Jailhouse Rock (film)

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Jailhouse Rock
Directed by Richard Thorpe
Produced by Pandro S. Berman
Written by Nedrick Young (story)
Guy Trosper (screenwriter)
Starring Elvis Presley
Judy Tyler
Music by See list
Cinematography Robert J. Bronner
Editing by Ralph E. Winters
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Turner Entertainment)
Release date(s) premiere:
    October 17, 1957
nationwide:
    November 8, 1957
re-release:
    March 9, 1960
Running time 96 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $ 400,000 (estimated)
Box office $ 4,000,000

Jailhouse Rock is an American musical film directed by Richard Thorpe for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). The film stars Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, and Mickey Shaughnessy. It was Presley's third film and his first for MGM.

The film tells the story of Vince Everett (Elvis Presley), an ex-convict who discovers his musical talent during his time in jail. His cellmate, Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), teaches him to play guitar and sing. Shortly after being released from prison, while in a night club, Vince meets Peggy van Alden (Judy Tyler), a music scout who asks him to record a demo. Peggy and Vince take the demo arrangements of a song to a label that ultimately publishes it under one of their established artists. To avoid studios, Peggy and Vince open their own label to release future recordings, finally achieving success. Soon the fame and fortune change Vince, whose personality becomes self-centered and disloyal towards his associate, Peggy, and to his former cellmate, Hunk.

The movie was premiered on October 17, 1957 in Memphis and was released nationwide on November 8, 1957. It peaked at number 3 on Variety box office chart, and reached number 14 in the year's box office totals grossing $4 million. By 1969, the movie grossed between the United States and Canada, a similar amount to The Wizard of Oz. The movie earned originally mixed reviews, with most of the negative ones directed to Presley's persona. In 2004, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Contents

[edit] Plot

 This section's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (January 2012)

After receiving his paycheck, Vince Everett (Elvis Presley), a construction worker, goes to a bar where he starts a brawl with another man, accidentally killing him. He is given a sentence of one to ten years for manslaughter and sent to the state prison. Vince meets his cellmate Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), a former country & western singer, who after hearing Vince sing and play some basic guitar tunes, helps him improve his voice, and teaches him more chords on the guitar. Soon, Hunk convinces Vince to participate in an upcoming inmate show organized by the committee of the state, which will be broadcasted on television. Vince gets several letters in response to his performance, but Hunk (who works in the mail room) bribes men to not deliver the mail to Vince. Aware of Vince's talent and upcoming release from prison, Hunk offers him a partnership deal and convinces a reluctant Vince to sign a contract to split half of the profits of their act.

Vince talks to Hunk in their cell

After he is released, Vince receives the letters and realizes that his mail had been blocked. Hunk gets Vince a job at a night club, but instead of performing on stage as Vince had assumed, the owner of the club offers hims a job as a barboy. Determined to prove to the reluctant club owner that he can sing well, he moves to the stage and starts to perform a number. Frustrated by a laughing customer, leaves the club in a fit of rage. He is followed by a woman who introduces herself as Peggy van Alden, a music scout. Peggy takes Vince to record a demo so that he can perfect his singing by listening to his own recordings. Peggy and Vince later take the final version of a demo, "Don't Leave Me Now", to a label to publish the record. The manager assures them that he will play the tape over the phone to the president of the label in New York. To celebrate the recent recording, Peggy invites Vince to a party at her parents' house where Vince eventually steals a kiss. The next morning Vince apologizes for his behavior, and both enter a record shop looking for Vince's single. The seller tells him that "Don't Leave Me Now" is a success. However, the song is credited to Mickey Alba. Realizing that the record company used his arrangements for one of their established artists, he confronts the manager, slaps him, and leaves.

To prevent his material from being stolen again, Vince suggests that he and Peggy their own record company. They use the studios where they recorded the demo and hire a lawyer, Mr. Shores (Vaughn Taylor). Vince tries unsuccessfully to convince him of his upcoming success, and nevertheless asks him to be his manager. Vince records the single "Treat Me Nice" for their new label Laurel Records. It is played on the radio and ignites his career; he ultimately reaches a managerial agreement with Mr. Shores. Vince visits Peggy later that evening, and after kissing her, he asks her out for a dinner. Peggy refuses, because she has accepted a dinner with the DJ of the radio that played Vince's single.

The recent hit affords Vince the chance to appear again on television. During at a party, he introduces Peggy to Laury Jackson (Anne Neyland), a singer that Vince signed on to the label in order to make Peggy jealous. As she leaves, Hunk arrives and asks Vince for a number in the upcoming show. Initially reluctant, Vince agrees. During the show, Vince sings "Jailhouse Rock" in a reconstruction of a cell block as he dances with other inmates. Hunk follows Vince, but he is infuriated after his number is cancelled in the middle of the recording. When Hunk confronts Vince, Vince tells him that he will not let him to hold back success of his career, and that Hunk's musical career is over. Hunk mentions his contract; but Vince points out that, according to his lawyer, the contract is invalid valid. Vince offers Hunk ten percent, which he ultimately accepts.

Vince hugs Peggy as he sings "Young and Beautiful"

Vince signs a movie deal with Climax Studios. When he arrives, the president asks him to spend the day studio star Sherry Wilson (Jennifer Holden) as a publicity move. The actress reluctantly agrees. During shooting, in a scene where Vince and Sherry kiss, Vince continues to kiss her even after the director marked the end of the scene. During a party at his new house, Vince talks to Hunk, who has grown tired of Vince and his new self-centered personality. Sherry approaches him, but he walks directly to Peggy as she arrives and hugs her, but she upsets him when she says she came to talk about his upcoming record. Mr Shores later approaches him with an offer from Geneva Records to purchase Laurel Records.

Vince talks to Peggy about the deal, who refuses to sell the company. Vince announces that he is going to proceed with the sale since he owns a 60% share. Peggy tries to convince him to not do it because she considers it part of her life. Upset by his disloyalty towards Peggy, Hunk provokes Vince, who refuses to fight. Hunk finally hits Vince in the throat, damaging his vocal cords. Vince is rushed to a hospital, where he is visited by Hunk and Peggy. He forgives Hunk, and during his recovery he realizes his love for Peggy and finally understands the destructive effects of fame. His doctor later visits him at his home and announces that his vocal cords are fully recovered. The movie ends as Vince sings "Young and Beautiful".

[edit] Primary cast

[edit] Production

1957 MGM 11" x 14" lobby card

Shot in black-and-white, it was Presley's third film and his first for MGM.[1] The film was originally entitled The Hard Way, and was changed to Jailhouse Kid, before MGM finally settled on Jailhouse Rock.[1]

The dance sequence to the song "Jailhouse Rock" was the first scene to be shot.[1] It was choreographed by Alex Romero, who initially created moves inspired by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Presley was not convinced, however, so Romero put on some music and asked Presley to dance.[2] They created a new choreography which was filmed the next morning. During the performance, one of Presley's dental caps fell out and became lodged in his lung. Presley was rushed to a hospital, where a removal surgery was performed.[1] Shooting resumed on May 13, 1957 and was completed on June 17.[3]

Jailhouse Rock was the last film to star Judy Tyler, who died in an automobile accident two weeks after shooting was completed.[4] Presley, moved by the death of his co-star, never watched the completed film.[1]

[edit] Reception

Jailhouse Rock premiered on November 8, 1957 at Loews State Theater in Memphis, Tennessee.[4] It opened nationally on November 18, and peaked at number 3 on the Variety box office chart, as well as reaching number 14 for the year at the box office. The movie had an original budget of $400,000 (equivalent to $3,309,953 in 2012 dollars[5]), and it grossed $4 million (equivalent to $33 million in 2012 dollars[5]) at the box office.[1][6] In 1957 Presley was ranked the 4th leading box office commodity in the film industry. According to Variety, by 1969 the gross income of the movie in the United States and Canada was comparable to that of The Wizard of Oz.[4]

[edit] Critical reception

Despite the success in the box office, the movie earned mixed reviews by critics. Considered scandalous at the time of its release, the film portrayed Vince Everett as an anti-hero character,[7][8] presented a convict as a hero, used the word hell as a profanity, and included a scene in which Presley is lying in bed with co-star Judy Tyler.[1] The PTA described the movie as "a hackneyed, blown-up tale with cheap human values".[9]

Publicity photo of the movie, featuring Presley during the dance sequence of "Jailhouse Rock"

The New York Times wrote: "For reasons best known to Guy Trosper, who wrote the script, two delightfully capable people [Mickey Shaughnesse and Judy Tyler] are forced to hang on to the hero's flying mane and ego for the entire picture [...] Presley fans may not like the idea of his being the churlish egotistical wonderboy of TV and screen for a good half of the picture [...] Elvis break loose with his St. Vitus specialty. Ten to one Next time he'll make it". Time wrote: "For moviegoers who may not care for that personality, Presley himself offers in the film a word of consolation: 'Don't Worry,' he says, 'I'll grow on you.' If he does, it will be quite a depressing job to scrape him off."[10] Comparing it with the horror movies in theaters at the time, The Miami News wrote: "Only Elvis Presley and his ‘Jailhouse Rock’ can keep pace with the movie debut of this ‘personality,’ the records show. In estimating the lasting appeal of their grotesque performer" [11]

Cue magazine delivered another unfavorable review, describing the film as "(an) Unpleasant, mediocre and tasteless drama of a surly, (about a) Ill- mannered, hillbilly convict whose glowering creed and epileptic singling style make him top record star."[12] Jazz magazine Down Beat particularly criticized Presley, as well as his acting: "For all the vulgarity and animal sexuality of the ‘old’ Elvis, his exhibitionism had beat and was not without a unique excitement. In Jailhouse Rock this is kept to an absolute minimum. He even eschews the old gitter on the assumption, we presume, that his thespic ability is a more convincing prop [...] As the dollar-hungry recording star, Elvis' acting is unaccountably amateurish, considering the real life coaching he's had for the role. He plays the surly churlish heartthrob of competent actress Judy Tyler with indifferent blandness; charges into a romantic clinch with her like Don Quixote tilting at a particularly formidable windmill."[13] British magazine The Spectator wrote: "Jailhouse Rock, Elvis Presley's new film, is so nasty that it makes our Elvis, who just passes in a merely silly film like Loving You, seem dangerously near being repulsive. Presumably aimed at adolescents (who else?)"[14]

In contrast to the previous reviews, the movie also earned positive responses. The Schenectady Gazette favored the movie: "In high dramatic style Presley suffers the turns and torments of this latest vehicle to display his sensational charms. Jennifer Holden and Judy Tyler offer examples of blonde and brunette female charms through out, but it's dear Elvis who gets the soft focus camera and arty photography. [...] The producers haven't wasted too much money on production detail, but it's sure enough Elvis Presley in top singing and personality form."[15] The Gadsden Times was also partial to the production, particularly praising the participation of Presley: "Elvis Presley not only proves himself as a dramatic actor in ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ but also reveals his versatility by dancing on the screen for the first time. The movie [...] also contains Elvis' unique style of singing."[16] Look praised the movie, describing the reception of an audience in a Los Angeles theater: "We wish all our readers could have been present at the Pico Theatre in Los Angeles when that audience registered, loud and often, its approval of what may accurately be described as the star's first big dramatic singing role. M-G-M's ‘Jailhouse Rock’ is destined to attract not only this vigorous young singer's youthful audience but many others who will hear of its power as a dramatic entertainment."[17]

Author Thomas Doherty wrote in his 2002 book Teenagers and Teenpics: The Juvenilization of American Movies in the 1950s: "In Jailhouse Rock, the treatment of rock 'n' roll music, both as narrative content and as cinematic performance is knowing and respectful [...] The elaborate choreography for the title tune, the long takes and uninterrupted screen time given to the other numbers, and the musical pacing—the rock 'n' roll builds in quality and intensity—all show an indigenous appreciation of Presley's rock 'n' Roll."[18]

Critic Hal Erickson wrote for Allrovi: "Jailhouse Rock offers us the sensual, ‘dangerous’ Elvis that had won the hearts of the kids and earned the animosity of their elders. [...] Jailhouse Rock is a perfect balance of song and story from beginning to end; seldom would Elvis be so well showcased in the future." Also for Allrovi, critic Mark Deming wrote: "If Jailhouse Rock isn't Elvis Presley's best movie, it's close enough to the top of the heap to be essential viewing for anyone interested in The King's legacy, and it's one of his few vehicles which really caught his raw, sexy energy and sneering charisma on film [...] Richard Thorpe's direction isn't especially inspired, but he keeps the story moving along well enough, and the production number for the title song is one of the few times Presley's live-wire magnetism made its way through the studio's choreography."[19]

[edit] Accolades

In 1991, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were awarded with an ASCAP Award for Most Performed Feature Film Standards for the song "Jailhouse Rock".[20] In 2004, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[1] The film is famous for the dance sequence in which Presley sings the title track while cavorting with other inmates through a block of jail cells. The sequence is widely acknowledged as the most memorable musical scene in Presley's 30 narrative movies, and it is credited by musical historians as the prototype for the modern music video.[3][21] Jailhouse Rock ranked 495th on Empire's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.[22] The review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reports the film as holding an overall 79% "Fresh" approval rating based on 14 reviews, with a rating average of 6.9 out of 10.[23]

[edit] Soundtrack

Main article: Jailhouse Rock (EP)
"Jailhouse Rock"
Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" from the 1957 film Jailhouse Rock
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The following songs were sung in the film:[24]

  • "One More Day" (Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett) Performed by Mickey Shaughnessy
  • "Young And Beautiful" (Abner Silver & Aaron Schroeder) Performed by Elvis Presley
  • "I Want To Be Free" (Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller)
  • "Don't Leave Me Now" (Aaron Schroeder & Ben Weisman)
  • "Treat Me Nice" (Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller)
  • "Jailhouse Rock" (Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller) Choreographed by Elvis Presley
  • "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" (Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Victor, Adam; p. 269
  2. ^ Humphries, Patrick; p.52
  3. ^ a b Guralnick, Peter; Jorgensen, Ernst; p. 106
  4. ^ a b c Templeton, Steve; Craig, Yvonne; p.16
  5. ^ a b Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2008. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  6. ^ Denisoff, Serge; Romanowski, William; p.87
  7. ^ Gabbard, Krin; p.125
  8. ^ Templeton, Steve; Craig, Yvonne; p.156
  9. ^ PTA magazine - 1957; p.39
  10. ^ Dunly, Elaine; p.290
  11. ^ The Miami News - December 8, 1957; p.73
  12. ^ Cue - February 8, 1958.; p.22
  13. ^ Down Beat - January 9, 1958; p.21
  14. ^ The Spectator - January 17, 1958; p.107
  15. ^ The Schenectady Gazette - November 28, 1957; p.25
  16. ^ The Gadsden Times - November 3, 1957; p.3
  17. ^ Look - September 17, 1957; p.4
  18. ^ Doherty, Thomas; p.77
  19. ^ Erickson, Hal; Deming, Mark. "Jailhouse Rock - Sypnosis/ Jailhouse Rock - Review". Allrovi. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/jailhouse-rock-v25765. Retrieved October 18, 2011. 
  20. ^ The Hollywood reporter - April 16, 1991; p.5
  21. ^ Browne, Blaine; Cottrell, Robert;p.77
  22. ^ The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. Empire Magazine, 2008. Simon Braund, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O'Hara, Olly Richards and Owen Willams.
  23. ^ "Jailhouse Rock (1957)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jailhouse_rock/. Retrieved October 18, 2011. 
  24. ^ Jorgensen; pp. 90-92

[edit] Cited Books

  • Browne, Blaine; Cottrell, Robert (2008). Modern American Lives: Individuals and Issues in American History Since 1945. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 9780765622235. 
  • Denisoff, Serge; Romanowski, William (1991). Risky Business: Rock in Film. Transaction Publishers. ISBN 9780887388439. 
  • Dunlay, Elaine (2004). Elvis and Gladys. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781578066346. 
  • Gabbard, Krin (1996). Jamming at the Margins. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226277882. 
  • Guralnick, Peter; Jorgensen, Ernst (1999). Elvis: Day by Day: The Definitive Record of His Life and Music. Ballantine Books. ISBN 9780345420893. 
  • Humphries, Patrick (2003). Elvis the #1 Hits: The Secret History of the Classics. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 9780740738036. 
  • Jorgensen, Ernst (1998). Elvis Presley A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9780312185725. 
  • Templeton, Steve; Craig, Yvonne (2002). Elvis Presley: Silver Screen Icon: A Collection of Movie Posters. The Overmountain Press. ISBN 9781570722325. 
  • Victor, Adam (2008). The Elvis Encyclopedia. Overlook Duckworth. ISBN 9780715638163. 

[edit] Cited Journals

  • Boyka, Louise (November 28, 1957). "Elvis in 'Jailhouse Rock' Keeps Fans in Tears". Schenectady Gazette. 
  • Johnson, Erskine (November 3, 1957). "Hollywood Today!". Gadsden Times. 
  • Tynan, John (January 9, 1958). "Farewell, Elvis?". Down Beat (Maher Publications) 25 (1-6). 
  • "Monster' Films Get Big Play". The Miami News. December 8, 1957. 
  • "Movie Reviews". Cue: The Weekly Magazine of New York life (Cue Publishing Co). February 8, 1958. 
  • "Jailhouse Rock - Movie Review". Look (Cowles Communications) 21 (14-26). September 17, 1957. 
  • The Spectator (Ian Gilmour) 200. March 21, 1958. 
  • The PTA magazine (National Congress of Parents and Teachers) 52. 1957. 
  • The Hollywood reporter (Wilkerson Daily Corp) 317 (1-18). April 16, 1991. 

[edit] External links

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