Easy Come, Easy Go features (famously) maybe the worst selling soundtrack ever for an Elvis vehicle and this simply shows discernment on the part of the record buying public. The songs here range from bland and forgettable to 'what was that, I nodded off...'. As a rock and roll picture (Elvis' own term for most of his output) this one is a loser. Rather surprisingly though, as a comedy-adventure it is passably plotted and paced with good underwater photography. Normally in an Elvis feature, the songs are the attraction and the rest is filler. Here the musical numbers get in the way of an unexpectedly engaging treasure hunt, while Elvis additionally gets to romance beatnik Dodie Marshall. The inclusion of beatniks in a 1967 movie shows just how far behind the producers were when it came to pop culture - this picture came out around the time of the Monterey Pop Festival - but I won't quibble since beatnik Dodie is a very likeable and quirky presence that keeps Elvis and the plot a bit off kilter whenever she is onscreen.
The result is an odd entry into the Elvis oeuvre. The treasure hunt is well-handled and believable; the romantic pursuit of Elvis' female lead is a more satisfying challenge than in certain other of his pictures; Pat Harrington is his usual very watchable self in a decently written comedy support role; and the musical numbers might provide welcome relief from chronic insomnia. If expectations are kept low, Easy Come , Easy Go will kill 90 minutes at least as well as solitaire on your iPhone.
The result is an odd entry into the Elvis oeuvre. The treasure hunt is well-handled and believable; the romantic pursuit of Elvis' female lead is a more satisfying challenge than in certain other of his pictures; Pat Harrington is his usual very watchable self in a decently written comedy support role; and the musical numbers might provide welcome relief from chronic insomnia. If expectations are kept low, Easy Come , Easy Go will kill 90 minutes at least as well as solitaire on your iPhone.