TCM Pick O’ The Day: Happy Birthday Elvis
by John Nolte
4:30am – PST King Creole (1958) – A singer with a criminal past gets drawn back into the mob. Cast: Carolyn Jones , Walter Matthau , Elvis Presley Dir: Michael Curtiz BW-116 mins, TV-PG
There were a few years, pre-Army, when Elvis Presley might have been the coolest person, well, ever. He also showed some real talent as an actor as you’ll see in King Creole, one of his better films, co-starring the great Walter Matthau as The Heavy and directed by Michael Curtiz.
Curtiz had one of the toughest late careers of almost any director from the Golden Age. In the thirties and forties he could do no wrong. One classic followed the next, especially when working with Errol Flynn on a number of unforgettable period films such as Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Dodge City, and The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. He also did more than okay with Bogart in Casablanca and Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy. Sometime in the late forties the mojo left him. He would go on to make another 20+ films, but nothing like at the start of his career. King Creole is arguably the best of this dry spell.
Curtiz surrounds Presley with real talent. Matthau, Vic Morrow, Carolyn Jones (at the height of her beauty), and Dean Jagger. And Presley hangs right in there giving the performance of his career.
The music is also top notch, including the blistering title song, Trouble, Hard Headed Woman, and Don’t Ask Me Why.
If you missed this one, TCM airs Presley most of the day. And what else would you do tomorrow? It’s not like we go to work on Elvis Presley’s birthday. I mean, I’m not the only who considers the day a holiday, right?
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17 Comments
Right. Elvis came along when I was 10 years old and is, in memory and music, still with us as I turn 65. One of the most extraordinary moments of my life was taking my two children to see Elvis in what turned out to be his last big concert. Elvis in person! Can you imagine? There has been no singer in my lifetime like him. Long live the King!
Sheldon,
WOW! You saw the King in Person? WOW!
Elvis is still with us, if we believe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsVHnosRGLI
Elvis is everywhere.
When Einstein said that “Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood” he wasn’t talking about Mahatma Gandhi, he was talking about . . .
ELVIS!!!
I’ve only seen him in one film from start to finish (Flaming Star), but I could certainly see from that one film he had talent as an actor. I’ll try and take advantage of the opportunity today.
As for Curtiz, his career as a director ended three years after King Creole with a good John Wayne western, The Comancheros. Not a bad film to end one’s career on, I think.
Happy Birthday E!
Kit, Einstein died in 1955, a year before most people had ever heard of Elvis (I assume many people’s first exposure to him was through the Ed Sullivan Show). This sounds like an apocryphal quote to me.
ATTMAY, I had heard of Elvis in 1954. Any reason to think that Einstein, a wee bit brighter than I perhaps, did not?
Elvis let the Colonel put him in the post-army movies that were so below the potential he showed in King Creole that it’s a shame Elvis felt such loyalty to Parker.
But the 1968 Comeback Special on NBC showed what Elvis had, even after all those dreadful movies, and why the country went bonkers over him in 1956. Elvis, in black leather sitting next to his fans, oozed sexuality and charisma as he sang his old songs.
Anyone that only knows Elvis from his overweight Vegas days or the cheesy movies in the 60’s needs to watch him in the comeback special. Any doubts about the magic of Elvis will be forgotten.
Yep. Elvis Presley Day for sure. Also, August 16, the day Elvis left the building for good is remembered. Special guy, sad story. Bless him.
Yes, “King Creole” is the best of Elvis’ movies. I’ve read that during the production of the movie Col. Parker warned Curtiz and those around Elvis not to turn Elvis into a “real” actor. I suspect Parker worried that he might lose control of Elvis. Michael Curtiz is truly one of my favorite directors from the golden age…an amazing career and tackled many genres. He seemed to have an affinity for action, especially the Errol Flynn variety. According to Flynn’s autobiography, Curtiz was driven to distraction by Flynn’s onset antics and often referred to Flynn as “son-of-a-beech” with his thick Hungarian accent.
Do try to check out “Roustabout” for the teaming of Elvis with the wonderful Barbara Stanwyck. Jack Albertson also appears as a supporting player. Not a great movie but not as bad as some and Stanwyck is always worth seeing.
Happy Elvis Day to all!
I’ve never seen an Elvis movie (and I really don’t want to) but I remember the comeback special vividly. What charisma!
Elvis never won a Grammy award for his rock records, but he did win several for his gospel music. The King was nothing if not versatile.
Col. Tom Parker was the epitome of artist mismanagement. He cost Elvis the role of Tony in the film of West Side Story, which could only have changed the trajectory of his film career for the better. Elvis planned to fire him several times but never went through with it because he disliked direct confrontation.
Sheldon, I think Kit might have been kidding.
Attmay:
West Side Story isn’t the worst of it. Parker was born in The Netherlands and was afraid he wouldn’t be able to get a passport and so Elvis never toured abroad. Think what he could have made if he had gone to Japan and Asia and Europe. Then there is the fact he took a lot more than 10% of what Elvis earned.
The fact that his estate grew so much larger than it did when he was alive says something about the poor job Parker did managing Elvis’ career. Elvis may never have been discovered by the world but for Parker – we may never know. But we do know there were a lot of mistakes made by Parker after Elvis got out of the army.
Mr. Nolte,
What happened to Jason Apuzzo and his wife? I hope that they didn’t run afoul of some Hollywood leftist and end up in the ocean. I’d love to see a link to Libertas in your blogroll.
I have been trying diligently to post my Elvis thoughts, but it’s just not happening. Test Test Test……If this stupid test comes up…Noooo!!!
“A Star is Born” is another movie Elvis could have been in. Barbra Streisand wanted him, and they met to talk about it. Elvis was very excited about it. Col. Parker put an end to that—He did not want Elvis’ name to be under (second fiddle) Barbra Streisand’s. Elvis did not care. He wanted the role. Needless to say, Chris Christofferson played that part in the movie.
Quote from JEB, “Elvis may never have been discovered by the world but for Parker – we may never know. But we do know there were a lot of mistakes made by Parker after Elvis got out of the army.”
JEB…Col. Parker took 50% of Elvis’ earnings while he was alive. Elvis agreed and signed contracts to that affect.
I was 10 years old when Elvis died…I cried for hours that night. My parents didn’t know what to do. I am 41 years old….ugh
“King Creole” and “Change of Habit” are my most favorite Elvis movies. Carolyn Jones and Mary Tyler Moore….respectively!!!
**edited to add…Yes, that stupid test came up before this post. hahaha Life is funny and great!**
Ou-yo-yu what a nice site!
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