Elvis Movie Statistics

[HoneyTalkNelson]

To keep the important movie data in one thread, here are the iconic JR industry trade ads which I've just restored.

Please enjoy!

[sgoodyear62]

Wow! Thanks for sharing these HoneytalkNelson!!!!!

[Mike Windgren]

Hi there!! .

Here's the full image. Enjoy!

I´ve re-read this topic again, fantastic! .

Thank you Sir for the beautiful picture and the other great posters like: Greystoke & Pete Dube as well, for their contributions on topic .

Untitled-2.jpg

http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=55990&start=125

Here below is the original scene for I Don´t Want To. Bye for now .

..

[Chris Roberts]

Thank you for posting that clip of I Don't Want To, It's a shame that they cut it from the movie as it looks like a good scene, also Elvis looks great in it.

[jurasic1968]

Did anyone found some statistics about the movies the OP didn't mention initially? I am especially interested in Loving You and King Creole. I mean the profit on these.

[Mike Windgren]

Hi there!! .

Thank you for posting that clip of I Don't Want To, It's a shame that they cut it from the movie as it looks like a good scene, also Elvis looks great in it.

You´re welcome!. Bye for now .

[jurasic1968]

Kid Galahad and World's Fair were not big hits at box office too. I am still obsessed how King Creole (his best movie) did along the years. Because I read that Hal Wallis was not happy with the money the film made and as a result he completely transformed Elvis from a vibrant young gifted talented actor in a role of Danny Fisher from King Creole to the one dimensional plastic bland and boring role of Tulsa McLean in GI Blues.

[Chris Roberts]

Kid Galahad and World's Fair were not big hits at box office too. I am still obsessed how King Creole (his best movie) did along the years. Because I read that Hal Wallis was not happy with the money the film made and as a result he completely transformed Elvis from a vibrant young gifted talented actor in a role of Danny Fisher from King Creole to the one dimensional plastic bland and boring role of Tulsa McLean in GI Blues.

One reason that King Creole as well as Jailhouse Rock may not have done so well, particularly here in the UK, is because they were both certified as 'A' , meaning that no one under the age of 16, unless accompanied by an adult, could get in to see them. Most of his fan base were effectively banned.

[Chris Roberts]

Thanks Greystoke. I had forgotten that Flaming Star and Wild In The Country were both 'A'. Surprised I got in to see FS as I was only 15 at the time and probably looked younger than that, however by the time of WITC I was old enough to go in on my own.

[ForeverElvis]

Hi Greystoke

I've seen the $1.7 million figure before. could that be for its first week or two? The reference on Wikipedia is for "Big Rental Pictures of 1966" in Variety, 4 January 1967, p. 8" it lists $3million in rentals. Ive seen this in James Niebur's Elvis Movie book and Michael A Hoey's as well.

I don't know where the unverified $2.64million for King Creole has come from but there may be some truth to it as after Love Me Tender Elvis' films appeared to be on a downward trend. Its possible the figures may exist in the Hal Wallis papers at the AMPAS library but there seems to be no way of accessing the files unless you go in person - http://pdf.oac.cdlib.org/pdf/ampas/clac/Collection404.pdf

Box office rentals (North American (USA and Canada original release only)
Love Me Tender ($4.5 million - The Top Box-Office Hits of 1956', Variety Weekly, January 2, 1957)
Loving You ($3.7million - Variety staff 2 (1957). "Top Grosses of 1957". Variety (Variety Media, LLC) 209 (6).)
Jailhouse Rock ($3.2 million - The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.)
King Creole ($2.64 million - unverified)

from LMT to LY there is a 18% drop($800k), from LY to JR there is a 14% drop($500k), from JR to KC a 18% drop(560k). A total drop from LMT to KC is $1.86 million or a 41% drop.

This would seem to shed more light on to the business reasoning of Hal Wallis and Col Parker to turn Elvis into the all-round entertainer found in GI Blues ($4.7 million in rentals at the North American box office)

During its initial run Jailhouse Rock also made $1.075 internationally, outside of the USA and Canada. The only film from the 50's that there is a known international figure.

Variety reported that Jailhouse Rock, through re-releases by 1969 had comparable figures to The Wizard of Oz according to Templeton, Steve; Craig, Yvonne (2002). Elvis Presley: Silver Screen Icon: A Collection of Movie Posters.

a bit shocking that Elvis films were not gaining in popularity 1956-1958.

[ForeverElvis]

Hi Greystoke

Regarding Spinout -

Michael A. Hoey - Elvis Favorite Diector pg 309
It is noted here that Spinout opened in Manhattan on December 14, 1966 on top of a double-bill with a European film called Marco, the Magnificent.

Michael A. Hoey - Elvis Favorite Diector pg 310
The author states Spinouttaking in $1.77 million for the year, 1966 and ranking #57 in Variety.

Having opened so late in the year it could only have made the $1.77 million in the last two weeks of 1966, which is what Variety reported. it would have made its additional rentals in January 1967 as indicated here:

Michael A. Hoey - Elvis Favorite Director pg 318

Double Trouble opened nationwide on April 5, 1967, just two weeks after Easy Come Easy Go and ended up grossing 1.6 million, which was $400k less than the Paramount film and $670k less than his previous MGM film Spinout

.

This would indicate a $2.27 million in rentals for Spinout. He does use the word grosses but it is clear he is talking about theatrical rental figures as the $1.6 million he reports for Double Trouble is the reported Variety rentals figure.

I think its entirely possible that Spinout made close to $3 million before it closed in 1967 as is indicated on pg200 and 205 of James L Neibaur The Elvis Movies and at the Wikipedia entry for Spinout..

Regarding Jailhouse Rock:
The $4million for Jailhouse Rock that has been widely reported I think includes the international figure of $1.075 million, as ive often seen $4.275million reported in various books and websites.

According to the Eddie Mannix Ledger, Jailhouse Rock theatrical rentals were $3.2 million in North America, (The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.) in the initial run of 1957, and $1.075 Internationally.

As you stated in your post -

Something worth taking into consideration with regards to Variety's estimates is that - until 1963 - those were just that. From 1942 to 1963, studios provided Variety with estimated rental figures based on actual takings from the most prolific theatres in key markets. They were usually very accurate, with occasional discrepancies, of course. From 1964 to 1984, Variety ranked movies on actual rentals, which came about through changing trends with regards to audiences and studios having less control over theatres.

I believe the Eddie Mannix ledgers are exactly that, the estimated rental figures based on actual takings reported back to MGM. Eddie Mannix was a studio fixer, executive and producer who maintained a ledger that lists the costs and revenues of every MGM film produced between 1924 and 1962. it is kept in the Margaret Herrick Library at the AMPAS library, they have been published (now oop) and are widely consulted by film historians and referenced in many articles, as an example;

The Film Industry in the Late 1950s
History of the American Cinema | 2003 | 700+ words
COPYRIGHT 1990 Thomson Gale.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-2584300021/film-industry-late-1950s.html

MGM's film business was in poor shape from 1956 through 1958. Joseph Vogel labeled MGM's 1957 releases (all inherited from Schary's management) "the worst collection of pictures in its history,"3 and the figures bear him out. According to the Eddie Mannix Ledger, of MGM's twenty in-house productions in the 1956-1957 season, an astonishing nineteen took losses. Only The Teahouse of the August Moon earned a profit, and the overall loss of this group of films was $15,775,000. Earnings from MGM's other businesses (including sales to television) cut this loss to an acceptable $455,000 in 1957.4 By 1957-1958, MGM's slate of ten in-house productions and twenty-four films by outside producers recorded a profit of almost $5 million; "outside producers" included MGM veterans such as Pandro Berman and Arthur Freed, who were being financed as independents (or "semi-independents") by the studio.

This brings me back to my initial research, that Elvis films were on a downward trend from 1956-1958:

Box office rentals (North American (USA and Canada original release only)
Love Me Tender ($4.5 million - The Top Box-Office Hits of 1956', Variety Weekly, January 2, 1957)
Loving You ($3.7million - Variety staff 2 (1957). "Top Grosses of 1957". Variety (Variety Media, LLC) 209 (6).)
Jailhouse Rock ($3.2 million - The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.)
King Creole ($2.64 million - unverified)

from LMT to LY there is a 18% drop($800k), from LY to JR there is a 14% drop($500k), from JR to KC a 18% drop(560k). A total drop from LMT to KC is $1.86 million or a 41% drop.

By 1969 Jailhouse Rock would have earned in excess of $4 million domestically and coupled with its international takings rivaled The Wizard of Oz, as previously stated - but in its initial release it was a different story.

Regarding King Creole - is there anyone on this board living in the Los Angeles area, possibly working in the film industry that could make an appointment at AMPAS, the Margret Herrick Library to review the Hal Wallis papers to look up production and box office data on King Creole and the other 8 Hal Wallis Elvis films.

[ForeverElvis]

some other references I found, The Elvis film FAQ by Paul Simpson on pg 88 notes Spinout making

close to

$3 million.

In the same book on pg 14 the author notes Jailhouse Rock making $32 million in todays money (book published in 2013), using an inflation calculator that equals $3.8 million in 1957. (this is not the way to determine box office earnings, you have to multiply the number of tickets sold by the average ticket price in the year of release)

Is the $4 million listed by Variety in -

"Top Grosses of 1957". Variety. 8 January 1958.

do you have Variety's list of top films of the decade? i think published in 1969.
what is JR's box office earnings listed as? Spinout's?

Spinout on Wikipedia is listed as $3 million, it references:

"Big Rental Pictures of 1966" in Variety, 4 January 1967, p. 8.

do you have this? what does it list? $3 million or $1.77 million.

Crazy isn't it, all the different figures!

[HoneyTalkNelson]

Greenbriar Picture Shows on KING CREOLE, including the elusive boxoffice gross.

http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/2016/04/elvis-early-on.html

[drjohncarpenter]

Greenbriar Picture Shows on KING CREOLE, including the elusive boxoffice gross.

http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/2016/04/elvis-early-on.html

That's a very nice blog page on "King Creole," but the stated $2.7 million dollar gross is unsourced. Where the amount comes from is anyone's guess, but certainly not a figure we can agree on here.

[HoneyTalkNelson]

John McElwee knows of what he speaks (with insider data) and you can take his information - especially on boxoffice gross and budget - to the bank.

[drjohncarpenter]

Greenbriar Picture Shows on KING CREOLE, including the elusive boxoffice gross.

http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/2016/04/elvis-early-on.html

That's a very nice blog page on "King Creole," but the stated $2.7 million dollar gross is unsourced. Where the amount comes from is anyone's guess, but certainly not a figure we can agree on here.

John McElwee knows of what he speaks (with insider data) and you can take his information - especially on boxoffice gross and budget - to the bank.

The plain fact is that an unsourced quote isn't good enough for most of us to agree is correct and true.

Suggesting that "insider data" about a 58 year-old Elvis Presley movie needs to be protected sounds a little silly. All your friend needs to do is type a single sentence as to the source of his facts and figures. It's not rocket science.

His look at "King Creole" was quite enjoyable, regardless.

[HoneyTalkNelson]

June 1959

[MikeFromHolland]

.

The plain fact is that an unsourced quote isn't good enough for most of us to agree is correct and true.

That's always the problem with arguments based on authorithy. Be it information like this, be it information about photo dates. Without presenting underlying facts, it's hard to agree if it's true or not.

.

[HoneyTalkNelson]

Preview

[drjohncarpenter]

The plain fact is that an unsourced quote isn't good enough for most of us to agree is correct and true.

Suggesting that "insider data" about a 58 year-old Elvis Presley movie needs to be protected sounds a little silly. All your friend needs to do is type a single sentence as to the source of his facts and figures. It's not rocket science.

His look at "King Creole" was quite enjoyable, regardless.

That's always the problem with arguments based on authorithy. Be it information like this, be it information about photo dates. Without presenting underlying facts, it's hard to agree if it's true or not.

Every example is different, but in this case we are not dealing with an underlying fact but a specific figure brought to this topic as a CORE fact regarding "King Creole." From the non-response to my previous post, it seems we should not expect anything further on this.

[HoneyTalkNelson]

John McElwee knows of what he speaks (with insider data) and you can take his information - especially on boxoffice gross and budget - to the bank.

"Insider data..."

[drjohncarpenter]

John McElwee knows of what he speaks (with insider data) and you can take his information - especially on boxoffice gross and budget - to the bank.

"Insider data..."

600900_Paramount PR.jpg

Although you fail to tell us what this document might be, it looks like a page from a September 1960 Paramount booklet for films they're distributing. It's nice, but tells us nothing about "King Creole." It doesn't say much about "G.I. Blues," either, other than the suggestion that the film is expected to be a hit, and everyone should get excited.

Again, a single sentence (and perhaps a page scan) is all that is required to substantiate the "King Creole" box office gross that you shared with us via your friend's blog.

[HoneyTalkNelson]

John McElwee on GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!

https://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/2016/09/wallis-keeps-elvis-to-formula-grindstone.html

[ForeverElvis]

Hopefully a worthwhile addition to this great thread, Production start and end dates and production duration in days. I cant get the 4 columns to appear with spacing left to right (if anyone knows please send me a pm.

Title Prod. Start Date Prod. End Date Prod. Days
Love Me Tender August 22, 1956 September 21, 1956 29
Loving You January 14, 1957 March 16, 1957 62
Jailhouse Rock May 13, 1957 June 14, 1957 31
King Creole January 20, 1958 March 12, 1958 52
G.I. Blues May 2, 1960 June 24, 1960 52
Flaming Star August 16, 1960 October 4, 1960 48
Wild in the Country November 9, 1960 January 18, 1961 69
Blue Hawaii March 27, 1961 May 1, 1961 34
Follow That Dream July 11, 1961 August 28, 1961 47
Kid Galahad November 4, 1961 December 21, 1961 47
Girls! Girls! Girls! April 9, 1962 May 16, 1962 37
It Happened at the World's Fair August 28, 1962 September 25, 1962 27
Fun in Acapulco January 28, 1963 March 16, 1963 48
Viva Las Vegas July 15, 1963 September 16, 1963 61
Kissin' Cousins October 1, 1963 October 20, 1963 19
Roustabout March 9, 1964 April 20, 1964 41
Girl Happy June 22, 1964 July 31, 1964 38
Tickle Me October 12, 1964 November 24, 1964 42
Harum Scarum March 9, 1965 April 19, 1965 40
Frankie and Johnny May 24, 1965 June 30, 1965 36
Paradise, Hawaiian Style August 7, 1965 September 30, 1965 53
Spinout February 26, 1966 April 6, 1966 40
Double Trouble July 11, 1966 August 30, 1966 49
Easy Come, Easy Go September 12, 1966 October 31, 1966 48
Clambake March 22, 1967 April 27, 1967 35
Speedway June 26, 1967 July 23, 1967 27
Stay Away, Joe October 4, 1967 November 18, 1967 44
Live a Little, Love a Little March 13, 1968 May 24, 1968 71
Charro! July 22, 1968 August 30, 1968 38
The Trouble with .Girls October 28, 1968 December 16, 1968 48
Change Of Habit March 12, 1969 April 29, 1969 47
Elvis: That's The Way It Is July 15, 1970 August 14, 1970 29
Elvis On Tour March 29, 1972 April 15, 1972 16


The average production period is 42.56 days.
Longest Production: Live A Little, Love A Little 71, Wild In The Country 69.
Shortest Production: Elvis On Tour 16, Kissin Cousins 19

If anyone has more accurate dates and their source I would appreciate an update, particularly actual filming start/end dates.

[drjohncarpenter]

Hopefully a worthwhile addition to this great thread, Production start and end dates and production duration in days. I cant get the 4 columns to appear with spacing left to right (if anyone knows please send me a pm.

Title Prod. Start Date Prod. End Date Prod. Days
Love Me Tender August 22, 1956 September 21, 1956 29
Loving You January 14, 1957 March 16, 1957 62
Jailhouse Rock May 13, 1957 June 14, 1957 31
King Creole January 20, 1958 March 12, 1958 52
G.I. Blues May 2, 1960 June 24, 1960 52
Flaming Star August 16, 1960 October 4, 1960 48
Wild in the Country November 9, 1960 January 18, 1961 69
Blue Hawaii March 27, 1961 May 1, 1961 34
Follow That Dream July 11, 1961 August 28, 1961 47
Kid Galahad November 4, 1961 December 21, 1961 47
Girls! Girls! Girls! April 9, 1962 May 16, 1962 37
It Happened at the World's Fair August 28, 1962 September 25, 1962 27
Fun in Acapulco January 28, 1963 March 16, 1963 48
Viva Las Vegas July 15, 1963 September 16, 1963 61
Kissin' Cousins October 1, 1963 October 20, 1963 19
Roustabout March 9, 1964 April 20, 1964 41
Girl Happy June 22, 1964 July 31, 1964 38
Tickle Me October 12, 1964 November 24, 1964 42
Harum Scarum March 9, 1965 April 19, 1965 40
Frankie and Johnny May 24, 1965 June 30, 1965 36
Paradise, Hawaiian Style August 7, 1965 September 30, 1965 53
Spinout February 26, 1966 April 6, 1966 40
Double Trouble July 11, 1966 August 30, 1966 49
Easy Come, Easy Go September 12, 1966 October 31, 1966 48
Clambake March 22, 1967 April 27, 1967 35
Speedway June 26, 1967 July 23, 1967 27
Stay Away, Joe October 4, 1967 November 18, 1967 44
Live a Little, Love a Little March 13, 1968 May 24, 1968 71
Charro! July 22, 1968 August 30, 1968 38
The Trouble with .Girls October 28, 1968 December 16, 1968 48
Change Of Habit March 12, 1969 April 29, 1969 47
Elvis: That's The Way It Is July 15, 1970 August 14, 1970 29
Elvis On Tour March 29, 1972 April 15, 1972 16


The average production period is 42.56 days.
Longest Production: Live A Little, Love A Little 71, Wild In The Country 69.
Shortest Production: Elvis On Tour 16, Kissin Cousins 19

If anyone has more accurate dates and their source I would appreciate an update, particularly actual filming start/end dates.

Nice information, although some of the production dates may be off. where did you find it?