This article needs additional citations for verification .(December 2009) |
Elvis | |
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Genre | Biography Drama Music |
Written by | Anthony Lawrence |
Directed by | John Carpenter |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | Joe Renzetti |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producer | Dick Clark |
Producers |
|
Cinematography | Donald M. Morgan |
Editors |
|
Running time | 150 min. [1] |
Production company | Dick Clark Productions |
Budget | $2.1 million [2] or $4 million [3] |
Original release | |
Network | ABC |
Release | February 11, 1979 [2] |
Elvis is a 1979 American made-for-television biographical film aired on ABC. It was directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell as Elvis Presley. It marked the first collaboration between Carpenter and Russell.
After its success on television in the United States, a shorter re-edited version of Elvis was released theatrically throughout Europe and Australia. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Made for Television, and for three Primetime Emmy Awards (including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special for Russell). [2]
In July 1969, Elvis Presley is performing at his first live performance in eight years at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. While in his suite, Elvis worries about this and remembers how he became the King of Rock and Roll.
Carpenter wanted to make the film because "I wanted to work with actors. I wanted to do a dramatic film. I wanted to do something different. And Elvis was the first thing that came along that I had any feeling for, personally-because I did have a feeling for Elvis, I liked him very much, cared about him. So it seemed like a pretty good package when it arrived. After it was over I was disappointed in some of my work, and I was disappointed that I didn't have more participation in the editing." [3]
Carpenter says the film involved 150 locations and was shot over 30 days. "Some of the days we were moving to three and four different locations," he said. "When you have a big union crew with a lot of trucks and bullshit, you have to run very fast. You have to shoot something in the morning, shoot something in mid-afternoon, and shoot something right before you quit at night. That's what happened. We were just running."
Carpenter was not able to edit or score the film and found it an unhappy experience. [3]
Russell worked with and met Elvis in the film It Happened at the World's Fair (1963). In the film, Elvis wants to meet the fairground's nurse and he pays a young boy, played by the twelve-year-old Russell, to kick him in the shins. Later in the film, he sees Elvis and the nurse together on a date and asks if he can kick him again for money. Russell also dubbed the voice of a young Elvis in Forrest Gump (1994), and played an Elvis impersonator in the film 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001).
Country singer Ronnie McDowell provided the vocals for a number of songs Russell performed in the film. McDowell recorded 36 songs for the soundtrack, of which 25 were used. [2]
According to several reports, Priscilla Presley was paid $50,000 to check the script for accuracy before shooting commenced. [2]
Elvis originally aired on ABC opposite two blockbuster films; Gone with the Wind (1939) on CBS, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) on NBC. [2] Despite this, Elvis beat both in the Nielsen ratings, receiving a 27.3 rating compared to 24.3 and 22.5 respectively. Elvis was ranked the sixth most watched program of the week. [2] [4]
After its success on television, a shortened version of the film was released theatrically throughout Europe.[ citation needed ] The film debuted on DVD in early 2010 and on Blu-ray in 2016 via Shout! Factory. The Blu-ray disc edition is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, in contrast to the original 1.33:1 televised presentation, or the 1.66:1 European theatrical release.
A shorter, re-edited version of Elvis, was released theatrically throughout Europe and Australia.[ citation needed ] It grossed $50,000 in its opening weekend in Australia in August and grossed $350,000 in 3 weeks. [5] It grossed $25,000 in its first 10 days in Helsinki, Finland. [5]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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1979 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special | Kurt Russell | Nominated | [6] |
Outstanding Achievement in Makeup | Marvin Westmore | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or a Special | Donald M. Morgan | Nominated | |||
1980 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated | [7] |
Elvis is notable in Carpenter's career for two reasons. It was made after Halloween (1978) had wrapped, so it offered him an avenue to try his hand at a film away from the horror genre.[ citation needed ] It was also the first time Carpenter had worked with Kurt Russell, who became a frequent collaborator of Carpenter's. Russell subsequently starred in Escape from New York (1981), The Thing (1982), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), and Escape from L.A. (1996).
Russell married co-star Season Hubley on March 17, 1979, and they divorced in 1983. [2] Bing Russell, who played Vernon Presley, is Kurt Russell's real father. [2] For several years Bing played Deputy Clem Poster in the TV series Bonanza . [2]
Chart (1979) | Position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report) [8] | 55 |
Escape from New York is a 1981 American science fiction action film co-written, co-scored and directed by John Carpenter, and starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau and Harry Dean Stanton.
Priscilla Ann Presley is an American businesswoman and actress. She is the ex-wife of the late American singer Elvis Presley, as well as the cofounder and former chairperson of Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE), the company that turned Graceland into one of the top tourist attractions in the United States. In her acting career, Presley costarred with Leslie Nielsen in the Naked Gun film trilogy and played Jenna Wade on the long-running television series Dallas.
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963–1964). In the late 1960s, he signed a ten-year contract with The Walt Disney Company, where he starred as Dexter Riley in films such as The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972), and The Strongest Man in the World (1975). According to Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies, Russell became the studio's top star of the 1970s.
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Elvis and Me: The True Story of the Love Between Priscilla Presley and the King of Rock N' Roll is a 1985 memoir written by Priscilla Presley, with Sandra Harmon. In the book, Priscilla talks about meeting Elvis Presley, their marriage, and the factors and issues that led to the couple's divorce.
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Neil Oliver "Bing" Russell was an American actor and Class A minor-league baseball club owner. He was the father of Hollywood actor Kurt Russell and grandfather of ex–major league baseball player Matt Franco and actor Wyatt Russell.
Season Hubley is an American retired actress, best known as Nikki in Hardcore (1979), Priscilla Presley in Elvis (1979), and Angelique in All My Children (1992–1994).
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Elvis Presley: The Searcher is a 2018 television documentary film produced by HBO Documentary Films about the life of American singer Elvis Presley, highlighting the development of his musical artistry. Co-edited, co-produced, and directed by Thom Zimny, the documentary premiered at the 2018 South by Southwest Film Festival in two parts on March 14 and 15, 2018, before airing on HBO in its entirety on April 14.
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