Elvis Presley, my favorite singer, died Aug. 16, 1977 – 40 years ago this Wednesday.
Elvis’ life is celebrated each year with two “Elvis weeks,” held the week of his birth (Jan. 8) and death. I’ve been quiet on my blog for a few weeks now in preparation for this week, because I’ve got several posts lined up to celebrate the life of the best entertainer and performer to ever grace the Earth.
To kick things off, I’m going to rank my five favorite movies of Elvis’ less-than-stellar Hollywood career. His films are often criticized, and rightfully so, but not all his movies were bad.
Before I begin, it’s worth mentioning Elvis’ two documentaries, “That’s The Way It Is” and “Elvis on Tour,” are not eligible for this list. My ranking only considers feature films. I must say, though, the two documentaries are really fun to watch and are worth going out of your way to see.
There are a few Elvis movies I really like and others I can tolerate. Here are the five films I consider the cream of the crop:
5. Flaming Star
Elvis always wanted to be a serious actor. Although his film career isn’t known for positive things, there were moments where Elvis flashed the potential to be a bona fide Hollywood star.
His 1960 western Flaming Star was one of those moments. Elvis played Pacer Burton, a half-white, half-Native American who finds himself in the middle of a war between white settlers and natives in the west. The drama unfolds almost right from the beginning with some of the Burton family’s friends being murdered by Kiowa Indians. Burton’s mother, a Kiowa, is eventually killed by one of the friends who narrowly survived the attack.
Burton’s mother introduced the idea of the “flaming star of death,” which the Kiowa claimed they saw just before they died. By the end of the movie, Burton has blurred the lines of his own beliefs, fighting for each side of the conflict on different occasions – quite symbolic of the internal battle he fought as a man who belonged to both sides. At the end of the movie, Burton faces the same fate as his mother. He sees the flaming star of death and rides off into the mountains to die.
Flaming Star is a well-told story though, like many of Elvis’ films, it does feel rushed. All in all, it stands as one of his best acting performances. You won’t finish watching this movie feeling uplifted like you would most of his other movies, but you will be impressed by this version of Elvis.
4. Blue Hawaii
I was raised in rural Georgia. Folks around here talk about Hawaii as if it’s some mystical land far, far away.
This movie made me believe everything I’d ever heard about our nation’s youngest state. Elvis plays Chad Gates, a native of Hawaii who recently left the Army to return home. His mother, Sarah Lee, played by the legendary Angela Lansbury, wants Gates to one day assume control of his family’s Great Southern Hawaiian Fruit Company. Gates has other plans, though, and ends up working with his girlfriend Maile Duval (Joan Blackman) at a tourist agency.
Blue Hawaii tells the story of Gates’ independence, his budding relationship with Duval and the misadventures of being a tour guide in paradise. This is an easy going flick (which contains a lot of fun music) that focuses on being loose, having fun and taking a break from real life. For that reason, it likely won’t make your list of all-time favorite movies; it’s far too simplistic. But that’s why I like it. Blue Hawaii provides a respite from the real world; although it was released in 1961, you can turn it on today and be drawn into Gates’ universe and leave reality behind.
This film also included one of Elvis’ most successful soundtrack releases and introduced Elvis’ most iconic movie song.
3. Viva Las Vegas
This film, released in 1964, is the last on this list from Elvis’ post-Army days.
Elvis and Ann Margaret, two of the biggest stars of their generation, came together to produce one of Elvis’ most fun films. Viva Las Vegas offers a somewhat varied take on the typical Elvis movie tropes and, again, like many others, fast forwards through too much of the story. However, Viva Las Vegas is charming enough to make you like it.
In my opinion, Ann Margaret was the best leading lady Elvis ever had. She had the charisma and presence to match his, and it made for a compelling dynamic. The duo’s chemistry is noticeable from the first time they meet in Viva Las Vegas. Ann Margaret’s Rusty Martin plays hard-to-get with Elvis’ Lucky Jackson, but, as with all Elvis films, the main character wins over his love interest by movie’s end.
The ending of this film almost feels anticlimactic and that’s the biggest area in which I think Viva Las Vegas deserves criticism. But, this was a strong addition to Elvis’ filmography and stands as one of his best despite its flaws.
2. King Creole
King Creole is the best movie Elvis ever made.
Yes, I understand how contradictory that statement is given King Creole’s No. 2 spot on this list; while the next film is certainly my favorite, King Creole is easily a better-made film. The charm of the No. 1 movie makes it my favorite.
Elvis’ Danny Fisher is the main character in King Creole. Fisher is a troubled young man in New Orleans who just wants to help his family, which has fallen on hard times, and in doing so becomes wrapped up with gangsters and a kingpin. King Creole involves so many twists and turns it’d be impossible to provide a summary here. You can check out the movie’s Wikipedia page for a great overview, but you should definitely watch the film for yourself. It’s Elvis at his finest on the silver screen.
This movie is the one Elvis fans point to when his critics say he couldn’t act. Elvis could act – he was just saddled, mostly, with terrible roles. King Creole is a great movie on its own but, in terms of its place in the Elvis canon, it’s an all-timer.
1. Jailhouse Rock
There isn’t much I don’t love about this movie. Structurally, it’s a little rough. Like with many Elvis movies, a lot of story is crammed into a short amount of time. This is a film I believe could have been transcendent had the producers and directors spent more time fleshing out the story, but I understand that was simply a universal element of Hollywood in those days and a staple for Elvis’ films.
Vince Everett, played by Elvis, kills a man in the early part of the movie and is sentenced to prison where he meets Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), a former country singer who convinces Everett to pursue a musical career. Upon his release, Everett meets Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler) who helps jump start his career; by the end of the movie, Everett is soaring as a performer, but a fight with Houghton leaves him with throat damage that threatens his singing ability. The film closes with a powerful shot of Everett singing “Young and Beautiful,” proving his vocals are just fine.
The following clip is hands down my favorite scene from this film and of any Elvis movie. Most people point to the final line of dialogue here – “They ain’t tactics, honey. It’s just the beast in me.” – as Jailhouse Rock’s best line. I, on the other hand, absolutely love Elvis’ response to the pompous woman at the 2:00 mark.
Oh, and let’s not forget the performance of the song “Jailhouse Rock” included in this movie. This is considered by many as the first-ever music video. And it is glorious.
Which Elvis movies do you enjoy the most? Let me know below in the comments section.
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