I like this movie a lot, and I may be partial because I got to meet Stella Stevens and she's an adorable, outspoken lady. I asked her whether they used her voice in the scene where she sings in the nightclub, and she says they would not use her voice although she wanted them to (some books claim her voice WAS used). I won't tell you exactly WHY she says she wasn't allowed to, but let's just say she mentioned Ann-Margret doing them in "Viva Las Vegas" and say no more. Decent songs, some very annoying songs too, but I like the concept of Elvis as a singing fisherman, so what the hey?
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funkyfry11 October 2002
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In Hawaii, a fishing guide (Presley) tries to find a way to buy the Westwind, a boat that he & his father built, after his employer decides to retire to Arizona. Meanwhile he's caught between two women: An insensitive club singer (Stella Stevens) and a sweet rich girl who pretends to be working class (Laurel Goodwin).
"Girls! Girls! Girls!" (1962) was Elvis' 11th movie of the 31 in his acting filmography. It was the second of his three flicks shot in Hawaii, the other two being "Blue Hawaii" (1961) and "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" (1966). While it's a serviceable Presley flick and has its points of interest, it's the least of the three IMHO with "Blue Hawaii" being easily the best.
The serious drama is situated amongst the Hawaiian boating/fishing industry wherein Presley performs a song every 7-12 minutes with "Return to Sender" being a highlight.
Stevens' role is rather small so the focus is on the protagonist's romance with the secretly rich girl. Speaking of whom, two years later Goodwin played Yeoman Colt on the original (rejected) pilot episode of Star Trek, which was reworked into the two-part episode "The Menagerie," premiering in November, 1966. While Stevens and Goodwin are a'right, the female cast in "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" is superior.
There's an interesting scene near the end where Elvis's character is rescuing the girl and a sailboat runs into their smaller craft. The (presumable) stunt people in the motorboat get hit by the sailboat and somewhat pushed under.
The movie runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot in Hawaii.
GRADE: B-/C+ -
ODDBear28 July 2010Elvis as a fisherman whose biggest dream is to own the boat he helped build with his father - to aid him in his quest he works for a jerk and sings at a club. Also, he falls for a girl.
Rumor is that studio execs in the 60's said that Elvis's films didn't need titles - just numbers. It's pretty funny, but I'm not in a position to judge just yet - I have a lot a Elvis flicks to go through. "Girls, Girls, Girls" is a pretty mediocre fare with sub par songs and a very thin story.
First off; Elvis isn't believable for a second as a fisherman. His on screen image as a somewhat mischievous yet good natured and wholly independent working class Joe (who never accepts handouts) is already getting tiresome; with some 20 more movies to go where he's playing basically the same guy. As most reviewers have pointed out; Elvis was a solid enough actor when working with decent people and material but in this flick he's neither here nor there.
The songs here aren't that good, sad to say. The classic "Return to Sender" is the real standout but others are fairly forgettable.
But on the whole I always enjoy these Elvis movies up to a point. Despite some obvious laziness inherent with Presley's movies they're mostly fairly attractive looking, always displaying nice scenery, have a number of knockout beauties and solid songs (not all, but most).
Elvis did some serious work before this film; most notably "Jailhouse Rock", "King Creole" and "Flaming Star". Those are excellent films, Elvis is excellent in them and they're a worthy addition in any film lover's collection. His later "fluff" films range from good to fairly lacklustre but fans of the King can easily sit through them and enjoy themselves. -
kwbucsfan20 August 2001This was yet another strong movie by Elvis. The plot was good the scenery was great and music was outstanding. This is probably my favorite soundtrack. I like the way Elvis falls for a rich woman (he doesn't know she's rich) and is trying to buy the boat that once belonged to his father. This is definately a feel good movie. I give this movie four stars.
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tilloscfc18 July 2015Certainly not one of Elvis Presley's best movies, OR soundtracks. 'Return to Sender','I Don't Wanna Be Tied' and a finish of 'Because of Love' are the only half decent songs in this rather boring tale that always fails to keep even me - an ardent Elvis fan - engaged for it's 95 minutes. Even the leading ladies Stella Stevens and Laurel Goodwin aren't particularly glamorous unlike those in other Elvis films. The leading ladies in Elvis films were on a par with the infamous 'Bond Girls' in my opinion, but not in 'Girls! Girls! Girls!'. Indeed, Stevens didn't take to Elvis at all, tried to pull out of filming and claims to have never watched the film... Elvis plays Ross Carpenter - a fisherman harbouring desires to run his own fishing business instead of working for his uptight, arrogant new boss. It's not much of a plot, and as stated, doesn't stand up as a memorable Elvis Movie.
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HarryLags4 November 2016This certainly isn't one of Elvis'good movies -- but it holds a sentimental favorite place in my heart. It was one of the first Elvis movies I ever saw.
Set amongst the islands of Hawaii, Presley plays tuna-fisherman/tour-guide Ross Carpenter, trying to make ends meet so he can buy his dream boat and go into business for himself. Adding complications is Carpenter's love triangle with two very different dames: jaded nightclub singer Robin (Stella Stevens), and young heiress Laurel (Laurel Goodwin), who's looking to experience life on the other side of the social divide.
With it's exotic location filming and the charm of Presley, GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! is a pleasant movie to watch. It is worth reminding ourselves that Elvis did not write the scripts for the films. Hollywood did. Anything you don't like about any of Elvis' legendary movies, blame Hollywood. But mostly blame his greedy over-bearing manager, 'col' Tom Parker. He put all the deals together! -
Hup234!13 June 2000... Elvis Presley gets a chance to act, and makes his part, which was rather shallow, come alive. I know his forte was in the world of song and music ... but try to get past the superficial froth in pictures such as this and watch the real attention he gives the role. I would have bought a ticket anytime to a serious film starring Presley, and I mean one uninterrupted by some tune every ten minutes. It's too bad his fine acting talents weren't appreciated, and that we'll never have the experience of seeing Presley exercise his full strength in a major dramatic/comedic role. I think he would have been terrific.
If only Hollywood had given him more to do ... -
moonspinner5516 August 2009A bit odd, but generally pleasing, colorful Elvis Presley vehicle casts the singing star as a tuna fisherman who longs to buy his own sailboat; he takes a job as a nightclub entertainer (nearly usurping former-girlfriend Stella Stevens) and balks at women who want to buy him things in exchange for his affection (another poor guy with principles!). Stevens is a tough broad who looks like she's been around a bit, though she's still a better fit for Elvis over newcomer Laurel Goodwin, who twinkles like a bobby-soxer. Elvis actually shows great passion for Goodwin (kissing her in the rain, even speaking of marriage), but she just doesn't seem his type. Musically, Elvis goes International: singing Chinese, dancing a Spanish Tango, crooning Calypso. In the rock 'n roll opener, he sings, "I'm just a red-blooded boy and I can't stop thinking about girls" (if he didn't like girls, what color would his blood be then?). The prettiest song, "Mama", is sung not by Presley but rather The Four Amigos, while Stevens seems to do her cabaret act in between various arguments. Goodwin (secretly rich) takes a job in a hat-shop, but why--to prove she has principles too? The script makes no sense, and the hot-headed character conflicts are contrived, but Jeremy Slate is a convincingly wormy adversary for Elvis, and E.P.'s performance is blithe and easy-to-take. **1/2 from ****
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richardchatten5 August 2022An early example of the numerous travelogues Elvis made as the sixties wore on, whose greatest claim to fame is as the film for which 'Return to Sender' was written; although it also has two cute foreign kids with American accents and the deathless 'The Song of the Shrimp'.
Laurel Goodwin is charmingly pert as the ingenue; but the spectacular pink bathing suit Stella Stevens wears only appears in the publicity stills. -
SanteeFats13 July 2013This is a typical Elvis movie. I like it. Elvis plays a girl/woman attraction whenever he sings at his friend's night club. Stella Stevens sings at the same club and is apparently his on again off again girl friend, at the start. Along comes a rich girl who sets her sights on Elvis. At first Elvis is only interested in buying the sailboat back that he and his father had built together and had to sell when the father died. Jeremy Slate plays a boozing, womanizer with money. Unfortunately he does not play it well. The two little Chinese (I assume) are so great and cute. Their scenes with Elvis are no less than precious (yeah I said it). At the end Elvis gets the rich girl and the sailboat that she has bought for him which did upset him at first.
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JoeKarlosi11 August 2007"Boats! Boats! Boats!" might have been a more appropriate title for this rather lackluster Elvis feature, one of those formula films that were a dime a dozen. He plays a fisherman who loves being out on the ocean and begins to despair when he learns that his adoptive parents are selling their boats because they must move to a dry climate for health reasons. Nothing very interesting occurs throughout, and Presley is involved in at least three rather embarrassing songs: most notorious is perhaps the silly "Song of the Shrimp", along with a cringe-worthy tango in an apartment called "The Walls Have Ears", and a ridiculous singalong called "Earth Boy" which Elvis sings along with with two little Asian girls (their sister would later star with Elvis in the much better "IT Happened AT THE WORLD'S FAIR"). But at least there is also the decent rocker "I Don't Wanna Be Tied" and especially Elvis' big hit "Return to Sender" to enjoy. It's s a rare opportunity to see him perform the latter classic in a movie, and I'd say it's the best two minutes of the entire film. ** out of ****
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starracer00721 October 2005One of Elvis' best movie song performances comes in this film, and it's "I Don't Wanna Be Tied". The King is electrifying in this number! I like it better than "Return To Sender", which was the big seller. Elvis shakes and bakes like there's no tomorrow! Next to "C'mon Everybody" from "Viva Las Vegas", I think Elvis does his best movie dancing. EPE ought to re-release this song as they did with "A Little Less Conversation".
Stella Stevens was cool in this film as well.
The King's acting is unusually strong in this film. He has an edge here that is not often seen in his other roles. The scenes with Jeremy Slate and Elvis are particularly entertaining. His character (Ross Carpenter) is in a fix financially and Elvis' edge suits the role.
I think that as the formula plot movies piled up, you can see Elvis just kinda going through the motions, and not developing a character.
Let's face it - Elvis Presley was about as handsome and talented as a man could be. It's a shame that the Colonel put him on the movie treadmill with banal vehicles.
I've heard that Elvis was offered the role of Tony in "West Side Story", but the Colonel's greed screwed up the deal. What a shame. It could have put Elvis in a serious direction cinematically. The role went to Richard Beymer, who was panned by the critics. I think of Elvis singing "Maria", "There's A Place For Us", and I know he would have been fantastic. -
Elvis plays a carefree charter boat pilot (Ross Carpenter). After losing his job, he thinks of buying his late father's boat from its present owner (Jeremy Slate). He goes to work on a tuna boat during the day. At night Ross sings in a nightclub. And somewhere in between finds trouble existing with Laurel Goodwin and Stella Stevens. A soundtrack that features more than a dozen songs. Some quite stupid, but as a whole a better than average album. The classic multi-million selling "Return To Sender" carries the movie. Benson Fong, Robert Strauss, Ginny and Elizabeth Tiu round out the cast.
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After the success of blue Hawaii Elvis went on to make appalling films like this one which were a monster at the box office due to his appeal absolutely of zero value artistically. Nothing but a money spinner to fund his dreadful managers gambling habit. Don't bother!
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tonygillan14 September 2003About the only positive recommendation I can make for this film is the unintentionally amusing opening scene.
An oldish man is struggling from the back of a boat to land a fish. Hardly surprising, as it is a huge marlin, twelve feet in length and weighing about half a ton.
Elvis steps in and lands the thing in about eight seconds flat, although he does have to turn the reel three times.
What a man! -
beauzee1 November 2014While sailor Elvis works for a jerk to save up for his own boat he must dodge three beautiful GIRLS! editing out about 5 songs would have really helped > though in early 1962 Elvis was still engaged in his art and his voice on the soundtrack is rather astonishing > he can elevate weak plot tunes and when he gets his chops around something nice...yer lookin' fer trouble, baby! the title song (a borderline flop for the great Coasters), plus the rockin' RETURN TO SENDER, I DON'T WANT TO BE TIED and the unusual seafarin' uptempo THANKS TO THE ROLLING SEA; and more than a few soulful ballads, he makes us forget some forgettable draggy parts on screen and the flat mix on record.
I think he does some of best dramatic acting in scenes with the girls, Stella Stevens (she sings too many songs, too!) and a very under-appreciated actress, Laurel Goodwin. Elvis and Laurel spend the night with friends near the beach and a storm brews. She finally demands to know where she stands. "I don't want to be kept" is the response, deeply nuanced, a young man whose main goal is professional but knows his passion, too. I cannot think of any actor who could pull that off better.
rather lame plot resolution, but what else is/was new in Elvis movie making land? INTERESTING NOTE: many excellent tracks were not used or deleted. now "out there" on CD! -
hallmark-485928 August 2018Well editing missed this one.....Elvis is clearly "excited" during The Walls Have ears. The drunk that he save Laurel from is the same teen mechanic he fights in Loving You. The little Chinese girls are the sisters of the little girl who played Sue Lin in It Happened at the Worlds Fair. It just seems the same script with minor changes and recycling cast from other movies. The song Return to Sender is the best part of the movie as Elvis is trying his new Jackie Wilson moves.
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moosekarloff9 January 2005"Girls Girls Girls" is an early entry in the cavalcade of fomulaic nonsense that serves as Elvis Presley's filmography, a trifle that reveals the usual design features of his routinely drecky movies.
There's Elvis playing the ambitious, yet happy-go-lucky rake on the make, a sorta hybrid of Danny Fisher ("King Creole") and Lucky Jackson ("Viva Las Vegas"). In this one, Elvis typically weasels his way into singing at a nightclub so that he can afford to buy a fishing boat. In other films, it's the same old take, only in other instances he's looking to open a nightclub, buy an engine for his race car, etc. This film sets up the tired, hackneyed plot devices used ad nauseaum by his producers for the following five or six years.
As is common in an Elvis flick, the screenplay is juvenile and moronic, complete with confrontational scenes, childish interaction with his leading ladies, friction with an antagonistic foil (in this case Jeremy Slate) and the presence of either the goony sidekick or paternal well-wisher (Robert Strauss fits that bill in his cultural abortion, as the nightclub owner). Add a score that has maybe two or three decent songs ("Return To Sender" is the stand out tune) and the rest just padded junk, and sunny carefree locals, and you have the makings of the standard EV singing travelogue.
What I find interesting is that the Elvis character in his post-military films is always resolving issues with his fists, assaulting someone or other for the sake of injecting a tad of action in the rather lame proceedings. The stunt doubles used for E in the matching shots are invariably unconvincing. His characters also usually display a condescending or patronizing antipathy towards his love interest, who always comes around to E's rather bumptious attempts at courtship in the final reel.
Also noteworthy in E's flicks is the constant use of back projection. This is a wan approach at making "motion pictures," in that the camera doesn't move, but the background does. Maybe this is because Presley didn't move very well, and the directors didn't want their star getting vertigo and stumbling around, hurting himself, damaging the set, etc. by doing anything physically ambitious.
These aspects are seen constantly in "Girls Girls Girls," which makes it quite typical of this sub-genre. In fact, as it's early on in the cycle, it's the blueprint for much worse films to follow, and since a modicum of effort was expended on this film, an aspect increasingly absent in later Presley flicks, this one is a solid 2-star. Keep in mind that by the time Presley is making "Harum Scarum" three years later, the Elvis picture melts down to a typical 1-star status.
"Girls Girls Girls" is at least watchable, which is more than you can say about 75% of the crap that appears on TV these days. -
atlasmb29 July 2013Like most Elvis films, this one includes cornball comedy, bad dialogue, and some fighting. But Girls! Girls! Girls! is better than most of the them. I think this is primarily because Elvis' performance has more energy. This is true of his acting, singing, and dancing. The songs themselves are a cut above, also.
Stella Stevens and Laurel Goodwin both add to the film, despite Ms. Stevens' disappointment in having to appear in the film. Ms. Goodwin must have had some training as a dancer. It's too bad she doesn't dance in the final scene.
Even though this might be one of Elvis' better vehicles, it is still sad to consider what might have been--if a studio had given him a superior script, something that would have challenged him. Did he ever take acting lessons? This story about a boy who wants a boat is of little consequence. -
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.
Some of his films, well a vast majority of the films before 'Girls! Girls! Girls!', are actually pretty good and a few of them close to great. Particularly good are 'King Creole', 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Flaming Star' and 'Loving You'. 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' really isn't one of Elvis' best. He's certainly done worse, but in a way this was the start of his film career's decline.
There are good things here. The locations are colourfully exotic and beautifully shot. There are three great songs, "Because of Love", "I Don't Wanna Get Tied" (the film's most electrifying rendition) and especially the superb "Return to Sender". Some of the energy is good, the chemistry between the actors charms and it was easy too to like the tango dancing to "The Walls Have Ears".
Regarding Elvis himself, he is good natured and charismatic, with a gritty side too, and he is very well matched by charming Stella Stevens.
However, Norman Taurog's (a hit and miss director to me) direction is pretty all over the place, while the dialogue is pure toe-curling corn again (the dialogue was rarely a strong suit in Elvis' films) with some glutinous sentimentality and the story is contrived to the point of unintentional silliness and sometimes dull.
Laurel Goodwin's character is rather bland and while she does try to give some appeal her acting came over as pretty limited. Apart from three great songs, there are two other decent songs with "We're Coming In Loaded" and "Thanks to the Rolling Sea" but the rest are forgettable with a few disposable ones like "Song of the Shrimp" and "Earth Boy" ("The Walls Have Ears" was made slightly more tolerable by the tango dancing).
In conclusion, average fare and not something to get dreamy about. 5/10 Bethany Cox -
During the late '70s or early '80s, when my local library in Baton Rouge, LA, wrote the synopsis for this movie it was showing during a Saturday, it described Elvis Presley having to deal with various girls in the film. As if! Instead he mainly had to deal with two-a cynical one played by Stella Stevens and a nice one played by Laurel Goodwin. My mom, during the middle of the movie as it was just running on Amazon Prime, told me she thought-based on the opening number during the beginning credits-that it would be actually about Elvis having a party on his boat! It's actually about his attempt to buy the boat that was originally owned by his family as it was something to remember his late father by. As a kid of the late '70s, early '80s I had first watched this on TV and then at that library I mentioned earlier and I remember enjoying it for what it was knowing even then that it was no great shakes. There are plenty of entertaining Presley numbers including his big hit "Return to Sender" and there are some amusing scenes though one sequence involving a Chinese family borders on being cringy even when it showcases a couple of pre-teen girls who are as cute as can be. And then near the end, well, let's just say something almost bad happens and leave it at that. Still, this was mostly pleasant fare for me and my mom so on that note, Girls! Girls! Girls! is worth a look for any curious Elvis fans out there. P.S. Since It's a Wonderful Life is my favorite movie and I like to cite when a player from that one is in something else, here it's Mary Treen who plays a customer at Laurel's hat shop who is complaining about something just as Laurel and Elvis are leaving.
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darrin22 February 2008It's truly a shame that Elvis wasted his natural acting ability on schlocky musicals. While Elvis musicals are always enjoyable for the die-hard Elvis admirer, "Girls! Girls! Girls!" was absurdity at its finest. Other than the novelty of hearing Elvis sing in Chinese (I kid you not!eh), this was one of the lesser enjoyable Elvis musicals. Although, Stella Stevens did provide great eye-candy. One user claims that this film finally proved that Elvis can act? LOL! If you want to see Elvis act in a better quality film, rent "Jailhouse Rock" or "Love Me Tender." The latter being his only true dramatic role. See this film only as a novelty.
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somic30 October 2007Girls! Girls! Girls! is one of Elvis' best. From Storyline to soundtrack, you will be entertained.
Elvis (Ross Carpenter), Plays a fishing guide. He works for a kind old couple,(Papa Stavros) played by Frank Puglia and (Mama Stavros) played by Lili Valenty. They own the (Westwind) a boat that was built by Ross Carpenter's father. When the old couple breaks the news that they are retiring and moving to Arizona, Ross must find a way to buy the boat.
The lovely Stella Stevens (Robin Gantner) plays a singer in a night club that Ross frequents. He also sings at the club from time to time. The two become personally involved.
At the same time Ross has feeling for (Laurel Dodge), played by Laurel Goodwin. Who will he choose? I'm not going to spill the beans. I'll let you find the answer on your own. I can tell you that this picture is well worth your time. Both Stella Stevens and Laurel Goodwin give strong performances. Presely was very strong throughout this picture as well. He looked like he enjoyed working with the cast.
The two little girls in the movie, Ginny Tiu and Mai Ling were very charming. The inner play between Elvis and the children was remarkable. It gave this film a sweet touch.
(Interesting Facts) Girls! Girls! Girls! was released on November 21st 1962. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best picture. Elvis won the 2nd place trophy for best actor at the Laurel Awards. The sound track was one of Elvis' best. It included the #1 smash, "Return To Sender" -
SnoopyStyle4 August 2023Ross Carpenter (Elvis Presley) is a fishing guide in Hawaii. His employer is retiring to Arizona and selling the boat. He is obsessed with buying the Westwind, a boat he and his late father built together. Despite the title, he is caught between only two women; nightclub singer Robin Gantner (Stella Stevens) and Laurel Dodge (Laurel Goodwin).
This is another Elvis Presley vehicle. He has a couple of babes fighting for him. He sings a few songs. It has his classic hit, "Return to Sender". I do wish that he incorporated all the songs into the story. I imagine Elvis writing to one of the babes and getting it return to sender. This has a story and he actually has a compelling objective. There is some emotional drive behind his quest and he shows a little acting range. He's capable of doing more, but he is always doing his vehicle movies. -
geoffm6029522 July 2019If you enjoy inferior songs, a silly, fluffy storyline, with dialogue that is extremely dull, this film may appeal to you. Elvis makes an unconvincing fisherman, with his two female co stars doing their best to inject some life into the scenes, despite being handicapped by a duff script.Elvis didn't really engage with the nuances of the character, which would have at least made the film bearable! The fact was that Elvis wasn't particularly good at interpreting film roles, thus the character of Ross comes across as one dimensional. His job was to sing and woo the ladies, hence it becomes 'chewing gum for the eyes.' This film was strictly for 'die hard' Elvis fans, who were undemanding in their expectations, but merely wanted to see their idol singing on the screen. Such films merely confirmed to the general public that his sponsors had given up on the idea of Elvis doing any real acting.