With the metaphorical anvil of university exams dangling precariously overhead, I decided I needed something to lighten the mood. So I turned to the King, Elvis Presley – a man whose legendary talent, charm, and good looks were sure to brighten my wearied spirits. In this frothy 1960s teen comedy with a stupid title, Rusty (Presley) and his band of sex-starved musicians (including Gary Crosby, son of Bing) are sent down to sunny Fort Lauderdale to chaperone, from a distance, the daughter of their employer. Though initially unenthusiastic about watching the plain-looking, academic Valerie (Shelley Fabares), the boys quickly change their tune when she lets her hair down and slips into something, let's say, more appropriate to the Florida climate. Many romantic hijinks consequently ensue, including a high-speed boat ride, an impromptu beach party (involving a completely hideous "dance" called The Clam), a drunken strip-club brawl, and a prisonbreak going the wrong way. Most films that try to make a beautiful actress appear plain or bookish (usually before a surprising transformation) do an absolutely terrible job of it. Here, conversely, a very pretty Shelley Fabares is made to seem convincingly unappealing in her first few appearances. This illusion is, of course, quickly abolished, as Rusty comes to fall for her intelligent charms, even while straying occasionally towards a more conventional pin-up girl called Deena (Mary Ann Mobley). Though the boys' spring-break romances never get beyond wholesome necking, the social attitudes are nevertheless rather liberal, with frequent overt references towards sex. (Even the nerdy bloke, played by Peter Brooks, ultimately decides that casual sex is better than finding "a girl with a mind"). Elvis' performance is laidback and entertaining, and Fabares has a fun chemistry with him; she would appear in two more movies opposite The King.

Perhaps it's the beach pleasant atmosphere, perhaps it's lovely leading lady Shelley Fabares, perhaps it's an overall decent story and competent supporting actors but Elvis seems to be enjoying himself in "Girl Happy" and chances are you will too.Elvis plays a lead singer of a hot rockn' roll band who manipulates himself and his band into chaperoning a gangster's daughter while she's partying in Fort Lauderdale - so they can escape the freezing cold in Chicago. And soon he falls for her and she for him.It's a simple, lightweight story as usual with Presley's later films but the songs are good ("Puppet on a String" especially beautiful), it's got lovely scenery (although heavily set in studio, as most Presley films) and competent performances from all involved. Shelley Fabares is a knockout beauty but she's also a good performer and looks quite dashing on stage with the King performing "Meanest Girl in Town".

Ft. Lauderdale frolic has Elvis Presley cast as a Chicago rock 'n roller who, along with his outfit-matching band members, takes an assignment to secretly chaperone the boss's daughter as she vacations with her girlfriends down in Florida. Plush MGM musical with a dandy production design, lots of fun slapstick and girl-watching. The plot, such as it is, doesn't make a whole lot of sense (especially with Elvis having his cover blown by Shelley Fabares' tyrannical father, who then gets mad at Presley when his daughter decides to go wild). The songs range from very good ("Puppet on a String", "The Meanest Girl In Town") to awful ("I've Got to Find My Baby", "Wolf Call"), but there's a groovin' beach bash with excitable dancing and a funny prison breakout sequence in which E.P. gets stuck in a cell with 20 females (and escapes in drag!). Mary Ann Mobley has an insulting role (and her make-up is too dark, causing her to look overcooked by the sun), but Fabares is breezy and there's a nice supporting turn by Nita Talbot as a streetwise stripper. Not bad Presley-fest, though the screenplay could've used some sharpening, and the extras are often hilariously wooden. **1/2 from ****

Although most of Elvis' movies were set in a world of total happiness and joy they were very good and were especially good when someone is feeling low. Girl Happy has some great songs and it also had a very successful sound-track. The main theme in this film is that a gangster hires a singer ( Elvis ) to look after his daughter on a holiday camp.