follow that dream

When it came to his adventures on the big screen, Elvis Presley was at the mercy of forces largely beyond his control. He was a “performer,” not an actor. And nearly every project he appeared in was manufactured to reinforce a well-established image. But sometimes the right material comes along at just the right time. Such is the case with Follow that Dream, the 1962 musical which takes a detour from the traditional Elvis formula, blessed with a amusingly laconic performance from Presley with no hip-shaking required.

In fact, the King is pretty darn sedentary as Toby Kwimper, one member of an adopted family of modern-day pioneers who run out of gas on a new stretch of Florida highway. When government officials try to run them off, Pop Kwimper (Arthur O’Connell) decides to homestead the land, building a rudimentary house, malfunctioning privy and successful start-up charter fishing business. Their success lures other opportunistic folks hoping to take advantage of the loophole in the law, including a pair of mobsters who set up a mobile gambling facility next door, causing a ruckus at all hours. When Toby is elected sheriff of their pop-up community, he unknowingly faces off against a team of professional bad guys not to mention the entire legal system of the State of Florida.

Follow that Dream is a push-and-pull affair, jumping from one lighthearted conflict to the next while squeezing in a few obligatory tunes. And while the songs are reasonably catchy, Elvis gets more mileage out of his character than his crooning this time around. His hunky idiot savant Toby Kwimper doesn’t seems to understand much of anything, but always manages to do the right thing. Presley brings a “What, me worry?” sort of charm that’s a perfect fit. It doesn’t require much effort – even his musical numbers are performed in various reclining positions – but he plays the fool in convincing fashion.

The screenplay by Charles Lederer makes an effective political statement about the abuse of government power and loss of personal freedoms. It’s not exactly forward-thinking when it comes to women - who lose all self-respect when Presley parks himself nearby – but leads to a clever courtroom showdown with the Kwimper family fighting for their parental rights. It’s not the sort of sing-along finale you’d expect from an Elvis movie, but its doggone satisfying just the same.

Twilight Time’s 3000-copy limited edition blu-ray puts some polish back into the King’s movie catalog with a near-perfect transfer of all that lush Florida postcard scenery. Extras include an isolated score track, theatrical trailer and Julie Kirgo’s well-researched liner notes.