1964 Dance Number That Upstaged ‘The King' Ranked Among Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Movie Moments
When it comes to Vegas, always bet on red. With her fiery coif, primal moves, and dynamic presence, Ann-Margret is always on the money. And in the 1964 filmViva Las Vegas, the Swedish beauty is a firecracker - most notably during the scene-stealing dance number set to The King's "C'mon Everybody," which Rolling Stone named one of the greatest rock 'n' roll movie moments of all time.
A commercial hit, Viva Las Vegas was released in May 1964 during the height of Elvis Presley' reign on both the stage and the screen. Written by Sally Benson and directed by George Sidney with choreography by David Winters, it stars Presley as Lucky Jackson, a race car driver smitten by a swim instructor named Rusty Martin, played by Ann-Margret. Over the course of the reel, the pair sing, dance, race, fly - it's flashy, it's fast, it's a Vegas spectacle.
Near the beginning of the film is when the legendary dance sequence happens. Lucky meets Rusty at a local gymnasium to "dance." Lucky then breaks into "C'mon Everybody," a party anthem written specifically for the film by Joy Byers. Meanwhile, Rusty can't help but swivel her hips and lose herself in the notes.
"And this is why Elvis is the King," RS writes. "Not because he made dozens of these movies, most of them total cheese. Not because they're all full of corny scenes where he can just stroll into the local gym and get begged to do a song like this. … No, he's the King because of the superhuman confidence he brings to every moment."
For all his swagger, though, it's Ann-Margret who ultimately steals the scene: "Elvis would be the first to admit that even the King can't outwiggle Ann-Margret," RS adds. With her explosive "orgasmic frenzy" and irresistible "Sweden-sired hips" fueling the montage, this electrifying dance number is the defining moment the film shifts from fun to unforgettable.
To this day, Viva Las Vegas is widely considered the best of Presley's film catalog, fueled by his on-screen chemistry with Ann-Margret. The film even claims director Steven Spielberg, who had publicly named Viva Las Vegas one of his all-time favorite movies, one of its biggest fans. We call that the jackpot.
Viva Las Vegas is streaming for free on Tubi.
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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 5:37 PM.