Stay Away, Joe (1968)

Half-breed rodeo champ returns to the reservation to help his people prove they can be responsible.

Director:

Peter Tewksbury

Writers:

Dan Cushman (novel), Michael A. Hoey

Stars:

Elvis Presley, Burgess Meredith, Joan Blondell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elvis Presley	...	Joe Lightcloud
Burgess Meredith	...	Charlie Lightcloud
Joan Blondell	...	Glenda Callahan
Katy Jurado	...	Annie Lightcloud
Thomas Gomez	...	Grandpa
Henry Jones	...	Hy Slager
L.Q. Jones	...	Bronc Hoverty
Quentin Dean	...	Mamie Callahan
Anne Seymour	...	Mrs. Hawkins
Douglas Henderson	...	Congressman Morrissey
Angus Duncan	...	Lorne Hawkins
Mike Lane	...	Frank Hawk (as Michael Lane)
Susan Trustman	...	Mary Lightcloud
Warren Vanders	...	Hike Bowers
Buck Kartalian	...	Bull Shortgun

Storyline

Half-breed rodeo champ returns to the reservation to help his people prove they can be responsible.

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Plot Keywords:

rodeo | half breed | rural setting | sheriff | bank teller | 

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Taglines:

Elvis is Kissin' Cousins Again, and also Friends, and Friends of Friends, and Even Some Perfect Strangers!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild sensuality, language and comic violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

8 March 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Born Rich

Filming Locations:

Merry-Go-Round Rock, Schnebly Hill Road, Sedona, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the fight scene at the party, Elvis Presley goes outside to tell the band to play something slow. He and his friend Charlie Hodge, who has a bit role in the film as a guitar player in the band, start cracking up during Elvis' line. Charlie later said the reason for the laughter was that it was cold outside and Elvis' nose was running.

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Quotes

Grandpa: Demon squaw. Shame tribe of Lightcloud.

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Connections

Featured in This Is Elvis (1981)

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Soundtracks

Lovely Mamie
(uncredited)
Performed and Sung by Elvis Presley

User Reviews

Some Fun Here and There But Not One of Elvis' best

Any film with Katy Jurado is worth seeing and she's on screen for about twenty minutes here. This is better than Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid where she's on-screen for two minutes and even makes that film worth seeing.

This is a silly comedy, with a few effective gags and lots of slapstick. I think the movie is hated because 1)many of the Native American characters are played in brown make-up by Euro-American actors and they seem to childishly enjoy getting drunk and getting into fights. 2)Presley has a bed scene with Quentin Dean (who won a Golden Globe the year before for "In the Heat of the Night"). Dean is supposed to be a Lolita type nymphet. Her age isn't mentioned, but she appears to be about 16 years old, at most.

If you can get over these two offensive points, the movie is fun in a three stooges type of way. Presley seems to be enjoying himself and his performance is pretty smooth and easy going. This was one of his last films and he seems totally comfortable playing rodeo rider Joe Lightcloud.

It is always nice to see Joan Blondell. She had become a big star again in 1968 with her role on the hit television show,"Here Comes the Brides." Still, her role is pretty pedestrian as the bootlegger mother of Quentin Dean, who first tries to keep Elvis away from her, but then decides to use a gun to make him marry her.

Still, its Katy Jurado's delightful small performance that made the film worth watching for me. We even get to see her taking a bath. That is worth two of the six stars I gave the film.