“There’s no better bet in Hollywood than an Elvis movie,” Elvis Presley’s manager, the legendary Col. Tom Parker once said. And he was right. In fact, the 31 films that Elvis starred in as an actor between his debut, Love Me Tender in 1956, and his last, Change Of Habit in 1969, made $2.2 billion (adjusted for inflation) in the U.S. alone. And he was the 10th top box-office draw in the 1960s.
It was an incredible achievement. An artist dominating in both music and movies was virtually unprecedented, and it’s a career model that acts from The Beatles and Cliff Richard to Madonna have tried to emulate. But, like so much else, no one has done it quite like The King.
With their cheerfully optimistic plots and peerless musical numbers, Elvis movies were, and are, hugely popular with audiences of both fans and newcomers, and remain as much of an innocent pleasure today as they were half a century ago. And while at the time of release these films didn’t always find favour with high-brow critics, many of his films have been re-evaluated in recent years, with Elvis’ performances – both comic and straight – garnering a newfound appreciation for his skill and versatility as an actor.
If all this talk of The King’s celluloid adventures has left you keen to visit, or revisit his classic movies, then Warner Bros. has a banquet of hip-swivelling home entertainment lined up for you, with 16 Elvis titles you can buy or rent now and watch without subscription on your smart TV. Head to WarnerBros.co.uk I Elvis Presley I Collections to find out more. Here are just five must-sees from the collection…
Jailhouse Rock (1957)
As convict-turned-singer Vince Everett in Jailhouse Rock, Elvis delivers one of his most iconic performances— (Warner Bros.)
Indisputably the grandaddy of Elvis movies, Jailhouse Rock has Presley in all his lip-curling early glory as Vince Everett, a convict turned music sensation. The movie was a hit, with the title song selling two million records, and it cemented Elvis’s position as a force to be reckoned with at the box office. The legendary prison dance sequence – designed by Elvis himself, after he declared himself unhappy with the work of the film’s choreographer – is still easily his most iconic moment on screen.
Charro! (1969)
If you’re in the mood for an off-the-wall Elvis outing, they don’t come more atypical than Charro! For a start, apart from the title song, Elvis doesn’t sing, and it’s the only movie in which he has a beard. The Western tale has Presley as outlaw Jess Wade who’s trying to leave the criminal life but gets entangled in a plot to steal a prize cannon from Mexico. Certainly an oddity (it was originally intended as a vehicle for Clint Eastwood) Elvis nevertheless acquits himself admirably as a straight actor.
Viva Las Vegas (1964)
Elvis plays race-car driver Lucky Jackson, who heads to Vegas to compete in the Grand Prix only to find himself crooning in a casino to drum up funds for a new engine. The title song is a pop classic and the on-screen chemistry between Presley and co-star Ann-Margret, who plays the casino’s swimming instructor, crackles (unsurprising perhaps, since the pair embarked on a tumultuous affair during the shoot).
As well as a belter of a title tune, Elvis’s onscreen/offscreen romance with Ann-Margret burns up the screen in Viva Las Vegas— (Warner Bros.)
The Trouble With Girls (1969)
In one of the last of his big-screen appearances, Elvis plays the leader of a band of travelling show people who get involved in the dramas of a small Iowa town. Although by then a new Elvis movie wasn’t quite the event that it had been at the start of his career (it was released as the bottom half of a double bill with a Raquel Welch movie) it's a fun romp. "A charming comedy with several pleasant songs, Elvis Presley and a huge cast who seem willing to act their fool heads off," said The New York Times. And even though it was one of his final films it was a lucrative outing for the star. He was paid $850,000 and a full 50 per cent of the film’s profits.
Elvis On Tour (1972)
For the ultimate live experience, it’s time to go full Elvis via the white rhinestone jumpsuit glorydays of Elvis on Tour— (Warner Bros.)
If you want to enjoy the live Elvis experience then there’s no better way than this tour doc which features Presley in all his late-era rhinestone jumpsuit glory. Shot over the course of a 15-city tour, it’s the only of the star’s screen outings to gain significant awards success, garnering a Golden Globe for Best Documentary in 1973. Fun fact: ‘Montage supervisor’ Martin Scorsese is credited with the then cutting edge split-screen sequences.
If you’re keen to experience the King on the big screen, Warner Bros. have 16 Elvis titles (including The Elvis Presley Film Collection, featuring 14 of his silver screen adventures) to buy or rent on digital download now. Visit warnerbros.co.uk to find out more
