Bring home Elvis and the beauty of ‘Blue Hawaii’

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's

For the first time, the classic Elvis movie Blue Hawaii is available on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. Since the movie was made in 1961, there was a lot of restoration needed to make it as beautiful as it was originally experienced when it premiered in movie theaters. The opening sequence was completely rebuilt to bring it up to the standards we require today.

Blue Hawaii is a typical Elvis musical. It has a fun story with plenty of songs, not lease of which is his it song “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, the song which he usually ended his concerts. Elvis filmed three movies in Hawaii: Blue Hawaii(1961), Girls, Girls, Girls (1962), and Paradise Hawaiian Style (1966).

In this movie Elvis plays returning GI Chad Gates who has grown up on the island with his parents who run a successful pineapple plantation. Instead of going to work in the family business, Chad decides to become a tour guide for his girlfriend’s travel agency. After all, he knows the islands like the back of his hand.

 

The group Chad is responsible for is comprised of teenage girls and their chaperone. Anyone who knows anything about teenage girls knows their hormones are raging, and that is the case with one young girl in particular who ends up causing a lot of problems for Chad.

 

Chad’s parents (Angela Lansbury and Roland Winters) are not pleased with his choices in jobs or girlfriends. Maile (Joan Blackman) is not the kind of girl they would prefer their son to marry. But love wins out.

 

The film is peppered with fun and memorable songs: “Almost Always True” is when Chad sings to Maile about his life as a GI, “Slicin’ Sand” takes place when the group is frolicking on the beach, “Ito Eats” is a cute song Chad sings about his island buddy, “ Rock-a-Hula Baby,” “Moonlight Swim,” “ Hawaiian Sunset,” “Island of Love,” “Beach Boy Blues,” “Aloha oe,” “Hawaiian Wedding Song,” and the title song “Blue Hawaii” are included in this fun film that not only captures the joy of island life but also is a nostalgic look at the island in the early 1960s. Anyone who has visited the state in the past 40 years knows it has grown and changed dramatically from the sleepy paradise into a thriving tourist destination.

Of the three Hawaiian movies Elvis filmed in the state, many consider this first one the best of the three. It is a little more intricate than Paradise, Hawaiian Style, however they both reveal the beauty of the islands with plenty of memorable Elvis tunes.

Blue Hawaii is now available in stunning 4K Ultra HD, which is like watching a travel show about the island, with a cute story and plenty of music thrown in.

The bonus features include commentary and a filming scrapbook. Blue Hawaii is rated PG for mild sensuality.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.