Harum Scarum / Speedway / The Trouble With Girls (And How to Get Into It)

Harum Scarum (1965)

Daffy doings in the desert as action movie star Johnny Tyronne (Elvis Presley) finds himself traversing the Middle East on a goodwill/promotional tour, and then kidnapped by a group of assassins who are so impressed with his cinematic derring-do they want him to bump off King Toranshah. Along the way, Johnny falls in love with the king’s daughter (Mary Ann Mobley), restores order to the kingdom, and croons a few tunes. Songs include "Golden Coins," "Shake That Tambourine," and the title track. With Michael Ansara, Jay Novello, Fran Jeffries. 85 min. C/Rtg: NR

Speedway (1968)

Elvis Presley is fast in a car, faster on the guitar, and the fastest with his lips and hips in this swingin' race car saga. Here he's NASCAR driver Steve Grayson who, after bailing out his needy friends one time too many, finds himself in the red. Enter lovely I.R.S. agent Susan Jacks (Nancy Sinatra), who’s got the enviable assignment of keeping her eye on studly Steve. Songs include "There Ain't No Nothin' Like a Song," "Let Yourself Go," "Your Time Hasn't Come," and "Speedway." With Bill Bixby, Gale Gordon. 94 min. C/Rtg: G

The Trouble With Girls (And How To Get Into It) (1969)

Atypical (if oddly titled) Elvis Presley drama, with the King playing Walter Hale, the manager of a touring 1920s Chautauqua company. The trouble erupts when they arrive in small Iowa town, where Hale tries to disrupt the unionizing of his troupe, and gets mixed up in the murder of a local pharmacist (Dabney Coleman). With Marlyn Mason, Sheree North, Nicole Jaffe, Vincent Price, and Annisa Jones; based on the 1960 novel "Chautauqua" by Day Keene and Dwight Vincent Babcock. Songs include "Clean Up Your Own Backyard" and "Swing Low Sweet Chariot." 99 min. C/Rtg: G