Elvis Presley on film and television
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]
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
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref(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] |
| 1956 | Teenage Dance Party | June 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 | Also known as the Elvis Comeback Special, the '68 Comeback Special, and 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
| Year | Title | Studio | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Love Me Tender | 20th Century Fox | Clint Reno | First 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. | [16] |
| 1957 | Loving You | Paramount Pictures | Jimmy Tompkins (Deke Rivers) | [17] | |
| 1957 | Jailhouse Rock | MGM | Vince Everett | Added 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 Pictures | Danny Fisher | Banned 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 Pictures | Tulsa McLean | Banned 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 Fox | Pacer Burton | A single film still from the film was used by Andy Warhol in 26 of his silkscreens, eight of which are known to have garnered US$345 million at auction and in private sales. | [22] |
| 1961 | Wild in the Country | 20th Century Fox | Glenn Tyler | [23] | |
| 1961 | Blue Hawaii | Paramount Pictures | Chad Gates | [24] | |
| 1962 | Follow That Dream | Mirisch Company | Toby Kwimper | [25] | |
| 1962 | Kid Galahad | Mirisch Company | Walter Gulick / Kid Galahad | [26] | |
| 1962 | Girls! Girls! Girls! | Paramount Pictures | Ross Carpenter | [27] | |
| 1963 | It Happened at the World's Fair | MGM | Mike Edwards | Filmed at the Seattle World's Fair | [28] |
| 1963 | Fun in Acapulco | Paramount Pictures | Mike Windgren | Filmed in Acapulco by the 2nd unit crew with Elvis double (without Elvis who was persona non grata in Mexico) in November of 1962, with filming resuming in Hollywood in January of 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 | MGM | Josh Morgan / Jodie Tatum | Featured Presley in a dual role. Filmed after Viva Las Vegas | [30] |
| 1964 | Viva Las Vegas | MGM | Lucky Jackson | Filmed before Kissin' Cousins | [31] |
| 1964 | Roustabout | Paramount Pictures | Charlie Rogers | [32] | |
| 1965 | Girl Happy | MGM | Rusty Wells | [33] | |
| 1965 | Tickle Me | Allied Artists | Lonnie Beale / Panhandle Kid | [34] | |
| 1965 | Harum Scarum | MGM | Johnny Tyronne | [35] | |
| 1966 | Frankie and Johnny | United Artists | Johnny | [36] | |
| 1966 | Paradise, Hawaiian Style | Paramount Pictures | Rick Richards | [37] | |
| 1966 | Spinout | MGM | Mike McCoy | [38] | |
| 1967 | Easy Come, Easy Go | Paramount Pictures | Lt. (j.g.) Ted Jackson | Filmed after Double Trouble | [39] |
| 1967 | Double Trouble | MGM | Guy Lambert | Filmed before Easy Come, Easy Go | [40] |
| 1967 | Clambake | United Artists | Scott Heyward | [41] | |
| 1968 | Stay Away, Joe | MGM | Joe Lightcloud | Filmed after Speedway | [42] |
| 1968 | Speedway | MGM | Steve Grayson | Filmed 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 | MGM | Greg Nolan | [44] | |
| 1969 | Charro! | National General | Jess Wade | [45] | |
| 1969 | The Trouble with Girls | MGM | Walter Hale | [46] | |
| 1969 | Change of Habit | Universal | Dr. John Carpenter | Final feature film role. | [47] |
| 1970 | Elvis: That's the Way It Is | MGM | Himself | Concert documentary | [48] |
| 1972 | Elvis on Tour | MGM | Himself | Concert documentary, co-winner Golden Globe for Best Documentary 1972 | [48] |
Notes
- ^ Guralnick (1994), pp. 155–156, 443, 323.
- ^ Guralnick (1994), pp. 144, 241.
- ^ Guralnick (1994), p. 262; Guralnick and Jorgensen 1999, pp. 67, 127.
- ^ Guralnick 1999, p. 212.
- ^ Guralnick 1999, p. 212; Neibaur (2014) pp. 217, 219.
- ^ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 271, 305, 321.
- ^ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 61–62, 65, 67; Guralnick (1994), pp. 236, 244–246, 249–252, 257.
- ^ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 67, 73.
- ^ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), p. 75.
- ^ a b Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), p. 77.
- ^ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 83, 89, 95.
- ^ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 151, 154.
- ^ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 242–248, 251.
- ^ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 319–321.
- ^ Guralnick, Jorgensen 1999 p. 375.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999) p. 96; Guralnick (1994), pp. 344, 370; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs" (PDF). American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Neibaur (2014) p. 64; Guralnick (1999), p. 78; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Guralnick (1999), p. 84; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Lisanti (2012), p. 60; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Marsh (1982), p. 241; "Kid Galahad". AFI Catalog of Featured Films. AFI. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Neibaur (2014) pp. 120, 123; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Guralnick (1999), p. 141; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Guralnick (1999), pp. 155–159; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Guralnick (1999), pp. 152–153; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Rose (1996), p. 270; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Lisanti (2012), p. 203; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Templeton, Craig (2002), p. 91; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Neibaur (2014) p. 184 ; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Neibaur (2014) p. 187; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Lisanti (2000) pp. 135–137 ; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Neibaur (2014) p. 207; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Neibaur (2014) p. 200; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Neibaur (2014) pp. 213–214 ; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Neibaur (2014) pp. 219–220; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Gulick (2006), pp. 143–144; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ Neibaur (2014) p. 229; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Neibaur (2014) p. 242; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Neibaur (2014) p. 253; (Guralnick (1999), pp. 338–339; Marsh (1982), p. 241.
- ^ a b Marsh (1982), p. 241; Guralnick, Jorgensen (1999), pp. 315, 321.
References
- Ellroy, James; Penzler, Otto (2011). The Best American Noir of the Century. New York, NY: Mariner Books. ISBN 978-0-547-57744-9.
- Guralnick, Peter (1994). Last train to Memphis : The Rise of Elvis Presley. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-33220-0.
- Guralnick, Peter (1999). Careless Love : The Unmaking of Elvis Presley. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-33222-4.
- Guralnick, Peter; Jorgensen, Ernst (1999). Elvis Day by Day: The Definitive Record of His Life and Music. New York, NY: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-42089-3.
- Jorgensen, Ernst; Guralnick, Peter (1998). Elvis Presley: A Live in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-18572-5.
- Lisanti, Tom (2000). Fantasy Femmes of 60's Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-0868-9.
- Lisanti, Tom (2012). Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies The First Wave, 1959–1969. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-7297-0.
- Marsh, Dave (1982). Elvis. New York, NY: Time Books. ISBN 0-8129-0947-X.
- Neibaur, James L. (2014). The Elvis Movies. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-3073-6.
- Rose, Frank (1996). The Agency: William Morris and the Hidden History of Show Business. New York, NY: HarperBusiness. ISBN 978-0-88730-807-9.
- Templeton, Steve; Craig, Yvonne (2002). Elvis Presley: Silver Screen Icon: A Collection of Movie Posters. Johnson City, TN: Overmountain Press. ISBN 978-1-57072-232-5.
See also
- The Pied Piper of Cleveland, an unreleased 1955 short film in which Elvis allegedly appears.
External links
Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1956) at Archive.org
