GONE FOR 30 YEARS, BUT THE KING STILL RULES
Justin Camilleri looks at the continuing influence of Elvis Presley, in a film career spanning over 30 movies
Bruce Springsteen once said: "There have been tough guys, there have been pretenders, there have been contenders, but there is only one king". The sign of a great star is when you never need to use their surname. Say "Elvis" and everyone knows who you are referring to. Say "The King" and they know it too.
The King was born Elvis Aaron Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. His twin having died at birth, Elvis was brought up an only child. From an early age it seemed music would be part of his life as the young Elvis grew up with country and gospel music. What set the blueprint for things to come was when he heard the black R&B music in the famous Beale Street as a Memphis teenager. These musical influences blurred and challenged social and racial barriers, ushering in a new era of American music and popular culture.
Elvis's inspiration for a movie career was the James Dean, the Rebel Without a Cause. Unfortunately, the two never met as James Dean died when he crashed his car just three months before Elvis released his first number one hit: Heartbreak Hotel in January 1956. Johnny Depp, speaking on the BBC Radio 2 James Dean documentary (September 2005), told how The King bumped into Director Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without a Cause) and started reciting the Rebel script word for word. Elvis was so obsessed with Jimmy that he wanted to play him in a biopic that never lifted off.
His screen debut was Love me Tender (1956). The film was hailed by critics as a "fast buck cash in" as 20th century Fox wanted to take advantage of Presley's iconic status with the 1950s teenage rock 'n' rollers. For critics Elvis simply had no future as a movie star because he had no acting experience. Elvis would prove his critics wrong as he made it as a movie star appearing in 33 films and garnering the title The King of Rock 'n' Roll.
However, it must be said that Elvis's films were made exclusively for his fans and he never appeared on screen with actors or other singers who were at the time as popular as The King himself. Most of his films were musical vehicles. His second film Jailhouse Rock (1957) introduced his legendary hip swivelling dance routine on screen. The scene of Elvis's hip swivelling to the beats of Jailhouse Rock with other inmates in a jail cell block is perhaps his most famous and has become part of popular culture. It was emulated by John Travolta in the Greased Lightning sequence in Grease and by Henry Winkler as The Fonz in Happy Days. Jailhouse Rock cemented Elvis's image as an embodiment of 1950s teen rebellion, alongside Marlon Brando in The Wild One and James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause.
Jailhouse Rock was followed by King Creole (1958) directed by Michael Curtiz, which is cited by many as Presley's best film. The supporting cast included Academy Award winner Dean Jagger, alongside emerging A-stars such as Walter Matthau and Carolyn Jones, suggesting that this film - and so Elvis - was being aimed at a wider, perhaps older cinema audience, rather than solely Elvis fans.
There were times when Elvis's off screen career mirrored that on the screen. G.I. Blues (1960) was filmed while he was undergoing his national service with the United States Army. The film was shot at Paramount's Hollywood studios and on location in Germany, where Elvis was posted.
What is arguably his greatest performance was originally written as a Marlon Brando star vehicle and is, in fact, a non-musical western, Flaming Star (1960), directed by Don Siegel. Playing a "half-breed", the star sang only two songs. Elvis was intent on making the transition from playing in musicals to serious dramatic roles but these did not perform well at the box office, leading Colonel Tom Parker to decree that Elvis would perform only in musicals from here on. Elvis wouldn't release another non-musical film until 1969's western Charro!
What followed were appearances in Wild in the Country, Blue Hawaii (all 1961), Follow that Dream, Kid Galahad, Girls! Girls! Girls! (all 1962), It Happened at the World's Fair, Fun in Acapulco (all 1963), Kissing' Cousins, Viva Las Vegas, Roustabout, Girl Happy (all 1964), Tickle Me, Harum Scarum (all 1965), Frankie and Johnny, Paradise Hawaiian Style, Spinout (all 1966), Easy Come, Easy Go, Double Trouble (all 1967), Clambake, Stay away Joe Speedway, Live a Little, Love a Little (all 1968), Charro, The Trouble with Girls (all 1969), Change of Habit, Elvis... That's the Way it is (all 1970), Elvis on Tour (1972).
Despite few critics praising his films, and no efforts from the studios to sell him to sceptical cinema audiences, Elvis has left an indelible mark in motion picture history that continues to be felt to this day. The young Elvis of Jailhouse Rock is an iconic image of rebellious teenage youth, while the white suited, rhinestone encrusted Elvis of later years is seen as an endearing, awesome but slightly amusing figure, a caricature of has-been-dom, wheeled out whenever the script requires such a point to be made. However, with the passing of time, it is interesting to note how Elvis has been elevated to not only the role of elder statesman of popular music, but also to being revered as an all-knowing, paternal God-like character. How many times have we encountered on film and television references to the King where Elvis look-alikes give advice to their younger counterparts or, on at least one occasion, the other way around? From Forrest Gump teaching a young Elvis voiced by Kurt Russell how to strut his hips, to Henry Winkler's Fonzie in Happy Days giving advice to Ritchie Cunningham (Ron Howard). From Val Kilmer's Elvis ghost warning Christian Slater's Clarence of danger looming ahead in the Quentin Tarantino-scripted True Romance (1993) to greaser Danny Zuko (John Travolta) taking care of his t-birds in Grease (1978). Then there is Bruce Campbell playing a 75-year-old Elvis in Bubba Ho-Tep (2002), the Elvis shaded rhinestone-encrusted costumed look worn by Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell's thieves in 3,000 Miles to GraceLand (2001), not to mention the parachuting Elvises in Honeymoon in Vegas (1992). The quiff Elvis greasy hairstyle would be revived by Texas (Sharleen Spiteri) in the Inner Smile music video and by Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan in It's no Good. Then there are the timeless Elvis tracks like A Little Less Conversation being played in the background in Ocean's 11 and Love Me Tender in David Lynch's Wild at Heart. Even the Al Pacino/Michelle Pfeiffer film Frankie and Johnny (1991) hinges around the concept that here is a couple made for each other because their names are as in the Elvis song/movie.
Everyone remembers where they were when The King passed away from a heart attack on August 16, 1977 but he still lives on. Some even speculate he is still alive, his death a fake to escape the pressures of fame, only perpetuating the myth of Elvis. For his legion of fans, nothing can tarnish The King's crown and, 30 years after his death, his Memphis home Graceland continues to be visited by thousands upon thousands of fans and devotees, a spiritual odyssey for many and all wishing to be touched by his presence.
The King was born Elvis Aaron Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. His twin having died at birth, Elvis was brought up an only child. From an early age it seemed music would be part of his life as the young Elvis grew up with country and gospel music. What set the blueprint for things to come was when he heard the black R&B music in the famous Beale Street as a Memphis teenager. These musical influences blurred and challenged social and racial barriers, ushering in a new era of American music and popular culture.
Elvis's inspiration for a movie career was the James Dean, the Rebel Without a Cause. Unfortunately, the two never met as James Dean died when he crashed his car just three months before Elvis released his first number one hit: Heartbreak Hotel in January 1956. Johnny Depp, speaking on the BBC Radio 2 James Dean documentary (September 2005), told how The King bumped into Director Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without a Cause) and started reciting the Rebel script word for word. Elvis was so obsessed with Jimmy that he wanted to play him in a biopic that never lifted off.
His screen debut was Love me Tender (1956). The film was hailed by critics as a "fast buck cash in" as 20th century Fox wanted to take advantage of Presley's iconic status with the 1950s teenage rock 'n' rollers. For critics Elvis simply had no future as a movie star because he had no acting experience. Elvis would prove his critics wrong as he made it as a movie star appearing in 33 films and garnering the title The King of Rock 'n' Roll.
However, it must be said that Elvis's films were made exclusively for his fans and he never appeared on screen with actors or other singers who were at the time as popular as The King himself. Most of his films were musical vehicles. His second film Jailhouse Rock (1957) introduced his legendary hip swivelling dance routine on screen. The scene of Elvis's hip swivelling to the beats of Jailhouse Rock with other inmates in a jail cell block is perhaps his most famous and has become part of popular culture. It was emulated by John Travolta in the Greased Lightning sequence in Grease and by Henry Winkler as The Fonz in Happy Days. Jailhouse Rock cemented Elvis's image as an embodiment of 1950s teen rebellion, alongside Marlon Brando in The Wild One and James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause.
Jailhouse Rock was followed by King Creole (1958) directed by Michael Curtiz, which is cited by many as Presley's best film. The supporting cast included Academy Award winner Dean Jagger, alongside emerging A-stars such as Walter Matthau and Carolyn Jones, suggesting that this film - and so Elvis - was being aimed at a wider, perhaps older cinema audience, rather than solely Elvis fans.
There were times when Elvis's off screen career mirrored that on the screen. G.I. Blues (1960) was filmed while he was undergoing his national service with the United States Army. The film was shot at Paramount's Hollywood studios and on location in Germany, where Elvis was posted.
What is arguably his greatest performance was originally written as a Marlon Brando star vehicle and is, in fact, a non-musical western, Flaming Star (1960), directed by Don Siegel. Playing a "half-breed", the star sang only two songs. Elvis was intent on making the transition from playing in musicals to serious dramatic roles but these did not perform well at the box office, leading Colonel Tom Parker to decree that Elvis would perform only in musicals from here on. Elvis wouldn't release another non-musical film until 1969's western Charro!
What followed were appearances in Wild in the Country, Blue Hawaii (all 1961), Follow that Dream, Kid Galahad, Girls! Girls! Girls! (all 1962), It Happened at the World's Fair, Fun in Acapulco (all 1963), Kissing' Cousins, Viva Las Vegas, Roustabout, Girl Happy (all 1964), Tickle Me, Harum Scarum (all 1965), Frankie and Johnny, Paradise Hawaiian Style, Spinout (all 1966), Easy Come, Easy Go, Double Trouble (all 1967), Clambake, Stay away Joe Speedway, Live a Little, Love a Little (all 1968), Charro, The Trouble with Girls (all 1969), Change of Habit, Elvis... That's the Way it is (all 1970), Elvis on Tour (1972).
Despite few critics praising his films, and no efforts from the studios to sell him to sceptical cinema audiences, Elvis has left an indelible mark in motion picture history that continues to be felt to this day. The young Elvis of Jailhouse Rock is an iconic image of rebellious teenage youth, while the white suited, rhinestone encrusted Elvis of later years is seen as an endearing, awesome but slightly amusing figure, a caricature of has-been-dom, wheeled out whenever the script requires such a point to be made. However, with the passing of time, it is interesting to note how Elvis has been elevated to not only the role of elder statesman of popular music, but also to being revered as an all-knowing, paternal God-like character. How many times have we encountered on film and television references to the King where Elvis look-alikes give advice to their younger counterparts or, on at least one occasion, the other way around? From Forrest Gump teaching a young Elvis voiced by Kurt Russell how to strut his hips, to Henry Winkler's Fonzie in Happy Days giving advice to Ritchie Cunningham (Ron Howard). From Val Kilmer's Elvis ghost warning Christian Slater's Clarence of danger looming ahead in the Quentin Tarantino-scripted True Romance (1993) to greaser Danny Zuko (John Travolta) taking care of his t-birds in Grease (1978). Then there is Bruce Campbell playing a 75-year-old Elvis in Bubba Ho-Tep (2002), the Elvis shaded rhinestone-encrusted costumed look worn by Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell's thieves in 3,000 Miles to GraceLand (2001), not to mention the parachuting Elvises in Honeymoon in Vegas (1992). The quiff Elvis greasy hairstyle would be revived by Texas (Sharleen Spiteri) in the Inner Smile music video and by Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan in It's no Good. Then there are the timeless Elvis tracks like A Little Less Conversation being played in the background in Ocean's 11 and Love Me Tender in David Lynch's Wild at Heart. Even the Al Pacino/Michelle Pfeiffer film Frankie and Johnny (1991) hinges around the concept that here is a couple made for each other because their names are as in the Elvis song/movie.
Everyone remembers where they were when The King passed away from a heart attack on August 16, 1977 but he still lives on. Some even speculate he is still alive, his death a fake to escape the pressures of fame, only perpetuating the myth of Elvis. For his legion of fans, nothing can tarnish The King's crown and, 30 years after his death, his Memphis home Graceland continues to be visited by thousands upon thousands of fans and devotees, a spiritual odyssey for many and all wishing to be touched by his presence.