"G. I. Blues" film review - 1960

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"G. I. Blues" film review - 1960

Postby Mister Moon » Sat Nov 09, 2019 5:35 pm

601019 MPD GI Blues review a.jpg



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Re: "G. I. Blues" film review - 1960

Postby Mojo Filter » Sun Nov 10, 2019 2:57 am

Being Elvis' first post army film, and being away from the music scene for two years, i'm sure many fans were expecting to see the Elvis they saw before he went into the army - the hip-shaking rocker with hot rocking songs. And i'm pretty sure many fans walked away from the cinema disappointed at the time....."it was ok but the old Elvis was better".... i can hear they were probably saying to themselves at the time.

With all the advance orders of the album and the promotion of the film and all the hype before the public got to see the film and didn't know what to expect, i'm sure many fans weren't over the moon about the movie. Such is the power of promotion.
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Re: "G. I. Blues" film review - 1960

Postby Mister Moon » Sun Nov 10, 2019 5:28 pm

From the same issue of "Photoplay" magazine, we get, within six pages of distance, two very different views on the movie.

First is the very favourable review, and second, a comment about it by gossip columnist Sara Hamilton.

Something for everybody !



Photoplay January 1961 GI Blues.JPG



Photoplay January 1961 GI Blues Sara Hamilton.JPG
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Re: "G. I. Blues" film review - 1960

Postby colonel snow » Sun Nov 10, 2019 7:48 pm

This movie and the next movies were killing Elvis' career as a "serious" actor inspite commercial success. Hal B. Wallis saw in Elvis a teenager-idol with weak and soft movies (a lot of girls- songs - holiday spots etc.). In my opinion the four movies made before Elvis went into the army are the best.


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Re: "G. I. Blues" film review - 1960

Postby Mojo Filter » Tue Nov 12, 2019 3:18 pm

Mister Moon wrote:From the same issue of "Photoplay" magazine, we get, within six pages of distance, two very different views on the movie.

First is the very favourable review, and second, a comment about it by gossip columnist Sara Hamilton.

Something for everybody !



Photoplay January 1961 GI Blues.JPG


Photoplay January 1961 GI Blues Sara Hamilton.JPG

Thanks for posting, Mr Moon.

It's always good to see reviews that didn't always see Elvis as the god like figure as he was in the 50s.

I, like most of people who frequent these forums weren't even born when this movie was first released. So we didn't get to see what the fans or public's reaction to it at the time. Most of the original fans are no longer around. There are still some original fans around who share their memories and they are the ones that have interesting stories to tell and I like to read them.

When i read these articles i try to imagine what it wouldn't have been like and get the feel of the time. I don't let my own personal judgement of what songs or movie etc I like get in the way.

I've read that many fans at the time were not pleased with this "all round family man entertainer" and felt it wasn't good. I don't think Elvis was too happy about it either....but he just went along with it.

It's all history now and we fans today have learnt so much about the man and what and why it all went wrong.
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Re: "G. I. Blues" film review - 1960

Postby colonel snow » Tue Nov 12, 2019 6:31 pm

Deleted due to doubts about the information.


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Re: "G. I. Blues" film review - 1960

Postby STEVE MORSE » Tue Nov 12, 2019 9:39 pm

Mojo Filter wrote:Being Elvis' first post army film, and being away from the music scene for two years, i'm sure many fans were expecting to see the Elvis they saw before he went into the army - the hip-shaking rocker with hot rocking songs. And i'm pretty sure many fans walked away from the cinema disappointed at the time....."it was ok but the old Elvis was better".... i can hear they were probably saying to themselves at the time.

With all the advance orders of the album and the promotion of the film and all the hype before the public got to see the film and didn't know what to expect, i'm sure many fans weren't over the moon about the movie. Such is the power of promotion.


I suspect many fans - and the general public, too - were delighted with G.I. Blues. The hiatus of his army service and his own growing maturity enabled Elvis to change direction and for 3 years - 1960, 1961 and 1962 - he was more popular than ever. Then they tried to remake Blue Hawaii too many times and the rest we know.

Elvis was always more than a rock 'n' roll singer and I'm pleased that he didn't stay in that rut. Variety is the spice of life in music, whether it be in artists or in music styles. His legacy gives us much to enjoy, not the least because of its variety. At least the rockers got something back in the 1968 sit-down shows. Who ever thought he would ever sing "Trying To Get To You" again ?

Great stuff, as always, Mr. Moon ! Thanks.


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Re: "G. I. Blues" film review - 1960

Postby KEV » Tue Nov 12, 2019 10:06 pm

Post above = SPOT ON!.
Keep the FAITH MIKE :!: :!:


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Re: "G. I. Blues" film review - 1960

Postby Mojo Filter » Wed Nov 13, 2019 5:56 am

STEVE MORSE wrote:
Mojo Filter wrote:Being Elvis' first post army film, and being away from the music scene for two years, i'm sure many fans were expecting to see the Elvis they saw before he went into the army - the hip-shaking rocker with hot rocking songs. And i'm pretty sure many fans walked away from the cinema disappointed at the time....."it was ok but the old Elvis was better".... i can hear they were probably saying to themselves at the time.

With all the advance orders of the album and the promotion of the film and all the hype before the public got to see the film and didn't know what to expect, i'm sure many fans weren't over the moon about the movie. Such is the power of promotion.


I suspect many fans - and the general public, too - were delighted with G.I. Blues. The hiatus of his army service and his own growing maturity enabled Elvis to change direction and for 3 years - 1960, 1961 and 1962 - he was more popular than ever. Then they tried to remake Blue Hawaii too many times and the rest we know.

Elvis was always more than a rock 'n' roll singer and I'm pleased that he didn't stay in that rut. Variety is the spice of life in music, whether it be in artists or in music styles. His legacy gives us much to enjoy, not the least because of its variety. At least the rockers got something back in the 1968 sit-down shows. Who ever thought he would ever sing "Trying To Get To You" again ?

Great stuff, as always, Mr. Moon ! Thanks.

I'm sure many fans were pleased and liked what he was doing at the time, but at the same token I think they still preferred the rocker. No one knew of this sudden change in direction until it was put upon them in 1960, i doubt anyone would have been moaning had he carried on as a 50s rocker when he left the army. The rocker is far more exciting than a guy with neatly pressed trousers and shirts and a perfect haircut singing children's songs. It's not even a creative move. I'd say Elvis' fanatic following was far bigger in the 50s than it was from 1960 until he died. In fact, Elvis really lived off his 50s reputation until the day he died - hence the reason he's always remembered as the "King of Rock'n'Roll". Film makers and historians never site the 60s and 70s as pivotal moments in his career. If it wasn't for the 50s the rest would never have happened.

Sure, when Elvis left the army he wanted to explore musically and widen his abilities as a vocalist. But i don't think he set out to became what he did in the 60s and 70s. To this day i still believe his heart was really in blues, country, rock'n'roll but he lost interest, not because he didn't like rock'n'roll or blues anymore, because he just couldn't be bothered anymore - and there are many reasons for it.

I think Elvis was very proud of his early recordings, but as time wore on the treadmill of the movies and Las Vegas just sucked anything out of him, not to mention his own faults as a human being.

With all that said, Elvis did some fabulous music in the 60s but, unfortunately, it's overlooked because of so much mediocrity and the fabulous stuff of the 50s.

Fans can like what they like and there's nothing wrong with that, it's there personal taste.

I like the song "What she really Like" I think it's great but at the same time I know it's not top drawer music and I'll be walking on fairly thin ice if I was to try and convince a musical historian or someone of that nature that it's top drawer stuff and a pivotal moment in Elvis' career...
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