Elvis Presley (1935-1977) was an American entertainer who achieved initial success as a singer, expressing 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 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 were dramatic storylines written around Presley in the role of a musical entertainer. He would later state that King Creole was his favorite of all his films. Flaming Star and Wild in the Country were rarities in his career, non-musicals focused on dramatic storylines. According to music historian Peter Guralnick, the sluggish financial returns of those two films became the justification for ignoring Presley's wishes and limiting him to the more profitable musical format.
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.
Video Elvis Presley on film and television
Acting credits
Television
Feature films
Maps Elvis Presley on film and television
Notes
References
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- Guralnick, Peter (1994). Last train to Memphis : The Rise of Elvis Presley. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-33220-0.
- Guralnick, Peter (1999). Careless Love : The Unmaking of Elvis Presley. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-33222-4.
- Guralnick, Peter; Jorgensen, Ernst (1999). Elvis Day by Day: The Definitive Record of His Life and Music. New York, NY: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-42089-3.
- Jorgensen, Ernst; Guralnick, Peter (1998). Elvis Presley: A Live in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-18572-5.
- Lisanti, Tom (2000). Fantasy Femmes of 60's Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-0868-9.
- Lisanti, Tom (2012). Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies The First Wave, 1959-1969. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-7297-0.
- Marsh, Dave (1982). Elvis. New York, NY: Time Books. ISBN 0-8129-0947-X.
- Neibaur, James L. (2014). The Elvis Movies. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-3073-6.
- Rose, Frank (1996). The Agency: William Morris and the Hidden History of Show Business. New York, NY: HarperBusiness. ISBN 978-0-88730-807-9.
- Templeton, Steve; Craig, Yvonne (2002). Elvis Presley: Silver Screen Icon: A Collection of Movie Posters. Johnson City, TN: Overmountain Press. ISBN 978-1-57072-232-5.
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