ELVIS' MOVIES

Elvis movies are really the cause for my near life-long attachment to Elvis’ far too short career.

Fans and critics have rated his movies, both objectively and subjectively. The top five are generally the usual suspects. However, for the fan, what is more important is what DVD or VHS tape (in the case of “Elvis On Tour”) would you (me) simply pop in the machine and gladly watch again.

There are many movies that are “good for you” and “should not be missed” – but how many of those can you enjoy over and over.

For me, there are 10 top films of Elvis (and I’ve counted “That’s The Way It Is” and “That’s The Way It Is – Special Editions” as separate movies because they are so different) that I will just on a whim play for enjoyment. At the other end, there are some that if I never see again, that would be just fine (though I’ll probably watch them once in a blue moon).

I make no apologies for my top ten, nor what I left out (only to say, that SPINOUT was the film that caught me in Elvis’ web – and it is still one of the silly ones I quite enjoy that features a very likeable cast and generally good music for a mid-‘60s movie).

I ranked each movie in terms of likelihood of watching again from 1 (never again) to a 10. The first 7 (in no particular order) ranked a 10, and the next three a 9. Luckily, there were no ties at the cut-off, and so other films just below ranked an 8 or less. There were, however, eight films at the 8 level – so maybe I’m not so discriminating.

So, here is my top seven (in no particular order):

Follow That Dream
Change of Habit
That’s The Way It Is
That’s The Way It Is – Special Edition
Elvis On Tour
Kid Galahad
Fun In Acapulco

And my next top three (in no particular order):

Viva Las Vegas
Blue Hawaii
Spinout

The bottom five in order would be:

This Is Elvis
Harum Scarum
Charro
Easy Come, Easy Go
Paradise, Hawaiian Style

Thanks for the list Christopher. So you never watch Love Me Tender, Loving You, Jailhouse Rock, King Creole? Any reason for their omission?

I wouldn't say never -- and they weren't in my bottom five. My favourite period is the '70s, followed by the '60s and then the '50s. However, Jailhouse Rock and King Creole were an "8" -- so, solidly placed, just not in my top 10.

My top 5:
Blue Hawaii
Girl Happy
Fun In Acapulco
Spinout
Roustabout

The ones that I have no problem watching (usually) are:
Love Me Tender
Loving You (my personal favorite)
Jailhouse Rock
King Creole
Blue Hawaii
Flaming Star
Wild In The Country
Follow That Dream
Kid Galahad
Tickle Me
Roustabout
Viva Las Vegas
Charro
Change Of Habit

I don't watch any of the others without chemical enhancement available.

The ones that I have no problem watching (usually) are:
Love Me Tender
Loving You (my personal favorite)
Jailhouse Rock
King Creole
Blue Hawaii
Flaming Star
Wild In The Country
Follow That Dream
Kid Galahad
Tickle Me
Roustabout
Viva Las Vegas
Charro
Change Of Habit

I don't watch any of the others without chemical enhancement available.

I'd add Kissin' Cousins (yes, and if only for the Kittyhawks) and The Trouble With Girls, I'd omit Blue Hawaii and Viva Las Vegas (overrated imo), but otherwise I agree. Maybe I'd add Harum Scarum, Fun in Acapulco and G.I. Blues as well. Depends on mood.

My favourites btw are Flaming Star, Love Me Tender, Loving You and Wild In The Country, in this order.

Change Of Habit is an anomaly. It has all the hallmarks of quite a dark and gritty film, but it chooses to be light and fluffy, despite more than once rape reference, an actual attempted rape, and some heavy racism. I think if this film had been made just a couple of years later, after Across 110th Street (one of Elvis's favourites) and other exploitation films, it would be a much greater film, instead of quite an uncomfortable one.

Change Of Habit is an anomaly. It has all the hallmarks of quite a dark and gritty film, but it chooses to be light and fluffy, despite more than once rape reference, an actual attempted rape, and some heavy racism. I think if this film had been made just a couple of years later, after Across 110th Street (one of Elvis's favourites) and other exploitation films, it would be a much greater film, instead of quite an uncomfortable one.

You make some valid points, but I think he had to make the transition to more serious stuff in small moves.

The mere fact that the subjects you mention were even present in an Elvis film was a major sign of progress in 1969.

Of course, his return to live performing put paid to any further moves in that direction as the films stopped altogether................

These are the non-documentary Elvis films I prefer:
Love Me Tender
Loving You
Jailhouse Rock
King Creole
Flaming Star
Wild In The Country
Follow That Dream
Kid Galahad
Girls, Girls, Girls
Viva Las Vegas
Roustabout
Frankie & Johnny
Charro
The Trouble With Girls
Change of Habit

Change of Habit could have benefitted from some script tightening. I don't know that the tone had to darkened. Some of Elvis' miracle work had to be toned down, some of the dialogue should have been crisper, and more nuance should have been brought into the script. The overall tone was one of hope though and I don't think that's bad.

The two 1962 UA Mirisch company films definitely deserve a revaluation and an upgrade. I have always argued that Elvis films don't deserve their awful reputation. I would say you could break Elvis' movies down by tens. About ten are good, about a similar number are ok and a similar number are bad. Although I would include at least one most people consider bad- The Trouble With Girls- in the good. I also think Charro is not especially good and is definitely in the bottom tier. Some are fun though despite their limitations. I've always liked Speedway because it reminds me of a lot of the sitcoms that were always on when I grew up. It's comfort food. Girl Happy is kind of wish fulfillment for the eight-year-old, in me, who first saw this movie.

Also in the big world at large there are many, many movies as bad and many, many much, much, much worse than the worst Elvis movies.

The ones I enjoy most are

King Creole
Loving You
Viva Las Vegas
Jailhouse Rock
Flaming Star
Charro
Change Of Habit
Girl Happy
Follow That Dream
GI Blues

The movies that i like are:
Jailhouse rock
King Creole
Wild in the Country
Kid Galahad
Fun in Acapulco
It Happened at the worlds fair
Roustabout
Girl Happy
Tickle me
Spinout
Clambake
Live a little , love a little
and the documantry: Thats the way it is , the lost performances
Lior

My Top 5:

1. On Tour
2. Blue Hawaii
3. Kissin' Cousins
4. Viva Las Vegas
5. TTWII

TTWII used to occupy the #1 position but I think I've seen it too many times. I'm not gonna revisit that movie any time soon. It's been a long time since I watched "On Tour". The other three I have seen quite recently so I am sure about their status!

Keith Richards, Jr.

I watched King Creole so many times through the years that I'm a bit tired of it, so my current favorites are EOT, TTWII, Jailhouse Rock, Flaming Star, Charro, Follow That Dream, Change of Habit, Live a Little Love a Little, and Tickle Me. I could watch Tickle Me every day and never get tired of it...gee, I wonder why that is? It doesn't have anything to do with Elvis' performance in the film...

King Creole
Love Me Tender
Loving You
Jailhouse Rock
Harum Scarum (I know, I know, maybe I have bad taste?)
Roustabout
Spinout
Change Of Habit
Charro
Stay Away Joe

favorites currently on my list to watch on this weeks night shifts are
girl happy
live a little love a little
harem scarum
paradise hawaiian style
clambake
spinout

My favourites are:

Loving You, Jailhouse Rock, King Creole, Wild In The Country, Flaming Star, Kid Galahad, Follow That Dream, Viva Las Vegas, Roustabout, Tickle Me, Stay Away Joe, LALLAL, The Trouble With Girls, Charro and Change Of Habit.

So, here is my top seven (in no particular order):

Follow That Dream
Change of Habit ...

Yes!

Live a little, love a little
Charro
Cange of habit

but I like them all
it's Elvis i love to see him singing dancing racing......

elvis movies i love and have no problem watching over again are

King Creole
Loving You
Jailhouse Rock
Love Me Tender
Blue Hawaii
gi blues
girl happy
Viva Las Vegas
Wild in the Country
Girls, Girls, Girls
Kissin' Cousins
Kid Galahad
Fun in Acapulco
It Happened at the worlds fair
speedway
Roustabout
Frankie & Johnny
double trouble
Flaming Star
Paradise, Hawaiian Style
Clambake
TTWII
On Tour


elvis movies i dont watch to often

Tickle me
Spinout
Live a little , love a little
Change Of Habit
Follow That Dream
stay away joe
the trouble with girls


movies i never watch


Harum Scarum
Charro
Easy Come, Easy Go

am sat at work and have just sat and watched the 1957 classic ,"Loving You"i havent seen it in a while and i thought it was a very good film ,just entertainment,as it should be

Hi!

I’m a new member here. I became a fan of Elvis as a boy in 1985 or 1986. I watched the “NBC Comeback Special” on TV and that was it!
In 1992 I disovered another great performer who died at an early age (41 years old), Jim Reeves. I took a pause from Elvis.
Then in 1994 or 1995 I discovered the “Double Features” releases and thought “There’s still a lot of Elvis’ music I haven’t yet heard”. I collected almost all of those releases.

I like all of Elvis’ music be it 1950’s, 1960’s or 1970’s. But, I consider the 50’s and the 60’s the best.
Those movies gave us some bad and some terrible music, but I like many of those soundtrack recordings.

But since, this a thread about his movies I’ll change the subject. I’m now in a period where I try to buy and watch Elvis films I haven’t previously seen.

These films I’ve never seen and, most likely, won’t buy:

*Harum Scarum
*Paradise Hawaiian Style
*Clambake
*Stay Away, Joe
*Speedway
*Charro!
*The Trouble with Girls
*Change of Habit

I’ve recently made an order of “Live a Little, Love a Little”. I’m looking forward to it considering the various opinions on it.

My favourite Elvis movies (in chronological order):

*King Creole
*Jailhouse Rock
*Flaming Star
*Wild in the Country (a bit overlong, I’d like to see the original ending + “Lonely Man” scene)
*Follow That Dream (don’t remember much about it, It’s been almost 9 years since I last saw it, but I guess it will be a favourite if I see it. I want an anamorphic widescreen, 148 minute, version on DVD. The longer cut may be too much to ask for).
*Viva Las Vegas (my favourite, I love Ann-Marget + the music + cinematography + locations)
*Roustabout (storyline a bit better than other Elvis 1960’s musicals, good cinematography, shot mostly on location, quite innovative, good lighting, the music is mostly forgettable though)
*Girl Happy (weak music, but otherwise an enjoyable Elvis programmer made almost exclusively in the studio)
*Tickle Me (weak movie, but Jocelyn Lane + the music makes it a favourite )

It's been many years since I last saw Loving You, but it might become a favourite.

Movies I like to watch now and then:

*G. I. Blues
*Kissin’ Cousins (Yvonne Craig and Cynthia Pepper are beauties, “Tender Feeling” is a beautiful song)
*Spinout

I may watch “It Happened at the World's Fair” some time in the future)

Elvis movies I don’t care much for:

*Blue Hawaii (I found it boring watching it some years ago)
*Girls! Girls! Girls! (boring)
*Fun in Acapulco (quite weak, Ursula Andress is hot though)
*Easy Come, Easy Go (stupid comedy, weak plotline, mostly weak music, boring movie, bad cinematography)

Norman Taurog is in my opinion a weak director who directed a few too many of the movies.

These are the best Elvis movie books I’ve read:

*“Elvis, Man and Myth” by Sarah Parker Danielson (1991). (The text is a bit too much for my taste, but the pictures are beautiful)

*“Elvis! Elvis! Elvis! – The King and his Movies" by Peter Guttmacher (1997). (Beautiful book and an interesting, thoughtfully put together, well written read. It’s a fine companion piece to the next book on my list.)

*“Elvis: Frame by Frame : Behind the Scene Accounts about the Making of Nine of Elvis Presley's Films” by Bill Bram (2008). (The best book ever written on Elvis’ movies, period.)

Sincerely,

Mr. Even Bjerkelien

Last edited by musiclover1979 on Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

welcome to the MB musiclover1979

Thank you very much, rocknroller!
I've been reading this fine forum for some time now and I, finally, decided to join in!

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ17UGV5n2Q

You gotta watch Charro!