\nElvis Presley\u2019s Blue Hawaii isn\u2019t just a feast for the eyes with its stunning Hawaiian backdrop and swoon-worthy soundtrack \u2014 it\u2019s also a treasure trove of delightful mistakes that make us love the King of Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll even more.\n
While Elvis charmed his way through the 1961 musical with his undeniable charisma, a few slip-ups managed to sneak past the editors.\n
No one \u2014 not in their wildest dreams \u2014 could ever rival Elvis Presley when it came to music, performances, or those iconic good looks.\n
The debate about his best movie will probably rage on forever, but when experts rank Elvis\u2019s films, Blue Hawaii rarely cracks the top three. Still, there\u2019s something undeniably special about this fan-favorite.\n
A few little-known bloopers\n
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Packed with hilarious moments and showcasing Elvis\u2019s excellent comedic timing, the movie allowed him to play off other talented actors, many of whom were comedy greats of their time. Despite mixed reviews from critics, Blue Hawaii became the 10th top-grossing film of 1961, earning $4.2 million at the box office. Elvis\u2019s turn as Chad Gates \u2014 a charming ex-G.I. ditching his father\u2019s fruit business to become a beach-loving tour guide \u2014 was both endearing and entertaining.\n
And let\u2019s not forget the soundtrack! It gave us classics like Can\u2019t Help Falling in Love, which climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains a timeless favorite.\n
But while Blue Hawaii captured hearts with its stunning scenery and Elvis\u2019s natural charisma, it also delivered a few little-known bloopers and behind-the-scenes mishaps that make it even more fun to watch today. Ready to spot some of these hidden gems? Let\u2019s dive in!\n
Blue Hawaii marked a big change\n
I\u2019m not sure how many people have noticed this, but for me, it was a real eye-opener. Blue Hawaii was the first time when a Elvis\u2019 character wasn\u2019t a performer with a built-in reason to sing.\n
Instead, Chad Gates would suddenly break into song at the most unexpected moments \u2014 whether he was lounging on the beach or paddling a canoe. Sure, it might be a little cheesy, but that spontaneous musical magic is what makes Blue Hawaii such a fun, feel-good movie.\n
A blueprint for all future Presley movies\n
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When Blue Hawaii became a massive hit, both the movie and its soundtrack, Elvis\u2019 manager Colonel Tom Parker saw a winning formula.\n
He decided to use it as the blueprint for all future Presley films \u2014 set Elvis in an exotic location, add a few beautiful co-stars, and make sure he sang enough songs to fill an entire album. And guess what? It worked! Elvis landed in the Top Ten Box-Office Stars list a whopping seven times throughout the 1960s.\n
Hundreds of screaming fans\n
Here\u2019s a little gem I just have to keep in mind the next time I watch Blue Hawaii. According to IMDb, when Chad (Elvis Presley) first steps off the plane, if you turn the sound up loud enough, you\u2019ll actually hear hundreds of screaming fans who were there watching the shoot. How cool is that?\n
Juliet Prowse\u2019s special demands\n
It\u2019s hard to imagine Blue Hawaii without Elvis and Joan Blackman, who played Maile Duval. But here\u2019s a fun tidbit: Juliet Prowse, who starred alongside Elvis in G.I. Blues (1960), was originally signed to play Maile.\n
However, she had some unusual requests \u2013 she wanted to bring in a makeup artist from another studio and have the film\u2019s studio cover the cost of flying her secretary to Hawaii. When those demands were turned down, she decided to walk away from the role.\n
Elvis looked \u2018disgusted\u2019 and \u2018ashamed\u2019\n
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In my opinion, Elvis was often underrated as an actor. When he was provided with solid material, he consistently delivered strong performances.\n
The King has often been described in glowing terms when it comes to Blue Hawaii, but was it all sunshine and palm trees for him? According to Anne Fulchino, a publicity director who worked with Elvis, the King himself found the experience a bit humiliating.\n
Fulchino recalled visiting Elvis during the film\u2019s production and sensing his unease.\n
\u201cIt was a while before he came over and talked to us, and when he did \u2014 you see at the beginning I used to call him Chief and I said, \u2018Hi, Chief,\u2019 and he just looked at me like he wished I hadn\u2019t come,\u201d Fulchino shared in Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick.\n
Fulchino understood why Elvis felt the way he did.\n
\u201cI said to myself, \u2018If I was making these crappy pictures, I wouldn\u2019t want to see anybody from my past either,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s the reason I didn\u2019t hang around.\u201d\n
She left the set early, noting just how obvious it was that Elvis was uncomfortable.\n
\u201cHe was obviously uncomfortable with what he was doing, he was frustrated and disgusted \u2014 it was all in his face,\u201d Fulchino continued. \u201cThe emotion I respected most was that he was ashamed of it, which meant that he knew better \u2014 but you could see that he was trapped.\u201d\n
When Elvis yelled \u201dCUT!\u201d\n
Filming Blue Hawaii wasn\u2019t exactly a walk in the park for Elvis Presley. With crowds of fans constantly trying to get a glimpse of The King, security had to be on high alert. Elvis could hardly move around without extra protection, so he missed out on many of the island\u2019s tourist spots. But there was one thing he made sure to do\u2014take golf lessons from none other than pro Gary Player.\n
Gary recalled: \u201cAfter I won my first Masters in 1961, I received an invitation telegram from Elvis \u2013 The King. A telegram, not as easy as a text is today. We were playing in Los Angeles and I went to the set of \u2018Hawaii\u2019 where Elvis was filming. He saw me walk in the room and yelled \u2018CUT!\u2019 The gentleman he was, Elvis went and put a jacket before he came to shake my hand. Elvis was just starting to play golf and asked for a few swing tips. He gave me a practice swing, and I swear, it was like a cow giving birth to a roll of barbwire. So, I adjusted his grip and told him he really had to use his hips during the downswing. He said, \u2018Baby, you\u2019re talking to the right man.\u2019 And gave us all a little shake.\u201d\n
Elvis played a frightening prank\n
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Whether it was frustration or just a bit of mischief, Elvis certainly knew how to have fun on set. During filming of Blue Hawaii, his girlfriend at the time, Anita Wood, joined him in pulling off a hilarious prank. The plan? Elvis would pretend to be dead.\n
Out of nowhere, Wood began screaming that Elvis wasn\u2019t breathing, sending his entourage into a panic. Everyone rushed to his house, frantically trying to call an ambulance \u2014 only to find Elvis sitting up and casually explaining:\n
\u201cI just wanted to see what you guys would do,\u201d according to Cheatsheet.\n
The red MG roadster\n
If you\u2019re an Elvis fan, you probably already know about his lifelong love affair with cars \u2013 and not just any cars, but the top-of-the-line luxury ones.\n
One car that really caught his eye during the filming of Blue Hawaii was the 1960 MGA 1600 MkI roadster. He loved it so much that he ended up buying it. Now, that very red MG is part of the impressive collection at Graceland, sharing space with his motorcycles, Cadillacs, Stutzes, and a whole lot of other shiny toys.\n
A popular wedding location\n
Hawaii quickly became one of Elvis Presley\u2019s favorite filming spots, and for good reason! He filmed three movies there, and one of the most iconic scenes was the picnic scene with Chad and Maile.\n
This picturesque moment was filmed at an overlook off Tantalus Drive, and guess what? You can still enjoy that stunning view today. In fact, it\u2019s such a breathtaking spot that it\u2019s become a popular wedding location.\n
And here\u2019s a cool tidbit about Blue Hawaii\u2019s filming locations: While shooting the movie, Elvis Presley stayed at the iconic Coco Palms Resort, which actually appeared in the film itself. The Coco Palms Resort is probably most famous in as the setting for Elvis Presley and Joan Blackman\u2019s on-screen wedding. It also featured in the iconic scene where Elvis sings \u201cHawaiian Wedding Song.\u201d\n
In its prime, the resort attracted Hollywood legends like Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth, and Bing Crosby.\n
Sadly, the resort was destroyed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992 and has never been rebuilt or developed. So, if you\u2019re ever in Hawaii, you can still find the remains of the Coco Palms, a little piece of Elvis history.\n
Elvis wanted to marry Joan Blackman\n
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While filming Blue Hawaii in 1961, Elvis Presley developed quite the connection with his co-star, Joan Blackman. In fact, their chemistry was so strong that Joan admitted to feeling a special spark between them when they first met in 1957.\n
\u201dWhen we first set eyes on each other, there was a spark, a magic in the air\u2026 There was just that special something between us, sometimes so warm and wonderful you could almost reach out and touch it,\u201d Joan shared in a 1977 interview with Midnight Globe.\n
Despite their undeniable connection, Elvis wasn\u2019t shy about wanting Joan as his wife, even begging her to appear in more of his films.\n
However, Joan had other plans: \u201cI wanted parts because of my ability, not because I was dating Elvis,\u201d she stated.\n
A bad cut\n
Now, let\u2019s dive into some bloopers that only the true Blue Hawaii fans might have caught.\n
In the \u201cAlmost Always True\u201d car scene, there\u2019s a noticeable edit mistake: Maile\u2019s hands suddenly change position on the steering wheel, and Chad\u2019s left arm magically shifts from resting on his seatback to stretched out behind Maile.\n
Pineapple field scene\n
In the pineapple field scene, Ellie stays in the car (clearly in the back seat on the driver\u2019s side) while the others head to the stand.\n
But when Chad returns with some pineapple, Ellie has mysteriously switched to the passenger side, all to accommodate the camera angle and dialogue \u2014 a classic continuity slip!\n
The magic ukulele in Blue Hawaii\n
Blue Hawaii contained 14 songs, more than any other Elvis movie.\n
But do you remember when Chad was strumming the ukulele? Well, if you paid close attention, you\u2019ll notice he\u2019s not changing chords, even though the music is\n
Later, Elvis actually gave that famous ukulele to his buddy Hank Garland, aka \u201cSugarfoot.\u201d Hank was a top-notch guitar player in Nashville and even toured with Elvis from 1958 to 1961. Elvis liked Hank so much that he even etched his initials into the ukulele. At a 1961 Hawaiian benefit concert, Elvis called Garland \u201done of the finest guitar players in all of the country.\u201d\n
The patch Chad wears on his uniform\n
The patch that Chad wears on his uniform in Blue Hawaii isn\u2019t just a random decoration. It\u2019s actually the insignia of the 3rd Armored Division of the U.S. Army, also known as \u2018Spearhead.\u2019\n
This was the very division Elvis Presley served with during his time stationed in Germany, where he earned the rank of buck sergeant.\n
Final holiday\n
In a beautiful full-circle moment, Elvis Presley\u2019s final vacation in March 1977 took him back to Hawaii, a place that held such special memories for him.\n
Elvis Presley and his Memphis Mafia stayed at the Hilton Rainbow Tower. But that\u2019s not all \u2014 he later moved to a beach house with his girlfriend Ginger Alden and her two sisters.\n
From golf lessons with Gary Player to the magic of Hawaii\u2019s stunning landscapes, Blue Hawaii wasn\u2019t just another movie for Elvis\u2014it was an unforgettable chapter in his life. Behind the scenes, Elvis proved that even when surrounded by chaos, he could still find time for fun, humor, and, of course, a bit of musical magic. Whether it was the epic scenes, quirky bloopers, or his personal connection to the Aloha spirit, this film remains a classic.\n
So, next time you watch Blue Hawaii, keep an eye out for the little details and fun facts. After all, Elvis wasn\u2019t just The King on screen\u2014he was a true legend, on and off the set. Don\u2019t forget to share your favorite Elvis moments and let\u2019s keep the Aloha spirit alive!\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Blue Hawaii bloopers: The funny Elvis moments you didn\u2019t catch Elvis Presley\u2019s Blue Hawaii isn\u2019t just a feast for the eyes with its stunning Hawaiian backdrop and swoon-worthy soundtrack \u2014 it\u2019s also a treasure trove of delightful mistakes that make us love the King of Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll even more. While Elvis charmed his way\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":99689,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[670],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-99684","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/GettyImages-607400252-768x994-1.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99684"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99693,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99684\/revisions\/99693"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legendstitch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}