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Projecting a positive image
Officially recognised by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc
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KISSIN
COUSINS (Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer, 1964) |
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| Filmed in October 1963, Kissin' Cousins was Elvis's 15th movie. According to most reports the entire production was completed in a little over two weeks. Ex song-and-dance man Gene Nelson directed, and the movie was produced by Sam Katzman - dubbed 'King of the Quickies'. Elvis filmed one further movie - MGM's Harum Scarum (Harem Holiday) in 1965 with the same producer/director team of Katzman and Nelson. For the only time in his Hollywood career, Elvis undertook a dual role - certainly a departure for him. Technology in today's films (e.g. Multiplicity [1996] with Michael Keaton) ensures a seamless pairing of two or even more roles by one actor, but in this early 1960's production, that was certainly not the case. Lance LeGault (and probably others) appear as the 'second' Elvis in various scenes, and not very convincingly. In the early fight scene, Red West can be seen quite clearly to be playing the 'Jody' part. Videos at home were not considered back then, and producers would have given little thought to the notion of multiple viewings where errors could be easily highlighted. The soundtrack music for the film was recorded in Nashville - apparently to try and give some kind of 'country' feel to the subject matter. The resulting album offered a fair blend of ballads, up-tempo numbers and songs which did suit the movie theme appropriately - like Barefoot Ballad and the title song. The song Anyone was cut from the final print, but remained on the album. Actress Glenda Farrell filmed a scene where she is seen performing a strange song (actually sung by Delores Edgin), entitled Pappy Won't You Please Come Home, which was also cut from the cinema release of the movie, but later turned up in versions screened on television, on video and 16mm prints. The album reached the heights of no.6 in the U.S. and no.5 in the U.K. charts. The single release, the title song backed with the superior It Hurts Me, gained the highest position of no. 12 and no. 10 in the U.S. and the U.K. respectively.
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