Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966)

Wonderful Movie

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Fresh and Exciting

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Elvis Presley was a hugely influential performer with one of the most distinctive singing voices of anybody. He embarked on a film career consisting of 33 films from 1956 to 1969, films that did well at the box-office but mostly panned critically (especially his later films) and while he was a highly charismatic performer he was never considered a great actor.Am of the opinion that his early efforts pre-'Kissin' Cousins', his first mediocre at best film, ranged from decent to very good, while his films between 'Kissin' Cousins' and 'Harum Scarum' were more variable. Of his films 'King Creole', 'Flaming Star', 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Viva Las Vegas' and 'Loving You' fare best. Those films, and most of his late 50s-early 60s films, looked good, had great soundtracks, great supporting casts and showed that Elvis could be a very capable actor when his material allowed it, even when the dialogue and stories were in a few of them were not strong suits ('King Creole' was a notable exception though). Am also of the opinion that Elvis' film career was an uneven one, while there were good films and performances there were also bad films where he looked bored, where the films had not so good soundtracks and looked cheap, a notable example being his previous film 'Harum Scarum' (widely considered one of his worst for good reason).Worse efforts than 'Paradise Hawaiian Style'? Marginally yes, it is a little better than 'Harum Scarum' and some of his later films. It is still a lesser effort in his career though. Not terrible but very much mediocre, and most components even less than that.There are good things with 'Paradise Hawaiian Style'. It looks pretty good, with suitably exotic scenery beautifully photographed. It is not as cheap-looking as his later films or previous efforts like 'Kissin' Cousins', 'Harum Scarum' and 'Frankie & Johnny'.Of a pretty poor cast generally, Donna Butterworth is the one good standout, sweet and charming with a great voice. The soundtrack is one of the overall worst for an Elvis film, but the title song just about passes muster as a nice enough song.Otherwise, there is very little to recommend it. The material throughout is not up to par and it is abundantly clear that Elvis himself knows it. He is the most uncomfortable he's ever been up to that point and looks utterly bored and like he wasn't even trying to act. The supporting cast are no better, with the girls having sex appeal but nothing more than that, and the rest having little to do and doing nothing with it. Chemistry is non-existent.As for the songs, to say that they are unmemorable and sub-par is being far too kind to these adjectives. Quite frankly, apart from one they are a complete embarrassment with the titles and lyrics to make one groan, feel thrown in, are sloppily lip-synched, indifferently staged and performed with no engagement. The direction is throughout dull.Have no better news to say about the script and story. The script will make the toes curl of even people not expecting much from the script in the first place, after all people don't watch an Elvis film for the script or expecting it to be good, in even some of the best efforts the dialogue is a weak link. The story is like a retread of 'Blue Hawaii', and by now is well shopworn, it's also paper thin, sluggishly paced and goes well overboard on the silliness. Complete with naff, being annoying and far too saccharine, scenes with children that just drag the film down even further.In conclusion, mediocre at best film where describing it as paradise is very much ironic. 4/10 Bethany Cox

his box office was clearly slipping..so it was ..back to Hawaii..and recovered fame and fortune like with BLUE HAWAII and GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS. not really.except for a couple of awful songs esp. written for the movie, the soundtrack is good, although the best song ("Sand Castles") was used only on vinyl! > in fact, the soundtrack album was shockingly well produced! how did that happen? guess we can say something good did come out of this mess.nice touch that a real local celebrity, the young Donna Butterworth, got to act and sing with Elvis and they have a nice chemistry. but that should send up the proverbial red flag...this ain't gonna be a serious drama or groovy comedy with Presley but yet another, light hearted romp, where Elvis dodges aggressive chicks and finds solace in entertaining a kid.storyline is okay..Elvis has shifted from boats and cars to helicopters. but he is overweight and obviously disgusted. the noticeable gut on his short-sleeved aviation shirt and black house paint on his sprayed coiff make him look anything but cool.not worth it even for deep fans. how much money did Hal Wallis waste on this? who knows? instead of making a great drama with 3 songs, with Elvis doing karate and anything he wanted to do, it was business as usual. let's assume he *lost* fans with this.

This is yet another resistible vehicle for Elvis Presley with a silly plot (here he's an irresponsible playboy pilot who opens up his own helicopter service), tropical setting, a plethora of girls, child interest, and below-par musical numbers (his crooning to a bunch of dogs while up in the air has to be the nadir of his singing career!). Elvis had already done something similar with BLUE HAWAII (1961) – but that's one which I haven't caught up with so far.Michael Moore (no relation to the controversial documentarist of the same name) had been the assistant or second-unit director of six previous Elvis titles; considering the dire results here, it's no wonder he wasn't called upon to helm another later on! Popular Asian-American actor James Shigeta is Presley's business partner; the female cast includes Suzanna Leigh (later a British horror/Hammer starlet) and Marianna Hill (she had already appeared uncredited in the Elvis film ROUSTABOUT [1964] and would go on to feature in such heavyweight modern classics as MEDIUM COOL [1969] and THE GODFATHER PART II [1974]!). Shigeta's little girl – she even gets to duet with Elvis on a couple of songs – is played by Donna Butterworth, who had debuted in the Jerry Lewis comedy THE FAMILY JEWELS (1965); it was also nice to see Grady Sutton, a favorite W.C. Fields foil back in the day, as the enthusiastic but nervous crocodile-shoe salesman.

If you were Elvis and had to make this sort of film time and time again, you'd have been on drugs too. "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" can easily be confused with "Blue Hawaii" - both take place in Hawaii, both are about the travel business, both have women in them. But there are differences. Elvis was drop-dead gorgeous in "Blue Hawaii," there were some great songs, and it had Angela Lansbury in the cast.By the time this movie was made, Elvis looked out of it and he was stuffed into a tapered shirt. Back in the old days, they used to teach actors to pull their stomachs in when standing in profile. No one told Elvis. In some scenes, he looks as if he doesn't know where he is.There is no plot, just dazzling scenery. The songs are rotten. Donna Butterworth as the daughter of James Shigeta is excellent - what a voice. James Shigeta is good as well. There are a few good scenes - the one in the helicopter with the dogs is one. I'm sure I can think of more... The excuses for Elvis to burst into song are tragic.It's amazing how such an important career was peppered with so many unimportant films, thanks to his management, i.e., Colonel Parker. Elvis could have dumped him and gone to anyone in the world, but he was a hillbilly with enormous gifts, belief in his own power not being one of them. He was confident with his music, but he was superstitious and felt he couldn't make without Colonel Parker. It's a shame - as brilliant a career as Elvis had, it could have been so much more. He could have toured Europe and Japan, for instance - if only Colonel Tom wasn't in the country illegally. And he could have made better movies. The offers were there, but Colonel Tom was afraid of losing control.So Colonel Tom held a tight rein on Elvis. "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" is one example of his brilliant management of one of the greatest talents that ever existed. Proceed at the risk of being hulaed to death.