It's not necessarily a compliment that from the very start this seems like a complement to AIP's contemporary beach party movies, and kith and kin with sitcoms of the day. Of course, I suppose it's not necessarily an inherent detraction, either, though for all the sincerity with which it's said that Elvis sought to enter the film industry, especially under Tom Parker's influence it wasn't long before the star was effectively exploited for his established image. For whatever value his many subsequent musical comedies could claim, it's therefore hard not to sit for one without a measure of skepticism and reservation. In total fairness, while it's easy to be dismissive, those behind the production weren't slouches, and they knew what they were doing. 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' may be a fluff piece, but it's still duly well made and casually enjoyable.
The writing is a tad heavy-handed at points (and its treatment of Chinese characters is a little questionable, including outdated language), but I guess it's no worse so than what we get in other similar fare. In every regard the screenplay is built for lighthearted amusement, with light comedy, tinges of romance, and just enough garnishes of drama to give form to a satisfactorily engaging narrative. Some of it is far too kitschy for its own good, such that the cast were surely lowering themselves (Presley performing "Hound dog" to a basset hound comes to mind), but still it's modestly entertaining - and every now and again there are specific moments that comes off especially well, sometimes even coming directly off the more gauche instances. There's no arguing what a wonderful voice Elvis had, and it's nice to watch him perform songs even in this context; the tunes at large are a simple pleasure (a few less so than others). He also approached his acting honestly, and he and his co-stars (including Stella Stevens and Laurel Goodwin) all give performances that are admirable if broadly unremarkable.
The Hawaiian filming locations are lovely, certainly, and the production design is swell. All the crew behind the scenes put in good work, in fact, including effects; it's well made from a technical standpoint, with Loyal Griggs' lush cinematography particularly standing out. Actually, all told I don't think there's any singular flaw that holds the title back. Rather, what I see is a conglomeration of indelicacies that stack up a little too high. Constructed as the writing is for gentle playfulness, it's the unevenness that's the undoing of 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' At its most ham-handed, and its most blunt and forceful, it's tawdry and almost excruciating. Mr. Johnson is extra swarthy and villainous as written; Laurel and Robin are extra impetuous at times. To the same degree that some scenes or beats meet with noteworthy glad success, others are distinctly tiresome and raise a quizzical eyebrow. And for all that, the feature doesn't necessarily attend to best storytelling judiciousness (there are times when I can only look at the plot and say "what?"), and it definitely doesn't achieve any major peak of vibrancy that would help it to have significant lasting power. As one last example, the final scene is a minor extravaganza, but also frankly superfluous.
Suffice to say that the end result is a mixed bag. It's fun, and duly well made all around; I just think that above all it would have benefited from a screenplay with a bit more earnest care applied. It aptly meets its goal, however, and for what it's worth, relative to comparable contemporary works it might even come out a little better. Unless one is a diehard Elvis fan I don't think there's any need to go out of one's way for it, and potential viewers should be aware of the nature of what they're sitting for. But then, I think that nature is already well settled at this point, sixty years later, so there should be no substantial surprises. 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' is no revelation, and it's far from perfect, but it suitably provides a good time for its 98 minutes, and it's a reasonably satisfying way to spend one's time if you're on board with the genre.
The writing is a tad heavy-handed at points (and its treatment of Chinese characters is a little questionable, including outdated language), but I guess it's no worse so than what we get in other similar fare. In every regard the screenplay is built for lighthearted amusement, with light comedy, tinges of romance, and just enough garnishes of drama to give form to a satisfactorily engaging narrative. Some of it is far too kitschy for its own good, such that the cast were surely lowering themselves (Presley performing "Hound dog" to a basset hound comes to mind), but still it's modestly entertaining - and every now and again there are specific moments that comes off especially well, sometimes even coming directly off the more gauche instances. There's no arguing what a wonderful voice Elvis had, and it's nice to watch him perform songs even in this context; the tunes at large are a simple pleasure (a few less so than others). He also approached his acting honestly, and he and his co-stars (including Stella Stevens and Laurel Goodwin) all give performances that are admirable if broadly unremarkable.
The Hawaiian filming locations are lovely, certainly, and the production design is swell. All the crew behind the scenes put in good work, in fact, including effects; it's well made from a technical standpoint, with Loyal Griggs' lush cinematography particularly standing out. Actually, all told I don't think there's any singular flaw that holds the title back. Rather, what I see is a conglomeration of indelicacies that stack up a little too high. Constructed as the writing is for gentle playfulness, it's the unevenness that's the undoing of 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' At its most ham-handed, and its most blunt and forceful, it's tawdry and almost excruciating. Mr. Johnson is extra swarthy and villainous as written; Laurel and Robin are extra impetuous at times. To the same degree that some scenes or beats meet with noteworthy glad success, others are distinctly tiresome and raise a quizzical eyebrow. And for all that, the feature doesn't necessarily attend to best storytelling judiciousness (there are times when I can only look at the plot and say "what?"), and it definitely doesn't achieve any major peak of vibrancy that would help it to have significant lasting power. As one last example, the final scene is a minor extravaganza, but also frankly superfluous.
Suffice to say that the end result is a mixed bag. It's fun, and duly well made all around; I just think that above all it would have benefited from a screenplay with a bit more earnest care applied. It aptly meets its goal, however, and for what it's worth, relative to comparable contemporary works it might even come out a little better. Unless one is a diehard Elvis fan I don't think there's any need to go out of one's way for it, and potential viewers should be aware of the nature of what they're sitting for. But then, I think that nature is already well settled at this point, sixty years later, so there should be no substantial surprises. 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' is no revelation, and it's far from perfect, but it suitably provides a good time for its 98 minutes, and it's a reasonably satisfying way to spend one's time if you're on board with the genre.