Jailhouse Rock & King Creole - Revisited

[The Purple Gang]

OK I lied - not a 'proper' review of the film, but just something that occurred to me.

That famous 'staged' sequence of the title song.

Always felt something was wrong with it, but couldn't put my finger on it.

But looking at the avatar of our very own 'The Purple Gang' member, I realised !

They've got a pole thing that runs up to the upper level of the 'prison block'.

Elvis leans against it, then slides down !

But prisons don't have poles like that !

It's fire stations that have those !

It's taken over 50 years for that to dawn on me !

Oh well.....................

In all seriousness that was a good observation. So what if it took fifty years! I've never heard anyone mention it before. Maybe the orginal idea was for Elvis to descend the steel steps from the gantry. Then someone said "Hey, we could just use a pole instead - no one will ever notice". And no one ever did! Until now ...

We may never be able to watch that scene in the same way again. Well spotted ColinB

[ColinB]

In all seriousness that was a good observation.
So what if it took fifty years!
I've never heard anyone mention it before.
Maybe the orginal idea was for Elvis to descend the steel steps from the gantry.
Then someone said "Hey, we could just use a pole instead - no one will ever notice".
And no one ever did! Until now ...
We may never be able to watch that scene in the same way again.
Well spotted ColinB

Thanks !

All down to your avatar, really.

Anyone notice anything else 'out-of-place' in an Elvis film ?

We could start a series !

[drjohncarpenter]

Anyone notice anything else 'out-of-place' in an Elvis film ?

In the "The Walls Have Ears" sequence from 1962's "Girls! Girls! Girls!" something is seriously out of place.

[ColinB]

Anyone notice anything else 'out-of-place' in an Elvis film ?

In the "The Walls Have Ears" sequence from 1962's "Girls! Girls! Girls!" something is seriously out of place.

LOL !

That unscripted moment could be seen as an improvement !

In King Creole, there is shoplifting, robbery, GBH and a killing.

But not one policeman makes an appearance !

Not quite an out-of-place example, I know.

Please don't mention the car headlights in Love Me Tender.

That never happened.................

[Spellbinder]

In King Creole, there is shoplifting, robbery, GBH and a killing.

But not one policeman makes an appearance !

Not true.

[ColinB]

In King Creole, there is shoplifting, robbery, GBH and a killing.
But not one policeman makes an appearance !

Not true.

Which bit ?

[likethebike]

Colin if you live in an American city that (no cops) is unfortunately often quite true to life.

As for Elvis sliding down the pole in JHR. It looks cool and it's not like he's actually in prison. He's on TV.

[Spellbinder]

In King Creole, there is shoplifting, robbery, GBH and a killing.
But not one policeman makes an appearance !

Not true.

Which bit ?

I think near the end after Ronnie is killed.

[ColinB]

In King Creole, there is shoplifting, robbery, GBH and a killing.
But not one policeman makes an appearance !

Not true.

Which bit ?

I think near the end after Ronnie is killed.

How sad is this ?

I just checked it !

I had this mental 'picture' of that little wooden pier swarming with police, ambulancemen and what have you, after Maxie & Ronnie are shot.

But what happens is, Dummy stands in the water over the lifeless body of Maxie Fields; as Ronnie dies in Elvis' arms, he says "I'm sorry" and the scene fades to black.

Then we're whisked forward to an exterior shot of the King Creole nightclub, where signs proclaim the return of Danny Fisher; we see Elvis in his dressing room preparing to go on stage, and in the background we hear the orchestra playing Danny.

Not a cop to be seen.

[ColinB]

Colin if you live in an American city that (no cops) is unfortunately often quite true to life.

Well, they would get involved if my little list of felonies occurred, surely ?
They no doubt did get involved in King Creole, but we just don't see them !

As for Elvis sliding down the pole in JHR.
It looks cool and it's not like he's actually in prison.
He's on TV.

Well, I knew that.
Artistic license.
My point was that it took me 50+ years to notice how incongruous it was !

[Spellbinder]

In King Creole, there is shoplifting, robbery, GBH and a killing.
But not one policeman makes an appearance !

Not true.

Which bit ?

I think near the end after Ronnie is killed.

How sad is this ?

I just checked it !

I had this mental 'picture' of that little wooden pier swarming with police, ambulancemen and what have you, after Maxie & Ronnie are shot.

But what happens is, Dummy stands in the water over the lifeless body of Maxie Fields; as Ronnie dies in Elvis' arms, he says "I'm sorry" and the scene fades to black.

Then we're whisked forward to an exterior shot of the King Creole nightclub, where signs proclaim the return of Danny Fisher; we see Elvis in his dressing room preparing to go on stage, and in the background we hear the orchestra playing Danny.

Not a cop to be seen.

Ah well. I just looked at the end of the movie. My recollection was that after Maxie ends up in the water you see a couple of cop cars pull up at the end of the pier. I even managed to convince myself that you see a long shot of Maxie being taken into custody.

I can only assume that years ago I was privileged in seeing a copy with a different ending to most copies. It's either that or I'm losing it.

Some would say I've already lost it. No arguments from me.

[ColinB]

Ah well. I just looked at the end of the movie.
You're as sad as I am..................
My recollection was that after Maxie ends up in the water you see a couple of cop cars pull up at the end of the pier.
Similar to my 'recollection' but we're both wrong.
I even managed to convince myself that you see a long shot of Maxie being taken into custody.
No - he was dead by then.
I can only assume that years ago I was privileged in seeing a copy with a different ending to most copies.
It's either that or I'm losing it.
The latter, I reckon...............
Some would say I've already lost it.
No arguments from me.
And 'no comment' from me.................

[Spellbinder]

Ah well. I just looked at the end of the movie.
You're as sad as I am..................
My recollection was that after Maxie ends up in the water you see a couple of cop cars pull up at the end of the pier.
Similar to my 'recollection' but we're both wrong.
I even managed to convince myself that you see a long shot of Maxie being taken into custody.
No - he was dead by then.
I can only assume that years ago I was privileged in seeing a copy with a different ending to most copies.
It's either that or I'm losing it.
The latter, I reckon...............
Some would say I've already lost it.
No arguments from me.
And 'no comment' from me.................

Aren't you making an assumption in saying Maxie was dead? Look again (maybe not - too sad). He may just be unconscious or semi-conscious).

[ColinB]

Aren't you making an assumption in saying Maxie was dead?
Look again (maybe not - too sad).
He may just be unconscious or semi-conscious).

Well, I reckon he's dead; if he's just unconscious, he'll soon drown, as nobody is attempting to get him out of the water.

I found a strange review of the film here:

http://www.thefilmjournal.com/issue1/pearycreole.html

Gerald Peary is obviously not an Elvis fan.

He sometimes refers to songs by quoting a bit of the lyric, rather than the title [as if he doesn't know it].

Like Trouble becomes I'm Evil, Don't You Mess With Me ! and Lover Doll comes out as You're The Cutest !

So how come he talks of Danny Is My Name for the 'missing' song Danny ?

How strange !

Did he get a 'review' copy with the song still in it ?

I think we should be told !

[ColinB]

I found a strange review of the film here:

http://www.thefilmjournal.com/issue1/pearycreole.html

Gerald Peary is obviously not an Elvis fan.

He sometimes refers to songs by quoting a bit of the lyric, rather than the title [as if he doesn't know it].

Like Trouble becomes I'm Evil, Don't You Mess With Me ! and Lover Doll comes out as You're The Cutest !

So how come he talks of Danny Is My Name for the 'missing' song Danny ?

How strange !

Did he get a 'review' copy with the song still in it ?

I think we should be told !

Nobody ?

[The Purple Gang]

I found a strange review of the film here:

http://www.thefilmjournal.com/issue1/pearycreole.html

Gerald Peary is obviously not an Elvis fan.

He sometimes refers to songs by quoting a bit of the lyric, rather than the title [as if he doesn't know it].

Like Trouble becomes I'm Evil, Don't You Mess With Me ! and Lover Doll comes out as You're The Cutest !

So how come he talks of Danny Is My Name for the 'missing' song Danny ?

How strange !

Did he get a 'review' copy with the song still in it ?

I think we should be told !

Nobody ?

Well, it looks like this is quite a modern review by Peary rather than something from the fifties. As you already point out he makes a lot of mistakes so it appears he doesn't really know what he's talking about! He probably listened to the soundtrack songs on the expanded CD while he wrote that review and didn't bother to check that Danny wasn't included in the film. He gets several other facts wrong as well like assuming that Leiber (whose name he misspells) & Stoller wrote all the songs for this movie. Also he refers to the Jordanaires as "Presley's backup guitar-based country band".

[ColinB]

Well, it looks like this is quite a modern review by Peary rather than something from the fifties. As you already point out he makes a lot of mistakes so it appears he doesn't really know what he's talking about! He probably listened to the soundtrack songs on the expanded CD while he wrote that review and didn't bother to check that Danny wasn't included in the film. He gets several other facts wrong as well like assuming that Leiber (whose name he misspells) & Stoller wrote all the songs for this movie. Also he refers to the Jordanaires as "Presley's backup guitar-based country band".

Well, I think you are right, Purple [and thanks for responding].

But he's sneaky, isn't he ?

If he was working from the CD, it would be expected that he'd get the song titles correct, wouldn't it ?

I reckon he's deliberately got some titles wrong, to make it appear as if he's reviewing the film itself !

Not being a 'proper' Elvis fan, he's made glaring errors which give him away !