Harum Scarum

Rating:
Summary: One of Presley's Worst
Review: "Harum Scarum" (1965) remains among the low points in the Elvis Presley filmography -- a movie so wretched that Col. Tom Parker suggested adding a talking camel to the proceedings. This cheesy "musical-comedy" with a Middle East setting is a disaster from beginning to fade out. Elvis sings a passable rocker titled "Hey Little Girl," but that's all the entertainment value you will find here. Presley's boredom and disgust with the ludicrous material is evident throughout. For Elvis completists only.

Rating:
Summary: Not the best, but Elvis still saves the picture.
Review: "Harum Scarum" is considered, by popular opinion to be Elvis' worst film. Don't try to restrain yourself yet. Watch it once, and see what you think. Elvis is an actor who is sent to Arabia and captured. He is trying to be put into the situation to kill the Arabian king. Elvis romances Mary Ann Mobley and turns against his captors and saves the king. Lot of action. Looks like a big budget film, but it's not. Sam Katzman, who had a reputation in Hollywood for producing films on very short schedules and given the nickname "king of the quickies", borrowed most of the costumes and sets from previously made films that were in the can. The schedule was only 18 days of shooting. Sounds corny, cheap, and cheesy, but that's what pop stars had to deal with in films they didn't like. Pop stars got the poorest film treatment. Again it is not Elvis' best film, but try it. If you don't like it, forget it.

Rating:
Summary: We may live in a republic, but Elvis is my king.
Review: Elvis Presley is my God. I sacrificed my Neil Diamond Live videotapes to him when I first saw this movie.

But I'm not a polytheist, I just believe that Elvis is in the rocks and trees and birds that surround our existence.

Thank you Elvis, for showing me that just because my wife left me I will never truly be alone.

What?

Rating:
Summary: The Memphis Sheik.
Review: Entertainment, much as beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. No doubt the steadfast loyalty of dedicated Elvis fans will find value in this movie. Casting Elvis Presley in a spoof of Rudolph Valentino movies was unfortunate. This could be the film that left Elvis crying in the chapel, and it leaves the viewer indescribably blue. Good sense notwithstanding the film was made. That's when your heartaches begin. One could give some credit for attempting a different approach from Elvis' usual "fun in the sun" formula film, but the end result lacks charm. Describing the plot is pointless. The music is the '60s pop fluff that Elvis and the songwriters phoned in. It adds to one's reflective midlife melancholy to remember that in 1965, while Elvis' formidable talent was squandered in cheesy movies, the Beatles were leading the charge of the British Invasion; storming the ramparts and taking no prisoners in the realm of rock music and innovative style. Elvis, you left us much too soon. You really deserved better, and so do we. Return to sender. ;-)

Rating:
Summary: Even The King Can't Save This Mess
Review: I am a huge fan of Elvis's music and movies. Own them all on vhs and the DVD's as they've come out. That being said, Harum Scarum is THE WORST piece of trash ever captured on film. It's nearly criminal to watch one of the greatest talents in the history of mankind sleep walk through this pile of rubbish. The Presley estate should do Elvis and the rest of us a favor. Buy the master and burn it in a bonfire celebration at Graceland! (...)

Rating:
Summary: Elvis' B Movie Classic
Review: I avoided this film for years, mainly because it simply looked too embarrassing to sit through as a fan of the King. Since it was included among the newest wave of Elvis dvds, I finally decided to give it a chance.

It didn't surprise me to find that, as a meaningful film, it is arguably among Elvis' worst. The premise is silly, the leading lady (Mary Ann Mobley) has little to do (and little screentime with the King), and the whole thing is pretty hard to take seriously. But then, considering that much of Elvis' film canon was pretty lightweight anyway, it's hard to imagine anyone going into this expecting a meaningful film.

What is left is an Elvis movie that works surprisingly well as a campy B movie. In fact, if it had been released as an MGM dvd, it would've fit well into their (highly entertaining) Midnite Movies line. For starters, while shot using some of the old King of Kings sets, you almost expect to see Kirk and Spock beam in at any moment. There's also a surprising amount of humor in it (both unintentional AND intentional), with Elvis getting off quite a few good one-liners early on. Also good is Jay Novello as that rare comic relief that is actually funny. As the film progresses, you can almost sense Elvis' waning interest, but the rest of the cast puts in a fine effort. And where else can you see Billy Barty bellydancing or Elvis bringing a bullwhip to a fight?

Ironically, Elvis was actually very eager to make this film. He saw it as a chance to create a meaningful character and drew inspiration from Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik. According to Priscilla Presley's Elvis and Me, Elvis was so into the character that he would come home still in costume and keep it on until he went to bed. However, as the film progressed, he quickly lost interest as he realized the direction the film was heading.

Overall, despite its secure position at the bottom of the barrel, it's not as dull to sit through as some of Elvis' other lesser efforts. Many fans even consider the soundtrack to be underrated, and it does feature one really great standout, So Close, Yet So Far. It's quite a hidden gem among Elvis' movie songs, and I was suprised to find anything like it in this film. Elvis probably could have incorporated it into his later live shows without anyone batting an eye.

Rating:
Summary: This "Harem" is not at all "Scarem"
Review: I first saw this movie as a very young teenage male who idolized Elvis. It made a lasting impression on me. It was one of the first records (LP's-remember those?) that I purchased. Yes, the movie IS cheesey, and in acordance with most of the other reviewers on this site, was not worthy of Elvis's presence. However, I recently saw the movie again for the first time in years on one of my satellite channels, and I would suggest some alternate obsevations. 1.) The plot is structured to conform to the typical "travelog" Elvis movie, i.e. "Blue Hawaii", and allows for him to sing some songs, do karate moves, and romance women in an environment that actually seems less contrived than perhaps "G.I. Blues". 2.)Yes, the movie is silly, but I still think that the sountrack has some really beautiful melodies, which I still enjoy singing. 3.)I would assert that Elvis' on-screen redition of "So Close, Yet So Far" was one of the very few songs that he seemed to put his heart in for the camera in all of his movie "career". Try to watch at least that scene with an open heart. The song is pretty, passionate, and well done. 4.)Today, the scene with the slave girl in which Elvis sings "Hey Little Girl" would most certainly not past muster for being "politically correct"-in fact, it may not get past many censors. But sometimes we need to regard things in a perspective of more innocent times. Elvis was staged to do many scenes with children in his movies. 5.)I like this movie because I think it did not pretend to be anything other than insipid ententainment. And, I still think that much of the music is very pretty.

Rating:
Summary: ITS STILL ELVIS !!
Review: OK , ITS NOT HIS BEST FLICK , BUT ITS STILL ELVIS DOING WHAT ELVIS DOES.AN ENJOYABLE MID 60S MOVIE. DONT TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY ,AND JUST HAVE FUN.

Rating:
Summary: ENTERTAINING!
Review: THANK YOU WARNER BROTHERS for useing the original MOVIE POSTERS for the covers of these wonderful DVDs! They look EXCELLENT! I wish the other companies that put ELVIS films out would have followed suit BUT instead they air brush a still from the film and think they can make a better cover than the EXPERIENCED MOVIE POSTER artists of the 1950's and 1960's. All you can ask from an ELVIS movie is that it is Entertaining and a GREAT Soundtrack...this film has both. HAREM HOLIDAY, the films' opening track, is a classic.

Rating:
Summary: ENTERTAINING!
Review: THANK YOU WARNER BROTHERS for useing the original MOVIE POSTERS for the covers of these wonderful DVDs! They look EXCELLENT! I wish the other companies that put ELVIS films out would have followed suit BUT instead they air brush a still from the film and think they can make a better cover than the EXPERIENCED MOVIE POSTER artists of the 1950's and 1960's. All you can ask from an ELVIS movie is that it is Entertaining and a GREAT Soundtrack...this film has both. HAREM HOLIDAY, the films' opening track, is a classic.