Elvis Saves a Studio (article) by Paul Kyriazi on AuthorsDen

The story of a rodeo champion working at women only health-ranch starts out with a great ‘in joke’. Elvis asks a bar owner, “How am I going to eat before rodeo season?” The owner picks up Elvis’ guitar and says, “Well…” “Don’t tell me,” Elvis says, “I know.” Cut to Elvis in the bar at night belting out 'It Feels So Right’.

Tickle Me made five-million dollars world-wide (45 million today). It was the #3 top grosser in Allied Artists’ history, after El Cid and 55 Days in Peking.

Recognizable supporting actors are: Julia Adams (Creature from the Black Lagoon), Bill Williams (Kit Carson, Assignment Underwater), Red West (Black Sheep Squadron), Alison Hayes, (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman), Richard Reeves (Target Earth), Edward Faulkner (five John Wayne movies) with Jack Mullaney being a good Jerry Lewis substitute.

Julie Adams told me (name-drop) that black & white photo of her and Elvis ruining a serious take, was because of laughing at Elvis’ guys behind him staging a fake fight. (Photo at top of this page.)

Elvis has five cool fight scenes in the movie, three using karate, which was new in the USA at the time. He saves his karate for the real bad guys in the story. For fights with jealous guys, Elvis uses good, old haymakers.

Elvis romantic interest, Jocelyn Lane has been said, by many fans, to be “Elvis’ most beautiful co-star”. Yes, more than Ann-Margret. Lane and Elvis make romantic heat in several scenes.

The two writers, who wrote 20 years of The Three Stooges shorts and movies, came up with slapstick, sight gags not found in any other Elvis movie. The long haunted-house sequence has jump-scares, stunts, fights, and laughs.

Final verdict: “If it feels so right, how can it be wrong?”

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Reviewed by Ronald Hull

Reviewed on May 29, 2020

Strangely, I don't remember, Tickle Me. But I did see a number of Elvis's movies and they all seem to have the same kind of theme. Boy gets in, and exotic/strange situation. Meets girl, but has troubles, and then, eventually gets the girl. And of course, it was his singing that brought in huge audiences to watch him gyrate and sing. There were always fistfights (for the male watchers?) and I knew that Elvis was a big fan of karate, wanting to include that along with his obviously "fake," fights with his buddies that he often included in his movies. Girls, fights, sight jokes, and exotic locations, were a sure way to gross big with the date crowd, spending money to go to the drive-in and not even watching the movie. They had more important things to do. ;-)

Beach Blanket Bingo, anyone?

Ron