Paradise, Hawaiian Style

1966 film by Michael D. Moore

Allan Weiss
Anthony Lawrence

Story byAllan WeissProduced byHal B. WallisStarring

Elvis Presley
Suzanna Leigh
James Shigeta

CinematographyW. Wallace KelleyEdited byWarren LowMusic byJoseph J. Lilley

Production
companies

Paramount Pictures
Hal Wallis Productions

Distributed byParamount Pictures

Release date

June 9, 1966 (1966-06-09) (USA)

Running time

91 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget$2,000,000Box office$2,500,000^[1]

Paradise, Hawaiian Style is a 1966 American musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley. It was the third and final motion picture that Presley filmed in Hawaii. The film reached #40 on the Variety weekly box office chart, earning $2.5 million in theaters. In agreeing to do this film, Elvis's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was hoping to replicate the success of Presley's 1961 film, Blue Hawaii.

Plot

Rick Richards (Presley) returns to his home in Hawaii after being fired from his job as an airline pilot. He and his buddy Danny Kohana (James Shigeta) go into the helicopter charter business together. But Rick's reckless flying and his careless flirting with local women may cost Rick the business and Danny his home. This tendency seems to get in the way of their secretary, Judy "Friday" Hudson (Suzanna Leigh) and Rick getting together.

Disaster looms as Danny becomes overdue on a flight after Rick has been grounded by government officials. Rick must decide if he should risk losing his license forever by going to look for his friend.

Cast

Elvis Presley as Rick Richards
Suzanna Leigh as Judy "Friday" Hudson
James Shigeta as Danny Kohana
Jan Shepard as Betty Kohana
Philip Ahn as Moki Kaimana
Donna Butterworth as Jan Kohana
Marianna Hill as Lani Kaimana
Irene Tsu as Pua
Linda Wong as Lehua Kawena
Julie Parrish as Joanna
Red West as fighter in bar (uncredited)
Grady Sutton as Mr. Cubberson

Production

Principal photography in Paradise, Hawaiian Style began in Hawaii on July 27, 1965 (with the working title of Hawaiian Paradise) and finished on September 29 in Los Angeles.^[2]

Major scenes in both Blue Hawaii (1961) and this film were shot on the island of Kauaʻi, with the Coco Palms Resort prominently featured. The famous resort was destroyed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992 and never rebuilt.^[3]

Some scenes were filmed above, at and around the Polynesian Cultural Center on O'ahu.

Around the official wrap on production, Elvis met Tom Jones, who visited the set, and The Beatles, who visited Elvis’ Bel Air home a few weeks after production was completed.^[4]

Soundtrack

Reception

Released in June 1966, Paradise, Hawaiian Style, despite its "stunning aerial photography", "inspired a collective yawn" with film critics.^[5] The New York Times film reviewer Vincent Canby compared the film to the formulaic 1930s musicals that Bing Crosby used to star in, concluding that it was "all harmless and forgettable."^[6] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called it "pleasant hot-weather diversion. Pretty much the usual Elvis Presley formula of songs and romance, this Paramount release ... has the added bonus of lush tropical scenery in color. And Elvis, as always, remains [a] relaxed, enjoyable entertainer."^[7]

Variety called the film "a gaily-begarbed and flowing musical," with the Hawaii setting seldom before having been "utilized to such lush advantage."^[8] The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote, "This is Elvis Presley right back in the old rut, parading his talents as a man of action while women swoon at his passage. The script is rather worse than routine, and the songs and choreography are undistinguished; which leaves very little but Wallace Kelley's colourful photography of the strictly tourist-eye view of the islands."^[9]^{[N 1]}

References

Notes

^ Aerial photography was completed from a Bell 47 helicopter flown by James W. Gavin.

Citations

^ "Paradise, Hawaiian Style, Box Office Information." The Numbers. Retrieved: April 16, 2012.
^ [http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/18579#1"History: Paradise, Hawaiian Style." AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved: July 26, 2018.
^ Resource, Hotel News. "Historic Coco Palms Resort in Hawaii to Reopen Under Hyatt Umbrella".
^ "50th Anniversary: Elvis Presley's Paradise Hawaii Style." Graceland.com. Retrieved: May 20, 2019.
^ Knight 2009, p. 134.
^ Canby, Vincent. "Presley Invades Hawaii." The New York Times, June 16, 1966, p. 53.
^ Thomas, Kevin. "It's 'Paradise' for Elvis Presley fans." Los Angeles Times. June 1, 1966. Part IV, p. 8.
^ "Paradise, Hawaiian Style." Variety, June 8, 1966, p. 6.
^ "Paradise, Hawaiian Style." The Monthly Film Bulletin, Volume 33, Issue 391, August 1966, p. 127.

Bibliography

Knight, Timothy. Elvis Presley in the Movies. New York: Metro Books, 2009. ISBN 978-1-4351-1855-3.

External links

Paradise, Hawaiian Style at IMDb
Paradise, Hawaiian Style at AllMovie
Paradise, Hawaiian Style at the TCM Movie Database
Paradise, Hawaiian Style at Rotten Tomatoes
Elvis in Hawaii
Review by Janet Branagan at Apollo Movie Guide
Review of the movie collection "Lights! Camera! Elvis! Collection (King Creole, Blue Hawaii, G.I. Blues, Fun in Acapulco, Roustabout, Girls! Girls! Girls!, Paradise, Hawaiian Style, Easy Come, Easy Go) by Paul Mavis at DVD Talk, August 6, 2007
Review by Jon Danziger at digitallyOBSESSED!, March 2, 2003