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.