82°45'08.6"W). The bank scene was filmed in Ocala at a bank on Silver Springs Boulevard. "Elvis was a damned good actor and played some damned good scenes," said Gordon Douglas. "He could do more than sing." During filming, Presley met a 10-year-old Tom Petty, whose uncle was involved in the film's production. Shortly afterward, Petty swapped his slingshot for a friend's collection of Presley records. He also met and was photographed by future country singer/songwriter Ronny Elliott, then 14 and a native of Tampa. Director Gordon Douglas "always wondered" why the film was called Follow that Dream: "It sounded like a Doris Day picture." Reception Critical reviews were mixed. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote, "Judging by this laboriously homespun and simple-minded exercise about just plain folks, somebody must have decided that the Presley films have been getting a little too glossy lately. In any case, compared to yesterday's serving of corn-meal mush (from United Artists), 'Blue Hawaii' was caviar." A review in Variety stated that "by Presley pix standards, it's above average ... Presley conveys the right blend of horse sense and naivete in his characterization, and delivers five songs with vocal competence and nary a wiggle." Harrison's Reports graded the film as "Good," lauding it as "a smoothly-paced, warmth-giving attempt at story-telling, which may even rub off on the adults thus giving the box office take a nice boost." Richard L. Coe of The Washington Post called the film "absurd nonsense," adding, "Presley's guitar is along for several ballads, delivered with reasonable restraint. I don't object to him as a performer, in fact he does reasonably well by a character that seems to be a cross between Li'l Abner and Tammy. What is objectionable is the tasteless corn and frankly political pitch." The Monthly Film Bulletin dismissed the picture as "a rag-bag of film conventions, handsomely photographed by Leo Tover, but barely memorable." Soundtrack See also List of American films of 1962 References External links DVD Reviews Review of the movie collection "Elvis: MGM Movie Legends Collection (Follow That Dream, Kid Galahad, Frankie and Johnny, Clambake) by Paul Mavis at DVD Talk, July 24, 2007. 1962 films 1960s musical comedy-drama films American musical comedy-drama films Films directed by Gordon Douglas Films set in Florida Films shot in Florida Films based on American novels United Artists films Films with screenplays by Charles Lederer Films scored by Hans