Amazon.com Essential Video
It's pretty tough to beat
Jailhouse Rock in terms of sheer entertainment, but Elvis lovers are particularly fond of this 1964 hit. The Big E plays race-car driver Lucky Jackson, who arrives in Las Vegas for an upcoming Grand Prix race. Lucky's car needs a new engine, so he gets a waiter job at a casino and starts working his crooning charms on Rusty Martin (Ann-Margret). It's their on-screen chemistry that makes this flick a lot of fun; Presley never had a better costar than Ann-Margret, and their race-car romance is quintessential 1960s fluff. Then there are the songs, of course, including the snappy title tune, a rockin' rendition of Ray Charles's "What'd I Say?," and "The Yellow Rose of Texas."
Viva Las Vegas is one of the Elvis movies that stands the test of time, when the legend was still at his peak. And if you're wondering if the King gets his car fixed in time to win the race, well, check out this digital video disc to find out.
--Jeff Shannon
Review
One of the tiny handful of post-Army Elvis Presley vehicles which can be enjoyed on a non-ironic level, Viva Las Vegas stacks up as one of the King's best movies largely because for a change he has a co-star who can match him for onscreen charisma -- Ann-Margret. If Ann-Margret can't equal Elvis for essential rock & roll cool, she has great comic timing, can actually sing, and still knows how to make the sparks fly onscreen, and together they display an easygoing but potent chemistry that Elvis rarely managed with his other leading ladies. While the story is pretty typical stuff (the Big E is a race driver trying to raise money to put his car back on the track), George Sidney keeps things light and lively and knows enough to stay out of the way of his stars. Elvis even gets a few decent songs this time out, including the classic title tune (written by Doc Pomus) and a fiery take of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say." Add a stronger-than-average supporting cast (including William Demarest, Nicky Blair, Jack Carter, and a blink-and-you'll-miss-her bit part from Teri Garr) and you get an Elvis Presley movie you actually don't have to suffer through; if all of his pictures had displayed this level of competence, he wouldn't have had to apologize to his fans for his career in Hollywood. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
