FUN IN ACAPULCO

Elvis, supposedly in Acapulco

FUN IN ACAPULCO (1963). Director: Richard Thorpe.

After the death of his brother in a trapeze accident, Mike Windgren (Elvis Presley of Girl Happy) flees to Acapulco to get his head together, feeling he can no longer continue with the high-wire act. In Mexico Mike encounters a cute little boy named Raoul (Larry Domasin), a highly self-assured youngster who has many relatives and actually becomes Mike's manager. Mike gets assorted singing engagements while romancing a liberated lady bullfighter named Delores (Elsa Cardenas) as well as a pretty lady named Marguerita (Ursula Andress), who is the daughter of the hotel chef (Paul Lukas). Meanwhile high-diver Moreno (Alejandro Rey) does not take kindly to Mike's interference. Elvis does not wind up fighting a bull but he does take a dive off of a 136 foot high cliff.

Little Larry Domasin with Elvis

Since there really isn't much to the plot, Fun in Acapulco throws a song at the viewer almost literally every five minutes. Some of these tunes are quite nice -- "Acapulco;" "Mexico;" "El Toro;" "Marguerita;""Gaudalajara;" and a sexy "Bossa Nova" that Elvis also wiggles his pelvis to in flamboyant fashion -- while others are merely serviceable.  "Mexico" is sung by Elvis and little Raoul while riding on a bicycle, a charming moment.

Paul Lukas and Ursula Andress

By this time Presley had almost become a camp figure, with a decided sameness to each of his movies: bouncy songs with lots of wiggle room; girls fighting over him; some aging supporting players who really act; and a few adorable newcomers. The movie is easy to take, especially for Elvis fans, but it peters out before too long, unfortunately. After this film veteran actor Lukas [Deadline at Dawn] had two more theatrical features along with a host of television credits. Andress is sweet and attractive (and does not appear to be dubbed as she was in Dr. No) but the movie is stolen by the very talented child actor Domasin. Spanish kids who know everything and everybody are a cliche in movies, but Domasin makes the character very lovable.

Verdict: Just can't stay mad at Elvis! **3/4. 

THE STEPMOTHER

John Garfield Jr., and John Anderson

THE STEPMOTHER (1972). Director: Howard Avedis.

In the prologue to The Stepmother, jealous businessman Frank Delgado (Alejandro Rey of Blindfold) comes home early, realizes his friend, Alan (Mike Kulcsar), has slept with his wife, and strangles him. As he's burying the body, a fight breaks out between a couple nearby and the man starts strangling his girlfriend, and this man becomes a suspect in Alan's murder. If you're expecting a riveting, clever suspense film to follow, be forewarned that the script for this movie seems to have been written each day of filming, and there are lots of unanswered questions. The picture is half over before Frank's son, Steve (Rudy Herrera Jr.) shows up and the "stepmother" of the title -- Frank's younger wife, Margo (Katherine Justice) -- who has already caused enough problems, begins to make a play for Steve ... The Stepmother is a cheap exploitation item that has competent acting but needs a tighter script, to say the least. Rey has his moments, but he is put into situations that would test any actor's mettle -- and you can only understand about a third of what he's saying --  and perky Justice, while professional, is a bit insufficient as the resident femme fatale, if that's what you can call her. Larry Linville of Mash plays another friend of Frank's, and Marlene Schmidt is his wife, who develops a yen for Frank. John Anderson [Zane Grey Theater] is as professional as ever as the cop assigned to Alan's murder, and John D. Garfield (aka David Garfield or John David Garfield), son of the famous John Garfield, amiably plays a photographer nicknamed Goof. Young Garfield died at only 51, lasting 12 years longer than his father.

Verdict: From Crown International, so you get what you expect. **.

BLINDFOLD

BLINDFOLD (1965). Director: Philip Dunne.

Psychiatrist Dr. Bartholomew Snow (Rock Hudson) is drafted by General Prat (Jack Warden) to treat an old patient of his, a scientist named Vincenti (Alejandro Rey). Snow is blindfolded and flown to a secret location where the paranoid Vincenti is being held. But is General Prat really who he says he is, and is stuttering patient Fitzpatrick (Guy Stockwell) somehow involved as well? When Snow realizes something's rotten in Denmark, he and Vincenti's sister Vicky (Claudia Cardinale) have to try and retrace Snow's steps while blindfolded and find her brother. Based on a novel by Lucille Fletcher, Blindfold has a good story, but at times the [admittedly often funny] comedy relief simply overwhelms the suspense and dissipates the tension, with the result that the movie wears out its welcome long before it's over. Climactic scenes with alligators, explosions and bullets flying everywhere are busy but handled without any directorial aplomb. Hitchcock probably could have done a lot with this, but Dunne? Cardinale is cute and perky; Hudson more than acceptable in the lead although no Cary Grant. As Snow's secretary Anne Seymour doesn't have enough oomph [a la Eve Arden]. Seymour appeared on The Honeymooners more than once and had a long, long list of credits. Guy Stockwell was the older brother of Dean Stockwell. Jack Warden comes off best as Prat.Dunne also directed The View from Pompey's Head and wrote the screenplay for The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

Verdict: Okay, if you're not expecting another North By Northwest. **1/2.