Double Trouble - MGM
1967
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By: For Elvis Fans Only
Source: EPE
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Double Trouble |
Elvis' twenty-fourth movie was the 1967
MGM film "Double Trouble." Based on a
novel by Mark Brandel, the working title
was "You're Killing Me" and the idea was
to give the movie the same feel as that
of the zany comedic Beatles films "Hard
Days Night" and "Help." Although the
movie is set in Europe, it was filmed on
the MGM back lot in Hollywood.
Elvis reported to MGM on June 27, 1966
for a music meeting and wardrobe
fittings. The next night Elvis,
reluctant to record the lacklustre
material provided for him, was late for
his recording session at Radio
Recorders. As a result MGM moved the
recording session to their own cavernous
soundstage. As principal Elvis
researcher/compilation producer for BMG,
Ernst Jorgensen, put it, "The soundstage
had all the presence of a giant tin
can." Sloppy engineering and sound
further disgusted Elvis. Says
Jorgensen, "Being forced to record 'Old
MacDonald' was only the final indignity,
and Elvis left, forcing the movie
company to use an incomplete, seventh
take as the master." The session ended
with Elvis recording the very short (1
min. 20 sec.) song with the very long
title
"Long Legged Girl (With the Short Dress
On)."
On a brighter note, Elvis got to meet
Jackie Wilson, a singer
whom he had long admired, who was
performing near by. Jackie Wilson also
visited Elvis on the set of this movie.
He also met James Brown and Elvis formed
a friendship with both performers that
lasted the rest of his life. In 1975 it
was Elvis who helped to pay the medical
costs when Jackie Wilson suffered a
stroke. And James Brown would be one of
the few celebrities to attend Elvis's
wake in 1977.
This was the only movie made by Elvis'
leading lady, Annette Day,
who played Jill Conway in "Double
Trouble." She was a young girl whom
producer Judd Bernard saw working in her
parents' antique shop in London. He
thought that she would be right for the
part in the movie despite her not having
any previous acting experience. Several
of her natural expressions such as
"Super!" and "biccies" (cookies) were
written into the script. During filming
Elvis surprised the 18-year-old, who had
yet to learn to drive, with a white
Mustang convertible. Unable to take the
gift back home to Britain, Ms. Day left
it in the U.S. in her brother's care
when she returned to England, where she
still lives. During filming Elvis's
cousin Billy Smith served as Ms. Day's
stand-in.
John Williams played Jill Conway's
uncle, Gerald Waverly. Williams was
best known for his role on stage and
screen in "Dial M For Murder."
Yvonne Romain played Waverly's
accomplice in crime, Claire Dunham. Ms.
Romain is the wife of songwriter Leslie
Bricusse. Her first American film was
"The Swinger" with Ann-Margret.
In "Double Trouble" Chips Rafferty
and Norman Rossington play two bumbling
diamond smugglers.
Rafferty, an Australian actor, played
Archie Brown in this movie and can also
be seen in films such as "The
Sundowners", "The Wackiest Ship In The
Army" and "Mutiny on the Bounty."
Rossington played Arthur Babcock. This
English actor was able to claim the
unique distinction of having worked in
films with both Elvis and the Beatles as
he also had the role of road manager
Norm in the Beatles film "A Hard Days
Night." As a high school dropout he
wandered through various occupations
before deciding to pursue an acting
career that specialized in slapstick
comedy. However, he also had roles in
such epics as "The Longest Day" and
"Lawrence of Arabia." Later in his
career he was a favourite stage actor in
London musical productions such as "My
Fair Lady," "Guys and Dolls" and "Beauty
and The Beast." Cancer claimed his life
in 1999 at the age of 70.
Band mates of Guy Lambert (Elvis) sported
Beatles style haircuts. One of them,
Morley, was played by Michael Murphy, a
former high school English and drama
teacher. Murphy became good friends
with Woody Allen, who subsequently cast
him to play his best friend in the film
"Manhattan." His long association with
director Robert Altman has resulted in
roles in many films and TV productions
including "Brewster McCloud," "M*A*S*H,"
"McCabe & Mrs. Miller" and "Nashville,"
among others. He co-starred with his
wife, actress Wendy Crewson, in the TV
show "Hard Copy" and has had roles in
such TV series as "Law & Order,"
"Judging Amy" and "LAX."
John Anderson was the sinister ever
lurking "Iceman" in "Double Trouble."
His acting career has included roles in
many films such as "To Catch A Thief,"
"Don't Go Near The Water," "My Fair
Lady," "Strange Bedfellows,"
"Hellfighters," "The Molly Maguires,"
"Blazing Saddles," "The
Duchess and The
Dirt Water Fox" and "Young Guns II."
Marilyn and Melody Heymer were the twin
cigarette girls.
The film was choreographed by Alex
Romero who had also choreographed the
famous dance scene in Elvis's 1957 film
"Jailhouse Rock."
Many of the supporting cast for
"Double Trouble" were veteran European
character actors. One such actor was
Austrian born Leon Askin,
who played Inspector De Groote. Often
cast as the "funny villain," he has
worked with such actors as Richard
Burton, James Cagney and Doris Day. And
although he has had a long career on
stage, in film and on TV, his best
remembered work might be that of German
General Burkhalter in the TV series
"Hogan's Heroes," who was always
threatening to send the character of
Colonel Klink to the eastern front.
The Wiere Brothers - Harry, Herbert and
Sylvester - played the eccentric
detectives. In 1922 when the youngest
of them, Sylvester was only 12 years
old, they formed the comedy group The
Wiere Brothers and appeared on stage.
They came to America in the mid-1930s
and were headliners on the theater and
nightclub circuit with their unique
comedy routines. They were very
talented and could sing, dance, play
several instruments and perform
acrobatics. Their musical talents can
be seen in the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby film
"Road to Rio." In 1960 they starred in
the TV series "Oh, Those Bells" directed
by former Three Stooges director Jules
White. Their routines could be seen on
such variety shows as Rowan and Martin's
"Laugh In." When Sylvester died
unexpectedly in 1970, Harry and Herbert
went into semi-retirement. Harry died
in 1991 and Herbert in 1999.
Principal filming for "Double Trouble"
began on July 11, 1966 and was finished
by August 30, 1966. Elvis almost
immediately went into production for the
film "Easy Come, Easy Go," which would
be finished and released in March of
1967, just weeks before "Double Trouble"
opened on April 5, 1967. "Double
Trouble" hit #58 on "Variety" magazine's
popularity list of films for 1967.
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Double Trouble |
Soundtrack
- Double Trouble
- Baby, If You'll Give Me All Of Your
Love
- Could I Fall In Love
- Long Legged Girl
- City By Night
- Old MacDonald
- I Love Only One Girl
- There Is So Much World To See
- It Won't Be Long
Recorded at:
Radio
Recorders Studios, 7000, Santa Monica
Boulevard, Hollywood. June 1966.
Musicians:
Elvis Presley (vocals), Scotty Moore,
Tiny Timbrell, Mike Deasy (guitars),
Pete Drake (steel guitar), Bob Moore
(bass), D.J. Fontana, Buddy Harman
(drums), Floyd Cramer (piano),Charlie
McCoy (harmonica), Boots Randolph
(sax),Michael Henderson, Butch
Parker,Richard Noel (horns) the
Jordanaires (vocals)
Double Trouble - MGM 1967
Directed Norman
Taurog
Writing Credits Mark Brandel
(novel), Jo Heims
Producers Judd Bernard and Irwin
Winkler
Technical Advisor Colonel Tom
Parker
Panavision and Metrocolour
Cast Overview
Elvis Presley .... Guy Lambert, Annette
Day .... Jill Conway, John Williams ....
Gerald Waverly, Yvonne Romain ....
Claire Dunham, Chips Rafferty ....
Archie Brown, Norman Rossington....
Arthur Babcock, Monty Landis ....
Georgie, Michael Murphy .... Morley,
Leon Askin .... Inspector De Groote,
John Alderson .... Iceman, Stanley Adams
.... Captain Roach, Maurice Marsac ....
Frenchman, Walter Burke .... Mate,
Helene Winston .... Gerda, Marilyn
Keymer .... Twin #1 at London Nightclub,
Melody Keymer .... Twin #2 at London
Nightclub, Harry Wiere .... Detective,
Herbert Wiere .... Detective, Sylvester
Wiere .... Detective.
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