Viva Las Vegas (1964)

Director:

George Sidney

Writer:

Sally Benson (written by)

Release Date:

20 May 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Elvis is at the wheel but Ann-Margret drives him wild!

Plot:

Lucky Jackson arrives in town with his car literally in tow ready for the first Las Vegas Grand Prix - once he has the money to buy an engine...

Plot Keywords:

City Name In Title | Hoover Dam | Beautiful Woman | Elvis | Elvis Presley

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Elvis Presley	...	Lucky Jackson
Ann-Margret	...	Rusty Martin
Cesare Danova	...	Count Elmo Mancini
William Demarest	...	Mr. Martin
Nicky Blair	...	Shorty Fansworth
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
The Jubilee Four	...	Themselves
Robert Aiken	...	Driver (uncredited)
Holly Bane	...	Man (uncredited)
Larry Barton	...	Son of the Lone Star State (uncredited)
John Burnside	...	Son of the Lone Star State (uncredited)
Carl Carlson	...	Juggler (uncredited)
Ruth Carlson	...	Juggler (uncredited)
Regina Carrol	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Jack Carter	...	Himself (uncredited)
Taggart Casey	...	Guard (uncredited)
George Cisar	...	Manager of Swingers (uncredited)
Howard Curtis	...	Starter (uncredited)
Roy Engel	...	Mr Baker (uncredited)
Harry Fleer	...	Son of the Lone Star State (uncredited)
Alan Fordney	...	Race announcer (uncredited)
Teri Garr	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Barnaby Hale	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
Claude Hall	...	Son of the Lone Star State (uncredited)
Alean 'Bambi' Hamilton	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
John Hart	...	Casino patron (uncredited)
Connie Hermida	...	Waitress #1 (uncredited)
Pete Kellett	...	Extra (uncredited)
Larry Kent	...	Race official (uncredited)
Ingeborg Kjeldsen	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
George Klein	...	Extra (uncredited)
Lance LeGault	...	Son of the Lone Star State (uncredited)
Brad Logan	...	Guard (uncredited)
Kent McCord	...	Extra (uncredited)
Rick Murray	...	Delivery boy (uncredited)
Bob Nash	...	Big Gus Olson (uncredited)
Beverly Powers	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Eddie Quillan	...	Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
Francis Ravel	...	Francois (uncredited)
Christopher Riordan	...	Dancer (uncredited)
'Reb' Sawitz	...	Extra (uncredited)
Kay Sutton	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Ivan Triesault	...	Head captain (uncredited)
Red West	...	Son of Lone Star State (uncredited)
Robert Williams	...	Swanson (uncredited)

Directed by
George Sidney

Writing credits
Sally Benson		(written by)

Produced by
Jack Cummings	....	producer (uncredited)
George Sidney	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
George E. Stoll		(as George Stoll)

Cinematography by
Joseph F. Biroc		(director of photography) (as Joseph Biroc)

Film Editing by
John McSweeney Jr.		(as John McSweeney)

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)
George W. Davis

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
George R. Nelson

Costume Design by
Donfeld		(as Don Feld)

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Milton Feldman	....	assistant director
Otto Lang	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Lou Watt	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor

Stunts
Max Balchowsky	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert Jon Carlson	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Lee Faulkner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Frank Khoury	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
David Winters	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1990) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (HD-DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (deluxe edition)
• Pony Canyon (1984) (Japan) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (Japan) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Hotel Tropicana  "Folie Bergere" Sequence by arrangement with (as Hotel Tropicana, Las Vegas)

Also Known As:

Love in Las Vegas (International: English title) (UK)
Only Girl in Town (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Australia:G | Canada:PG | Finland:S | South Korea:12 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #20549) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Henderson, Nevada, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Average Shot Length = ~8.9 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~7.3 seconds.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: During the auto race, the cars are supposed to be driving across the Hoover Dam from Nevada into Arizona. In reality, they are driving the wrong way across the dam, from Arizona into Nevada.

Quotes:

Lucky Jackson: I'll trade you in this honeymoon for your pool table cause you don't need it.
Rusty Martin: I don't need a honeymoon!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Elvis in the Movies (1990)

Soundtrack:

The Lady Loves Me

Elvis meets his perfect match.

I used to not be a big fan of Elvis movies. For all of his talent with a song, his films (with a few exceptions) were basically all the same formula: a crooning playboy situated in (exotic location of your choice), with any number of young, excited women waiting in the wings. But in "VLV" he has a more independent-than-usual female co-star (the stunningly beautiful Ann-Margret), who not only matches him in sex appeal, but who forces him to fight for her affection. It's a wonderful match of wits, from the first number, "The Lady Loves Me." They are both marvelous as they each musically bait the other, right up until he takes a header into a swimming pool. (In subsequent scenes they water ski, have a western-style showdown, tour Vegas in a helicopter, and dance in a gymnasium.) Later, when they both compete in the same talent show, A-M gives Elvis a run for his money with her hotter-than-hot striptease "Appreciation." It's perfect that the final shot in the movie is a split-screen of the title song sung (by him) and danced (by her). If no one knew that they were having a romance in real life; they'd figure it out from the chemistry generated in this film. This one and "G.I. Blues" (which features another independent co-star) are my favorites.