Main Cast: Elvis Presley, Burgess Meredith, Joan Blondell, Katy Jurado, Thomas Gomez
Release Year: 1968
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
Plot
This forgettable comedy finds Joe Lightcloud (Elvis Presley) as a mixed-blood Indian with strong ties to his tribe and his father Charlie (Burgess Meredith). Joe tries to get government assistance for the tribe in exchange for permitting the local congressman to graze cattle on Indian land. Maime (Quentin Dean) is the object of Joe's affection, but they are under the watchful eye of her mother Glenda (Joan Blondell), who owns the local saloon. The Jordanaires back up Elvis on a few songs, most notable being "U.S. Male" by guitar-great Jerry Reed. By this time, Elvis was extremely tired of churning out movies with such dismal scripts. Later in 1968, he would make a triumphant return to live performing with his NBC television special which featured Jerry Reed's "Guitar Man." Elvis was playing out the string of films set up by his controversial manager Colonel Tom Parker, who never wanted Elvis to be considered as a serious dramatic actor. Parker even went so far as to take Elia Kazan to task for even mentioning such an idea. It was such thinking that prompted the King Of Rock & Roll to return to the stage once again after an eight-year hiatus. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Review
Quite possible the worst movie Elvis Presley ever made (and to some people, that is saying a LOT), Stay Away, Joe has so little to recommend it that even dedicated Elvis fans should do themselves -- and the memory of "the King" -- a favor by skipping this one. Based on an undistinguished novel (that also served as the basis for Whoop Up, a legendarily bad Broadway musical), Joe's screenplay has absolutely nothing going for it. One could say at least it is consistent -- the dialogue is every bit as lame as the plot, and both are every bit as lame as the character development. Peter Tewksbury's direction is of the sheer desperation sort; one assumes that all he was concerned with was getting the required footage into the can and hoping that there wouldn't be a need for retakes. The cast is game, at least. Presley tries hard, but he needs a role that's clearer and better defined in order to shine; here, he's mostly lost. Fine performers such as Burgess Meredith, Joan Blondell and Katy Jurado do what they can with the material, but they know they're in a no-win situation. Even the few opportunities Presley gets to sing don't result in any real magic -- and that's saying quite a lot. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
L.Q. Jones - Bronc Hoverty; Quentin Dean - Mamie Callahan; Anne Seymour - Mrs. Hawkins; Douglas Henderson - Congressman; Angus Duncan - Lorne Hawkins; Michael Lane - Frank Hawk; Susan Trustman - Mary Lightcloud; David Cadiente - Other Indian; Marya Christen - Billie Jo Hump; Buck Kartalian - Bull Shortgun; Michael Keller - Orville Witt; Maurishka - Connie Shortgun; Brett Parker - Deputy Sheriff Hank Matson; Jennifer Peak - Little Deer; Warren Vanders - Hike Bowers; Del (Sonny) West - Jackson He-Crow; Dick Wilson - Car Salesman; Caitlin Wyles - Marlene Standing Rattle; Frank Parker
Credit
George W. Davis - Art Director, Carl Anderson - Art Director, Dale Hutchinson - First Assistant Director, Peter Tewksbury - Director, George W. Brooks - Editor, Jack Marshall - Composer (Music Score), Jerry Reed - Songwriter, Roy C. Bennett - Songwriter, Sid Tepper - Songwriter, William J. Tuttle - Makeup, Fred Koenekamp - Cinematographer, Douglas Laurence - Producer, Henry W. Grace - Set Designer, Don Greenwood, Jr. - Set Designer, Franklin E. Milton - Sound/Sound Designer, Michael A. Hoey - Screenwriter, Burt Kennedy - Screenwriter, Dan Cushman - Book Author
Elvis stars as rodeo rider Joe Lightcloud, a Navajo whose family still lives on the reservation. Joe persuades his congressman to give him 20 heifers and a prize bull so he and his father, played by Burgess Meredith, can prove that the Navajos can successfully raise cattle on the reservation. If their experiment is successful, then the government will help all the Navajo people. But Joe's buddy accidentally barbecues the prize bull, while Joe sells the heifers to buy plumbing and other home improvements for his stepmother, portrayed by Katy Jurado. Former leading lady Joan Blondell appears as tavern owner Glenda Callahan, whose daughter, played by Quentin Dean, can't seem to stay away from the girl-chasing Joe.
Stay Away, Joe was the first of a string of films near the end of Presley's acting career whose soundtracks were not released in LP or even EP format (and the first such film to receive this treatment since 1961's Wild in the Country. In fact, only "Stay Away" (sung to the tune of "Greensleeves") was released to coincide with the movie, as the B-side of the single "U.S. Male". "Stay Away, Joe" and "All I Needed Was the Rain" emerged on compilation albums a few years later (Let's Be Friends and Elvis Sings Flaming Star, respectively), while the remaining tracks stayed unreleased until after Presley's death. An additional song, "Goin' Home", was recorded for the film but not used in it; it was later issued as a bonus track on the soundtrack album for Presley's film, Speedway.
According to Presley discographer Ernst Jorgensen, at least one track was withheld from release at the time by request of Presley himself: he reportedly disliked the song "Dominick" so much, he requested it never be released, and it was one of the recordings that was never issued until after his death.[1]
