Over the years I have certainly seen quite a few "Elvis Presley" movies.And, now - After watching Elvis here in 1968's "Live A Little, Love A Little" (which was his 28th picture) - I am completely convinced that Hollywood totally wasted him as an actor (just like they did with Marilyn Monroe).Showcasing 4 absolutely forgettable songs - I guess that this Rom/Com was desperately out to prove that (even in the late-1960's) - Elvis (33 at the time) was still going strong as the ultimate badass, hipster, loverboy.But, unfortunately - This film's trite, predictable, little, nothing-of-a-story reeked so badly of "deja vu" overload, that I was already bored to tears with it within its first 15 minutes.

After recklessly driving his clean dune buggy through Southern California streets and sand, singing photographer Elvis Presley (as Greg Nolan) meets pleasantly-proportioned Michele Carey (as Bernice) on the shore. The two seem ready to "make love," but Mr. Presley must contend with Ms. Carey's constant companion - a growling Great Dane named "Albert". The dog chases Presley, fully clothed, into the ocean for the remainder of the day and he is taken back to Carey's place with a fever. After several days of nursing from Carey, Presley awakens to discover he has lost his apartment and job...Using the line, "Nolan is here with the truth," Presley finds work taking photographs for Playboy-type Don Porter (as Mike Lansdown) and his straight-laced opposite Rudy Vallee (as Penlow). Since his new employers have offices in the same building, Presley tries to work both jobs at the same time. Hijinks ensue when he continues seeing the eccentric Carey and her friends, including pre-"Bewitched" Dick Sargent (as Harry). The film's highlight is a surreal video made for Presley's lost classic slice of 1960s paranoia "Edge of Reality", and "A Little Less Conversation" / "Almost in Love" is a strong single.**** Live a Little, Love a Little (10/23/68) Norman Taurog ~ Elvis Presley, Michele Carey, Dick Sargent, Rudy Vallee

This is easily the worst Presley vehicle ever, which would bring us pretty close to the worst film ever made. It is measurably worse than even the revolting "Happy Ending" song at the end of "It Happened At The World's Fair", and here I thought that moment when Elvis buys all of the vendor's balloons for his girl, and then the balloon vendor gets jiggy to the marching band was the epitome of bad cinema and could not be topped. I usually enjoy the random Elvis flick if for no other reason but the memories of a time when we were innocent enough to sit through it. This one, however, ought to be called "Live a Little, Wish You Were Dead a Little", and makes "Stay Away Joe" look like Olivier playing Othello.Here, Elvis plays Greg, who is essentially a hippie free-lance photographer except for the Establishment haircut. After a fun morning of reckless driving, he ends up at the beach where he is abducted by a woman who's name changes depending on the scene and who is speaking to her. Clearly Michele Carey was selected for her resemblance to and ability to mimic Elizabeth Taylor (if I watched this without my glasses, I would have thought it was late 1960's Liz playing the female lead). She sics her dog on Elvis until he runs into the water and catches convenient movie pneumonia, then she keeps him doped up out of consciousness in her beach pad so long he loses his job and his apartment so she moves his stuff into her house before he awakens without even telling him (the audience does not know about it either, until Elvis tries to go back to work and his boss has him beaten up for no reason except he deserved it for making this movie, and tries to go home and finds some hateful woman in a slip living in his house).Rather than having her arrested for kidnapping, larceny and assault, he goes out and gets two jobs to repay the back rent Miss Crazy Pants had to spring for when stealing all of his belongings. Job one is working for Don Porter at a Playboy type magazine, job two is upstairs working for Rudy Vallee at a snobby fashion magazine. I think the two-job shuffling is supposed to be the comedy, too bad it isn't the least bit funny, unless you'd laugh the 100th time you saw someone run up and down stairs in fast-motion to silly music. The predominate obstacle that keeps Greg from falling for his abductor is her other love interest, the dreadfully miscast Dick Sargent (let's face it, either Porter or Vallee, even given their advanced ages in 1968, would have made far more believable competitors for Miss Crazy's affections).There are a variety of uninteresting and unfunny twists and turns, I kept waiting for something, anything to happen that would make all of this make sense. It never did. Entertainment totals approximately three minutes and is comprised of Elvis' rendition of "A Little Less Talk" (which I can listen to on CD without this painful movie inflicted upon me) and a funny five second bit where Elvis flops on the couch and Crazy Pants has apparently disassembled it so it flies all to pieces when he lands on it. That's it, folks, busted furniture, the only laugh in this entire film. No amount of mod sixties clothing, music, or décor can salvage this high-heaven stinker and it should be avoided at all costs. Viewing this can create an unnatural desire on the part of the audience toward the self-infliction of grave bodily harm.

Elvis in a sex farce. Elvis in bed with his leading lady. What a change in approach we got with Live A Little, Love A Little. With songs kept to a minimum, but including a surreal scene involving Edge of Reality, and the upbeat Wonderful World, this film was a great change in direction from the earlier Presley travelogues. Michele Carey was certainly one of The King's most attractive (and sexy)leading ladies and she pairs with Elvis on screen well. An interesting touch was having Rudy Vallee (himself a music idol from yesteryear) as one of Elvis' bosses and the contrast between him and other boss Don Porter is very well done. Nice doses of humor make this film a viewing treat.