Melvin Van Peebles, the iconic African-American director of influential independent films, has died at age 89. Van Peebles, the father of director Mario Van Peebles, was at the forefront of the counterculture movement among filmmakers in the 1970s. He hit his stride with films such as "Watermelon Man" and"Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss", an X-rated racially tinged satire in which he also starred. Van Peebles, along with Gordon Parks, made vital inroads in advancing the Black point-of-view in films. He was also a playwright and social activist who dedicated his life to the cause of racial justice. Ironically, Criterion has just released a boxed set of his films as a tribute to his contributions to cinema.
For a film critic, mocking Elvis Presley movies is like reaching for the low-hanging fruit. There's plenty to disparage. Most of the films are predictable and follow a formula that finds the rock 'n roll idol who started off his career as a rebel being morphed into a clean-cut guy whose most threatening behavior is trying to convince a girl who has caught his eye to make out with him. It wasn't always this way with the cinematic Elvis. There were some rare occasions in which he was cast in compelling dramas and acquitted himself very well indeed (i.e "Flaming Star", "Wild in the Country"). However, it didn't take long for the studios and the dictatorial Colonel Tom Parker to realize that those films didn't gross anywhere near Elvis's feel-good, empty-headed musicals. One major factor was the inevitable accompanying soundtrack album which could be used to cross-promote the movie to great success. Thus, by 1963, attempts to build on Elvis's acting talents went by the wayside and he was cast in essentially the same role in each of his films, albeit with the caveat that his characters would have different background stories. He was generally a genial if somewhat flirtatious and mischievous young guy who was sometimes carrying some troublesome personal baggage from his past. He would meet cute with the film's leading lady (who sometimes was initially resistant to his charms) and the romance would brew in between spontaneous musical numbers that were so numerous, it ensured that a compelling screenplay had to be sacrificed on the alter of the soundtrack album. Yet, Elvis was such a charismatic screen presence that even the least of his films still provide some pleasures and what is arguably his best film, "Viva Las Vegas" rose above the mediocrities because he had genuine and sizzling on-screen chemistry with Ann-Margret. But that was the exception. It's safe to say that beginning with "Girls! Girls! Girls!" in 1962, Elvis's films seemed to be produced on a production line.
"It Happened at the World's Fair", released in 1963, is typical of the watered-down image of Elvis on the big screen. The film plays it safe throughout. Elvis is Mike Edwards, who along with his troublesome best friend Danny Burke (Gary Lockwood), owns an old-time crop dusting bi-plane. Business is grim, however, and when they can't pay their bills (thanks in part to Danny's obsessive gambling habits), their plane is repossessed and the two gravitate to Seattle to explore other opportunities. The city is hosting the 1962 World's Fair with the expected accompanying fanfare as thousands of people crowd into the attraction to get a view of what life in futuristic America will supposedly be like. Once in Seattle, Mike and Danny have a chance encounter with Walter Ling (Kam Tong), who is the caretaker of his adorable little niece Sue-Lin (Vicky Tiu). After Walter is unable to fulfill his promise of bringing Sue-Lin into the fair, Mike reluctantly agrees to be her chaperone for the day. Mike spies Diane Warren (Joan O'Brien), an attractive nurse who works in the first aid office at the fair. In an amusing scene, he pays a little kid (Kurt Russell in his big screen debut) to kick him in the shin so that he can justify having Diane treat him. The ruse works and Mike turns on the charm and finds Diane responsive- until a second encounter with Russell results in Mike's scam being revealed. There's also a cumbersome late sub-plot introduced in which Mike and Danny are hired to run a flight to Canada.Their benefactor pays to get their plane freed up but it soon becomes apparent he wants them to engage in illegal smuggling.
"It Happened at the World's Fair" is a middling but watchable Elvis vehicle. Much screen time is accorded to Vicky Tiu's charming Sue-Lin but does anyone really want to watch Elvis relegated to the role of babysitter for an entire film? Gary Lockwood breathes some life into the film with periodic appearances as the reckless gambler but the lovable rogues he associates with overact under the uninspired direction of Norman Taurog, who had already collaborated with Elvis on three films and would go on to direct five more. Taurog's workmanlike capabilities were generally of the autopilot variety and one can only assume he was greatly responsible for not capitalizing on Elvis's big screen potential to a greater degree. By contrast, George Sidney brought out the best in the King for "Viva Las Vegas" the following year. "World's Fair" also suffers from the fact that Joan O'Brien's character is somewhat less than fun-loving. She treats Mike more like a scolding mother than a potential lover and there is little chemistry between Elvis and O'Brien. Early in the film, Elvis has a romantic encounter with Yvonne Craig and in those couple of minutes there is more sexual chemistry than he demonstrates with O'Brien throughout the rest of the film, as evidenced by the fact that Elvis and Craig had a real-life fling. Elvis gamely sings an interminable number of songs and the scenario isn't helped by the fact that, while they are all pleasant enough, none of them are memorable. What does set the film apart from other Presley films is that the King is seen on location at the World's Fair, though the footage is somewhat limited because MGM found there were so many people crowding around him that private detectives had to be hired to help Elvis shoot his scenes and afford him protection. Indeed, most of the fair scenes were shot in the studio but the brief glimpses afforded here present an interesting time capsule including the introduction of Seattle's iconic Space Needle.
"It Happened at the World's Fair" isn't the worst Elvis movie and it has its moments but it serves primarily as a reminder of how disinterested Hollywood was in developing his skills as an actor. By the time Elvis put his foot down and broke out of the musicals for the 1969 Western "Charro!", it was too late. Despite his good performance in a dramatic role, the film was met with a yawn by critics and the public. If only Elvis had asserted himself a few years earlier...
The Warner Archive Blu-ray is up to the company's high standards. The only extra is a trailer and a menu that allows the viewer to skip ahead to specific musical numbers.