The Elvis Movies

Elvis Presley's stature as the "King of Rock and Roll" will never be challenged. Between his first RCA hit single in 1956-the number-one smash "Heartbreak Hotel"-and his death in 1977, Elvis amassed more than 100 hits on the music charts. Presley's dominance on the music chart was paralleled only by the singer's motion picture career. Between 1956 and 1969, Elvis appeared in more than thirty films, further cementing his place as one of the most popular entertainers of the twentieth century. While there have been countless books that explore the real Elvis tucked beneath layers of showbiz mythology, such volumes often dismiss his motion picture career as insignificant or overlook his onscreen work entirely.
In The Elvis Movies, James L. Neibaur looks at the thirty-one features that Presley made, from Love Me Tender in 1956 to Change of Habit in 1969. Most of these were star vehicles tailor-made for his image. As Neibaur points out, Elvis had a real interest in being a good actor, but his initial promise was soon thwarted by anti-creative decisions that sold a packaged version of the singer. Despite lapsing into a predictable formula of lightweight musicals, Elvis Presley's star power ensured that the films became box office successes. Neibaur examines each film, providing information about their production and offering assessments about their value in general, as well as their place in the Presley canon. Additional details include behind-the-scenes personnel, costars, DVD availability, and featured hit songs.
An entertaining and informative look at an often underrated aspect of the singer's career, The Elvis Movies offers readers insight into his films. This volume will be a welcome resource to fans of the singer who want to know more about the King and his successful ventures on the big screen.

James L. Neibaur is a film historian and educator who has written hundreds of articles, including more than forty essays in the Encyclopedia Britannica. He is the author of several books on film, including The Charley Chase Talkies, The Essential Mickey Rooney, and The Essential Jack Nicholson-all published by Rowman & Littlefield.

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. The Rise of Elvis Presley
2. Love Me Tender
3. Loving You
4. Jailhouse Rock
5. King Creole
6. Elvis in the Army
7. G.I. Blues
8. Flaming Star
9. Wild in the Country
10. Blue Hawaii
11. Follow That Dream
12. Kid Galahad
13. Girls! Girls! Girls!
14. It Happened at the World's Fair
15. Fun in Acapulco
16. Kissin' Cousins
17. Viva Las Vegas
18. Roustabout
19. Girl Happy
20. Tickle Me
21. Harum Scarum
22. Frankie and Johnny
23. Paradise, Hawaiian Style
24. Spinout
25. Easy Come, Easy Go
26. Double Trouble
27. Clambake
28. Stay Away, Joe
29. Speedway
30. Live a Little, Love a Little
31. Elvis: The Elvis Comeback Special
32. Charro!
33. The Trouble with Girls
34. Change of Habit
35. The Concert Films
36. The Final Years
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author