Elvis Presley’s musical Blue Hawaii is not only a feast for the eyes with its stunning Hawaiian scenery and swoon-worthy soundtrack, but also a treasure trove of delightful mistakes that make us love the King of Rock and Roll even more.
While Elvis charmed his way through the entire 1961 musical with his undeniable charisma, the editors managed to slip in a few mistakes.
No one — even in their wildest dreams — could rival Elvis Presley in music, performance, or his legendary looks.
Debates about his best film will probably continue forever, but when experts rank Elvis’s films, Blue Hawaii rarely makes it into the top three. Nevertheless, there is something undeniably special about this fan-favourite film.
A few little-known bloopers
Filled with hilarious moments and showcasing Elvis’s superb comedic talent, the film allowed him to play alongside other talented actors, many of whom were comedy stars of their time. Despite mixed reviews from critics, Blue Hawaii became the 10th highest-grossing film of 1961, earning $4.2 million at the box office. Elvis played the role of Chad Gates, a charming former military man who abandoned his father’s fruit business to become a beach guide, and it was so touching and funny.
And let’s not forget the soundtrack! It gave us classics such as Can’t Help Falling in Love, which rose to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains an eternal favourite.
But while Blue Hawaii won hearts with its stunning scenery and Elvis’ natural charisma, it also gave us some lesser-known bloopers and behind-the-scenes mishaps that make it even more fun to watch today. Are you ready to discover these hidden gems? Let’s dive in!
Blue Hawaii marked a big change
I’m not sure many people noticed this, but for me it was a real revelation. In Blue Hawaii, for the first time, Elvis’ character was not a performer with a built-in reason to sing.
Instead, Chad Gates would suddenly burst into song at the most unexpected moments — whether relaxing on the beach or paddling a canoe. Sure, it can be a little cheesy, but it’s this spontaneous musical magic that makes Blue Hawaii such a fun, feel-good film.
A template for all future Presley films
When Blue Hawaii became a massive hit, both the film and its soundtrack, Elvis’s manager Colonel Tom Parker saw a winning formula.
He decided to use it as a template for all future Presley films — put Elvis in an exotic location, add a few beautiful stars, and make sure he sang enough songs to fill an entire album. And you know what? It worked! Throughout the 1960s, Elvis made the top ten highest-grossing stars seven times.
Hundreds of screaming fans
Here’s a little gem that I just have to keep in mind the next time I watch Blue Hawaii. According to IMDb, when Chad (Elvis Presley) first steps off the plane, if you turn up the volume loud enough, you can hear hundreds of screaming fans who were present during filming. How cool is that!
Elvis Presley surrounded by actresses Jenny Maxwell, Pamela Austin, Joan Blackman, Darlene Tompkins and Christian Kay
Juliet Prowse’s special requests
It’s hard to imagine Blue Hawaii without Elvis and Joan Blackman, who played Maile Duval. But here’s a fun fact: Juliet Prowse, who starred alongside Elvis in G.I. Blues (1960), was originally signed for the role of Maile.
However, she had some unusual demands — she wanted to bring in a make-up artist from another studio and have the studio pay for her secretary’s flight to Hawaii. When these demands were rejected, she decided to turn down the role.
Elvis looked ‘disgusting’ and ‘ashamed.’
In my opinion, Elvis was often underrated as an actor. When given good material, he consistently delivered strong performances.
The King is often described in glowing terms when it comes to Blue Hawaii, but were there sunshine and palm trees for him? According to Ann Fulchino, the publicity director who worked with Elvis, the King himself found the experience somewhat humiliating.
Fulchino recalls visiting Elvis during the filming and sensing his unease.
“It took a while before he came over and spoke to us, and when he did — you see, at the beginning I called him Boss, and I said, ‘Hi, Boss,’ and he just looked at me as if he didn’t want me to come,” Fulchino shared in Peter Gurnick’s book Carefree Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley.
Fulchino understood why Elvis felt the way he did.
I said to myself, ‘If I were taking these crappy photos, I wouldn’t want to see anyone from my past either,’ she said. ‘That’s why I didn’t stick around.’
She left the shoot early, noting how obvious it was that Elvis was uncomfortable.
‘He was clearly uncomfortable with what he was doing, he was upset and disgusted — you could see it all on his face,’ Fulchino continues. ‘What I liked most was that he was ashamed of it, which meant he knew better — but you could see he was trapped.’
When Elvis shouted, ‘Cut!’
Filming Blue Hawaii was no walk in the park for Elvis Presley. Crowds of fans constantly tried to catch a glimpse of the King, so security had to be on high alert. Elvis couldn’t move around without extra security, so he missed out on many of the island’s tourist attractions. But there was one thing he made sure to visit: golf lessons given by none other than professional Gary Player.
Gary recalled: “After I won my first Masters in 1961, I received a telegram invitation from Elvis, the King. A telegram, not as simple as a text message today. We played in Los Angeles, and I went to the set of Hawaii, where Elvis was filming. He saw me enter the room and shouted, “CUT!”. Being a gentleman, Elvis went and put on his jacket before coming over to shake my hand. Elvis was just starting to play golf and asked me to give him some tips. He took a practice swing, and I swear it looked like a cow giving birth to a ball of barbed wire. I adjusted his grip and told him he needed to use his hips during the downswing. He said, ‘Baby, you’re talking to the right man.’ And he gave us all a little shake.
Elvis played a frightening joke
Whether it was disappointment or just mischief, Elvis certainly knew how to have fun on set. During the filming of Blue Hawaii, his then-girlfriend Anita Wood played a hilarious prank on him. The plan? Elvis had to pretend to be dead.
Out of nowhere, Wood started screaming that Elvis wasn’t breathing, causing those around him to panic. Everyone rushed to his house, frantically trying to call an ambulance, but found Elvis sitting there, calmly explaining:
‘I just wanted to see what you guys would do,’ reports Cheatsheet.
Red MG Roadster
If you’re an Elvis fan, you probably already know about his love of cars — and not just cars, but luxury, high-end cars.
During the filming of Blue Hawaii, one car caught his eye — a 1960 MGA 1600 MkI roadster. He loved it so much that he ended up buying it. Now that very same red MG is part of the impressive collection at Graceland, sharing space with his motorcycles, Cadillacs, Stutzes and many other shiny toys.
A popular wedding destination
Hawaii quickly became one of Elvis Presley’s favourite filming locations, and for good reason! He shot three films there, and one of the most iconic scenes was the picnic scene with Chad and Mele.
This picturesque moment was filmed at the Tantalus Drive lookout, and guess what? You can still enjoy this stunning view today. In fact, it’s such a breathtaking spot that it has become a popular wedding venue.
Here’s another interesting fact about the filming locations of Blue Hawaii: During the filming, Elvis Presley stayed at the iconic Coco Palms Resort, which actually appears in the film. The Coco Palms Resort is probably best known as the location of Elvis Presley and Joan Blackman’s on-screen wedding. It also appears in the iconic scene where Elvis sings ‘Hawaiian Wedding Song.’
During its heyday, the resort attracted Hollywood legends such as Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth, and Bing Crosby.
Unfortunately, the resort was destroyed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992 and has never been rebuilt or redeveloped. So if you ever find yourself in Hawaii, you can find the remains of Coco Palms — a little piece of Elvis history.
Elvis wanted to marry Joan Blakeman
During the filming of Blue Hawaii in 1961, Elvis Presley became very close to his co-star Joan Blackman. Their connection was so strong that Joan admitted she felt a special spark between them when they first met in 1957.
‘When we first saw each other, there was a spark, a magic in the air… There was something special between us, sometimes so warm and wonderful that you could reach out and touch it,’ Joan shared in a 1977 interview with Midnight Globe.
Despite their undeniable connection, Elvis was not shy about wanting Joan to be his wife and even begged her to star in his films.
However, Joan had other plans: ‘I wanted roles because of my abilities, not because I was dating Elvis,’ she said.
An unfortunate cut
Now let’s dive into some bloopers that only true fans of Blue Hawaii would have noticed.
In the car scene in ‘Almost Always True,’ there is a noticeable editing error: Mail’s hands suddenly change position on the steering wheel, and Chad’s left hand magically moves from resting on the back of the seat to an outstretched position behind Mail.
The scene in the pineapple field
In the scene in the pineapple field, Ellie stays in the car (obviously in the back seat on the driver’s side) while the others go to the stand.
But when Chad returns with the pineapples, Ellie mysteriously moves to the passenger side to match the camera angle and dialogue — a classic continuity error!
The magic ukulele in Blue Hawaii
Blue Hawaii featured 14 songs, more than any other Elvis film.
But do you remember how Chad strummed the ukulele? If you listened closely, you would have noticed that he didn’t change chords, even though the music was playing.
Later, Elvis gave this famous ukulele to his friend Hank Garland, nicknamed ‘Sugar Leg’. Hank was a first-rate guitarist in Nashville and even toured with Elvis from 1958 to 1961. Elvis loved Hank so much that he even engraved his initials on the ukulele. At a charity concert in Hawaii in 1961, Elvis called Garland ‘one of the best guitarists in the whole country.’
The patch Chad wears on his uniform
The patch Chad wears on his uniform in Blue Hawaii is not just a random decoration. It is actually the emblem of the 3rd Armoured Division of the US Army, also known as the Spearhead.
This was the division in which Elvis Presley served during his time in Germany, where he rose to the rank of sergeant.
Last holiday
In March 1977, Elvis Presley went on his last holiday to Hawaii, a place with which he had special memories.
Elvis Presley and his Memphis Mafia stayed at the Hilton Rainbow Tower hotel. But that’s not all — he later moved to a beach house with his girlfriend Ginger Alden and her two sisters.
From golf lessons with Gary Player to the magic of stunning Hawaiian landscapes, Blue Hawaii became more than just another film for Elvis — it was an unforgettable chapter in his life. Behind the scenes, Elvis proved that even in the midst of chaos, he could find time for fun, humour and, of course, musical magic. Whether it’s the epic scenes, the bizarre bloopers or his personal connection to the spirit of Aloha, this film remains a classic.
So the next time you watch Blue Hawaii, pay attention to the small details and fun facts. After all, Elvis wasn’t just the King on screen — he was a true legend, both on and off the set. Be sure to share your favourite moments from Elvis’s life, and let’s keep the spirit of Aloha alive!
