Jailhouse Rock (film)

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. The film tells the story of a young man (Presley) who is helped by his prison cellmate (Shaughnessy) to develop his singing and musical talent to become a star. It was Presley's third film and his first for MGM.

The movie premiered on October 17, 1957, in Memphis and was released nationwide on November 8, 1957. It peaked at number 3 on the Variety box office chart, and reached number 14 in the year's box office totals, grossing $4 million. By 1969, the movie grossed in the United States and Canada a similar amount to The Wizard of Oz. The movie earned 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.

Plot

Construction worker Vince Everett (Elvis Presley) accidentally kills a man in a barroom brawl. He is sentenced to one to ten years in the state penitentiary. His new cellmate, former country and western singer Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), after hearing Vince sing and strum his guitar, teaches him to play the instrument.

Hunk convinces Vince to participate in an upcoming inmate show which will be broadcast on television nationwide. Vince gets several fan letters, but Hunk sees to it they are not delivered. Hunk convinces a reluctant Vince to sign a contract to become equal partners in his act.

Vince talks to Hunk in their cell

Upon his release, Vince is finally given his fan mail by the warden. Hunk promises Vince a job at a night club owned by a friend. At the club, Vince meets Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler), a promoter for singing star Mickey Alba. Vince is surprised to be offered the position of barboy. Determined to prove the reluctant club owner (an uncredited Percy Helton) wrong, he starts to sing "Young and Beautiful". Frustrated by a laughing customer, he smashes his guitar and leaves in a rage.

Peggy follows him. She convinces him to record a demo so that he can listen to himself. He does not like what he hears, but she helps him improve. They take the final version of the song "Don't Leave Me Now" to Geneva Records. The manager is unimpressed, but offers to play the tape for his boss in New York.

The next day, Peggy informs Vince the song has been sold. She takes him to a party at her parents' home, but Vince offends everyone and leaves. When Peggy chases after him, he steals a kiss, then a second one. When they go to buy Vince's hit single, however, they discover that the song is performed by Mickey Alba.

To avoid being robbed again, Vince suggests that he and Peggy form their own record company, Laurel Records. They hire lawyer Mr. Shores (Vaughn Taylor). Rejected by everyone, Peggy finally gets friend and disc jockey Terry Talbot (Dean Jones) to air Vince's single "Treat Me Nice", igniting his career. Later that evening, Vince kisses Peggy and asks her out, but she has already agreed to dine with Terry.

Vince gets the chance to appear again on television. During a party, he introduces Peggy to Laury Jackson (Anne Neyland), a singer Vince has signed to the label. Hunk shows up and persuades Vince to give him a spot on the upcoming show. Vince rehearses "Jailhouse Rock" in a stylized "cell block" with other "inmates". Hunk's number is cut because his style of music is outdated. Afterward, Vince points out that, according to his lawyer, their contract is worthless, but Vince offers him ten percent, not fifty, which he accepts.

Vince is a smash, but Peggy is no longer on speaking terms with him. Vince signs a movie deal with Climax Studios. The studio head asks him to spend the day with his new leading lady, Sherry Wilson (Jennifer Holden), for the publicity. The actress is less than thrilled with her co-star at first, but eventually falls for him.

Vince hugs Peggy as he sings "Young and Beautiful"

Hunk grows tired of Vince and his self-centered attitude. When Peggy shows up unexpectedly, Vince is happy to see her, but becomes upset when she says she came only to talk about business. Mr Shores then approaches him with an extravagant offer from Geneva Records to purchase Laurel Records and sign him to a rich contract. Peggy refuses to sell, but Vince announces that he is going ahead anyway since he owns controlling interest. Finally pushed too far by Vince's treatment of Peggy, Hunk repeatedly punches the star, even though Vince refuses to fight back. Hunk finally hits Vince in the throat, endangering his singing ability. Vince is rushed to a hospital.

He forgives Hunk, and realizes he loves Peggy and she loves him. Though his doctor declares that his vocal cords are fully recovered, Vince is afraid that his singing voice might have been affected, but a rendition of "Young and Beautiful" reassures him.

Cast

• Elvis Presley as Vince Everett
• Judy Tyler as Peggy Van Alden
• Mickey Shaughnessy as Hunk Houghton
• Dean Jones as Teddy Talbot
• Vaughn Taylor as Mr. Shores (narrator)
• Jennifer Holden as Sherry Wilson
• Anne Neyland as Laury Jackson
• Bill Hickman as Guard who whips Vince
• Scotty Moore as Guitar Player (uncredited)
• Bill Black as Bass Player (uncredited)
• D.J. Fontana as Drummer (uncredited)
• Mike Stoller as Piano Player (uncredited)
• Glenn Strange as Matt, a convict (uncredited)

Production

1957 MGM 11" x 14" lobby card

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

The dance sequence to the song "Jailhouse Rock" was the first scene to be shot. 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. 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 it was removed by surgery. Shooting resumed on May 13, 1957 and was completed on June 17.

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

Reception

Jailhouse Rock premiered on November 8, 1957 at Loews State Theater in Memphis, Tennessee. 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), and it grossed $4 million (equivalent to $33 million in 2012 dollars) at the box office. 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.

Critical reception

Despite the success in the box office, the movie earned mixed reviews by critics. Considered scandalous at the time, the film portrayed Vince Everett as an anti-hero character, 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 Tyler. The PTA described the movie as "a hackneyed, blown-up tale with cheap human values".

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." 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"

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." 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." 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?)"

Others, however, gave the movie 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." 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." 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."

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."

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."

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". In 2004, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". 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. Jailhouse Rock ranked 495th on Empire's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time. 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.

Soundtrack

Main article: Jailhouse Rock (EP)

The following songs were sung in the film:

• "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)

References

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. 

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. 

External links

• Jailhouse Rock at the Internet Movie Database
• Jailhouse Rock at AllRovi
• Jailhouse Rock at the TCM Movie Database
• Jailhouse Rock at Rotten Tomatoes