Fun In Acapulco (1963)

Elvis Presley has his hands full in his 13th movie as Mike Windgren, a former trapeze artist (until an accident which killed his brother) turned Lifeguard and would-be cliff diver who is attempting to simultaneously cure his acrophobia and win the hand of aloof Margarita Dauphine (Ursula Andress) – whose daddy, Maximillian, (Paul Lukas) is a displaced duke reduced to working as a hotel chef.

Added to the mix are pint-sized impresario Raoul Almeido (Larry Domasin) who is hoping to break our hero as a lounge act, inevitable swarthy romantic rival Moreno (Alejandro Rey), and sultry lady bullfighter Dolores Gomez (Elsa Cardenas).

There’s no particular reason for her being a lady bullfighter other than it gives Elvis a chance to sing The Bullfighter Was a Lady.

Fun in Acapulco was Teri Garr’s first film. She appears as a dancer but does not have any lines. She would appear in three more Presley films as a dancer (as well as in several other productions) before ever uttering a line onscreen.

The film features a particularly peppy production number of Bossa Nova Baby which features probably Presley’s best dance moves of the decade.

Although the movie is set in Acapulco, Elvis never set a foot anywhere near the place.

He was actually barred from entering Mexico as he had been declared as “persona non grata” by the Mexican government.

Mike Windgren
Elvis Presley
Margarita Dauphine
Ursula Andress
Dolores Gomez
Elsa Cardenas
Maximillian
Paul Lukas
Raoul Almeido
Larry Domasin
Moreno
Alejandro Rey
Jose Robert
Carricart
Janie Harkins
Teri Hope
Mr Harkins
Charles Evans

Director
Richard Thorpe

Audio