Ann Margret Lands Viva Las Vegas Dance Among Rock Movie Greats
Ann Margret’s Viva Las Vegas dance scene has been named one of rock’s greatest movie moments of all time. The recognition sends fresh attention back to a 1964 film sequence that still gets cited for how decisively she owns the frame.
Released in May 1964, Viva Las Vegas paired Elvis Presley as Lucky Jackson with Ann-Margret as Rusty Martin. The dance number sits near the beginning of the film in a local gymnasium, where Elvis performs “C’mon Everybody” and the scene turns into a test of presence as much as choreography.
Elvis, Rusty, and the gymnasium
David Winters handled the choreography, Sally Benson wrote the film, and George Sidney directed it. Joy Byers wrote “C’mon Everybody” specifically for the movie, and Rolling Stone described Elvis as bringing “superhuman confidence” to the moment. That framing matters because the sequence is not built as a simple showcase for Presley; it is designed as a shared screen duel, with Rusty refusing to be background.
“And this is why Elvis is the King,” Rolling Stone wrote in its description of the dance sequence. It added, “No, he’s the King because of the superhuman confidence he brings to every moment.” Then it went further: “Elvis would be the first to admit that even the King can’t outwiggle Ann-Margret.”
Why Ann-Margret wins the scene
The strongest line in the piece is the one about “orgasmic frenzy” and “Sweden-sired hips.” That language is over the top, but the point is plain: Ann-Margret does not just match Presley in the number, she redirects the attention toward her own movement and timing. Steven Spielberg has also publicly named Viva Las Vegas one of his all-time favorite movies, which fits the long afterlife of a film that was already a commercial hit.
The film’s staying power is sharper now because it is streaming for free on Tubi, making the sequence easy to revisit without a ticket or rental fee. For viewers who know the movie only by reputation, this is the scene to start with; for everyone else, the new ranking is a reminder that Ann-Margret’s best-known movie turn still competes with Presley’s own legend.
Tubi puts it back in reach
Free streaming changes the practical outcome here. A sequence that was once mostly preserved in film-history memory is available again on demand, and that gives a new audience a fast route into why Viva Las Vegas is widely considered the best of Presley’s film catalog. The choice to spotlight this dance number also keeps the focus on performance, not nostalgia.
For readers, the next step is simple: watch the gymnasium scene first. It is the part of Viva Las Vegas that Rolling Stone says belongs among rock’s greatest movie moments, and it is the clearest proof that Ann-Margret did not merely share the screen with Elvis Presley — she took command of it.
