''Girls! Girls! Girls!'' is a 1962 American musical comedy film starring

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

as a penniless

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

-based fisherman who loves his life on the sea and dreams of owning his own boat. " Return to Sender", which reached No. 2 on the '' Billboard'' pop singles chart, is featured in the film. The film peaked at #6 on the '' Variety'' box office chart and finished the year at #19 on the year-end list of the top-grossing films of 1962, having earned $2.6 million at the box office. It was also nominated for the Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture - Musical in 1963. The film was the second of three films Presley shot on location in Hawaii.

Plot

Ross Carpenter is a Hawaii-based fishing guide and sailor who enjoys boating and sailing out on the sea. When he finds out his boss is retiring to

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, he seeks to find a way to buy the ''Westwind'', a boat that he built with his father. Ross is caught in a love triangle with two women: childish, insensitive club singer Robin, and sweet Laurel. When Wesley Johnson makes advances on Laurel, Ross punches him out. Wesley owns the boat, so Ross thereby loses it. Laurel, however, is not who she pretends to be. She is an heiress getting over a bad breakup, and searching for someone who doesn't love her for her money. She secretly buys the ''Westwind'' for him, but Ross' male pride won't allow him to take it. Ross has to choose between her and Robin.

Cast

as Ross Carpenter * Stella Stevens as Robin Gantner * Laurel Goodwin as Laurel Dodge * Jeremy Slate as Wesley Johnson * Benson Fong as Kin Yung * Beulah Quo as Madam Yung * Guy Lee as Chen Yung * Ginny Tiu as Mai Ling * Elizabeth Tiu as Tai Ling * Alexander Tiu as Mai and Tai Ling's Brother * Robert Strauss as Sam Anderson * Ann McCrea as Mrs. Arthur Morgan * Jack Nitzsche as Piano Player in Lounge Band * Hal Blaine as Drummer in Lounge Band * Nestor Paiva as Arthur Morgan * Linda Rand as Village Woman * Edward Sheehan as Ed-Man on Dock * Red West as Bongo-Playing Crewman on Tuna Boat * Gavin Gordon as Hat Shop Manager (uncredited) * Mary Treen as Hat Shop Customer (uncredited) * Marjorie Bennett as Hat Shop Customer (uncredited) * The Jordanaires as Backup Singers

Notes

Pamela Tiffin was asked to play Laurel Dodge, but turned down the role.

Soundtrack

Reception

A review in '' Variety'' wrote that the film put Presley "back into the non-dramatic, purely escapist light musical vein," adding, "Essentially, Presley plays himself in the breezy sea session. He handles the role capably, though one would hardly expect a hardened fisherman to be as soft, smooth and white as the one Presley depicts. The character has little depth, but he is pleasant." '' The Monthly Film Bulletin'' wrote that the songs were "strung very pleasantly on a story-line of disarming simplicity and bedded comfortably in a stretch of gently fizzing repartee." Margaret Harford of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' called it "no better or worse than previous Elvis epics." American-based

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

magazine '' The Forward'' has acknowledged that the film's song "The Walls Have Ears," also translated as "Vent hobn oyern," referred to a

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

phrase which warns how "someone's always listening."

Awards and nominations

* Golden Globes: Nominated for Best Motion Picture - Musical at the 1963 ceremony. The winner that year was '' The Music Man''. Elvis Presley received a 2nd place Laurel Award for the best male performance in a musical for his acting role in this movie.

Box office

''Girls! Girls! Girls!'' earned $2,600,000 at the box office in the United States.

References

External links

Elvis in Hawaii
fansite. * *

Movie reviews

Review
by Jamie Gillies a
Apollo Movie Guide

DVD reviews

Review of the movie collection "Lights! Camera! Elvis! Collection (King Creole, Blue Hawaii, G.I. Blues, Fun in Acapulco, Roustabout, Girls! Girls! Girls!, Paradise, Hawaiian Style, Easy Come, Easy Go)
by Paul Mavis a
DVD Talk
August 6, 2007.
Review
by Jon Danziger a
digitallyOBSESSED!
February 3, 2003. {{Norman Taurog 1962 films 1962 musical comedy films 1962 romantic comedy films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films 1960s English-language films Films directed by Norman Taurog Films set in Hawaii Paramount Pictures films Films shot in Hawaii Films produced by Hal B. Wallis Films with screenplays by Edward Anhalt Sailing films Films about fishing Films about singers 1960s American films Films scored by Joseph J. Lilley English-language romantic comedy films English-language musical comedy films