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Follow That Dream

(United Artists, 1962)

 

Elvis travelled to Florida in the summer of 1961 for location shooting on his first of four films for United Artists Studios. Based on the novel Pioneer, Go Home! by Richard Powell, this was an out and out comedy role for Elvis in which he performed very effectively. Filming took place in various parts of Florida including Crystal River, Ocala, Tampa, Inverness, Bird Creek and Yankeetown. Announced as director for the film when the project was at an early stage was veteran George Marshall, whose films as director included Destry Rides Again (1939) with James Stewart, Houdini (1953) with Tony Curtis, and How The West Was Won (1962). However, this situation was to change and the eventual director was in fact Gordon Douglas. Among the many films he directed Douglas was responsible for In Like Flint (1967) with James Coburn, and a trio of late 1960's Frank Sinatra movies - The Detective, Tony Rome, and its sequel Lady in Cement. The screenplay for Follow That Dream was written by Charles Lederer, who had written screenplays for the films Ocean's Eleven (1960) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) among many others. Producer on the movie was David Weisbart, who had earlier produced Elvis's films of Love Me Tender and Flaming Star. He would also serve as producer on Elvis's next film project - Kid Galahad.

Elvis's co-stars in the film were very well cast; all slotting into the comedy plot nicely. As the irascible Pop Kwimper, the all-wise family patriarch, Arthur O'Connell delivered a terrific performance in what was a pretty large role. In his many scenes with Elvis as the naive Toby Kwimper, the interplay between the two performers was extremely well handled. Arthur O'Connell of course returned in Kissin' Cousins (1964), but he was never better than in this first outing with Elvis. Anne Helm, as the love interest, proved an effective female lead for the story. Simon Oakland and Jack Kruschen, as the two gangsters innocently thwarted by Elvis's sometimes-bungling character, were a great addition to the cast.

In terms of his performance, Elvis demonstrated a very real flair for comedy in this role. In other characterisations he was fairly adept at a certain comedic level, but in the role of Toby in this film he was truly able to shine as a comedy actor in what was a superior part for him. Future productions certainly provided opportunities for some humorous situations but Elvis was never again given comedy material that really matched Follow That Dream, in terms of script quality and supporting cast.

For the soundtrack, six songs were recorded in Nashville. Tracks were Follow That Dream, Angel, Sound Advice, I'm Not the Marrying Kind, What a Wonderful Life and A Whistling Tune. Like several others, the release pattern was kind of fragmented. There was no single release from the movie. An extended-play, four-track album was released to coincide with the film's cinema release in 1962. Sound Advice did not receive an official release until the Elvis For Everyone album in 1965. A Whistling Tune was discarded, but then re-recorded for Elvis's next movie, Kid Galahad - then issued as part of that film's extended-play, six-track soundtrack album.



This information was produced by the Elvis Presley Film Society in November 2003
© 2003 Elvis Presley Film Society