The original U.S. title for this Elvis movie was Hawaii Beach Boy. I think that title actually fits better. The tagline says it all for this flick with romance, dances and paradise. That almost fits any of The King’s formula movies. This movie catches up with Elvis as he gets out of the Army (in the movies) and wants to get on with his life. His family has one idea but he wants to make it on his own. Don’t feel sorry for him as his life is full of surfing, babes and the beach.

Unfortunately for the audience, Presley’s co-star in G.I. Blues in 1960 pulled out of this movie. Juliet Prowse who starred with Elvis in G.I. Blues would have made a great followup character to add in Blue Hawaii. The story goes that she made so many demands on the studio that she was dropped from the picture. She continued in movies and then mostly in television. She later guest starred in a Murder She Wrote staring Angela Lansbury; Lansbury plays Elvis mother in this picture (she was 35 at the time). Blue Hawaii was the most successful soundtrack albums of the Elvis movie genre. 

Like the other Elvis movies the reason to see this one is Elvis himself and the great music performances he gives. Elvis retuned to Hawaii many times so this must have been a special film for him. Hal Wallis does his usual excellent job of framing this film in his talented way that fuses the music with the story without being too sappy. This is a must see film on the Elvis list. ***/****.

As for the poster… The half sheet of Blue Hawaii is more popular that the one sheet. Mainly this is due to the large musical note that Elvis is singing on top of with the girls. I like the one sheet better with the surfboard but both posters are just great.

There are movie posters coming out all the time by studios and design shops hired out by from all over Hollywood. From kinopoisk come international posters for The Horsemen, Easy Virtue, Seven Pounds and Marley & Me. International never cease to amaze me with their twist on the U.S. versions. Wil Smith’s is really a well lit photo poster that we won’t be able to see in the States. And the dog! More important than the people stars! Wow, I really want to see this one, NOT.

 The American version of Seven Pounds just bores me. But when you stack it next to the new Russian design above it looks like a movie that might actually get my seven bucks. Of course where would we be without the new Valkyrie film offering from Tom Cruise. Usually just mentioning his name makes me queezy but since the film messes with history I’m bound to go and see it. So far all the posters for the movie have been decent.   Stacking up with Wil Smith’s headshot poster is Brad Pitt’s Benjamin Button.  I know, let’s turn the letters around backward and that will suddenly make it different from any other headshot of a poster. It’s sort of like – who is the better looking guy. If Brad was made up a tad more I might think this shot came straight out of Time or People magazines.