It Happened at the World's Fair (1963)

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Si Rose (written by) and
Seaman Jacobs (written by)

Release Date:

3 April 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Musical

Tagline:

Swinging higher than the space needle with the gals and the songs at the famous Worlds Fair!

Plot:

Mike and Danny fly a cropduster, but because of Danny's gambling debts, a local sheriff takes custody of it...

Plot Keywords:

Elvis Presley | Fair | Elvis | Child | Trailer Court

Cast

Elvis Presley	...	Mike Edwards
Joan O'Brien	...	Diane Warren
Gary Lockwood	...	Danny Burke
Vicky Tiu	...	Sue-Lin
H.M. Wynant	...	Vince Bradley
Edith Atwater	...	Miss Steuben
Guy Raymond	...	Barney Thatcher
Dorothy Green	...	Miss Ettinger
Kam Tong	...	Uncle Walter Ling
Yvonne Craig	...	Dorothy Johnson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Herbert Bress	...	Craps Shooter (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Dice Player (uncredited)
George Cisar	...	Craps Shooter (uncredited)
Bill Cole	...	The Mellomen (uncredited)
Max Cutler	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
John Daheim	...	Tough Poker Player (uncredited)
Jacqueline deWit	...	Emma Johnson (uncredited)
Evelyn Dutton	...	Rita (uncredited)
Joe Esposito	...	Carnival Man (uncredited)
John Francis	...	Guard (uncredited)
Sandra Giles	...	Lily (uncredited)
Paul Gorss	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Tom Greenway	...	Lt. Staffer (uncredited)
John Hart	...	(uncredited)
Linda Humble	...	Redhead on Monorail (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Sid Kane	...	Dice Player (uncredited)
Pete Kellett	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Jong Ook Kim	...	Chinese Attendant (uncredited)
Paula Lane	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Bill Lee	...	The Mellomen (uncredited)
Kathryn MacGuinness	...	Second Attendant (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney	...	Airport Guard (uncredited)
Troy Melton	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
George Milan	...	Craps Shooter (uncredited)
Joe Quinn	...	Craps Shooter (uncredited)
Thurl Ravenscroft	...	The Mellomen (uncredited)
Hal Riddle	...	Dice Player (uncredited)
Kurt Russell	...	Boy Who Kicks Mike (uncredited)
J. Lewis Smith	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
Max Smith	...	The Mellowmen (uncredited)
Olan Soule	...	Henry Johnson (uncredited)
Erna Tanler	...	The Concessionaire (uncredited)
Russell Thorson	...	Sheriff Garland (uncredited)
David Tyrell	...	Guard (uncredited)
Charles Victor	...	Craps Shooter (uncredited)
Patrick Waltz	...	NASA Recruiting Officer (uncredited)
Red West	...	Fred (uncredited)
Robert Williams	...	Mr. Farr (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Mechanic (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Taurog

Writing credits
Si Rose		(written by) and
Seaman Jacobs		(written by)

Produced by
Ted Richmond	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Leith Stevens		(musical score by)

Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Fredric Steinkamp
Don Guidice		(uncredited)
Harold F. Kress		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
E. Preston Ames		(as Preston Ames)
George W. Davis

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
Hugh Hunt

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist
Shirley Althouse	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Roy Stork	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Jennings	....	assistant director
Wallace Jones	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Jim Myers	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Al Shenberg	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Richard Hendrickson	....	property master (uncredited)
Jim Luttrell	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor
Clint Althouse	....	sound (uncredited)
Ray Bisordi	....	sound (uncredited)
Larry Jost	....	sound (uncredited)
Al Strasser	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Wilfred M. Cline	....	gaffer (uncredited)
George Hollister	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Bill Ion	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
John Mehl	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Fuca	....	set costumer (uncredited)
Sophia Stutz	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Jim Taylor	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Jack Baker	....	stager: musical numbers
The Jordanaires	....	vocal accompaniment (as The Jordanaires and)
The Mellomen	....	vocal accompaniment (as The Jordanaires and)

Other crew
Tom Parker	....	technical advisor (as Colonel Tom Parker)
Dorothy Aldrin	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Mister, Will You Marry Me? (USA) (working title)
Take Me Out to the Fair (USA) (working title)
Take Me to the Fair (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:S (cut) (1963) | Australia:G (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Hallweg Monorail, Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Kurt Russell, in his screen debut, kicks Elvis Presley's shins.

Quotes:

Mike Edwards: Hey kid, how would you like to kick me in the shin?
Boy: How would I like to kick you in the shin?
Mike Edwards: Uhum.
Boy: Mister are you drunk?
Mike Edwards: No. I'll tell you what, if you kick me in the shin I'll give you a quarter, here.
[Gives the boy a quarter and the boy kicks him.]
Mike Edwards: [in pain] Yeoww! That's good! Thanks kid.
[limps off]
Boy: [shaking his head] Adults, there're all nuts!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood Jr. (1996)

Soundtrack:

How Would You Like to Be

Okay Elvis fare

As someone else mentioned, 1963 is still early enough that Elvis Presley looks like he's enjoying himself in "It Happened at the World's Fair," which also stars Gary Lockwood, Joan O'Brien and Vicky Tiu. Pilots Mike (Elvis) and Danny (Lockwood) find themselves without a plane after it's confiscated for debts due to Lockwood's addiction to gambling. They hitch a ride to Seattle with a man and his 7-year-old niece Sue-Lin (Tiu), and Mike ends up taking the little girl to the 1962 World's Fair. When she eats too much junk, he takes her to the clinic, where he meets Diane Warren (Joan O'Brien), a nurse. He comes on a little strong - so strong, I'm surprised she didn't call security. In order to see her again, he gives a little boy (Kurt Russell) a quarter to kick him in the shins.

After he return Sue-Lin to her uncle, she finds Mike again when her uncle doesn't come home from making a delivery. Mike now has to cope with a not very helpful partner, trying to think of a way to get his plane back, romancing Diane and taking care of a 7-year-old girl.

This is the usual Elvis travelogue, but more interesting than others because it's shot on the grounds of the Seattle World's Fair and has that iconic moment when future brilliant Elvis impersonator Russell lets him have it in the shins. Elvis looks great and as usual sings beautifully. The music is pretty good. This wasn't the film career Elvis wanted but unfortunately for his ambitions, these films made money. Enjoyable.