What happened at the World's Fair? Not much, actually. Elvis Presley has a date with an adorably precocious seven-year-old Asian girl, falls in love with a nurse his own age, breaks into song at the slightest provocation, applies for the budding astronaut program, and gets kicked in the shins (not once but twice!) by a little tough played by a grade-school-aged Kurt Russell (who would grow up to star not only as Elvis himself but also as an Elvis impersonator). With the flimsiest of plots and the 1962 Seattle World's Fair as a backdrop--the Space Needle! the monorail! trés moderne!--this is basically a series of strung-together music videos for tunes such as "One Broken Heart for Sale," "Happy Ending," "Relax," "I'm Falling in Love Tonight," and six other justly forgotten Elvis ditties. Debuting on DVD with a beautiful widescreen transfer (though the sound is vintage early-'60s mono), this bizarre little film is mostly for Elvis completists. [Note: and speaking of catnip for completists, Warner is also releasing the following Elvis not-quite-classics: Double Trouble, Harum Scarum, Speedway, Spinout, and The Trouble with Girls.] Optional. (M. Johanson)
It Happened at the World's Fair
Warner, 105 min., not rated, DVD: $14.95 Volume 19, Issue 5
It Happened at the World's Fair
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