By Richard Harland Smith
Tickle Me
Brief Synopsis
A singing cowboy signs on with an all-woman dude ranch.
Cast & Crew
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Norman Taurog
Director
Elvis Presley
Lonnie Beale
Jocelyn Lane
Pam Merritt
Julie Adams
Vera Radford
Jack Mullaney
Stanley Potter
Merry Anders
Estelle Penfield
Film Details
MPAA Rating
Genre
Musical
Comedy
Release Date
Jan
1965
Premiere Information
Atlanta opening: 28 May 1965
Production Company
Allied Artists
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 30m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (DeLuxe)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.35 : 1
Synopsis
Rodeo rider Lonnie Beale, a handsome singer, is employed by Vera Radford, proprietress of a dude ranch and beauty spa. Although he is befriended by handyman Stanley Potter, Lonnie arouses the jealousy of swimming instructor Brad Bentley. Despite her suspicion that Lonnie is a fortune hunter, physical education teacher Pam Merritt falls in love with him. Pam is the victim of repeated abduction attempts, which, she is informed by Deputy Sheriff Sturdivant, are inspired by her possession of a map of buried treasure. When she sees Lonnie kissing Vera, Pam breaks up with him, refusing to listen to his explanations. Back on the rodeo circuit, Lonnie finds himself preoccupied with Pam and is convinced by Stanley to return to her. He and Stanley locate Pam in Silverado, a restored ghost town and site of the treasure. During a night spent in a wax museum, the trio is assaulted by a procession of monsters, who are revealed to be Adolf, the ranch chef; Jerry, the groom; Henry, the gardener; and Deputy Sheriff Sturdivant. In the confrontation, the treasure is discovered. Assisted by Brad, Lonnie subdues the intruders. After a wedding at the ranch, Lonnie and Pam drive off, with Stanley trapped in a washtub he has tied to their car.
Director
Norman Taurog
Director
Cast
Elvis Presley
Lonnie Beale
Jocelyn Lane
Pam Merritt
Julie Adams
Vera Radford
Jack Mullaney
Stanley Potter
Merry Anders
Estelle Penfield
Connie Gilchrist
Hilda
Edward Faulkner
Brad Bentley
Bill Williams
Deputy Sturdivant
Louis Elias
Jerry
John Dennis
Adolf
Laurie Burton
Janet
Linda Rogers
Clair Kinnamon
Ann Morell
Sibyl
Lilyan Chauvin
Ronnie
Jean Ingram
Evelyn
Francine York
Mildred
Eve Bruce
Pat
Jackie Russell
Gloria
Angela Greene
Donna
Peggy Ward
Dot
Dorian Brown
Polly
Inez Pedroza
Ophelia
Barbara Werle
Barbara
Grady Sutton
Mr. Dabney
Allison Hayes
Mabel
Robert Hoy
Henry
Dorothy Konrad
Mrs. Dabney
Crew
John A. Anderson
Wardrobe
Edward Bernds
Screenwriter
Otis Blackwell
Composer
Norman Blagman
Composer
Hal Blair
Composer
Dean Cole
Hairdresser
Carl Coleman
Props
Robert Goodstein
Production Manager
Charles Grenzbach
Sound mix
Hugo Grenzbach
Sound mix
Loyal Griggs
Cinematographer
Michael A. Hoey
Dial coach
Arthur Jacobson
Assistant Director
Alan Jeffreys
Composer
Arthur Krams
Set Decoration
Jerry Leiber
Composer
Gene Liggett
Assistant Camera op
Arthur Lonergan
Art Director
Archie Marshek
Film Editor
Kyme Meade
Camera Operator
Jim Miller
Sound Recording
Earl Olin
Props
Hal Pereira
Art Director
Doc Pomus
Composer
William Reynolds
Makeup
Leah Rhodes
Costume Design
Don Robertson
Composer
Walter Scharf
Music Director
Ben Schwalb
Producer
Winfield Scott
Composer
Dominic Seminerio
Grip
Mort Shuman
Composer
Mike Stoller
Composer
Shirlee Strahm
Wardrobe
Kathleen G. Twomey
Composer
Elwood Ullman
Screenwriter
Sid Wayne
Composer
Benjamin Weisman
Composer
Marvin Weldon
Script Supervisor
Frank Westmore
Makeup
Stanley Williams
Gaffer
David Winters
Choreography
Fred Wise
Composer
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Film Details
MPAA Rating
Genre
Musical
Comedy
Release Date
Jan
1965
Premiere Information
Atlanta opening: 28 May 1965
Production Company
Allied Artists
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 30m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (DeLuxe)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.35 : 1
Articles
Tickle Me
The closest Elvis Presley came to making a haunted house movie is this daffy dude ranch musical written by the man who brought the world The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters (1948) and Return of the Fly (1959). A one-off partnership with struggling Allied Artists, Tickle Me assured Presley a $750,000 paycheck - more than half the shooting budget - and a fifty percent profit share. Keeping the overhead down was a soundtrack of recycled Presley recordings, among them Leiber and Stoller's "Dirty, Dirty Feeling" and "(Such an) Easy Question" by Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott, which hit the top spot on Billboard's easy listening chart. The plot finds Presley as an itinerant bronco buster, pursued by randy lady rancher Julie Adams (The Creature from the Black Lagoon) as he makes a play for comely Jocelyn Lane (The Gamma People), whose possession of a treasure map leading to a fortune in gold makes her a magnet for miscreants and monsters. Set in a ghost town, the film's third act is a rehash of gags Bernds had cooked up for the Three Stooges with Presley facing down a veritable spookshow of ghosts and werewolves who turn out to be all too human underneath dime store masks. Tickle Me was low hanging fruit for Presley fans but it saved Allied Artists from bankruptcy. Look for bits by scream queens Allison Hayes (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman) and Merry Anders (The Hypnotic Eye).
By Richard Harland Smith
By Richard Harland Smith
Tickle Me
The closest Elvis Presley came to making a haunted house movie is this daffy dude ranch musical written by the man who brought the world The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters (1948) and Return of the Fly (1959). A one-off partnership with struggling Allied Artists, Tickle Me assured Presley a $750,000 paycheck - more than half the shooting budget - and a fifty percent profit share. Keeping the overhead down was a soundtrack of recycled Presley recordings, among them Leiber and Stoller's "Dirty, Dirty Feeling" and "(Such an) Easy Question" by Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott, which hit the top spot on Billboard's easy listening chart. The plot finds Presley as an itinerant bronco buster, pursued by randy lady rancher Julie Adams (The Creature from the Black Lagoon) as he makes a play for comely Jocelyn Lane (The Gamma People), whose possession of a treasure map leading to a fortune in gold makes her a magnet for miscreants and monsters. Set in a ghost town, the film's third act is a rehash of gags Bernds had cooked up for the Three Stooges with Presley facing down a veritable spookshow of ghosts and werewolves who turn out to be all too human underneath dime store masks. Tickle Me was low hanging fruit for Presley fans but it saved Allied Artists from bankruptcy. Look for bits by scream queens Allison Hayes (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman) and Merry Anders (The Hypnotic Eye).
By Richard Harland Smith
Quotes
Trivia
This is the only movie for which Elvis did not record a new soundtrack. All the songs had been recorded between 1960 and 1963, and had already been released on several albums or singles.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1965
Released in United States 1965
