Elvis Presley on film and television

Presley in a publicity photo for Jailhouse Rock
Elvis in a publicity photo for the film Jailhouse Rock in 1957

Elvis Presley was an American entertainer who achieved great initial success as a singer and stage performer. He publicly expressed an early career goal of following in the footsteps of his role models James Dean and Marlon Brando to become a top dramatic actor. His manager Colonel Tom Parker's persistent lobbying of William Morris Agency president Abe Lastfogel for a Presley screen test paid off on March 26, 1956, when the singer auditioned at Paramount for a supporting role in The Rainmaker. Although not chosen for the part, he signed a contract with Paramount producer Hal Wallis on April 25 that also allowed him to make films with other studios.

His feature debut was in Love Me Tender in 1956 for 20th Century Fox, with the commercial success of the soundtrack EP being a bellwether for the next three Presley films, Loving You, Jailhouse Rock, and King Creole. Elvis returned to acting after leaving the army in 1960, with G.I. Blues and a dramatic western Flaming Star. The popularity of his romantic musicals established a formula for the coming years.

Over time, Presley became bitter that his hopes for dramatic roles were not coming to fruition, stating that Clambake was his worst film. He began to complain about the deteriorating quality of the films and his belief that his manager's objectives were more monetary than anything else. At the expiration of all studio contracts, he returned to live entertaining. The two concert documentaries Elvis: That's the Way It Is in 1970 and Elvis on Tour in 1972 were the final theatrical releases for Presley.

Acting credits

Television

Television credits of Elvis Presley (as himself)
Year Title Notes Ref(s)
1956 Stage Show 6 episodes at the CBS studios in New York City, NY: January 28, February 4, 11, 18, March 17, 24; Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's show, produced by Jackie Gleason as a lead-in for his show
1956 Texaco Star Theatre 2 episodes: April 3 aboard the USS Hancock in San Diego, CA; June 5 NBC studios Los Angeles, CA
1956 Teenage Dance Party June 16; hosted by Wink Martindale, WHBQ-TV Memphis, TN (interview only)
1956 Hy Gardner Calling July 1 television interview, WRCA-TV, New York City, NY (interview only)
1956 The Steve Allen Show July 1; NBC, New York City, NY
1956–57 The Ed Sullivan Show 3 episodes: September 9, October 28, 1956; January 6, 1957, CBS New York City, NY
1960 The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis Taped March 26, in Miami, FL; aired on ABC May 12
1968 Elvis: The 1968 Comeback Special Also known as One Night With You; June taping at NBC Los Angeles, CA; air date December 3
1973 Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite Kui Lee Cancer Fund benefit concert at Honolulu's Neal S. Blaisdell Center broadcast by NBC world-wide January 14
1977 Elvis in Concert The last concert tour before Presley died; broadcast by CBS after his death; has never been re-broadcast or officially released on home video

Film

Feature film credits of Elvis Presley
Year Title Studio Role Notes Ref(s)
1956 Love Me Tender 20th Century Fox Clint Reno First feature film role. Caused a protest among fans at the film's premiere when they learn that Presley's character dies at the end of the film, triggering an alternate ending. Includes The Song Love Me Tender.
1957 Loving You Paramount Pictures Jimmy Tompkins (Deke Rivers)
1957 Jailhouse Rock MGM Vince Everett Added to the National Film Registry in 2004. Title song listed at #24 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs.
1958 King Creole Paramount Pictures Danny Fisher Banned in Mexico after a riot ensued at the Las Americas cinema in Mexico City, where the movie had its premiere. Final film before military service.
1960 G.I. Blues Paramount Pictures Tulsa McLean Banned in Mexico after a similar riot took place, also at the Las Americas cinema in Mexico City. All further Elvis films banned as a result, with the restriction being lifted in 1971.
1960 Flaming Star 20th Century Fox Pacer Burton A single film still from the film was used by Andy Warhol in 26 of his silkscreens, eight of which are known to have garnered US$345 million at auction and in private sales.
1961 Wild in the Country 20th Century Fox Glenn Tyler
1961 Blue Hawaii Paramount Pictures Chad Gates
1962 Follow That Dream Mirisch Company Toby Kwimper
1962 Kid Galahad Mirisch Company Walter Gulick / Kid Galahad
1962 Girls! Girls! Girls! Paramount Pictures Ross Carpenter
1963 It Happened at the World's Fair MGM Mike Edwards Filmed at the Seattle World's Fair
1963 Fun in Acapulco Paramount Pictures Mike Windgren Filmed in Acapulco by the 2nd unit crew with Elvis double (without Elvis who was persona non grata in Mexico) in November of 1962, with filming resuming in Hollywood in January of 1963 at Paramount Studios, with Elvis filming his scenes in studio in front of screen with scenes filmed at the Mexican location. The movie was not shown in Mexico, whose government only lifted its Presley ban in the summer of 1971, when Elvis: That's the Way It Is opened outside the US.
1964 Kissin' Cousins MGM Josh Morgan / Jodie Tatum Featured Presley in a dual role. Filmed after Viva Las Vegas
1964 Viva Las Vegas MGM Lucky Jackson Filmed before Kissin' Cousins
1964 Roustabout Paramount Pictures Charlie Rogers
1965 Girl Happy MGM Rusty Wells
1965 Tickle Me Allied Artists Lonnie Beale / Panhandle Kid
1965 Harum Scarum MGM Johnny Tyronne
1966 Frankie and Johnny United Artists Johnny
1966 Paradise, Hawaiian Style Paramount Pictures Rick Richards
1966 Spinout MGM Mike McCoy
1967 Easy Come, Easy Go Paramount Pictures Lt. (j.g.) Ted Jackson Filmed after Double Trouble
1967 Double Trouble MGM Guy Lambert Filmed before Easy Come, Easy Go
1967 Clambake United Artists Scott Heyward
1968 Stay Away, Joe MGM Joe Lightcloud Filmed after Speedway
1968 Speedway MGM Steve Grayson Filmed in part at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC, with various NASCAR drivers of the day contributing. Filmed before Stay Away, Joe
1968 Live a Little, Love a Little MGM Greg Nolan
1969 Charro! National General Jess Wade
1969 The Trouble with Girls MGM Walter Hale
1969 Change of Habit Universal Dr. John Carpenter Final feature film role.
1970 Elvis: That's the Way It Is MGM Himself Concert documentary
1972 Elvis on Tour MGM Concert documentary, co-winner Golden Globe for Best Documentary 1972
2017 Blade Runner 2049 Warner Bros. Pictures Posthumous release; archive footage

This page was last updated at 2024-02-02 01:00 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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