Gonna set my soul on fire
Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn,
So get those stakes up higher
There's a thousand pretty women waitin' out there
And they're all livin' devil-may-care
And I'm just the devil with love to spare, so
Viva Las Vegas! Viva Las Vegas!"
Elvis Presley's 15th feature film Viva Las Vegas! was far and away his biggest hit at the box office, and is considered by many to be one of his best movies.
Race car driver Lucky Jackson (Presley) wants to enter his car in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. But he's got a few problems to overcome. Problem no. 1: He needs to buy an engine. Problem no. 2: He loses his money in a swimming pool. How did he lose the money? By trying to impress swimming instructor Rusty Martin (Ann-Margret). Problem no. 3: Rusty is hard to get. While a romance eventually blossoms between the two, that doesn't stop problem no. 4: Rusty is worried he'll be killed in a racing accident and tries to stop him from entering the race. Things get even more complicated when a suave rival racer, Count Mancini (Cesare Danova), tries to win Rusty's affections.
Directed by George Sidney with a script by Sally Benson, this 1964 film is famous for the onscreen (and offscreen) chemistry between Presley and Ann-Margret and for its title tune, which became a moderate hit for Presley and the unofficial anthem of the city.
Viva Trope Vegas!:
- Call-and-Response Song: In "The Lady Loves Me", Lucky sings about how he believes Rusty's in love with him. However, Rusty comes up with every insult as a response.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Lucky becomes jealous when Rusty flirts with Mancini.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Lucky gets distracted by Rusty's beauty to the point that he loses his money.
- Hope Spot: Lucky raises the money needed to enter the Grand Prix. Unfortunately, he loses it when Rusty pushes him into the swimming pool.
- Leg Focus: Lucky initially meets Rusty by noticing her legs while his car is being repaired.
- Male Gaze: Rusty's first scene features an extreme close-up of her rear end as she walks away from the camera.
- Ms. Fanservice: Ann-Margret in almost every scene she appears in.
- Pretty in Mink: Rusty starts off her number, "Appreciation" wearing a white mink coat.
- Rule of Pool: Lucky tries to hit on Rusty by singing a duet with her around a pool. Eventually they get on a plank and Rusty gets the last word by pushing him into the pool.
- The Oner:
- The scene where Elvis sings 'Viva Las Vegas' is performed in a single, unedited shot. It's the only known example in his career.
- Ann-Margret's last song in the film, "My Rival," is also done in one uninterrupted take with the camera following her around a room.
- Thematic Theme Tune: Also a Title Theme Tune.
- Viva Las Vegas!: The Trope Namer, and something of a Trope Maker in terms of being a celebration of the city as an action-packed playground and a staging ground for various hijinx.
