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<\/p>\nOne of those American icons that is impossible to duplicate is Elvis Presley.<\/p>\n
In the 1964 movie Viva Las Vegas, his dazzling chemistry with Ann-Margret glowed on screen, particularly in their delightful and flawless duet, \u201cThe Lady Loves Me.\u201d<\/p>\n
On set, however, things did not go according to plan. The film contained errors and blunders that went unreported until today. Are you prepared to find out what you missed? Let\u2019s examine it more closely!<\/p>\n
Together, Elvis and Ann-Margret created cinematic and musical history with Viva Las Vegas, the highest-grossing Elvis Presley movie. Lucky Jackson, played by Elvis Presley, is a resolute race car driver hoping to win big in Las Vegas. Rusty Martin, played by Ann-Margret, is a lively dancer who wins Lucky over.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s among the most underappreciated movies ever made, in my view.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In addition to the amazing shows, it provides a unique opportunity to see long-gone Vegas monuments.<\/p>\n
Unquestionably, Elvis and Ann-Margret had chemistry on screen, and their relationship off screen was equally captivating. Even the biggest fans could have missed some of the amusing moments, little-known errors, and humorous goofs that occur beneath the glitz and splendor.<\/p>\n
In my opinion, the most profitable of Elvis Presley\u2019s 31 theatrical productions was the iconic Blue Hawaii. I would have been able to guess with confidence that it was the top grosser ten times out of ten if someone had asked me in a quiz.<\/p>\n
Unexpectedly, however, Viva Las Vegas won the prize, surpassing Blue Hawaii by an astounding $450,000. It became the highest-grossing Elvis Presley movie in spite of the negative reviews.<\/p>\n
Viva Las Vegas is also the shortest movie in Elvis Presley\u2019s career, clocking in at just one hour and twenty-five minutes.<\/p>\n
Given how big of an icon Elvis was and still is, it\u2019s difficult to conceive today. However, did you know that because of her fame at the time, some cinemas actually billed Ann-Margret higher than Elvis Presley?<\/p>\n
That speaks volumes about the enormous popularity and high demand of the beautiful Swedish-born Ann-Margret in the middle of the 1960s.<\/p>\n
Ann-Margret, who was 22 at the time, wasn\u2019t immune to criticism when the movie came out. Regarding the movie\u2019s emphasis on her personal possessions, Variety\u2019s critic, who went by the handle \u201cTube,\u201d said the following:<\/p>\n
\u201cAny excuse to stare at a derriere in motion seems good enough for director George Sidney and cameraman Joseph Biroc. The provocative pulchritude of Ann-Margret and assorted other chicks and chorines makes the sexy scrutiny downright pleasurable to the male eye, but there is a certain lack of tastefulness or subtlety about the film\u2019s obsession with peeping at anatomical contours and epidermis simply for the sake of peeping.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n What a criticism, huh? Ann-Margret\u2019s star power was still evident despite this concentration.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s reputation as a major international travel destination was greatly influenced by Viva Las Vegas. However, as I previously stated, just six of the casinos that were depicted in the 1964 opening sequence of Viva Las Vegas remain operational today. This amusing little fact demonstrates how drastically Las Vegas has evolved over time.<\/p>\n Prior to Elvis Presley\u2019s marriage to Priscilla at the Aladdin and his well-known stay at the International Hotel (now the Wingate), the filming took place at a number of venues throughout Las Vegas.<\/p>\n The unquestionable chemistry between Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret, the upbeat and catchy soundtrack, and the stunning technicolor images that highlighted the stars\u2019 captivating performances and the vivid, neon-lit charm of Las Vegas are some of the reasons why Viva Las Vegas was so popular.<\/p>\n One of the most important ladies in Elvis Presley\u2019s life, aside from his family, was Ann-Margret.<\/p>\n Early in July 1963, the Swedish immigrant met Elvis Presley at the Radio Recorders studios in Hollywood. They were first introduced to the media and to one another as the stars of Viva Las Vegas on an empty MGM soundstage, except for a piano. Ann-Margret remembered the occasion:<\/p>\n \u201cExcept for a piano, the MGM soundstage where Elvis and I met was empty. In the background, a few of his guys hung around observing their boss, a ritual I would soon come to expect. Under the watchful gaze of director George Sidney, a studio photographer snapped shots of what the film company executives figured would be a historic moment.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2018Elvis Presley, I\u2019d like you to meet a wonderful young lady, Ann-Margret,\u2019\u00a0<\/em>said George Sidney.\u00a0\u2018Ann-Margret, this is Elvis Presley.\u2019 The significance was lost on Elvis and me. I reached out my hand and he shook it gently. \u2018I\u2019ve heard a lot about you,\u2019 we said at the same time, which made us laugh and broke the ice.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The chemistry between Ann-Margret and Elvis was evident from the beginning while viewing stills and clips from Viva Las Vegas today.<\/p>\n Ann-Margret\u2019s charisma and energy were so strong that she had surpassed her three male co-stars. It was different with Elvis, though, as he matched her every action. They developed a unique and dynamic on-screen collaboration that Ann-Margret would later call the best of her career. Elvis appeared to share this sentiment in many respects.<\/p>\n Their attraction was, to put it simply, electrifying and instantaneous.<\/p>\n \u201cWe both felt a current, an electricity that went straight through us,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Ann-Margret said.\u00a0\u201cIt would become a force we couldn\u2019t control.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure that the producers knew that the fast-paced, boy-meets-girl musical would certainly be improved if the chemistry between Lucky and Rusty were right. Initially, Elvis and I might\u2019ve admitted that the only heat between us came from the hot desert sun. But others saw sparks from the start,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Ann-Margret later shared.<\/p>\n Even though Ann-Margret has been very private about what actually transpired between the two celebrities, her autobiography, My Story, contains some quite fascinating insights.<\/p>\n Ann-Margret claims that Elvis desired for them to marry. They would frequently drive up a hill, gaze down at the city, and converse during their dates.<\/p>\n \u201dWe were truly soul mates, shy on the outside but unbridled within. We both lived on the edge and were self-destructive in our own ways\u2026 In many ways, if you put aside the celebrity and what we achieved so quickly, we both remained very childish and were emotionally insecure,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Ann-Margret writes in her book.<\/p>\n However, there was one issue: Priscilla Presley and Elvis were dating. Elvis had requested 17-year-old Priscilla to live with him in Memphis a year before to the debut of Viva Las Vegas.<\/p>\n Ann-Margret and Elvis quickly discovered their commonalities when working together. In addition to their mutual love of music, they were also devoted to God, loved motorbikes, loved their families, and craved seclusion. They also loved having lengthy late-night talks.<\/p>\n Elvis asked her to spend a night out at a show in Las Vegas with him and his crew in the early days of filming. According to Ann-Margret,\u00a0\u201cIt was an innocent, friendly date. I was used to having my parents accompany me on dates, so Elvis\u2019 entourage wasn\u2019t a problem. His guys always treated me wonderfully.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n In return, Elvis\u2019 friends felt at ease around Ann-Margret. Elvis\u2019 cousin, Billy Smith, shared,\u00a0\u201cShe made his life a little easier because she understood him and didn\u2019t make any demands on him. She even understood his need for us. Priscilla never understood that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Ultimately, the vivacious and affable Swede bore too much like to Elvis. They were \u201cmirror images,\u201d which wasn\u2019t ideal given Elvis Presley\u2019s principles.<\/p>\n His perspective on marriage was conventional and conservative. Ann-Margret did not meet the profile, but Priscilla Presley did.<\/p>\n After Viva Las Vegas, they kept exchanging love letters, but Elvis quickly realized he had to quit his relationship with Ann-Margret.<\/p>\n \u201dWe knew that our relationship had to end, that Elvis needed to fulfill his commitment,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Ann-Margret wrote in My story.<\/p>\n Despite their breakup, the couple continued to communicate following Elvis Presley\u2019s marriage to Priscilla. Every time she played in Las Vegas, \u201cThe King\u201d would give her bouquets of flowers shaped like guitars.<\/p>\n Ann-Margret and Elvis were lifelong friends, and she knew that The King had passed away in 1977 when she didn\u2019t get any flowers following a performance. The only female co-star of Elvis to attend his funeral was Ann-Margret.<\/p>\n According to some, Viva Las Vegas is the only Elvis film in which he genuinely appeared to be enjoying himself and giving the film his whole attention. Is that the whole truth, though?<\/p>\n Because of the way Ann-Margret\u2019s camera angles seemed to favor her \u2014 at his expense \u2014 and because Elvis seemed to have a grudge against director George Sidney. One of Elvis\u2019 closest friends and bodyguards, Red West, claims that the King wasn\u2019t afraid to voice his disapproval:\u00a0\u201cHe would complain bitterly to us that the sonofabitch was trying to cut him out of the picture.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Colonel Parker quickly became aware of Elvis\u2019 grievances and was determined to keep his cash cow in the spotlight. Ever the guardian, the Colonel apparently told Sidney what was on his mind, emphatically reminding the producers that this was a \u201cElvis Presley picture.\u201d<\/p>\n Elvis undoubtedly received the most of the musical attention when it came down to it. Ann-Margret only had two solo numbers, but he had six.<\/p>\n When Elvis and Ann-Margret hit the floor to the song \u201cViva Las Vegas,\u201d it\u2019s one of the movie\u2019s most memorable and exciting dance sequences. Now, sixty years later, Ann-Margret epitomizes the expression \u201cdance like no one\u2019s watching.\u201d<\/p>\n Her talent and personality are so captivating that it\u2019s nearly impossible to look away. According to some admirers, it was the only occasion in which Elvis actually shared the limelight with someone whose dancing prowess might rival his.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s face it, Ann-Margret\u2019s choreography is far superior, even though Elvis contributed his trademark intensity to the moment. We are grateful to the talented choreographer, David Winters, for creating a dance sequence that is so vibrant and so astounding.<\/p>\n It\u2019s difficult to overlook how poorly Elvis Presley lip-syncs the words during the Viva Las Vegas dance\/music scene, as several have noted. However, given that Ann-Margret\u2019s energetic performance takes center stage, who is actually listening to Elvis anyway?<\/p>\n You can see a woman dancing to Ann-Margret\u2019s right during the well-known \u201cWhat\u2019d I Say\u201d dance. She is dressed in a black skirt, black heels, and a white shirt with black trim.<\/p>\n She also sports a shirt with horizontal stripes of blue, green, and red in another number.<\/p>\n You can see her in the background behind Ann-Margret if you look closely, which is evidence that Teri Garr was already establishing herself on the big screen prior to her Oscar nominations.<\/p>\n While we\u2019re talking about well-known characters from Viva Las Vegas, here\u2019s another interesting fact: singer\/actor Glen Campbell played guitar on the soundtrack. Both the title tune and the song \u201cWhat\u2019d I Say\u201d featured his guitar playing.<\/p>\n Red West, a close friend of Elvis Presley, appears in Viva Las Vegas on many occasions as a number of uncredited roles. If you pay close attention, you may see him in a number of roles throughout the movie.<\/p>\n One amusing thing to see during the \u201cWhat\u2019d I Say\u201d dance number is when Lucky\u2019s right hand fingers appear and disappear using white tape or something similar.<\/p>\n Do you see it?<\/p>\nThe casinos that made it through the neon light<\/h4>\n
Why did Vivas Las Vegas become so well-liked?<\/h4>\n
When Elvis and Ann-Margret first met<\/h4>\n
Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret\u2019s passion<\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nElvis wanted to marry Ann-Margret<\/h4>\n
Late-night conversations, faith, family, and motorcycles<\/h4>\n
Why didn\u2019t Elvis marry Ann-Margret?<\/h4>\n
The camera angle controversy<\/h4>\n
The hottest dance scene in Viva Las Vegas<\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nPoor lip-syncing<\/h4>\n
Future Oscar nominee in the background<\/h4>\n
Familiar faces in the movie<\/h4>\n
In the \u201cWhat\u2019d I Say\u201d dance scene, a quirky foof<\/h4>\n