The Trouble with Girls (1969)

Better Late Then Never

An action-packed slog

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

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.It is easy to be put off by the rather dreadful and inappropriate title, but giving it a chance 'The Trouble With Girls' while a long way from a great film was much better than its title suggested. Whereas the title indicated another formulaic Elvis set in the 50s-60s with lots of girls and variable thrown in songs it was actually rather a change of pace with a unique 20s setting. 'The Trouble With Girls' is a long way from Elvis' best, but it is equally a long way from being one of his worst as well (it's not even the worst of this particular period of his career).'The Trouble With Girls' has its strengths. The setting is interesting and looks quite handsome, while the photography is a far cry from the garish, cheap look of many of Elvis late 60s outings. Of the songs, the standout is "Clean Up Your Own Back Yard", one of the best songs in an Elvis for a long time. "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" is also lovely.As for Elvis himself, he looks great and while his vocals are underutilised compared to usual he also sounds great. While he has given more enthusiastic performances before he still looks confident and there is not as much a sense that he was not interested like with some of his later films. The supporting cast were a mixed bag, but Dabney Coleman makes for an excellent sleazebag and Vincent Price is suitably distinguished and a lot of fun. Sheree North fares the best of the ladies and Anissa Jones is immensely charming.Quite a lot doesn't work however. John Carradine's only noteworthy bit is the line regarding Romeo and Juliet, otherwise he's wasted, and Marlyn Mason and Nicole Jaffe are similarly given little to work with. Joyce Van Patten is plain obnoxious in alternative to funny. and Edward Andrews' role is too underwritten for him to do much with it. Generally the characters are a mix of bland and annoying, so it's hard to empathise, and they also are saddled with dialogue that felt more at home in a badly out of date sit-com.While Elvis doesn't come off too badly, he is underused and too much like a supporting character. Apart from two songs, while none reach disposable or career-low level, the rest of the songs are not particularly memorable. The weakest element is the story, the slightness may have been more forgivable if the pacing wasn't so lethargic or the storytelling so muddled, as a result of trying to include too much and not knowing what to do with it or who to target it towards. The direction seems at odds with the material, with it being obvious that Peter Tewksbury was more comfortable with cosy and wholesome and not with darker edge and broad.Overall, not as bad as the title suggests but not Elvis' finest hour either. 5/10 Bethany Cox

For an Elvis movie his presence here is strictly secondary and he is sidelined throughout. The picture seems like it wanted to be more than it was, which is a run of the mill mystery with a few songs thrown in. It tries to tell a couple of different stories at once, none really compelling, and sort of limps along until it just ends. Of more interest as a chance to spot the familiar face in small parts than anything else. Hey look there's Vincent Price and Buffy from Family Affair and Cindy Brady and WOW look how young Dabney Coleman is! At least the film is loaded with reliable performers, Sheree North, Edward Andrews, Marlyn Mason, John Carradine etc. they just aren't given much to work with. Not a ghastly film just very ordinary and not terribly involving.

The Trouble With Girls was much maligned on its original release in 1969.However it has a strong plot, excellent cast, interesting direction and very good use of camera angles (very unusual for an Elvis film). What a treat to see horror maestro, Vincent Price, in an Elvis film! There is also good chemistry between Elvis and leading lady, Marlyn Mason. The pacing is quite slow but this is one of the few Elvis films which can be viewed in "film critical" mode. Sadly, by the time The Trouble With Girls came out, both critics and the public had tired of Elvis films. Yet it together with Stay Away, Joe; Live A Little, Love A Little; Charro!; and Change of Habit were a positive step in redefining what Elvis' film career could have been.

Elvis Presley runs a traveling medicine show that sweeps into a small Ohio town and stirs up the locals. Interesting (if not entirely convincing) 1920s production design (no one had hair like Elvis in the '20s...or so I've been told), cute kids running around (including Anissa Jones from "Family Affair" and an uncredited Susan Olsen from "The Brady Bunch"), Dabney Coleman doing his schmuck-thing (very well), and a hilarious Joyce Van Patten as an Olympic swimmer. Elvis drops out of sight for much of the proceedings; he's around to break up a fight or help pitch a tent, but the film is mostly about the wacky small town folk. In the final minutes, when Elvis gets up on stage with his guitar, the movie is suddenly no longer about these supporting characters--it's all about E.P. whipping the audience into a frenzy, and the cinematographer goes wild with his zoom-lens. "Girls" is misguided, oddly directed, and unsure of what audience to target, yet there are some good things in it, including an interesting milieu for its star. ** from ****