Elvis's 31 Feature Films: Which are watchable?

Elvis never went back. B roll and stock footage.

Just to give your earworm variety....

 

I’ve been re-watching many of the Elvis films and yeah, not great cinema but I find 90% entertaining on some level. Hell, I own 12 of them on 16mm, so....

Now, I still think “Easy Come Easy Go” and “Haram Scarem” are the worst, with “Double Trouble” being a close third. Haven’t screened “Stay Away, Joe” again, but the only time I watched this 20 years ago I disliked it....

A few surprises I have (re)discovered: “Frankie and Johnny” plays like a “B” musical from the 40’s—just enough charm to push it along and found I enjoyed it more than I should have. “Clambake” is just dumb fun from the UA logo to the beach being on the wrong side of the country at the end—plus you can tell Elvis is sleepwalking throughly the film, but this too has charms. His performance in “Charro” is pretty good, but the screenplay did the film in—still enjoyed watching him act with no songs and makes you wonder what he could’ve been. “trouble With Girls” is a solid film with a great performance from Elvis , and “Speedway” is another film I like for some unknown reason.

I have found Elvis films play better on the big screen. Just a great screen presence (the early ones like “Loving You” and “Jailhouse Rock” are amazing in the theater) but his “acting” doesn’t translate all that well on TV for some reason (for me). When I saw “Blue Hawaii” 20 years ago for the first time in the theater, I “got it” when it came to his films (well, the pre ‘63 films)——

Over the years I have asked my fellow colleagues at other studios if any of the filmed numbers, that were cut either Early in editing ( may live in work pix) or got to the negative conforming stage (thinking of the 2 numbers removed after Tech prints were made on “Girls Girls Girls”) that were removed, survive today? Have the international elements been checked since some of the songs might have been in those versions? Regardless, there not much call today to dig around to find the full version of “Hard Headed Woman”, “Stepping Out Of Line”, “I Don’t Want To”, “Summer Kisses, Winter Tears", “Lonely Man”, “Five Sleepy Heads” and a few more but again I have asked over the years for fun. I do know there is an international version of "Tonight's All Right For Love” from GI BLUES Floating around which is different then the domestic version—both are on you tube from what I recall.

 

Jailhouse Rock to me is by far the best of his movies.

But the most fun movie to me is Clambake. That thing is nutty and fun all the way through. I can watch that one any time and still enjoy it.

 

There was footage shot in Germany, but you're right that Elvis was not in it:

Not surprisingly, Elvis' fifth film, his first after serving two years of active duty in the U.S. Army, was entitled 'G.I. Blues' and was set in Germany. Elvis was discharged from active duty with the army in early March 1960 and began preproduction work for 'G.I. Blues' in California on April 21. Filming began on May 2nd and was finished by June 29th. While Elvis was stationed in Germany, Producer Hal Wallis had visited with him in August of 1959. Wallis was there while the German countryside and U.S. military operations were shot for the film. Elvis did not appear in any of this filming, however, the U.S. Army did supply tanks and crews for these shots.

 

I just need the 50s films on Blu-ray and I'm good.

 

I have the complete set. The hardest to get was Loving You, which is now owned by NBC. All DVD of course.

Anyway, if you are looking at normal legit movies you have two choices Love Me Tender, a pretty good western, that was already in production as The Reno Brothers. The other is Charro, a pseudo-spaghetti western.
All of the fifties films can be recommended. The sixties films have their own niche as "Elvis movies". Silly fluff but generally entertaining.

 

Yup. The script was good (or else Barbara Stanwyck wouldnt have done it) and the songs were REALLY good. Elvis did a really solid acting job as "Charlie Rogers". I like every song in that movie, which I cant always say about the other movies. Great movie!

 

And you can be sure the US Army did that as a promotional service and did not charge Wallis a dime.

 

I do! I’ve introduced my twins (who are 6) to the world of Elvis movies on 16mm. My daughter really doesn’t care for them but my son loves them! Speedway and Clambake are his favorites.....I know...I know...lol

 

Jayson, that is SO cool!!! What a great concept. How is the color quality on your 16mm Elvis?

 

I just watched "Fun In Acapulco" on Amazon Prime in HD. I noticed all the on location shots use a stand in for Elvis and are shot at a distance. They used green screen stuff for the close ups that weren't shot on a set.

Silly movie, but it has always been a favorite of mine.

 

I like the song "Hard Luck" in FRANKIE AND JOHNNY.

 

I like the soundtrack version of Frankie and Johnny. But then I like a number of versions of that song.

 

Roustabout is IB / Scope, most of the others are LPP with great color and either pan and scan or scope. Have a few that are faded (most of the Hal Wallis titles), but have a print of “That’s The Way It Is” in scope with some color fade as well that is a blast to run. Oh, and I have “This Is Elvis” with color that is still holding pretty good and a trailer reel as well with maybe 8 or 10 titles as well with color all over the map on those.

 

The stand-in looks like the same one they used for the wide shots in “It happened At The Worlds Fair” (thinking of the “Happy Ending” number)—-as silly as “Fun In Acapulco” is, it still pretty fun with handful of nice numbers.

 

Wow.....I'd love to see an IB 16mm print of "Roustabout"...that would be wild. Good for you!

 

That might be Red West, actually.

 

I like the ones where Elvis plays a race car driver.....or singer

 

Speedway was a favorite of mine as a kid too! Saw it a few years ago and I was like "Wow! How stupid was I?" Bill Bixby's character is like Captain Date Rape.

 

Several Elvis movies made it to Blu-ray via Twilight Time and the limited 3,000 edition single pressing releases took a LOOOOOONG time to sell out. Flaming/Galahad/Follow were the 3 movies on that label.

The Elvis on Tour/Jailhouse/Viva triple pack on blu-ray has been sold at heavily discounted rates.

There's still lots of Elvis fans, but I don't think they are HD ready or willing to buy a couple dozen of the same movies over again.

 

Or Lance LeGault, Elvis' stunt guy.

 

I am not trying to say they spent a lot of money on Elvis films. You were the one who said EVERYTHING (your emphasis, not mine) was filmed back lot and I pointed out that it was not true. I just like to stick to facts. Had you said most scenes rather than EVERYTHING, I would not have contradicted. Now I am in agreement with you.

 

LOL....well Ok then.

 

Elvis in Roustabout:

Charlie Rogers (Elvis) : 'You collect Strays , Maggie. You got one in Joe. Why dont you stop recruiting.........they dont make a Family.

Maggie (Barbara Stanwcyk): "And Just what would YOU know about a Family??"

Charlie Rogers: "Nuthin'".

I mean this is powerful stuff!!