'Tickle Me'.

It does have one or two redeeming features:

Regardless of the 'scenery', Elvis' 1960 voice in a mid sixties movie doesn't work for me.

'Dirty, Dirty Feeling's' home (to me) will always be track 5, side one on the 'Elvis Is Back' album.

Andy

[drjohncarpenter]

Regardless of the 'scenery', Elvis' 1960 voice in a mid sixties movie doesn't work for me.

'Dirty, Dirty Feeling's' home (to me) will always be track 5, side one on the 'Elvis Is Back' album.

Andy

So, what fans needed was "Elvis' 1965 voice" on songs like "Golden Coins," "Petunia, the Gardener's Daughter" and "Queenie Wahine's Papaya"?

Lordy.

[jurasic1968]

Or a House of Sand. The worst of the worst song from the PHS LP.

[DakotaKid]

Or a House of Sand. The worst of the worst song from the PHS LP.

Queenie, Datin,' and A Dog's Life are all much worse (imo).

[jurasic1968]

Right. PHS was the worst soundtrack LP of Elvis's career.

[mike edwards66]

Right. PHS was the worst soundtrack LP of Elvis's career.

I find This Is My Heaven quite lovely.

[Greystoke]

Trade ads announcing the success Tickle Me was experiencing at the box office during its release.

Screenshot_20240127-133059~2.png

Screenshot_20240127-133119~2.png

Notice from Variety regarding Elvis's forthcoming project with Allied Artists, which was originally announced as Isle of Paradise, with Carol Lynley being sought to appear in the film.

Screenshot_20240127-133222~2.png

In 1978, Lynley would appear in an adaptation of The Cat and the Canary, with the earlier screen adaptations of John Willard's stage play undoubtedly being an inspiration for the mystery elements in Tickle Me. Especially the 1939 film with Bob Hope.

..

Lynley, as featured in a 1963 cover story for Cinema magazine. Her most famous role might be as Nonnie, the young singer (dubbed by Renée Armand) aboard the SS Poseidon in Irwin Allen's The Poseidon Adventure.

cinemavol1no1601spec_0191.jpg

Notice in the trades regarding the aforementioned activities in London to promote Tickle Me.

Screenshot_20240127-133135~2.png

Broadway takings during Tickle Me's run in New York City.

motionpictureexh73jaye_0_0347~2.jpg

[Jokerlola]

One of our local TV stations must have owned this movie because I remember it playing on TV several times, in the afternoon, after school when I was a kid (before I was a fan). I always watched and liked the movie because it reminded me of a Scooby Doo episode!

[Greystoke]

One of our local TV stations must have owned this movie because I remember it playing on TV several times, in the afternoon, after school when I was a kid (before I was a fan). I always watched and liked the movie because it reminded me of a Scooby Doo episode!

Talking of Tickle Me being on television, one of the films David Bowie's Thomas Jerome Newton watches on his wall of TVs in Nic Roeg's brilliant, The Man Who Fell to Earth, is Tickle Me.

Middle right in the image below.

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Screenshot_20240127-203858~2.png

..

[drjohncarpenter]

One of our local TV stations must have owned this movie because I remember it playing on TV several times, in the afternoon, after school when I was a kid (before I was a fan). I always watched and liked the movie because it reminded me of a Scooby Doo episode!

You don't say.

[ForeverElvis]

Thanks Hugh, for an excellent post, I hope I can add some additional Tickle Me (1965) Data:

AA logo.jpg

Production Start Date October 6, 1964 (about 60 days after Girl Happy completed)
Filming Start Date October 12, 1964
Filming End Date November 11, 1964
Production End Date November 24, 1964
Filming Days 29 (Filming took 4.5 weeks, about 25 days (excl. Sunday))
Production Days 48

Preview May 13, 1965, Hollywood Paramount Theatre.

los-angeles-premiere-at-paramount-theatre-23-december-1965-for-doctor-zhivago.jpg

Premiered June 3, 1965, Atlanta
Rialto Theater, Cobb Theater, Toco Theater, Lenox Square, Belvedere Theater, Atlanta, Georgia

Rialto 1960.jpg

Wide Release July 7, 1965
Variety Box Office Survey #30 initially, finished at #34.
Domestic Box Office Rentals $3,400,000

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tickle Me made $1,028,000 in it's first 2 weeks in 2622 engagements (showings, not a Screen count).

canada.jpg

Variety reported that Canadian estimates were $250,000-$300,000. The film took in $62,339 in Rentals its first week. Tickle Me proved to be just as popular in Canada, a country whose population was 19.6 million in 1965, 10 times smaller than the USA.

Internationally, British Estimates were $425,000 leading the way for a foreign total of about $1,600,000.

england.jpg

Worldwide Rentals total $5,000,000.

The Production Cost, budgeted at $399,750, went $6,650 over budget finishing at $406,400 + Elvis' salary. At $406,400 - the cheapest film production cost of any of Elvis's 31 narrative Features.

Production Cost $406,400 (other cast salaries and cost of production)
Elvis's Salary and Expenses $750,000
Marketing $319,000+
Total Budget $1,476,000

Total Box Office Rentals $5,000,000
Total Budget $1,476,000
Total Profit $3,524,000

Without Foreign totals for every film its not known how many films had a wider Profit Margin than Tickle Me. From what is known only Love Me Tender and Jailhouse Rock's profits were larger. It is likely that Tickle Me was Elvis's most profitable film of the 1960's.

Tickle Me foreign poster.jpg

Elvis's Salary $600,000
Elvis's Expenses $150,000
Agency Fee (10%) $60,000
Managerial Fee (Parker 25% after Agency 10%) $135,000
Elvis's net Salary $405,000

Elvis's Profit Participation (50%) $1,762,000
Managerial Fee on Profit Participation (50%) $881,000.00
Elvis's net profit participation (after Managerial Fee) $881,000.00
Elvis's Net Salary + Net Profit % $1,286,000
Col. Parker Net Fees + Net Profit % + Tech. Advisor Fee $1,041,000

Elvis made only $245,000 more than Parker did from this film.

A personal observation, with whatever side-deals Parker made for himself, its possible he made more money from this film than Elvis did.

Parker shouldn't have made more than the $135,000. If contracts were standard he should have made $54,000 (10%). But, with his long game con he enriched himself. On this film, collecting $1,041,000, almost a million dollars more than any other Manager would have gotten.

tickle me Mauston,Wi2.jpg

In 1965, as in all years prior to 1980, Box Office totals reported were Theatrical Rentals, not Box Office Gross. Rentals represented between 40%-45% of the total taken in at the ticket booth. These Rentals are what went back to the film companies, the other half to the theatre owners.

We can approximate a film's gross by dividing the rental figure by the %.

Tickle Me
Box Office $3,400,000
Rental percentage 43%
Box Office Gross $7,906,976.74* (*this is a calculated estimation, actual figures not known)

the approximate number of tickets sold for Tickle Me can be calculated.
Box Office Gross $7,906,976.74
Average ticket price (1965) $1.01
Number of tickets sold 7,828,689

Context - ticket prices increased a little bit every year or two. in 1956 tickets cost $0.50, Love Me Tender sold around 20 million tickets, Blue Hawaii in 1961 sold close to 15 million tickets at $0.69 and Viva Las Vegas in 1964 sold 14 million tickets at $0.93. By 1965, Elvis's films were selling only half the number of tickets his previous hit films had. With the higher ticket price the Rentals were similar to past hits, but there were less bums in the seats.

Love Me Tender.jpg

If the same number of tickets were sold, at today's average ticket price, an estimation of an adjusted Box office Gross for Tickle Me can be made.

Average ticket price (2023) $10.53
Number of tickets sold 7,828,689
Box Office Gross (*adj. 2023) $82,436,095* *(this is the Box Office Mojo method of adjusting Box Office dollars and is widely accepted)

adjusting the foreign box office number isn't possible using this method because, so much info isn't really known. All we can do is use an inflation calculator on the US dollars on the known theatrical rental; $1,600,000 becomes $15,476,926.

Tickle Me (1965)
Worldwide Box Office Gross (2023) $97,913,021

1965-march-17a.jpg

Sources
Pg. 285, 288, 291-292 Michael A. Hoey, Elvis' Favorite Director: The Amazing 52-Film Career of Norman Taurog, Bear Manor Media 20

pg. 172 The Elvis Movies
by James L. Neibaur

George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success
by Alex Ben Block (Author), Lucy Autrey Wilson (Author)

"Big Rental Pictures of 1965", Variety, 5 January 1966 p 6
The Hollywood Reporter July 26, 1965
Variety July 27, 1965

16 movie contracts
http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-movie-contracts.html

https://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=55990&hilit=ratings&start=100#p1017672
Re: Elvis Movie Statistics
#1017672
Post by greystoke » Thu Mar 29, 2012 3:20 pm

Peter Guralnick explains in his definitive Elvis biography Careless Love: “If Elvis were contracted to MGM for a picture for which he was to receive $750,000 plus 50 percent of the profits, Colonel would take his normal 25-percent management fee on that portion of the deal that represented salary. But on the profits there would be a 50-50 split, since, in essence, with all the work Colonel put into publicity and promotion on the picture, its success represented, really, a joint venture.”

[minkahed]

Or a House of Sand. The worst of the worst song from the PHS LP.

Queenie, Datin,' and A Dog's Life are all much worse (imo).

Actually, that honour goes to, "Easy Come, Easy Go".

Take away the "Bonus Tracks" from "Clambake" and what's left?

Nothing really worth a damn,
Except, maybe, "The Girl I Never Loved", but that's subjective thinking anyway.

[jetblack]

Take away the "Bonus Tracks" from "Clambake" and what's left?

Nothing really worth a damn,
Except, maybe, "The Girl I Never Loved", but that's subjective thinking anyway.

I find 'You Don't Know Me' to be an exceptional ballad and a fine performance by Elvis.

Andy

[Greystoke]

Take away the "Bonus Tracks" from "Clambake" and what's left?

Nothing really worth a damn,
Except, maybe, "The Girl I Never Loved", but that's subjective thinking anyway.

I find 'You Don't Know Me' to be an exceptional ballad and a fine performance by Elvis.

Andy

It's a terrific song, but I don't think Elvis did it justice for the movie, although I like the arrangement and his performance certainly isn't bad. But I think he redeemed himself and the song with his rerecording, which is excellent, in my opinion. However, I find his singing to be lacking with regards to the version in Clambake. And what it lacks, to my ears, is personality.