Double Trouble (1967)

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Marc Brandell (story)
Jo Heims (writer)

Release Date:

5 April 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Music

Tagline:

Elvis finds love, larceny and fun on the double.

Plot:

When singer Gut Lambert goes on tour in Europe, he is pursued by two beautiful women, bumbling jewel thieves, and a mysterious killer.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Heiress | Smuggling | Poker | Funny Policemen

Cast

Elvis Presley	...	Guy Lambert
Annette Day	...	Jill Conway
John Williams	...	Gerald Waverly
Yvonne Romain	...	Claire Dunham
The Wiere Brothers	...	Themselves
Chips Rafferty	...	Archie Brown
Norman Rossington	...	Arthur Babcock
Monte Landis	...	Georgie (as Monty Landis)
Michael Murphy	...	Morley
Leon Askin	...	Inspector de Groote
John Alderson	...	Iceman
Stanley Adams	...	Captain Roach
Maurice Marsac	...	Frenchman
Walter Burke	...	Mate
Helene Winston	...	Gerda
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Balakoff	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Bob Bergy	...	Chicken Truck Driver (uncredited)
Hal Bokar	...	Masked Man (uncredited)
Barry Cole	...	Juggler (uncredited)
George Dee	...	Sleepy Man (uncredited)
Ted DeWayne	...	Acrobat (uncredited)
Luke Gerard	...	Peddler (uncredited)
Josh Harding	...	Seaman (uncredited)
Chester Hayes	...	Stiltwalker (uncredited)
Rodney Hoeltzel	...	Juggler (uncredited)
Bob Homel	...	Moe (uncredited)
Mary Hughes	...	Watusi Dancer (uncredited)
Robert Isenberg	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Bob Johnson	...	Juggler (uncredited)
Murray Kamelhar	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Marilyn Keymer	...	Twin #1 at London Nightclub (uncredited)
Melody Keymer	...	Twin #2 at London Nightclub (uncredited)
George Klein	...	Bit (uncredited)
Laurie Lambert	...	Child (uncredited)
Monique LeMaire	...	Flemish Clerk at Hotel Olympia (uncredited)
Frank Mitchell	...	Customs Officer (uncredited)
Jan Reddin	...	Discotheque Dancer (uncredited)
Danny Rees	...	Juggler (uncredited)
Christopher Riordan	...	Young Englishman (uncredited)
Audrey Saunders	...	Acrobat (uncredited)
Ray Saunders	...	Acrobat (uncredited)
Ralph Smiley	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Billy Smith	...	Extra (uncredited)
Bill Snyder	...	Acrobat (uncredited)
Jack Teagarden	...	Acrobat (uncredited)
Rick Teagarden	...	Acrobat (uncredited)
Sheryl Ullman	...	Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Taurog

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Marc Brandell		story
Jo Heims		writer

Produced by
Judd Bernard	....	producer
Irwin Winkler	....	producer

Original Music by
Jeff Alexander

Cinematography by
Daniel L. Fapp

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

Art Direction by
George W. Davis
Merrill Pye

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
Hugh Hunt

Costume Design by
Donfeld

Makeup Department
Mary Keats	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist
Larry Geller	....	hair designer: Elvis Presley (uncredited )

Production Management
Al Shenberg	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Claude Binyon Jr.	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
J. McMillan Johnson	....	special visual effects
Carroll L. Shepphird	....	special visual effects

Stunts
Carol Daniels	....	stunts (uncredited)
Louie Elias	....	stunts (uncredited)
Polly Geerts	....	stunt double: Annette Day (uncredited)
Del 'Sonny' West	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Mike Deasy	....	musician (uncredited)

Other crew
Patricia Casey	....	assistant to producers
Tom Parker	....	technical advisor (as Colonel Tom Parker)
Alex Romero	....	choreographer
Stanley Brossette	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1967) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

You're Killing Me (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Belgium

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Norman Rossington became the first and the last to work in a Elvis Presley and a The Beatles movie.

Quotes:

Guy Lambert: Get off my bed. Get off the bed! Put your shoes back on. Put your shoes back on!
Jill Conway: My feet hurt.
Guy Lambert: [mockingly] My feet hurt.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ghar (1978)

Soundtrack:

Could I Fall In Love

Euro Elvis

Hear Elvis say "bikkies" (a kick for me, as one who grew up with that contraction of "biscuits," in America known as cookies), see Elvis lay his kenpo down on a bad guy who dies as a result, see Elvis drive a VW bug, witness Elvis smash windows, marvel at Elvis in a mustache and glasses mask, and watch him beat up a beautiful woman! Those are some of the highlights, anyway. In truth, this film is among my very least favorite of Elvis films, even judging by the somewhat unique standards of the '60s travelogue Technicolor musicals that became the standard by 1962. The formula had worn thin by 1965 ("Frankie And Johnnie," "Harum Scarum," "Paradise, Hawaiian Style"), to say the least, and -- other than some bright points in "Spinout" and the entirety of "Easy Come, Easy Go" (like "Double Trouble," shot in 1966...for some reason, I like that crazy film) -- nothing got better, in my opinion, until the formula changed radically with 1968's "Stay Away, Joe" and "Live A Little, Love A Little."

The period 1965-1967 was Elvis' nadir, in other words, though the May, 1966 Nashville sessions (that yielded the immaculate "How Great Thou Art" gospel album and a few stellar secular songs, including a definitive take on one of Bob Dylan's songs) and recently-surfaced home recordings from that period show all too well how phenomenal Elvis' talent was at the time, a contrast that would anger and frustrate anyone who cared about his place in American and world culture and history. But we have what we have, and the criminal waste of talent that to a great extent represented Elvis' film career during this time is undeniable but shouldn't necessarily result in us writing off the results out of hand for that reason alone. There are a few moments in this film that are good, and a few when Elvis seems to actually be engaged rather than bored with the whole proceedings and just sleepwalking through it to fulfill contractual obligations.

There're some great actors in supporting roles, too, like Leon Askin (General Burkhalter!), Chips Rafferty, John Williams, Norman Rossington (the only actor to appear in films with the Beatles and Elvis), and Michael Murphy. Annette Day is kind of lackluster in the lead female role. Yvonne Romain is much more like it. And the Wiere Brothers have always irritated the hell out of me in this film -- wish they were not in it, because they really stupid things up.

The songs are not the greatest even compared to other songs from Elvis movies of this time, but I do like the title track, "Long Legged Girl" (a tasty song, actually, written by Joy Byers, who usually contributed great songs even to otherwise not-so-great movies, such as "Let Yourself Go" in "Speedway"), and the jazzy "City By Night." "Could I Fall In Love" is a nice ballad, a duet of Elvis with Elvis, but the entire June, 1966 session for this movie suffered from sonic problems and I believe it's one that Elvis complained vociferously about. I also believe that Elvis walked out on recording "Old McDonald" before he'd produced an acceptable master take, being totally disgusted by the task, and the master was spliced from what the engineers had captured. Not his greatest recorded moment, anyway. And, darn it, it (and the rest of the soundtrack) was recorded on my second birthday.

IMDb mixes up the screen character credits for Chips Rafferty and Norman Rossington but, to be fair, so does the end title sequence in the film. Oops.