King Creole

Elvis Presley can act! This is perhaps his best movie and certainly the one with the strongest plot. Based on the Harold Robbins novel ‘A Stone for Danny Fisher', Elvis plays Danny with that teenage angst you'd associate more with James Dean or the young Marlon Brando. The music too is exceptional, with the sexy title track alongside of such gems as ‘Steadfast, Loyal and True', ‘Crawfish' (that unusual of things, a duet between Elvis and Kitty White), ‘Hard Headed Woman', and ‘Trouble'.

The supporting cast is also eminently watchable – Dean Jagger, Walter Matthau, Vic Morrow, Carolyn Jones – and help to move the pace along. The look of the film in its non-musical moments is strictly noir, and the whole piece is slickly directed by Michael Curtiz.

‘King Creole', and a handful of other Presley movies, hint at the movie career that he could have had without his manager Col. Parker's constant greed to display his peacock client in an ever-grating role of innocence to make money.

Elvis Presley plays Danny Fisher, a misunderstood teenager who is forced to live in a neighbourhood frequented by hoodlums because his father's business went bankcrupt and lost their other house. Danny flunks out of high school and does several dead end jobs in order to make ends meet, but it is discovered that he has a talent for singing and he is hired by nightclub owner Charlie Le Grand. However, sadistic blackmailer and criminal Maxie Fields (Walter Matthau) also has corrupt designs on Danny's talent.

Probably one of Presley's finest movies with a fairly strong storyline and assured direction by Michael (Casablanca) Curtiz. The acting is good from Presley in one of his better roles and Matthau scores as the ruthless gang boss. The film is shot in gorgeous noir black & white and the memorable tunes include "King Creole", "Trouble" and "As Long As I Have You".

I've heard it said that this was Elvis' favourite of his own films. And no wonder. It's about the only film he ever did that allowed him to be an actor. And let's remember, Elvis had no formal acting training, and sure, the film is, as usual, peppered with great Elvis numbers and no-one doubts his talent there.

If only the Colonel had chosen to exploit the acting side a little more, perhaps we would have a lot more memorable stuff like this to remember than some of the later films, such as.....er.....er....well, there you go, I don't remember any. Perhaps Elvis would have been a lot more proud too.

Anyway, alongside Elvis is a wonderful Carolyn "Morticia Adams" Jones and a fairly early Walter Matthau, showing us that he didn't just make us laugh in his movies, but he was able to impress us with dramatic roles also.

It's fair to say you've got a temper and it shows, but this time you're in a film that has some go, a great director takes your talent, a performance with great extent, after the reel flickers by, engagement grows. As Ronnie grabs your eye and you then flunk, to be expected of a 1950s punk, joining a gang you rob a store, this life is not within your core, then you land a job to realise your funk. But there's demand for all the wares that you present, and Maxie Fields' the kind of guy that holds resent, there are tricks and treachery, lives are lost, there's not much glee, in the end there's satisfaction and content.

Not the worst Elvis film you'll encounter.

King Creole is not only a great Elvis Presly movie, it's a great movie period. Elvis is simply terrific as hard-edged Danny Fisher, a street wise punk who hits it big time as a singer in a flashy New Orléans club, run by sleazy Matthau. The overall look of the film is excellent, it's fast paced and gritty, moody and athmospheric, and directed by the same man who brought us Casablanca. The dialouge is good and seems authentic enough, Presley is excellent and Matthau is great (as always). Plus, the songs are good. 9 out of 10.