It Happened at the World's Fair
Encyclopedia
It Happened at the World's Fair is a 1963 musical film starring Elvis Presley
as a cropdusting pilot.
The motion picture was filmed in Seattle, Washington
, site of the Century 21 Exposition
, the 1962 World's Fair
. The governor of Washington at the time, Albert Rosellini
, suggested the setting to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executives. The film made $2.25 million at the box office.
, 2001: A Space Odyssey
) has gambled away the money Mike had set aside to pay their debts. Since they now have no money and a $1,200 debt, the local sheriff takes possession of their plane, Bessie, a cropduster. If they can't come up with the money in twelve days, Bessie will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Mike and Danny become reluctant hitchhikers, looking for a lift to anywhere. They are picked up by apple farmer Walter Ling (Kam Tong, Across the Pacific
, Soldier of Fortune
) and his niece Sue-Lin (Vicky Tiu). They end up in Seattle, Washington, location of the 1962 World's Fair. When the uncle is called away on business, Danny persuades Mike to take Sue-Lin to the World's Fair. It is during a visit to the doctor that Mike falls for Diane Warren (Joan O'Brien, Operation Petticoat
), an attractive but stubborn nurse who resists Mike's advances. He pays a boy (Kurt Russell) to kick him in the shin so that he can be treated by her. Mike also courts Dorothy Johnson (Yvonne Craig, Kissin' Cousins
, Bat Girl in Batman
).
Complications then arise. Walter suddenly disappears, leaving Mike with Sue-Lin. Diane discovers what has happened and wants to inforn the Welfare Board about it. There is a mysterious nightfall plane delivery for Mike and Danny's friend Vince (H.M. Wynant, The Twilight Zone
, Frosty in Batman
}.
Kurt Russell
had an uncredited speaking role as a boy who Mike Edwards pays 25¢ to kick him, thus giving him a chance to visit Nurse Warren. Russell would go on to play Presley in the made-for-television film Elvis, provide the voice for Elvis in Forrest Gump
, and portray an Elvis impersonator in 3000 Miles to Graceland
.
Vicky Tiu, sister of entertainer Ginny Tiu, later grew up to be the first lady of Hawaii
when she married Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano.
, including the Seattle Center Monorail
and the Space Needle
, serve as backdrops for several scenes in the film. Security officers pursue Presley and the girl through the fountains at what is now the Pacific Science Center
. The hitchhiking scene with Elvis and Gary Lockwood was filmed near Camarillo, California. as were some of the flying scenes. The entire hitchhiking scene to the point where they are both picked up by Kam Tong and Vicky Tiu Cayetano in the truck is easily recognizable as 5th Street near Pleasant Valley Road on the South side of Camarillo.
While The Elvis Encyclopedia believes that the Wilburton Trestle
was shown in the movie, further evidence points to a different location. It is actually a trestle over the White River
between Enumclaw
and Buckley
, now demolished. The view in the movie was taken at the intersection of Mud Mountain Road and Highway 410, looking southeasterly. You can see Mount Rainier
in the background, which you can't see at this angle from the Wilburton Trestle. The Wilburton Trestle is actually bigger than the White River Trestle, at six sections high. The trestle pictured in the movie is only four sections high at the road crossing.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
as a cropdusting pilot.
The motion picture was filmed in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, site of the Century 21 Exposition
Century 21 Exposition
The Century 21 Exposition was a World's Fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962 in Seattle, Washington.Nearly 10 million people attended the fair...
, the 1962 World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
. The governor of Washington at the time, Albert Rosellini
Albert Rosellini
Albert Dean Rosellini was the 15th Governor of the state of Washington for two terms, from 1957 to 1965, and was the first Italian American, Roman Catholic governor elected west of the Mississippi River...
, suggested the setting to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executives. The film made $2.25 million at the box office.
Plot
Pilot Mike Edwards (Elvis Presley) finds himself in a dilemma. His partner and friend Danny (Gary Lockwood, Wild in the CountryWild in the Country
Wild in the Country is a 1961 film drama starring Elvis Presley in which he portrays a troubled young man from a dysfunctional family who pursues a literary career. The screenplay was written by playwright Clifford Odets.-Synopsis:...
, 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
) has gambled away the money Mike had set aside to pay their debts. Since they now have no money and a $1,200 debt, the local sheriff takes possession of their plane, Bessie, a cropduster. If they can't come up with the money in twelve days, Bessie will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Mike and Danny become reluctant hitchhikers, looking for a lift to anywhere. They are picked up by apple farmer Walter Ling (Kam Tong, Across the Pacific
Across the Pacific
Across the Pacific is a 1942 spy film set on the eve of the entry of the United States into World War II. The film was directed first by John Huston, then by Vincent Sherman after Huston joined the United States Army Signal Corps...
, Soldier of Fortune
Soldier of Fortune (film)
Soldier of Fortune is a 1955 adventure film about the rescue of an American held prisoner in the People's Republic of China in the 1950s. It was directed by Edward Dmytryk, starred Clark Gable and Susan Hayward and was written by Ernest K...
) and his niece Sue-Lin (Vicky Tiu). They end up in Seattle, Washington, location of the 1962 World's Fair. When the uncle is called away on business, Danny persuades Mike to take Sue-Lin to the World's Fair. It is during a visit to the doctor that Mike falls for Diane Warren (Joan O'Brien, Operation Petticoat
Operation Petticoat
Operation Petticoat is a 1959 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards, and starring Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. It was the basis for a television series in 1977 starring John Astin in Grant's role...
), an attractive but stubborn nurse who resists Mike's advances. He pays a boy (Kurt Russell) to kick him in the shin so that he can be treated by her. Mike also courts Dorothy Johnson (Yvonne Craig, Kissin' Cousins
Kissin' Cousins
Kissin' Cousins is a 1964 musical film comedy starring Elvis Presley in two roles, one as an American soldier, the other a hillbilly. The screenplay was nominated in the category of best written American musical by the Writers Guild of America...
, Bat Girl in Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
).
Complications then arise. Walter suddenly disappears, leaving Mike with Sue-Lin. Diane discovers what has happened and wants to inforn the Welfare Board about it. There is a mysterious nightfall plane delivery for Mike and Danny's friend Vince (H.M. Wynant, The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
, Frosty in Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
}.
Cast
- Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
as Mike Edwards, cropduster pilot - Joan O'BrienJoan O'BrienJoan O'Brien is an American actress and singer. She made a name for herself acting in television shows in the 1950's and 1960's, and as a film co-star with Cary Grant, Elvis Presley, John Wayne and Jerry Lewis....
as Diane Warren, World's Fair nurse and eventual love interest of Edwards - Gary LockwoodGary LockwoodGary Lockwood is an American actor probably best known for his iconic 1968 role as the astronaut Dr. Frank Poole in 2001: A Space Odyssey.-Early life:...
as Danny Burke, Mike's gambling-addicted business partner - Vicky Tiu as Sue-Lin, a young girl befriended by Mike
- Yvonne CraigYvonne CraigYvonne Joyce Craig is an American actress best known for her role as Batgirl from the 1960s TV series Batman, and as the Orion Marta in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Whom Gods Destroy”.-Early life and career:...
as Dorothy Johnson, a love interest of Mike's - H. M. Wynant as Vince Bradley, Danny's crooked associate
- Kam TongKam TongKam Tong was a Chinese American actor best known for his role as Hey Boy on the television series Have Gun – Will Travel. He appeared in many movies, often as an uncredited Chinese, Japanese, or Filipino character...
as Walter Ling, Sue-Lin's uncle - Edith AtwaterEdith AtwaterEdith Atwater was an American stage, film and television actress.Born in Chicago, Illinois, Atwater made her Broadway debut in 1933. In 1939 she starred in The Man Who Came to Dinner....
as Miss Steuben - Guy Raymond as Barney Thatcher
- Dorothy Green as Miss Ettinger
- Red WestRed WestRed West is an American actor, film stuntman and songwriter.West was born Robert Gene West in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Lois and Newton Thomas West. He was a close high school friend of rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. An excellent athlete and former U.S...
as Fred (uncredited) - Joe Esposito as Carnival Man (uncredited)
Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
had an uncredited speaking role as a boy who Mike Edwards pays 25¢ to kick him, thus giving him a chance to visit Nurse Warren. Russell would go on to play Presley in the made-for-television film Elvis, provide the voice for Elvis in Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
, and portray an Elvis impersonator in 3000 Miles to Graceland
3000 Miles to Graceland
3000 Miles to Graceland is a 2001 American crime film, starring Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Bokeem Woodbine, Christian Slater, and Kevin Pollak. It is a story of theft and betrayal, revolving around a plot to rob the Riviera Casino during a convention of Elvis...
.
Vicky Tiu, sister of entertainer Ginny Tiu, later grew up to be the first lady of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
when she married Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano.
Production
The Seattle CenterSeattle Center
Seattle Center is a park and arts and entertainment center in Seattle, Washington. The campus is the site used in 1962 by the Century 21 Exposition. It is located just north of Belltown in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood.-Attractions:...
, including the Seattle Center Monorail
Seattle Center Monorail
The Seattle Center Monorail is an elevated monorail line in Seattle, Washington, that runs a little over one mile along Fifth Avenue from Westlake Center in Downtown to Seattle Center in Lower Queen Anne...
and the Space Needle
Space Needle
The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over...
, serve as backdrops for several scenes in the film. Security officers pursue Presley and the girl through the fountains at what is now the Pacific Science Center
Pacific Science Center
The Pacific Science Center is a science museum in Seattle, Washington.-Organization:Pacific Science Center is an independent, non-profit science museum based in Seattle, Washington...
. The hitchhiking scene with Elvis and Gary Lockwood was filmed near Camarillo, California. as were some of the flying scenes. The entire hitchhiking scene to the point where they are both picked up by Kam Tong and Vicky Tiu Cayetano in the truck is easily recognizable as 5th Street near Pleasant Valley Road on the South side of Camarillo.
While The Elvis Encyclopedia believes that the Wilburton Trestle
Wilburton Trestle
The Wilburton Trestle is a historic wooden railway trestle in Bellevue, Washington. Measuring 102 feet high and 975 feet long , it is the longest wooden trestle in the Pacific Northwest....
was shown in the movie, further evidence points to a different location. It is actually a trestle over the White River
White River (Washington)
The White River is a white, glacial river in the U.S. state of Washington. It flows about 75 miles from its source, the Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier, to join the Puyallup River at Sumner...
between Enumclaw
Enumclaw, Washington
Enumclaw is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,669 at the 2010 census.The Enumclaw Plateau, on which the city resides, was formed by a volcanic mudflow from Mount Rainier approximately 5,700 years ago....
and Buckley
Buckley, Washington
Buckley is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,354 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Buckley is located at near the communities of Enumclaw, Bonney Lake, and Wilkeson....
, now demolished. The view in the movie was taken at the intersection of Mud Mountain Road and Highway 410, looking southeasterly. You can see Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
in the background, which you can't see at this angle from the Wilburton Trestle. The Wilburton Trestle is actually bigger than the White River Trestle, at six sections high. The trestle pictured in the movie is only four sections high at the road crossing.
Sources
- Guralnick, Peter, and Ernst Jorgensen (1999). Elvis Day by Day: The Definitive Record of His Life and Music. Ballantine. ISBN 0345420896.
- Kirchberg, Connie, and Marc Hendrickx (1999). Elvis Presley, Richard Nixon, and the American Dream. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company. ISBN 0786407166.
- Lisanti, Tom (2000). Fantasy Femmes of 60's Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies. McFarland and Company. ISBN 0786408685.
- Marcus, Greil (1980). "Rock Films," The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, second edition. Random House. ISBN 0394739388.
- Ponce de Leon, Charles L. (2007). Fortunate Son: The Life of Elvis Presley. Macmillan. ISBN 0809016419.
- Presley, Priscilla (1985). Elvis and Me. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0399129847.
- Thomson, David (1998). A Biographical Dictionary of Film (3d ed.). Knopf. ISBN 0679755640.
- Victor, Adam (2008). The Elvis Encyclopedia. Overlook Duckworth. ISBN 1585675989
External links
DVD reviews- Review by Bill Treadway at DVD Verdict, August 12, 2004.
- Review by Mark Zimmer at digitallyOBSESSED!, August 4, 2004.