Jailhouse Rock was released on October 17, 1957, and is Elvis' Presley third film. It was written by Guy Trosper, with story by Nedrick Young. It was directed by Richard Thorpe, produced by Pandro S. Berman, and stars Elvis Presley and Judy Tyler.
I'm just a general Elvis Presley fan. I enjoy his songs, just like everybody else, and I do consider him the King. I'd have to say my favourite song of his is An American Trilogy. I'm not religious, and despite this song essentially being a couple of hymns put together, I just can't help myself. I love the epic feel of it. It truly shows Elvis as one of the greatest musicians of all time.
This was the first film of his I'd seen. Of course, I've seen the famous Jailhouse rock scene, but I haven't seen the rest of the film. I couldn't even tell you the basic plot of the film. I simply thought it was just some generic musical with Elvis. However, I was wrong. This film was a great look into the entertainment business, and the mind of a teenage sensation, with some great songs thrown in, and a nice little love story too.
In this film, we find Vince Everett (Elvis Presley), a young farm worker. He is sent to jail a on a manslaughter charge for a fight he didn't start, but sure did end. In jail, he meets Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), a former country musician who teaches him how to play the guitar. When Vince gets out, he attempts to become the next big thing in the music industry, with the help of his trusty love interest and business partner, Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler).
Vince has only one thing on his mind: money. Money money money. All he wants is money. This is a very realistic portrayal of someone in the entertainment industry. It's also interesting to see a portrayal of a teenage sensation, especially in this day in age, with Justin Bieber. Despite the two films being completely different, I can't help but draw comparisons to Never Say Never, Justin Bieber's documentary film. In these films, both protagonists are young teenage sensations, sweeping girls everywhere. They're young, cocky, and their careers are rising. Fast. However, that's where the similarities end. Whereas I can understand why Vince Everett is popular, Justin Bieber, on the other hand... (and the nightmares begin again.)
Elvis is a good enough actor, all he has to do is play himself. Which of course, he's great at. Nobody can play Elvis Presley like Elvis Presley. Judy Tyler does a great job as well, and it's a shame that she died in a car crash right after she completed filming this film. I would've loved to see her do more films.
This film does have a couple of problems, which I won't mention, cause they're spoilers, and sometimes, Elvis' mouth can't quite get the words he's supposed to be singing, but overall, this is a very enjoyable film, for everyone, cause who doesn't like the King? Overall, this films gets a 9/10 for enjoyment. It makes me want to check out other Elvis films, despite no other ones being on the list.
Next time, I'm watching Sideways, a road trip with Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church.
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