The ultimate site about the king of the analogue age
In November 1969 Universal Pictures released "Change Of Habit". Once again there are no figures available regarding the rental fees, but it's safe to say that it wasn't a commercial success.
At first the studio planned a German release under the name of "Asphalt Melodie" (surprisingly translated as "Asphalt Melody"), but then they reconsidered the topic and decided against it. Finally the movie was shown on February 1, 1985 on television. The specially for tv dubbed version was called "Ein Himmlischer Schwindel", which means "A Heavenly Hoax".
Dr. John Carpenter (Elvis) operates a medical practice in an underprivileged district. He requests three nurses, but doesn't know that the ladies are nuns in plain clothes.
Joe Connelly (producer), William Graham (director), James Lee, S. S. Schweitzer und Eric Bercovici (script, based on a story by John Joseph and Richard Morris), William Goldenberg (music), Russell Metty (camera), Douglas Stewart (editor).
Elvis Presley (Dr. John Carpenter), Mary Tyler Moore (Sister Michelle), Barbara McNair (Sister Irene), Jane Elliot (Sister Barbara), Leora Dana (Mutter Joseph), Lorena Kirk (Amanda) und Nefti Millet (Julio Hernandez). The German voice of Elvis was dubbed by Peter Kirchberger.
In January 1968 Elvis signed with NBC/Universal for a television special and a movie. The package was to be paid with 1.1 million USD (translated to the present with our factor 15 it would be 16.5 million USD today), divided in $250,000 for the tv show and $850,000 for the movie. Besides that the studio paid a lump sum of $25,000 for the soundtrack. The special had been shot in June and aired in December, but a movie project designed especially for the king was nowhere in sight. And so Universal did, what Paramount already had done way back in 1956: They simply put Elvis in a movie they were doing anyway. This movie was "Change Of Habit". It already had been announced in 1967, in October of the following year Mary Tyler-Moore signed to portray sister Michelle. So why not having Elvis play the role of Dr. Carpenter?
The plot offered all the problems one can imagine in a huge city of the late 1960s. Civil rights, social upheavals, abortion, violence and drugs. After Elvis came into play someone must have felt forced to add music. Of course he sang the title song during the opening credits. Another performance was staged at a party and a third one in a church. This was all somewhat believable, but to have him sing on a carousel with the music coming from nowhere was simply stupid and ruined every serious approach. Maybe producer Joe Connelly had seen one Presley musical too many.
In November 1969 RCA Victor released "Rubberneckin'" / "Don't Cry Daddy". However, while the supposed b-side peaked at number 6 (Hot100) and 3 (Easy Listening), the song from the movie neither charted anywhere nor got a noteworthy amount of airplay. In 1970 and 1971 the songs from "Change Of Habit" were spread over several albums, issued by RCA's budget label CAMDEN.
Fifty years after "Change Of Habit" hit the cinemas, Explosive Media released a hd digital version of the film. A tap on the cover leads to a short review.
The movie wants to be taken seriously, but the script is somewhat laboured, the look is reminiscent of a tv production and the songs are distracting from the approach. It's a mediocre product, but we certainly get to see one of Elvis' better acting performances.
Movie Poster (C) Universal Pictures, Blu Ray Cover (C) Explosive Media/Koch Media, Record Covers (C) RCA Victor and Follow That Dream Records.