British Journalist Witnessed Musical Finale for Girls! Girls! Girls!

 

British Journalist Witnessed Musical Finale for Girls! Girls! Girls!

 

The final musical production number for Elvis's eleventh movie, Girls! Girls! Girls!, was filmed at Paramount's Hollywood studios in May 1962. British journalist Jonah Ruddy was afforded the rare honor of being on the set that day, and he reported on what he saw in the July 13, 1962, issue of the popular British magazine, New Musical Express.

"Suddenly the music quickened and into the group of dancers bounded Elvis Presley," Ruddy recalled. "He work a black silk shirt, open at the neck; black silk pants, black half-Wellington. He was tanned and, man, so good looking!"

Neither could the writer help noticing all the girls, girls, girls that were in the scene with Elvis. "Samoans, Tahitians, Siamese, Filipinos, all slim, bright-eyed, smiling and curvaceous," he noted. "Twenty-five I counted! Plus six American girls, similarly endowed but with more clothes on."

As the cameras rolled, Ruddy watched as Elvis went through some moves with the Siamese dancers as all the other girls twisted in the background. Then he jumped into the middle of the Paradise Cove set and twisted "like crazy" with the Americans girls.

"The cameras moved in for a close-up of Elvis and the girls," observed Ruddy. "One camera on a crane rose high and swooped down. The other zoomed in and out and [director Norman] Taurog called, 'Cut! Fine, Elvis. Fine, girls. Now one more with the same action but keep closer together round Elvis.'"

Between takes, Ruddy noticed that Elvis relaxed but kept on eye on choreographer Charles O'Curran, as he worked with the dancers on the set. While waiting to be called back to the set, Elvis sat in a high, green-canvas chair with his name painted on the back. Flanked by two of his "pals," Elvis sipped coffee and patted his perspiring forehead with a towel.

 

"Watching him at work, you see quickly that he is a professional," Ruddy concluded. "He is always on the set on time, always knows his lines, and always knows the routines and the action … And watching him in action, with 25 girls twisting like crazy, I was assured that he means it when he said: 'The more movies, the merrier!'"_,_.___

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