Frankie and Johnny (1966 film)
| Frankie and Johnny | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Frederick de Cordova |
| Produced by | Edward Small |
| Screenplay by | Alex Gottlieb |
| Story by | Nat Perrin |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Fred Karger |
| Cinematography | Jacques R. Marquette |
| Edited by | Grant Whytock |
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Production
company |
Frankie and Johnny Productions
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| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
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Running time
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87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4,500,000 |
| Box office | $2,750,000 (est. US/ Canada rentals) |
Frankie and Johnny is a 1966 American musical film starring Elvis Presley as a riverboat gambler. The role of "Frankie" was played by Donna Douglas from The Beverly Hillbillies TV series. The film reached #40 on the Variety weekly national box office list for 1966. The budget of the film was estimated at $4.5 million. The director was Frederick De Cordova, who was the director and producer of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson beginning in 1970.
Johnny and girlfriend Frankie are performers on a Mississippi River riverboat, which also has a casino. Johnny is a compulsive gambler who is down on his luck and in debt.
Johnny and his friend Cully, a musician and composer, visit a gypsy camp to get his fortune told. A lady reads tea leaves and tells Johnny that he will soon meet a red-haired woman who will bring him luck.
Back on the boat, Johnny and Cully promptly encounter Nellie Bly, their boss Clint Braden's on-again, off-again girlfriend. Nellie has just caught Braden seducing another singer, Mitzi. Since she has red hair, Nellie is persuaded by Johnny to touch his chips for luck. After he wins, Johnny is convinced that the gypsy must be correct.
Frankie finds out and becomes jealous, as does Johnny's boss. In a bit of musical theatre, Frankie shoots Johnny for dancing with Nellie Bly while singing Cully's new song. A Broadway recruiter sees the riverboat show and buys the rights to this new song, suggesting that Frankie and Johnny should work together with him in New York City.
Landing in New Orleans, the musical cast and riverboat crew attend a masked ball. Frankie, Nellie and Mitzi each rent the same Madame Pompadour costume.
Johnny is eager for the luck of redhead Nellie to win more money, contrary to Frankie's expressed wishes. Being masked and in costume, Frankie and Nellie scheme to switch places to test Johnny's lucky-redhead theory. Johnny wins ten thousand dollars at a roulette wheel, but when he kisses the woman he believes to be Nellie, he discovers the switch. Frankie is furious. She throws the winnings out the window.
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