It Happened at the World's Fair Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

It Happened at the World's Fair Blu-ray Movie Review

Watch out for Kurt Russell!

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 17, 2021

Make no mistake about it: Norman Taurog's It Happened at the World's Fair isn't much more than a thinly-veiled excuse to capitalize on star Elvis Presley's meteoric rise to fame seven years earlier. Almost everything about this thing feels like a commercial: even its primary location, the Seattle World's Fair -- sponsored by Century 21 -- was suggested as a location by Washington's own governor, and the event also gave birth to two of the city's most enduring landmarks, the Space Needle and the Alweg monorail. (Then, of course, there's the Elvis-dominant soundtrack, whose lead single was plugged heavily during the trailer.) But while It Happened at the World's Fair isn't exactly an artistic triumph -- it's rarely ranked in the top half of Elvis' own filmography, which might not be saying much -- this is a fitfully sweet and fluffy diversion that, in the right mood, makes for lightly enjoyable time capsule-driven entertainment.

The setup is ridiculous, of course: Presley plays Mike Edwards who, along with partner Danny Burke (Gary Lockwood), flies the friendly skies as a crop-duster with impeccable hair. Unfortunately, Danny's gambling addition gets their plane repossessed by the local sheriff, who gives them 12 days to come up with $1,200 before the plane goes up for auction. Desperate for a lift to... well. anywhere, Mike and Danny hitch a ride with apple farmer Walter Ling (Kam Tong) and his cute-as-a-button niece, Sue-Lin (Vicky Tiu), en route to Seattle. Once they arrive, Mike convinces Walter to let his niece come with them to the World's Fair, where they eventually meet pretty nurse Dianne Warren (Joan O'Brien)... who just might be the girl Mike finally settles down for. (Yvonne Craig isn't good enough?) In the film's best/worst moment, Mike even pays a kid -- an uncredited Kurt goddamn Russell -- to kick him in the shins so Dianne will tend to his wounds. (This is our hero, follks!) Throw in a handful of Elvis-crooned love songs, a few goofy twists, plenty of great World's Fair scenery, and at least two deliriously crisp fistfights, and you've got yourself a recipe for... something.

This is paper-thin entertainment at best but, thanks to the benefit to time and nostalgia, It Happened at the World's Fair somehow earns a pass as lightweight, reasonably enjoyable fare. The main plot point -- Mike and Danny's money troubles -- is forgotten about for great lengths, a few dramatic twists feel forced, and its last-act conclusion comes out of nowhere. Even the songs aren't all that good but, when lip-synced by the star and captured in beautiful Metrocolor, are good enough in the moment. In fact, that describes the movie as a whole: it's just goofy enough to work more often than not since the mood avoids heavy drama, Elvis (as usual) acquits himself with a decent performance, and of course the scenery is top-notch. King Creole this ain't, but it certainly practices truth in advertising: It Happened at the World's Fair did indeed happen at the World's Fair. Everything after that is just gravy with extra cheese.

To the surprise of exactly no one, Warner Archive once again delivers a top-tier Blu-ray that makes It Happened at the World's Fair sparkle like new... and considering the film's main (only?) strengths are time-capsule visuals and music, that alone makes it worth a purchase for die-hard Elvis fans and curious outsiders. The film's last major outing on home video was a Warner Bros. DVD edition back in 2004 which, while good for its time, is clearly outclassed by the boutique label's typical purist-friendly attention to detail. Even its lack of real bonus features can be forgiven.

It Happened at the World's Fair Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The beautifully-shot v looks absolutely outstanding on Blu-ray from Warner Archive, with its most attractive moments captured at the titular time-capsule event that showcases plenty of unforgettable sights. The film's crisp Metrocolor processing -- MGM's branded version of a process very similar to Kodak's Eastmancolor -- absolutely bursts with vivid hues and rich primaries, with reds being a particularly strong standout during many scenes. Image detail follows suit with crisp close-ups and extremely deep wide shots, many of which take full advantage of the Cinemascope framing to capture packed crowds, vast landscapes, and other tightly-framed compositions. As usual, Warner Archive has compressed the show nicely onto a dual-layered disc with a healthy bitrate and overall image that shows no egregious signs of compression artifacts, banding, or heavy post-processing with digital noise reduction -- this film stock doesn't look to have the strongest grain structure, but it seems true to the source. Only a handful of stray moments, including several near the film's climax, look surprisingly out of focus -- mostly a couple of wide shots, with are so soft that it's difficult to tell what's going on. I've not seen It Happened at the World's Fair on DVD, however, so it's tough to know if this is a source material issue or not... but I'll definitely give Warner Archive the benefit of the doubt here, as their track record has been almost flawless during the last decade of Blu-ray releases.

It Happened at the World's Fair Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, the film's continuous barrage of Elvis-sung hits translates to a mostly lively sonic atmosphere, one that bounces around from slow ballads to more energetic moments -- generally speaking, the more people involved, the faster the song goes. Dialogue is clean and crisp in all but a few stray moments, including one line spoken by Danny (Gary Lockwood) that sounds as if he turned away from the ADR mic partway through. Other than rare source defects like that, such as a few stretches where dialogue seems buried a little low in the mix, it's mostly smooth sailing here with good overall balance and clear background effects that capture indoor and outdoor moments respectably well. Aside from the aforementioned ADR -- which extends to the songs, of course -- there were no obvious sync issues detected along the way, rounding out what's a largely satisfying audio mix with energy to spare.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are also included during the main feature, which include song lyrics.

It Happened at the World's Fair Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with original one-sheet poster artwork and no inserts. The included bonus features are minimal but at least add a small amount of convenience for soundtrack lovers.

• Song Selection - Instant access to all 10 of the main song breaks (including "Beyond the Bend", "Take Me to the Fair", "I'm Falling in Love Tonight", "How Would You Like to Be", and its most-pushed single, "One Broken Heart for Sale", which failed to crack the Top 10 charts) as well as the closing titles. But since the original 1963 soundtrack album was also released in stereo, having that as a second option would've been nice.

• Intro / "Beyond the Bend"
• "Relax"
• "Take Me to the Fair"
• "They Remind Me Too Much of You"
• "One Broken Heart for Sale"
• "I'm Falling in Love Tonight"
• "Cotton Candy Land"
• "World of Our Own"
• "How Would You Like to Be"
• "Happy Ending"
• End Titles

• Theatrical Trailer (2:40) - This lively promotional piece can also be seen here.

It Happened at the World's Fair Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Norman Taurog's It Happened at the World's Fair isn't exactly a top-tier Elvis movie which, depending on your circle, might be a pretty low bar to clear. But this lightweight drama is pleasingly inoffensive and kinda sweet... even if its formula is nothing special, the songs aren't all A-grade, and it feels like a thinly-veiled excuse to capture admittedly eye-catching footage of the Seattle World's Fair. Warner Archive's terrific Blu-ray presentation might just nudge a few fence-sitters over the edge, although its sterling A/V presentation clearly outshines the lackluster bonus features. Recommended to the right crowd (you know who you are) and maybe even a few curious newcomers.