Blue Hawaii (1961)
Elvis Presley, Joan Blackman, Angela Lansbury, Roland Winters, Nancy Walters, John Archer, Howard McNear, Steve Brodie, Jenny Maxwell, Pamela Austin, Darlene Tompkins, Lani Kai, Frank Atienza, Hilo Hattie, Red West, Richard Reeves and Robert M. Luck
Director Norman Taurog
Paramount Pictures (102 mins)
Not only have I long called this my favourite movie but Chad Gates is also my favourite movie character. The life he lives is one I want more than any other in film; Capt. Henry Morgan’s in To Have and Have Not (1944) is second. Chad Gates was born in Atlanta, the American south, to a wealthy family. He has for fifteen years – since he was 7 or 8, 10, maybe – lived the life of the haole; I’ve often thought there would be nothing more I would rather be than the lone member of my race among friends of another. Think San Francisco-born big wave surfer Laird Hamilton growing up in Oahu. Chad is fully “Hawaiianized”; nothing but native friends and his girl is half-Hawaiian with royal blood. Give. Me. That. This aspect is at the heart of what I love about this movie.
King Movies are glorious Ninety Minute Worlds. This scene-by-scene analysis serves as running commentary on Blue Hawaii and may I be so bold as to suggest you watch the movie while reading along. That’s the best way to get a kick out of what I’m sharing here.
Scene 1: Back From the Army
These are the finest opening credits one could ever hope to see. These images are vintage picture postcards come to life. The titles themselves are gorgeous and if I could have found that font I would have written this whole article using it. These titles join those of Tequila Sunrise as my favourites – they both actually make a comment on the action, tone and setting of their films. And let’s give it up for Canada’s Own Michael D. Moore, our Assistant Director. We likely have the man from Vancouver to thank for these lovely atmospheric shots of Hawaii circa 1961. Moore (1914-2013) served as AD on almost 100 films including 5 other King Movies.
Chad (Presley) owns and Maile (Blackman) – looking gorgeous with a flower in her hair – has been looking after a cute little 1960 MG Roadster, one that Presley actually bought and that is on display today at Graceland; I have stood next to it. Note that these are real shots of Blackman actually driving the car. Cool. Eddie the motorcycle cop and friend of Maile’s must’ve been played by a local, maybe even a cop, as he can barely handle a line. Watch for his speed wobble as he takes off after the MG. And it adds to Maile’s sexiness that she is a chronic fast driver.
Think about the audacity. Chad has been away for two years and when the door of the plane opens he is kissing the stewardess; which, if you think about it, is a bit much from a screenplay standpoint. But Maile is forgiving and off they go. Elvis is at his playful best telling Maile he missed her while he was overseas and singing “Almost Always True”. Chad beats time on the dash like so many of us do and Maile looks cute in Chad’s hat.
The location at which stands Chad’s beach shack may be my favourite location in any film I’ve ever seen. The scenes were filmed at Hanauma Bay, east of Waikiki and Chad’s intentions here are at the same time practical and ethereal. It is well established that while Chad has been toiling in the Army he has been dreaming of returning to this wonderful place. He explains to Maile that he plans to do what so many of us would like to do – chuck all responsibility and live in his shack; “I got a roof over my head, a cot and a stove…”. And from the standpoint of the viewer – especially those of us who love the escapism of King Movies – the idea of doing this and remembering Chad and Maile at the shack sustains us through many a winter. Lookit where they are. This lagoon is simply heavenly.
There is wonderful light comedy here with both actors delivering lines with realistic precision. Watch how Elvis accidentally (?) grabs a handful of Blackman when they leave the water fully clothed. And now Maile is wet – we are 11 minutes in and she has already laid claim to being one of the top two or three most attractive leading ladies in all the King Movies. Chad has brought home from Paris a cute but skimpy bathing suit for Maile. She thanks him for thinking of her but Chad says he was thinking of himself and how he would delight in seeing her in it.
Chad’s relationship with his beach boy friends is established early; the five actors really look like they have been hanging out together for years. I love the idea of these native guys being on the water and singing “Aloha Oe”. And haole Chad is right in there singing. Later the delightful “No More” is rendered and again its cool to think of these guys just hanging out and singing. It looks wonderfully warm here in the islands. We are 20 minutes in and the fun, the relationships and the story to come have been well laid out.
Scene 2: Yankee Go Home
Roland Winters plays a very cool father. He reveals to Maile that he knows Chad has been home and she goes to tell her boyfriend that the jig is up. Think of the five days Chad has been home, just hiding out at the beach. Bliss. We see the Gates (Winters and Lansbury) hosting boss, Jack (Archer) in their gorgeous home. See how Edith Head has the men dressed in Hawaiian shirts not paired with shorts but with dress slacks. I love this look. Chad arrives in his MG and soon is chilling in a great shirt of his own. The fashions in this movie are magnificent. Watch Elvis watching Lansbury prattle on. He seems to be getting a kick out of her idiocy. Fred Gates knows his wife all too well, also; “Sarah Lee, there are times when I could ring your fool neck”.
Chad then joins in the native festivities at Maile’s grandmother’s birthday party. Mrs. Maneka is played by Flora K. Hayes, not an actress but a noted Hawaiian politician. Here is a tender scene during which Presley delivers one of his best known songs, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. Chad starts by singing to Maile’s grandmama but pivots to look deep into Maile’s eyes. The kicker though is, after he is through, Grandmother says “that’s lovely, Chad” and he responds “and so are you, Grandmother”. I actually choke up a little when he says that. It’s such a…decent thing to say.
Next day, Chad sports another killer shirt and he and Maile share a picnic at a stunning location. Here Chad decides to be a tour guide and plans to go see Maile’s boss (McNear). Excited, he bolts, leaving Maile sitting on the grass. That don’t fly with her.
With Chadwick’s welcome home party about to start, he and Maile go off to meet Miss Prentice (Walters) and here we are treated to some of the finest comedy in any King Movie. The whole interview with Miss Prentice and Maile’s discomfort with the school teacher’s beauty and Chad’s charming way with her, all delightful. “They didn’t build school teachers like that when I went to school” Back at the party at Chad’s home, Mr. Gates shows himself to be an avid drinker (“I’m trying, Mother, I’m trying”) and Chad rocks through “Rock-A-Hula Baby” while Red West looks on. Funny that Chad is punching him out later.
Scene 3: Chad Gates, Tour Guide
Chad Gates lives a charmed life; he is driving in the Hawaiian sunshine with the top down on a 1961 Dodge Dart Phoenix and with a car full of girls. His first day as a tour guide sees him take Miss Prentice and her charges for a drive to see the pineapple fields. Maile was not thrilled to see Miss Prentice squeezed in the front seat next to Chad but its all part of the job. The girls are starting to warm to Chad – all except the Duchess, bratty Ellie. Chad finesses “Moonlight Swim” and then pulls up to the pineapple stand for a refreshing treat. These gorgeous fields are likely part of the Dole Plantation which stretches along the Kamehameha Highway heading towards the North Shore of Oahu. While the other girls enjoy their pineapple, Chad kindly takes some to Ellie who is brooding in the car. As we talked about in Part One’s King Moment, here Elvis Presley delivers one of his most charming and comical exchanges and with an unlikely partner in Jenny Maxwell. Jen does well delivering the zinger “I believe you’re being paid to show us a good time. When does it start?” and watch Chad begin to smile after “…good time”. Like he respects her sass and is ready to throw down. Then of course there is the hilarious delivery of the “very rich family” line. This little scene is just delightful. Watch him cough when she blows smoke in his face. There follows some wonderful moving postcards depicting Chad showing the girls the local colour, boating, catamarans, surfing and the like.
Boss Mr. Chapman is pleased with Chad’s work and tells Maile that Miss Prentice is quite taken with the boy – something that displeases her. So much so that Maile decides she’d better tag along with the group when Chad and the girls hit the hukilau down on the beach. Here we see a nice beach party, Hawaiian style though it is pretty song-heavy. I guess we could say that the tourists would enjoy a little music as part of the package. And when the guide sings like Chad does… Bold Ellie makes a play for Chad but he rebuffs her and again the two share a fun exchange. The Hawaiian men call out that they need help bringing in the fish. It’s silly-funny when Ellie complains “who needs group fishing? That’s hokey” but then watch King’s face when he explains “if you don’t pull the net, you don’t eat the fish. That’s hukilau!” and listen how he accentuates “hukilau”. Then we suffer through “Ito Eats”; OK, I get it in context of the hukilau but, as I’ve said before, DON’T PUT IT ON THE RECORD!
Next morning at Casa Gates, Mama Gates laments the fact that her son is a lowly tour guide – “a job?! Working?!” – but Jack shows he’s a dude, down to earth and ready to party when he comments that chauffeuring girls around sounds alright by him. And just dig his cool shirt with the pocket on the sleeve for his butts. You get me a shirt like that today and I’m a smoker again.
Scene 4: Turn That Tiger Loose
Here again Blue Hawaii gives us visuals that are almost overwhelming. The set for the luau at the Highland Inn is gorgeous with the moody colours and what looks like thatching behind the group as they sing the lovely “Hawaiian Sunset”. King sports another shirt that is to die for. Jack is among the party, himself resplendent in a gorgeous shirt and plying Miss Prentice with a Mai Tai – a “little tummy-warmer”. Enter noir vet Steve Brodie as Tucker Garvey and his equally boorish wife. He notices the “mighty pretty company” and introduces himself to Ellie who feigns a flirty French accent, hoping to cause trouble by arousing Tucker (she is successful) and rousing Chad to act (again successful). Note the tough looking red-headed guy sitting at Tucker’s table.
In the hope of breaking things up, watch how Chad snaps his fingers at the boys on the bandstand, summoning them to jazz it up so he can take Ellie out onto the floor. Here is where Elvis was supposed to break out into the song “Steppin’ Out of Line” but Wallis must’ve figured 14 songs was enough. You have to watch Elvis’ face as he tries to dissuade Tucker from dancing with Ellie. Watch King grin when Tucker pushes him away. He keeps his chill smile intact even as Mr. Garvey calls him out; “oh, go on, turn him loose, sis. Turn that tiger loose”. Two swings miss Chad but he connects, sending Garvey sprawling. Who is next up to throw down? Red West as “party guest” but King handles him easily. You love to see how much Ellie is enjoying the brawl she caused, how Chad’s friends take out the trash, flinging combatants out the door and that Jack is not above a little how she goin’ as he throws the dukes as well. Jack Kelman might be the coolest male character in a King Movie who isn’t King. And it’s always a chuckle when poor Ito goes to the phone – “Emergency! Emergency!” – and gets smoked with a watermelon. Everyone ends up in the slammer where Richard Reeves shows up in one of his 6 King Movies. His cellmate, Garvey, is still running his mouth and telling Chad to “cork up the wailin'” only to get drilled by Reeves.
Chad is bailed out by an irate Mr. Gates and Chad’s goofball boss, Mr. Chapman, comes in wearing a nice outfit and wanting Chad thrown back in jail and to be reimbursed the $700 for the damage at the luau. When Mr. Gates demands to know who this character is, Mr. Chapman flinches, assuming violence runs in the family. Chapman fires Chad but Maile defends Chad to her boss and then quits. Watch Chad shaking his head no when she quits but then smiling with pride when she repeats her resignation.
Scene 5: Home from the Big House
The Gates boys arrive back home and Sarah Lee is overcome with relief – “my baby’s home from the big house!”. She is ready to give Chad a pass when he apologizes and assumes that the blame must be laid at Maile’s feet – because “she was there” and Chad was working for the same tour guide service Maile works for. Then she crosses the line when she tells Chad “she’s pulling you down to her level”.
You see, Sarah Lee Gates is a classist; she is all about social standing and looks down on those she doesn’t deem to be on her level. The Gates Family is obviously well-to-do and Sarah objects to Chad’s girl and his friends because she thinks they are of the lower classes, delinquents, loafers and she has bigger, better and higher designs for her son. It could be argued that she blindly loves her only child so much that nobody or nothing would ever be good enough for him. But look how the script “Archie Bunker”‘s her. She is a self-absorbed ditz and only such goofballs as this would feel that way about the classes, right? Even her own husband struggles, often wanting to “ring her fool neck”.
Speaking of her husband, Mr. Gates snaps on Chad; no more beach friends, he declares and no more hair-brained jobs. Your way hasn’t worked and if you stay under this roof, you’ll play by our rules now. If that’s the way it’s going to be, Chad decides to leave and Sarah wonders aloud “what did we do wrong?” to which Mr. Gates comically answers “off hand, I’d say we got married”.
Scene 6: A Freelance Tour of Coco Palms
“This is the life, isn’t it?” Chad and Maile are both out of a job but no matter; they’ve been surfing and then reclining on the beach. Chad gets his idea to carry on the tour freelance and he excitedly leaves to put his plans in motion. He leaves Maile on the beach to look after his board. Did you notice how she seemed to be struggling dragging her board out of the surf and along the sand? Now she’s gotta look after his board, too?
I’d love to see Chad’s closet. In yet another killer shirt, he later phones Maile to say that Abigail Prentice has agreed to his plans. Maile now needs to do her thing and arrange accommodations on Kauai at the Coco Palms Resort. I was looking forward to telling you all about this wondrous place but there is too much to tell and the resort deserves an article all its own; you’ll have to look it up. It will have to suffice to say that there was a time when you could stay at the Coco Palms and after Blue Hawaii the resort offered the chance for couples to get married in the same lagoon and with the same ceremony we see later in the film. Sadly, the resort has been closed since the destruction of Hurricane Iniki and while buildings still stand it has been embroiled in land disputes the last 30 years. But here in our movie, it is yet another idyllic location. The grounds, the palms, the cabins, the lagoon, the torch-lighting ceremony…all are on beautiful display.
Maile shows up on Kauai to surprise Chad and Jack is in tow claiming he has business on the island. Late that night, Ellie makes her move. With all her friends asleep, she goes and knocks on Chad’s door. What follows is just about the funniest scene in King Movie history.
First of all, dig the rooms at the Coco Palms. Very nice. Next, you need to watch the scene and really focus on almost every word that Presley utters. It is very casual, very authentic and very engaging light comedic acting. And the scene is a little bold, actually. Chad tries to get Ellie to leave, saying she should be in bed. Ellie lays down on her back in Chad’s bed and says “I am in bed” and then she tells him she doesn’t wear britches. Maile calls on the phoine and Chad tries to sound casual while fending off Ellie; “No…no…NO!…no”. Watch when he hangs up the phone how he simply turns to go and pushes Ellie to the side. Patsy and Sandy arrive pounding on the door, Ellie hides and Chad lets the girls in. Kinda fun to note that there stands Patsy in Chad’s room late at night and she’s wearing…well, not much. Watch King as he tries to quiet the girls down. “Keep quiet!”, he half-yells and then chuckles amiably. He says Ellie was just leaving and watch closely the way he says to her “c’mon, git out!” in real Southern style. The real pay-off though and what I think is the single funniest moment in any King Movie is when Miss Prentice comes knocking and he tries to hide the girls; “c’mon, girls, in the bed. Aw, no, no!!”. Just a really delightful few minutes spent in this particular Ninety Minute World.
Courtesy Elvis-A-Z
Lookit where the girls are hiding, out on the lanai. Is that an outdoor tub they crouch behind? Abigail talks to Chad about having found romance and this starts to concern Chad and surprises the girls. It’s a bit of a far-fetched device used in the screenplay that Miss Prentice should kiss Chad at this point. Talking to Chad about her blossoming relationship with Jack Kelman is one thing but she’s so excited that she kisses Chad? I don’t know about that. But this is used to get Maile mad as she just happens to walk up to Chad’s cabin at that very moment and witnesses the kiss. Of course, she storms off. Ellie has stormed off, too but Chad stops her from drowning herself. Her story is resolved in fine fashion.
Scene 7: Wrong Room, Lover Boy
Next morning, Chad is having breakfast with Miss Prentice, the girls and Maile. Please check out Patsy’s cute bolero/matador-type outfit. It’s darling. Maile is still upset and abruptly leaves the table. Left alone, Abigail tries to finish what she was saying last night. Chad tries to dissuade her from pressing what he thinks is her play for him by saying “I snore and everything”. Another chuckle. When Jack shows up and he and Miss Prentice embrace, Chad gets it and runs off to find Maile. Oh, yeah – dig Jack on the phone at the end of the scene. He asks for the operator and then says to Abigail “you look wonderful”. Nice. Cat’s a real smoothie.
My friends and I always got a chuckle out of Chad’s method here. He has every reason to believe that Maile is mad and yet he still just opens up her door smiling and saying brightly “hi, honey!”. And I just love Maile Duval so much and I admire her willingness to drop the gloves and have a good fight – “you’re in the wrong room, lover boy” – and it’s pretty sexy when she yells “don’t touch me! Get out!!”. It’s comical when Maile says in disgust “Men! You can have ’em” and Chad says “I don’t want ’em!”. The second after Chad leaves, Maile opens her blinds to see Abigail and Jack walking hand in hand. But look what else she sees. Look at the lagoon. You’ll see a couple paddelling a canoe. The woman in front is actually Patti Page! At the time, Patti was married to this movie’s choreographer, Charles O’Curran.
Scene 8: Four Tummy Warmers
Before our big finale, there is one more cool scene. Chad’s in the bar and Jack Kelman and Fred Gates stroll in. Dig Jack; look at how he walks, striding into the room like he owns the place. He calls the bartender by name and orders 3 Mai Tais. To top it off, lookit the guy. He’s wearing a dapper roll neck cardigan with nothing underneath and with the sleeves lazily rolled up to just below the elbow. Cardigan pocket loaded with butts and he sparks one up. You can hear his Zippo. Fred plays it pretty cool; remember, he’s none too happy with Chad. Chad begins to roll out his plans for working for the Great Southern Hawaiian Fruit and for himself. He asks how many salesmen the company has and Jack – the boss – doesn’t know. Fred has the number though – 317 – and it is noted that the salesmen are all over the US – and Canada! Chad and Maile’s employment future is worked out perfectly. And that’s nice.
Then Maile arrives – and all the men stand up. Mr. Gates greets her warmly (see? He’s cool; he likes her, forget what Sarah Lee thinks) and tells Chad he is proud of him. Jack calls for “four of those little tummy-warmers” and my friends and I always saw something in the attitude of his hand and four fingers. For their new business venture, Chad proposes they call it Gates of Hawaii (a clever name, really) and that is his way of also proposing marriage. “Well, I suppose I could be romantic about it but you’d say yes anyways”
Scene 9: A Hawaiian Wedding
See? Sarah Lee Gates doesn’t “get away with it”. At the start of Chad and Maile’s wedding at Coco Palms, Sarah is now bragging on her daughter-in-law saying she is of royal blood, a direct descendant of “Kalaniʻōpoo-poo” instead of Kalaniʻōpuʻu. So, she’s too dumb to get the name right and, worse than that, she is bragging to Maile’s own grandmother. Look at Fred Gates, exasperated, shaking his head.
What really gets me about this scene, though, is seeing Miss Prentice’s girls among the guests. Let’s think about his. I’m not sure how this worked back in the day but these girls have obviously signed up for this trip to Hawaii with Abigail Prentice as chaperone. During their stay, they were witness to some life-changing events for those around them. I just can’t help but imagine the connections that have been formed this summer. When these girls get back home and are asked how their vacations were, imagine the story they will have to tell. I just think its a very pleasant thing to consider as I watch the girls watching Chad and Maile get married.
The ceremony itself is very beautiful. In Part One of this discussion, I spoke of “Hawaiian Wedding Song” and here it is rendered delightfully by Elvis. Of course, I used to always say that if I ever got married I would like to have this same ceremony at Coco Palms (I eventually did but we didn’t). Also watching the ceremony are Joe Esposito plainly seen and I believe that is Elvis’ cousin, Richard Davis, to Joe’s right. Chad and Maile are outfitted nicely – yet again – and Chad’s beach boy friends are sitting on the raft strumming ukeleles while the raft is paddled down the lagoon. See the girls walking along the shore. I find the ending of most movies from this era to be emotional and this one is no different. Every time I watch, I realize I have again loved the time I’ve spent with these people and now it is over. That’s sad but it’s still a nice feeling as it’s a happy ending. I love to imagine how things went afterwards. How well Gates of Hawaii did, how Sarah Lee and Maile got along, Jack and Abigail and, again, how the girls made out when they got back home. What memories they’ve made. There could’ve and should’ve been sequels or even a TV series; the girls return the following year and romance and hijinks ensue and Chad and Maile have crazy guest star clients. Then the archway is made for Chad and Maile to walk through to begin their ceremony. And its fun to imagine the great party that surely followed.
This should be the only movie. If film is about escapism, what could possibly be better than Blue Hawaii? A charismatic, engaging, handsome actor playing a charismatic, engaging, handsome character surrounded by beautiful women and divine surroundings. A few excellent songs, a lot of laughs and that glorious intangible that comes from seeing a life lived on the screen that you desperately wish was yours. I remember the early 90s and watching my taped-off-TV copy of this in Apartment Zero, laying on the floor on blankets in my bachelor pad beach shack with good friends and girls who couldn’t figure out what the heck we saw in this old movie. What I saw and what I continue to see is really hard for me to put into words. I guess its about the escapism, the mind-travel and the effect on me of a man who has been with me through every season of my life and who has charmed me, excited me and pleased me for over 40 years now. Its about Presley’s appeal for me being epitomized in the role of Chad Gates played against the Hawaiian backdrop photographed in that glorious golden era colour. More than just enjoying it, Blue Hawaii means something to me. There may be a downside to this film’s format, its colossal success and what that meant to Elvis in Hollywood but I just cannot help but continue to love it. With all my heart.
Sources
- Blue Hawaii Movie 1961 – IMCBD Internet Movie Cars Database
- Blue Hawaii – Rob on Location
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