Only Elvis fans, and big ones at that would probably be the only viewers willing to give this musical comedy burlesque a spin. Made cheaply on the MGM lot it is a fantasy with songs about an American movie star who gets caught up in a plot to assassinate the king of a ancient Arabian kingdom. The plot is the sort of thing that worked for Rudolph Valentino, so why not Elvis?. No one is really taking any of this movie seriously least of all the star while his co stars are happy just to be working. Like all the Elvis movies of the 60's this made money despite very weak production values and timid list of songs, except for one "So Close Yet So Far" written by Joe Byers this is one of the least known most under rated songs ever to be recorded by Elvis, and it has long been a big favourite with me. Watched with a sense of humour "Harum Scarum" known to us in the UK as "Harem Holiday" the title of the opening song, this is a terrible movie so bad that it must be one of history's greatest bad movies, and brilliantly entertaining for being just that, it really is a hoot. I love It!
Review of Harum Scarum
