MusicRomanceComedy

Viva Las Vegas

- Elvis is at the wheel but Ann-Margret drives him wild!

Lucky Jackson arrives in town with his car literally in tow ready for the first Las Vegas Grand Prix - once he has the money to buy an engine. He gets the cash easily enough but mislays it when the pretty swimming pool manageress takes his mind off things. It seems he will lose both race and girl, problems made more difficult by rivalry from Elmo Mancini, fellow racer and womaniser.

Release Date : 1964-02-08

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Jack Cummings ProductionsWinters Hollywood Entertainment Holdings CorporationMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Only Girl in TownLove in Las Vegas

Cast

Character Name : Lucky Jackson

Original Name : Elvis Presley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rusty Martin

Original Name : Ann-Margret

Gender : Female

Character Name : Count Elmo Mancini

Original Name : Cesare Danova

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Martin

Original Name : William Demarest

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shorty Fansworth

Original Name : Nicky Blair

Gender : Male

Character Name : Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Aiken

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Anderson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Son of the Lone Star State (uncredited)

Original Name : Larry Barton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Toni Basil

Gender : Female

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Herman Boden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Son of the Lone Star State (uncredited)

Original Name : William Burnside

Gender : Male

Character Name : Juggler (uncredited)

Original Name : Carl Carlsson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Juggler (uncredited)

Original Name : Ruth Carlsson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Showgirl (uncredited)

Original Name : Regina Carrol

Gender : Female

Character Name : Maitre 'd (uncredited)

Original Name : Steve Carruthers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Performer (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Carter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Taggart Casey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Manager of Swingers (uncredited)

Original Name : George Cisar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Starter (uncredited)

Original Name : Howard Curtis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bartender (uncredited)

Original Name : George DeNormand

Gender : Male

Character Name : Son of Lone Star State (uncredited)

Original Name : Dan Dowling

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Baker (uncredited)

Original Name : Roy Engel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Son of the Lone Star State (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Fleer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Race Announcer (uncredited)

Original Name : Alan Fordney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Teri Garr

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mechanic (uncredited)

Original Name : Barnaby Hale

Gender : Male

Character Name : Son of the Lone Star State (uncredited)

Original Name : Claude Hall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Showgirl (uncredited)

Original Name : Alean 'Bambi' Hamilton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : John Hart

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : James Hibbard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Resort Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : George Hoagland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : George Holmes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Race Official (uncredited)

Original Name : Jimmie Horan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Birl Jonns

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Pete Kellett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Race Official (uncredited)

Original Name : Larry Kent

Gender : Male

Character Name : Showgirl (uncredited)

Original Name : Ingeborg Kjeldsen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : George Klein

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Jonathan Kramer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Joseph La Cava

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Esther Ying Lee

Gender : Female

Character Name : Son of the Lone Star State (uncredited)

Original Name : Lance LeGault

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Brad Logan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Son of Lone Star State (uncredited)

Original Name : Victor Masi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Kent McCord

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : William Meader

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Jim Michael

Gender : Male

Character Name : Delivery Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : Rickey Murray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Big Gus Olson (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Nash

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cowboy (uncredited)

Original Name : Murray Pollack

Gender : Male

Character Name : Resort Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Power

Gender : Male

Character Name : Showgirl (uncredited)

Original Name : Beverly Powers

Gender : Female

Character Name : Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Quillan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Ragan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Rapport

Gender : Male

Character Name : Francois (uncredited)

Original Name : Francis Ravel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Anthony Redondo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Show Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Leoda Richards

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Christopher Riordan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cowboy (uncredited)

Original Name : Clark Ross

Gender : Male

Character Name : Son of the Lone Star State (uncredited)

Original Name : Mark Russell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Reb Sawitz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cowboy (uncredited)

Original Name : Bernard Sell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Resort Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Bert Stevens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Showgirl (uncredited)

Original Name : Kay Sutton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Kay Tapscott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Head Captain (uncredited)

Original Name : Ivan Triesault

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : George Washburn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Son of Lone Star State (uncredited)

Original Name : Red West

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Luree Wiese

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Lori Williams

Gender : Female

Character Name : Swanson (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert B. Williams

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Viva the King and Annie. Elvis Presley movies, by and large, aren't very good. Thirty one feature length pictures he made, of which arguably only half a dozen are jointly watchable and entertaining. But even the stinkers have fans, and not just fans of the King in general, also cinema fans happy to embrace the cheese and kind of just run with it. Yet to totally dismiss Presley's input into the world of cinema is doing a disservice to the small number of movies he made that actually hold up well under scrutiny. One such film is Viva Las Vegas. A film that is of course a frothy hip shaking colourful bonanza, but one that also shows that given a quality co-star to work off, Presley had it in him to move successfully away from the cash cow dirge that his manager Colonel Tom Parker was binding him to. The plot sees Presley as race car driver "Lucky Jackson" who arrives in Vegas for the Grand Prix that is being held there. But his car is in need of engine repair and he just hasn't got the money to fix it. Taking a job as a waiter, things are further complicated when he meets sexy pool attendant/dance teacher Rusty Martin {Ann-Margret}. Not only is she spurning his advances, but he has a rival for Rusty's affection; Count Elmo Mancini (Cesare Danova), who is also a fellow race driver and is set on winning the Grand Prix himself. That's really all there is to it, plot simplicity at its finest. Naturally the film is an excuse for Presley to chase the girl, sing some tunes and become a race car hero too. But Viva Las Vegas has a real fun quality that is so lacking in most of his other musicals, it's vibrant, savvy and, yes, sexy. Due in no small part to the chemistry between Presley and Margret. It's believed there was an affair between the two, but casting aside that fact, there was also to be a friendship between them both that lasted up until Presley's sad and untimely death. This film serves as a fitting testament to the birth of that friendship. Old professional George Sidney directs the piece unfussily, even if we perhaps get one too many camera shots of the lovely Miss Margret's derrière (seriously, see how many rear shots you can spot). While Joseph F. Biroc is on hand for cinematography duties as the Vegas piece is brought to life in Panavision & Metrocolor. The film is also notable for two other points of worth, it's one of Elvis' highest grossing pictures and it contains arguably the best set of songs assembled for one of his film's. Along with the wonderful title song we also get the likes of "The Lady Loves Me", "Come On Everybody", "The Yellow Rose Of Texas", "The Eyes Of Texas Are Upon You", "I Need Somebody To Lean On", "Today, Tomorrow And Forever", "What'd I Say", "If You Think I Don't Need You" & Margret weighs in too with the delightful "Appreciation" & "My Rival". Oddly, and the subject of much criticism over the passing decades, RCA pretty much ignored the soundtrack for the film. Cutting some highly regarded tunes from the film and failing to truly market and utilise what was on offer. The fools. With both stars looking and sounding terrific (Presley looks like he is cut from porcelain), and Margret matching the King for energy and ants in your pants dancing, Viva Las Vegas is a ball of fun. An ode to love, joy and music, so really there's no excuse to not let the Pelvis and the Derriere take you to foot tapping Nirvana. 7/10

DanDare

@DanDare

2021-06-23

Most Elvis movies were the product of a conveyor belt. Quickly written and produced and Elvis was not stretched as an actor or singer. Viva Las Vegas does not stretch this formula but is fun, thanks in part due to the chemistry between Elvis and Ann Margret. Elvis plays race car driver Lucky Jackson who is working as a waiter in Vegas so he can pay for a new engine. He plans to take on aristocratic Count Mancini in the race and both are also competing for the affections of Rusty Martin (Ann Margret). Jackson and Rusty take part in a talent contest as both aim for first prize. This is where Elvis sings Viva Las Vegas although his dancing moves look a bit weird. Jackson's rivalry with Mancini is friendly which adds to the fun. There is a thrilling racing sequence at the end with several competitors crashing or going off the road. It is corny and undemanding movie.