Stay Away, Joe (MGM) (1968)

7, 3 = Still 1864-16 Although each of Elvis Presley’s motion pictures has been a smashing box-office success, for his latest, “Stay Away, Joe,” MGM set a complete change-of-pace. Constructed by producer Douglas Laurence and director Peter Tewksbury, “Stay Away, Joe” depicts the brawling life of a young, half-Navajo cowboy who makes a mess of every good deed he attempts. Based on Dan Cushman’s best-selling novel, it is a rugged, fist-swinging comedy set in today’s western U.S.A. And in it Presley draws his finest supporting cast. Joan Blondell portrays the local tavern owner whose interest in Elvis is diminished only by her determination to protect her blossoming daughter from the wild cowhand. Saucer-eyed Miss Blondell, who has starred opposite more famous leading men than any other actress on the current scene, shares “Stay Away, Joe” spotlight with Katy Jurado. The latter, who gained prominence in such memorable pictures as “High Noon” and “One-Eyed Jacks,” plays the first comedy role of her 101-picture career. She is cast as Presley’s invective-spitting stepmother, who craves such status symbols as indoor plumbing. Two distinguished male stars join Presley and the two ladies on the Panavision-Metrocolor screen. Actor-director Burgess Meredith, newly discovered by the young generation as “Penguin” on the “Batman” T’V series, is Presley’s Navajo father. Thomas Gomez returns to motion pictures after five years on the legitimate stage to play Elvis’ grandfather, who hasn’t relinquished the idea of scalping the White Man. MGM transported this potent package of performers to Sedona, Arizona, for nearly two months of filming among the breathtaking mountains. It marked Presley’s first location production in five years. Most of his pictures have been tailored to his particular talents. “But,” explains director Tewksbury, “the star of this film is not Elvis Presley, the singer. He is a solid actor whose performance is going to open a lot of eyes.” Twenty-five families from the Navajo Reservation near Tuba City traveled to Sedona, Arizona, to lend “atmosphere” to location scenes of MGM’s “Stay Away, Joe,” starring Elvis Presley, Burgess Meredith, Joan Blondell, Katy Jurado and Thomas Gomez. The families, representing 139 members of the Navajo tribe, appeared in a wild party scene of the contemporary western comedy, in which Elvis makes a striking departure from his past films in the role of a brawling, half-Indian cowboy. 2 Elvis Presley is parted from his girl friend, Quentin Dean, by the latter’s vigilant mother, Joan Blondell, in MGM’s “Stay Away, Joe,” rugged, rowdy comedy set in today’s West. Burgess Meredith, Katy Jurado and Thomas Gomez also star in the new Panavision and Metrocolor attraction. Peter Tewksbury directed. STAY AWAY, JOE,” WARNS WARY MAMA Stay Away, Joe Mat 2-A PRESLEY REVEALS EXPERTISE AS RIBTICKLING ACTOR IN “STAY AWAY, JOE" The RCA Victor Records artist, who has won more gold records than any other vocalist in the history of show business, usually sings from five to ten numbers in his pictures. ‘Stay Away, Joe” features only three songs and they fit unobtrusively into the action. Elvis spends most of his time ducking Miss Blondell’s shotgun and Miss Jurado’s broom; jumping on the rearing backs of untamed bulls; riding a motorbike at top speed; conning merchants out of their wares; giving the local politicians headaches; and refereeing family fights which he himself has started. Two bonuses give “Stay Away, Joe” extra sparkle. One is the camerawork of Fred Koenekamp, who devised the unique photography on “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” The other is the make-up wizardy of William Tuttle, the only man in his field ever to be honored with an Academy Award. He even made Burgess Meredith, of Scotch-Irish ancestry, look like a full-blooded Navajo! CAPTURES ELVIS Pert and provocative Quentin Dean plays the latest girl in Elvis Presley’s movie love life in “Stay Away, Joe,” MGM’s rugged, rowdy comedy of today’s West. The talented young actress recently scored in “The Heat of the Night.” Also starring in the new Presley Panavision and Metrocolor attraction are Burgess Meredith, Joan Blondell, Katy Jurado and Thomas Gomez. Still 1864-58 Stay Away, Joe Mat 1-C ONE LAUGH TOPS ANOTHER IN “STAY AWAY, JOE” WITH ELVIS PRESLEY AS BRAWLING COWBOY SON OF NAVAJO INDIAN FAMILY (Announcement Story ) Its a BRAND NEW Elvis Presley in MGM’s rollicking comedy, “Stay Away, Joe,” in which he makes a striking departure from his usual lovecrooning roles to play a brawling, halfNavajo cowboy who attempts to pave a path of gold for his parents, sister and grandfather, a carefree family of indigent American Indians ranching near a reservation, but whose every effort at a good deed ends in howlingly funny contretemps. Elvis Presley, as a half-Indian rodeo champ, puts a bull in its place in “Stay Away, Joe,” MGM’s rugged, rowdy comedy of today’s West. With him in the stellar cast are Burgess Meredith, Joan Blondell, Katy Jurado and Thomas Gomez. Still 1864-85-E Stay Away, Joe Mat 1-E And what a cast Elvis has surrounded himself with in this new MGM laugh hit, filmed in Panavision and Metrocolor on location in Sedona, Arizona, marking one of the rare pictures he has filmed outside of a studio. Let’s take the ladies first. There is Joan Blondell as a gun-totin’ tavern owner who chases Elvis all over the country in an effort to keep him away from her not-too-bright, teen-age daughter, played by Quentin Dean. There is Katy Jurado, cast as Elvis’ sptifire stepmother, who craves such status symbols as indoor plumbing. He Ne’er-do-well Elvis Presley, cast as a half-Indian rodeo champ in “Stay Away, Joe,’ proves himself a hero, after all, when he comes to the rescue of an Indian reservation —to the delight of his father, Burgess Meredith, and step-mother, Katy Jurado. MGM’s rugged, rowdy comedy in Panavision and Metrocolor also stars Joan Blondell and Thomas Gomez. Peter Tewksbury directed. Still 1864-86-E finally gets that for her but before she is able to use it, the fancy improvements cave in! There is Susan Trustman, making her motion picture debut as Elvis’ pretty sister, whose impending marriage he comes close to ruining with his well-intentioned but catastrophic misdeeds. On the male side there is Burgess Meredith, whom you may find difficult to recognize in his remarkable make-up (created by Academy Award-winner William Tuttle) as Elvis’ Navajo father plagued by a nagging wife. And, finally, there is Thomas Gomez as the provincial grandpa, who has no use for modern notions and who hasn’t put aside the thought of scalping the White Man! When you get all these preposterous characters together in a wild and woolly western revolving about an experimental Indian rehabilitation project, in which bronc-riding Elvis as cowboy Joe Lightcloud persuades the local congressman to give him 20 heifers and a young bull in order to raise a herd, you’ve got a movie full of hilarity and slam-bang action from start to finish. Among memorable scenes in an un Stay Away, Joe Mat 2-E inhibited party which Joe Lightcloud throws for his hard-drinking Navajo neighbors and which ends with mayhem, gunshots and a slaughtered bull (mistaken for a cow) which provided the nourishment. Finally, after a series of comic vicissitudes, when it appears that the family will go to jail for selling government property, Joe saves the day—a day that ends in the biggest disaster of all— thanks, of course, to Joe! What, no tunes in an Elvis Presley picture? No, it hasn’t quite come to that. His legion of song-loving fans will be pacified with the news that he has three new numbers in “Stay Away, Joe.” But these lilting songs fit naturally and unobstrusively into the action. Based on Dan Cushman’s best-seller, with the screen play by Michael A. Hoey, the comedy was produced by Douglas Laurence and directed by Peter Tewksbury. They took their location company to the red mountains and colorful canyons of Sedona, where a modern-day Indian reservation was constructed, with more than a hundred Navajos acting in the film to give it authentic atmosphere. With “Stay Away, Joe,” Elvis Presley emerges as an even more ingratiating actor and a knowing comedian. It should win him myriads of additional fans, if there are any left to join the club. THEY CALL MEREDITH MR. VERSATILITY” In show business, Burgess Meredith is known as “Mr. Versatility.” Most recently he played Elvis Presley’s Navajo Indian father in MGM’s contemporary western comedy, “Stay Away, Joe.” His previous credits include the following: He was voted “Best Performer” for his Broadway performance in “She Loves Me Not.” He has starred in three plays which Maxwell Anderson wrote with Meredith in mind—‘“Winterset,” “High Tor” and “The Star Wagon.” He scored as the school principal in the “Mr. Novak” television series. On Broadway he directed “The Thurber Carnival” and in Los Angeles, Leroi Jones’ controversial “The Dutchman.” He has toured the country in “An Evening with Burgess Meredith.” This, in addition to roles in more than 25 motion pictures, including “Of Mice and Men,” “The Story of G.I. Joe,” “The Cardinal,” “Madame X” and “Hurry Sundown.” _ NO PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT FOR ELV In Hollywood, a star on the door entitles a performer to very special treatment. If a star wants it, he generally gets it—whatever “it” might be. But in no case does this apply less than with Elvis Presley, one of the alltime great movie box-office attractions. Not because the actor-singer couldn’t get anything he wanted but simply because he never asks. “Elvis has what our business calls a great track record,” explained Douglas Laurence, producer of Presley’s latest MGM picture, “Stay Away, Joe.” “Each of Elvis’ 26 released pictures has been a financial success. That’s a brilliant achievement. Not only that, he’s the youngest living legend in entertainment. So I can think of no one THE ADDITIONAL SCENE AND PLAYER MATS, SHOWN IN THE COMPLETE CAMPAIGN MAT ON ANOTHER PAGE, MAY BE ORDERED SINGLY. in Hollywood with more right to ask special favors while making a film. “Elvis is well aware that life is a team effort,” the producer continued, “and he didn’t learn it in Hollywood. From the time he was old enough, he held down part-time jobs after school to supplement the family income. When he went into the Army, he went as part of a team—as a truck driver—and refused special consideration of any sort. “As a world-famous personality, Elvis is fully aware of his particular status and I’m sure he enjoys it. But he never shows it. He’s always on time, well prepared and works late into the night if necessary. Moreover, he is a friend to everyone on the set, and never forgets a name. I can assure you, that is rare. “While we were filming ‘Stay Away, Joe’ on location, he insisted on doing all the rough and dangerous sequences himself, including falling down a cliff, riding a motorbike down a highway at top speed, and engaging in rugged fights. He is one star who doesn’t like to be pampered.” Laurence summed it up this way: “Preferential treatment embarrasses Elvis.”