TheLittleSongbird Elvis Presley was a hugely influential performer with one of the most distinctive singing voices of anybody. He embarked on a film career consisting of 33 films from 1956 to 1969, films that did well at the box-office but mostly panned critically (especially his later films) and while he was a highly charismatic performer he was never considered a great actor.Personally am of the opinion that some of his early stuff is actually pretty good (a few even more so than that), the writing and stories weren't always a strong suit but they had good supporting performances, great soundtracks with some iconic songs, they didn't look like they were made on the cheap and Elvis actually showed himself to be a decent enough actor when the songs and material allowed it. The later films when Elvis was past prime not only had those story and script problems but did have problems with production values, less good supporting cast and Elvis being past prime and didn't even have the benefit of having good soundtracks.After a two-year break for military service, Elvis makes a return to the screen with 'GI Blues'. While it is not quite one of his very best films, being somewhat of a disappointment after 'Jailhouse Rock' and 'King Creole' (his two best, 'Loving You' is high up too), it does fare significantly better than pretty much every film he did afterwards and when ranked it would still rank around the top half of his filmography.'GI Blues' is not perfect, its somewhat overlong length and the bland and corny script (then again the script has rarely been a strong suit in an Elvis film, with the odd exception like 'King Creole') being its two main drawbacks. The story is also pretty thin and formulaic.However, Elvis, even in a substantially changed image, once again looks natural and is charismatic and charming. The sultry Juliet Prowse is likewise appealing and Robert Ivers steals scenes with some amusing moments. The soundtrack is terrific also, standouts being the title song, "Wooden Heart", "Didya Ever" and particularly "Doin' the Best I Can", as well as inspired use of one of Elvis' best known songs "Blue Suede Shoes".Norman Taurog, a hit and miss director for me, directs assuredly, and of his nine features with Elvis 'GI Blues' is one of their better collaborations easily and one where Taurog's direction actually rises above just competent. 'GI Blues' is a good-looking film, being nicely shot in particular.All in all, pretty good fifth feature for the King of Rock and Roll. 7/10 Bethany Cox

zardoz-13 You can always tell a good Elvis movie from a bad one, and "G.I. Blues" ranks as one of his better efforts. The story boils down basically to Elvis gets the girl no matter how reluctant she may be. This time he pursues the gorgeous Juliet Prowse. Prowse plays an eligible, single, white, female named Lili who puts on quite a floor show in the German nightclub where she dances. Elvis is in the military—as he was briefly in real life—but this time he is Tulsa MacLean, a member of a U.S. Army tank battalion. The G.I.s challenge him to a bet that he cannot spend a night alone with Lili, and Tulsa embarks on the arduous task of romancing this iceberg. Predictably, the Pelvis wins the wager, but he doesn't do it in an obnoxious fashion. Indeed, his behavior is that of a gentleman, and he impresses Lili with his good manners while his drooling buddies watch from afar. "G.I. Blues" was his fifth cinematic outing, coming between Michael Curtiz's above-average "King Creole" and one of his finest westerns Don Siegel's "Flaming Star." This was his sixth outing with director Norman Taurog, the most prolific of Elvis's directors with nine films films to his credit. The Germany scenery is nice. "Donovan's Reef" writer Edmund Beloin and "A Visit to a Small Planet" scribe Henry Garson drum up some good dialogue in this lightweight but entertaining romantic comedy.

Bjorn (ODDBear) Though this movie sealed Elvis's fate as to what kind of films he'd be churning out by the dozen; it's hard not to like it.Elvis is thoroughly charming as Tulsa, an American GI stationed in Germany. He takes part in a rather despicable bet as he claims he can "defrost" a sultry dancer (Juliet Prowse). He succeeds in charming her but, to his own surprise, also falls for her.Well, the story's simple - but it sets the stage for some truly entertaining Presley songs and some knockout dancing by the charming Juliet Prowse who also gives a good performance. The film is energetically made and the usual Presley "possé" is fairly likable here.There's no denying the fact that the "defrost" bet is very tasteless but Elvis's character sidesteps it quite nicely. Here Elvis plays basically the same character as in his subsequent films; a mischievous lad, wholly independent, with a surprisingly strong moral sense and prone to landing in at least one bar fight. But this is the first light-hearted Presley flick and he looks like he's enjoying himself and the songs really are top notch. "Tonight is so right for love" and "Shopping Around" are among many highlights here and it's very funny to see a guy in a bar pick "Blue Suede Shoes" on the jukebox by some rocker named Elvis Presley (and that lands him in a fight with...well, Elvis).Although "G.I. Blues" laid the groundwork for some inferior films to come it's a very pleasant film and comes recommended to more than just hardcore Presley fans.

MARIO GAUCI For being one of Presley’s more popular vehicles, I found this rather disappointing; in retrospect, its “reputation” clearly hinges on the fact that Hollywood was all-too-ready to cash-in on Elvis’ much-publicized military service (this was, in fact, his comeback film!).The Berlin locations (mixed in with the studio-shot footage of the actors via process-screen photography!) may have provided novelty value, but the plot was even cornier than usual – with the inclusion of not one, but two, wholly gratuitous subplots involving the individual dreary romance of two of Presley’s army buddies! Statuesque Juliet Prowse is initially played up as a sort of femme fatale but she’s soon under Elvis’ spell – so that, apart from her evident dancing skills, she emerges to be indistinguishable from most other leading ladies in his movies; Leticia Roman, best-known for playing THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1963) for Mario Bava, appears unremarkably in support (as Prowse’s love-struck Italian room-mate).Apart from a number of typically rollicking Presley numbers – including the title tune, the soundtrack features the star’s own “Blue Suede Shoes” as an in-joke, “Tonight Is So Right For Love” (which borrows the main theme from Offenbach’s celebrated “Barcarolle”), and even the popular German folk-song “Wooden Heart”!