 Presley himself was the first choice for the role of Birdie, but his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, rejected the idea as he did not want Presley in any roles that were parodies of himself or his career.Ed Sullivan appears as himself, host of the popular long-running CBS variety show.The film is credited with making Ann-Margret a superstar during the mid-1960s, leading to her appearing with Elvis himself in "Viva Las Vegas" (1964).