Top Ten Elvis Presley Movies Review

Elvis Presley is an American Icon, the King of Rock ‘n' Roll. While he appeared in more than his share of crap films, Elvis enjoyed a 15 year run as one of the top box office draws in Hollywood.

This Top Ten might look a little different if Colonel Tom Parker hadn't had such control over Elvis Presley's career. Parker famously turned down such films as Thunder Road and The Fugitive Kind, which might have established Presley as a serious actor, instead taking the easy money for a series of increasingly inane "Elvis movies."

Here are my Top Ten Elvis Presley Movies:

1. King Creole (1958): "Crawfish!...Crawfish!"  Elvis plays a busboy who gets a gig singing at a nightclub owned by sleazy gangster Walter Matthau, then gets involved with the club owner's moll (Carolyn Jones). With Vic Morrow and Dean Jagger. Directed by Michael Curtiz.

2. Jailhouse Rock (1957): Elvis is Vince Everett, a sneering, hot-headed, guitar-strummin' punk who goes to jail, gets out and becomes a rock ‘n' roll star. I love the scene where a high society matron asks Vince what he thinks about atonality in modern jazz and he spits back, "Lady, I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Great songs by Lieber and Stoller, including "Treat Me Nice,"  "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care," and the title tune. The best music of any Elvis movie. Directed by With Judy Tyler. Paramount Home Video.

3. Viva Las Vegas (1964): Elvis's incredible on- and off-screen chemistry with Ann-Margret fuels this tale of a racecar-drivin' waiter and the daughter of his crusty mechanic (William Demarest. Songs include "What'd I Say" and the title tune. Directed by George Sidney.

4. Loving You (1957): Elvis's second film is his first in color, and his first starring role, as Deke Rivers, a young rockabilly star (not exactly a stretch). With Lizabeth Scott and Songs include "Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do", "(Let's Have A) Party", "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "Hot Dog", "Lonesome Cowboy", "Mean Woman Blues"

5. Elvis - That's the Way It Is (1970): Director Denis Sanders captures the Elvis Phenomenon at a crucial juncture in the King's career, the Early Vegas period. The documentary contains fascinating behind-the-scenes footage of Elvis and his band in rehearsals, hilarious bits with the fans, and the star-studded opening night (with Cary Grant and his then-wife Dyan Cannon in attendance, among others). The Colonel was not pleased with the results, and two years later, Elvis On Tour was released (see #10 below), the straight concert film that he had originally wanted. Songs include "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," "Suspicious Minds," and "Patch It Up." Warner Home Video.

6. Girl Happy (1965): My favorite film from EP's mid-'60s assembly-line period concerns Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale (actually a studio-bound set), and co-stars Shelley Fabares, Mary Ann Mobley, Gary Crosby, and Harold J.Stone. Songs include "Wolf Call," "Do Not Disturb," amd "Do the Clam." Warner Home Video.

8. Follow That Dream (1962): Here's an Elvis comedy from the ‘60s that's not the usual formula. Here he plays Toby Kwimper, scion of a family of vagabonds who raise a ruckus when they squat on Florida highway land. With Arthur O'Connell, Joanna Moore, and Anne Helm. MGM Home Video.

9. Love Me Tender (1956): Elvis's first movie casts him in a supporting role as Richard Egan's little brother, who covets his brother's wife in this Civil War era Western with music.

10. Elvis On Tour (1972): Quite a contrast to Elvis: That's the Way It Is, in more ways than one. Looking to eliminate the filmmaker's perspective that dominated the earlier performance film, the Colonel commissioned this much more straightforward documentary. Two years had made a lot of difference, however. The freshness and spontaneity of the 1970 Elvis had given way to boredom, bloated spectacle and rote versions of old hits. Still, there is some great music plus a few glimpses of the real Elvis.

Honorable Mention:

Blue Hawaii (1962)

Roustabout (1965)

Girls! Girls! Girls! (1963)

Tickle Me (1965)

Kid Galahad (1966) 

Elvis a/k/a The '68 Comeback Special (1968) TV

This is Elvis (1981)

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