AllMovie

Very dedicated fans of Elvis Presley and devotees of camp filmmaking may enjoy Harum Scarum, but most viewers will find it hard to make it to the end of this mess of a movie. Gerald Drayson Adams' screenplay has been hobbled together from many different sources with what seems to be little regard for coherence or logic, let alone wit, spontaneity, or entertainment. Gene Nelson directs with a distinct lack of flair (and probably with a total lack of interest); at times, one gets the impression that it was all he could do to tell the cameraman in which direction to point the camera. Presley, who usually got through his pictures on innate charm and instinct, is clearly bored and turns in a half-hearted performance. He's better in the musical portions, of course, but only "So Close, Yet So Far" seems to be coming from someplace remotely personal. Still, there are plenty of pretty girls (an important factor in this genre), some colorful costumes, and a number of moments (most notably the "Shake That Tambourine" number) that are campily diverting. And Presley looks surprisingly good in a turban. A big hit in its day, Harum Scarum is fun to laugh at, but the joke wears out rather quickly.