Elvis Presley’s second film and his first in color has, on the surface of it, a standard ‘road-to-stardom’ plot which probably mirrored The King’s own rise to fame, though obviously given the Hollywood treatment with an older female press agent falling for him, the singer almost giving up his career at the moment of triumph, etc. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that this occasionally plays like a lighter version of Elia Kazan’s A FACE IN THE CROWD which was actually released a few days before the Elvis movie…although the success story turning sour bit was more thoroughly dealt with in Elvis’ next outing, JAILHOUSE ROCK (1957)!
Of the four new vehicles of his that I’ve watched so far, this is clearly the most satisfactory what with the pleasant Technicolor, the professional Hollywood handling and a solid supporting cast (Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey, James Gleason), etc. The underrated Corey excels in his portrayal of a has-been entertainer reduced to headlining a modest traveling rockabilly act until Elvis joins the troupe that is and, unsurprisingly, steals his thunder; Lizabeth Scott takes some time getting used to here as the scheming press agent but she acquits herself fairly well in the long run and lovely Dolores Hart is the singer whom the public merely “tolerates” but whose charm and modesty win over the troubled Elvis.
Presley himself is here still full of the raw magnetism which made him a sensation at the time as he belts out one electrifying hit tune after another, from “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” and “Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do” to “(Let’s Have A) Party” and the title ballad, of course. Actually, it was while leafing through the first edition of Guinness’ “All-Time Top 1000 Albums” of 1994 that I became interested more than ever before in Elvis’ musical heritage since he had an impressive 8 entries in that list, including this film’s soundtrack album and the subsequent one for KING CREOLE (1958).
Of the four new vehicles of his that I’ve watched so far, this is clearly the most satisfactory what with the pleasant Technicolor, the professional Hollywood handling and a solid supporting cast (Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey, James Gleason), etc. The underrated Corey excels in his portrayal of a has-been entertainer reduced to headlining a modest traveling rockabilly act until Elvis joins the troupe that is and, unsurprisingly, steals his thunder; Lizabeth Scott takes some time getting used to here as the scheming press agent but she acquits herself fairly well in the long run and lovely Dolores Hart is the singer whom the public merely “tolerates” but whose charm and modesty win over the troubled Elvis.
Presley himself is here still full of the raw magnetism which made him a sensation at the time as he belts out one electrifying hit tune after another, from “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” and “Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do” to “(Let’s Have A) Party” and the title ballad, of course. Actually, it was while leafing through the first edition of Guinness’ “All-Time Top 1000 Albums” of 1994 that I became interested more than ever before in Elvis’ musical heritage since he had an impressive 8 entries in that list, including this film’s soundtrack album and the subsequent one for KING CREOLE (1958).