Elvis Presley on film and television

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Elvis in a publicity photo for the film Jailhouse Rock in 1957 Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock.jpg
Elvis in a publicity photo for the film Jailhouse Rock in 1957

Elvis Presley was an American entertainer who achieved great initial success as a singer and stage performer. He publicly expressed an early career goal of following in the footsteps of his role models James Dean and Marlon Brando to become a top dramatic actor. [1] His manager Colonel Tom Parker's persistent lobbying of William Morris Agency president Abe Lastfogel for a Presley screen test paid off on March 26, 1956, when the singer auditioned at Paramount for a supporting role in The Rainmaker. [2] Although not chosen for the part, he signed a contract with Paramount producer Hal Wallis on April 25 that also allowed him to make films with other studios. [3]

Contents

His feature debut was in Love Me Tender in 1956 for 20th Century Fox, with the commercial success of the soundtrack EP being a bellwether for the next three Presley films, Loving You , Jailhouse Rock, and King Creole. Elvis returned to acting after leaving the army in 1960, with G.I. Blues and a dramatic western Flaming Star . The popularity of his romantic musicals established a formula for the coming years.

Over time, Presley became bitter that his hopes for dramatic roles were not coming to fruition, [4] stating that Clambake was his worst film. He began to complain about the deteriorating quality of the films and his belief that his manager's objectives were more monetary than anything else. [5] At the expiration of all studio contracts, he returned to live entertaining. The two concert documentaries Elvis: That's the Way It Is in 1970 and Elvis on Tour in 1972 were the final theatrical releases for Presley. [6]

Acting credits

Television

Television credits of Elvis Presley (as himself)
YearTitleNotesRef(s)
1956 Stage Show 6 episodes at the CBS studios in New York City, NY: January 28, February 4, 11, 18, March 17, 24; Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's show, produced by Jackie Gleason as a lead-in for his show [7]
1956 Texaco Star Theatre 2 episodes: April 3 aboard the USS Hancock in San Diego, CA; June 5 NBC studios Los Angeles, CA [8]
1956Teenage Dance PartyJune 16; hosted by Wink Martindale, WHBQ-TV Memphis, TN (interview only) [9]
1956 Hy Gardner Calling July 1 television interview, WRCA-TV, New York City, NY (interview only) [10]
1956 The Steve Allen Show July 1; NBC, New York City, NY [10]
1956–57 The Ed Sullivan Show 3 episodes: September 9, October 28, 1956; January 6, 1957, CBS New York City, NY [11]
1960 The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis Taped March 26, in Miami, FL; aired on ABC May 12 [12]
1968 Elvis: The 1968 Comeback Special Also known as One Night With You; June taping at NBC Los Angeles, CA; air date December 3 [13]
1973 Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite Kui Lee Cancer Fund benefit concert at Honolulu's Neal S. Blaisdell Center broadcast by NBC world-wide January 14 [14]
1977 Elvis in Concert The last concert tour before Presley died; broadcast by CBS after his death; has never been re-broadcast or officially released on home video [15]

Film

Feature film credits of Elvis Presley
YearTitleStudioRoleNotesRef(s)
1956 Love Me Tender 20th Century Fox Clint RenoFirst feature film role. Caused a protest among fans at the film's premiere when they learn that Presley's character dies at the end of the film, triggering an alternate ending. Includes the song "Love Me Tender". [16]
1957 Loving You Paramount Pictures Jimmy Tompkins (Deke Rivers) [17]
1957 Jailhouse Rock MGM Vince EverettAdded to the National Film Registry in 2004. Title song listed at #24 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs. [18] [19]
1958 King Creole Paramount PicturesDanny FisherBanned in Mexico after a riot ensued at the Las Americas cinema in Mexico City, where the movie had its premiere. Final film before military service. [20]
1960 G.I. Blues Paramount PicturesTulsa McLeanBanned in Mexico after a similar riot took place, also at the Las Americas cinema in Mexico City. All further Elvis films banned as a result, with the restriction being lifted in 1971. [21]
1960 Flaming Star 20th Century FoxPacer BurtonA single film still from the film was used by Andy Warhol in 26 of his silkscreen paintings, eight of which are known to have garnered US$345 million at auction and in private sales. The paintings include Triple Elvis and Eight Elvises . [22]
1961 Wild in the Country 20th Century FoxGlenn Tyler [23]
1961 Blue Hawaii Paramount PicturesChad Gates [24]
1962 Follow That Dream Mirisch Company Toby Kwimper [25]
1962 Kid Galahad Mirisch CompanyWalter Gulick / Kid Galahad [26]
1962 Girls! Girls! Girls! Paramount PicturesRoss Carpenter [27]
1963 It Happened at the World's Fair MGMMike EdwardsFilmed at the Seattle World's Fair [28]
1963 Fun in Acapulco Paramount PicturesMike WindgrenFilmed in Acapulco by the 2nd unit crew with Elvis double (without Elvis who was persona non grata in Mexico) in November 1962, with filming resuming in Hollywood in January 1963 at Paramount Studios, with Elvis filming his scenes in studio in front of screen with scenes filmed at the Mexican location. The movie was not shown in Mexico, whose government only lifted its Presley ban in the summer of 1971, when Elvis: That's the Way It Is opened outside the US. [29]
1964 Kissin' Cousins MGMJosh Morgan / Jodie TatumFeatured Presley in a dual role. Filmed after Viva Las Vegas [30]
1964 Viva Las Vegas MGMLucky JacksonFilmed before Kissin' Cousins [31]
1964 Roustabout Paramount PicturesCharlie Rogers [32]
1965 Girl Happy MGMRusty Wells [33]
1965 Tickle Me Allied Artists Lonnie Beale / Panhandle Kid [34]
1965 Harum Scarum MGMJohnny Tyronne [35]
1966 Frankie and Johnny United Artists Johnny [36]
1966 Paradise, Hawaiian Style Paramount PicturesRick Richards [37]
1966 Spinout MGMMike McCoy [38]
1967 Easy Come, Easy Go Paramount PicturesLt. (j.g.) Ted JacksonFilmed after Double Trouble [39]
1967 Double Trouble MGMGuy LambertFilmed before Easy Come, Easy Go [40]
1967 Clambake United ArtistsScott Heyward [41]
1968 Stay Away, Joe MGMJoe LightcloudFilmed after Speedway [42]
1968 Speedway MGMSteve GraysonFilmed in part at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC, with various NASCAR drivers of the day contributing. Filmed before Stay Away, Joe [43]
1968 Live a Little, Love a Little MGMGreg Nolan [44]
1969 Charro! National General Jess Wade [45]
1969 The Trouble with Girls MGMWalter Hale [46]
1969 Change of Habit Universal Dr. John CarpenterFinal feature film role. [47]
1970 Elvis: That's the Way It Is MGMHimselfConcert documentary [48]
1972 Elvis on Tour MGMConcert documentary, co-winner Golden Globe for Best Documentary 1972 [48]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Guralnick (1994), pp. 155–156, 443, 323.
  2. ↑ Guralnick (1994), pp. 144, 241.
  3. ↑ Guralnick (1994), p. 262; Guralnick and Jorgensen 1999, pp. 67, 127.
  4. ↑ Guralnick 1999, p. 212.
  5. ↑ Guralnick 1999, p. 212; Neibaur (2014) pp. 217, 219.
  6. ↑ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 271, 305, 321.
  7. ↑ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 61–62, 65, 67; Guralnick (1994), pp. 236, 244–246, 249–252, 257.
  8. ↑ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 67, 73.
  9. ↑ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), p. 75.
  10. 1 2 Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), p. 77.
  11. ↑ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 83, 89, 95.
  12. ↑ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 151, 154.
  13. ↑ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 242–248, 251.
  14. ↑ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 319–321.
  15. ↑ Guralnick, Jorgensen 1999 p. 375.
  16. ↑ Guralnick (1994), p. 311; Marsh (1982), p. 241.; "Love Me Tender". AFI Catalog of Featured Films. AFI. Archived from the original on July 28, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  17. ↑ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999) p. 96; Guralnick (1994), pp. 344, 370; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  18. ↑ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs" (PDF). American Film Institute . Retrieved 2016-08-13.
  19. ↑ "Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry". Library of Congress. United States Government. December 28, 2004. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.; Knowles (2013), pp. 97–108; Guralnick (1994), pp. 409–410; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  20. ↑ In a 1992 interview King Creole co-star Jan Shepard told historian Peter Guralnick that Elvis told her in 1965, "Honey, that was my favorite picture." Guralnick 1999, p. 209; Guralnick (1994), p. 442; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  21. ↑ Guralnick (1999), p. 28; Marsh (1982), p. 241; "G.I. Blues". AFI Catalog of Featured Films. AFI. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  22. ↑ Neibaur (2014) p. 64; Guralnick (1999), p. 78; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  23. ↑ Guralnick (1999), p. 84; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  24. ↑ Lisanti (2012), p. 60; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  25. ↑ Marsh (1982), p. 241; "Follow That Dream". AFI Catalog of Featured Films. AFI. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  26. ↑ Marsh (1982), p. 241; "Kid Galahad". AFI Catalog of Featured Films. AFI. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  27. ↑ Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  28. ↑ Neibaur (2014) pp. 120, 123; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  29. ↑ Guralnick (1999), p. 141; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  30. ↑ Guralnick (1999), pp. 155–159; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  31. ↑ Guralnick (1999), pp. 152–153; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  32. ↑ Rose (1996), p. 270; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  33. ↑ Lisanti (2012), p. 203; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  34. ↑ Templeton, Craig (2002), p. 91; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  35. ↑ Neibaur (2014) p. 184 ; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  36. ↑ Neibaur (2014) p. 187; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  37. ↑ Lisanti (2000) pp. 135–137 ; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  38. ↑ Neibaur (2014) p. 207; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  39. ↑ Neibaur (2014) p. 200; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  40. ↑ Neibaur (2014) pp. 213–214 ; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  41. ↑ Neibaur (2014) pp. 219–220; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  42. ↑ Gulick (2006), pp. 143–144; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  43. ↑ Neibaur (2014) p. 229; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  44. ↑ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999) pp. 239–240; Marsh (1982), p. 241; "Live a Little, Love a Little". AFI Catalog of Featured Films. AFI. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  45. ↑ Neibaur (2014) p. 242; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  46. ↑ Ellroy, Penzler (2011), p. 63; Marsh (1982), p. 241; "The Trouble with Girls". AFI Catalog of Featured Films. AFI. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  47. ↑ Neibaur (2014) p. 253; (Guralnick (1999), pp. 338–339; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
  48. 1 2 Marsh (1982), p. 241; Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 315, 321.

Bibliography

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