The upcoming biopic Elvisfrom director Baz Luhrmannhas renewed interest in its subject, and despite mixed reviews, Austin Butler‘s portrayal of the superstar is consistently cited as the best part of the film. Revisiting the life of Elvis Presley is a daring feat – those that knew him at the height of his fame are aging out, those who remember his last days know him as a bloated, Las Vegas showman, and those after associate Presley with impersonators, or as an option for celebrant at Las Vegas quickie weddings. By most accounts, Butler has been able to move past the impersonations and caricatures to find the Elvis that wooed countless teenage girls, a showman that oozed charm and danger in equal parts. All the properties that studios wanted to bottle and sell to the public on the movie screens.
As we prepare to welcome the latest in a long line of Elvis biographies, let’s take a look at the films that played a pivotal role in the singer’s rise to mega-stardom.
Tulsa McLean in GI Blues (1960)
GI Blues follows US Army Specialist Tulsa McLean (Elvis Presley), a tank crewman with a singing career. He aspires to run his own nightclub after he leaves the army, but does not have the money to act on his dream. To raise money, Tulsa places a bet with his friend, Dynamite (Edson Stroll), that he can spend the night with Lili (Juliet Prowse), a club dancer rumored to be hard to get. GI Blues is Presley’s first film following his real stint in the US Army.
Chadwick “Chad” Gates in Blue Hawaii (1961)
Chadwick “Chad” Gates (Presley) returns to Hawaii after being released from the Army, reuniting with his beach friends and his girlfriend Maile.Joan Blackman). His mother, Sarah Lee (Angela Lansbury), wants him to take over the family business, but Chad is reluctant and chooses to work as a tour guide at his girlfriend’s agency. His first clients are an attractive teacher and four teenage girls, which does not sit great with Maile. All ends well, with Chad and Maile forming their own tourism business, and getting married in a lavish Hawaiian ceremony.
Jess Wade in Charro! (1969)
Jess Wade (Presley) is a former member of a gang of outlaws led by Vince Hackett (Victor French). The reformed Wade is made the scapegoat for the theft of a gold-plated cannon Hackett’s gang stole from the nearby town. The outlaws rough Wade up and leave him stranded while they go back to the town, demanding a ransom. Wade captures a wild horse, saddle breaks it, and rides into town to save the townspeople from his former gang. Charro! is notable for being the only film in which Presley does not sing on-screen, the only film Presley wears a beard in, and for Presley being cast after Clint Eastwood passed on the role.
Walter Gulick in Kid Galahad (1962)
Orphaned as an infant, Walter Gulick (Presley) returns to his birthplace, Cream Valley, New York. He lands a job as a sparring partner at a boxing camp, but a wicked right hook catches the attention of Willy Grogan (Gig Young). Hitting the boxing circuit as Kid Galahad, Walter rises quickly, and overcomes pressure from mobsters to take a dive, becoming champion and setting things right.
Rusty Wells in Girl Happy (1965)
Nightclub singer Rusty Wells (Presley) and his band are hired by club owner Big Frank (Harold Stone) to watch over his daughter Valerie (Shelley Fabares) in Fort Lauderdale and ensure she does not get in trouble. Easier said than done, of course, as Rusty and the guys struggle to keep persistent Italian exchange student Romano (Fabrizio Mioni) away from Valerie. Eventually Rusty and Valerie fall in love, and even though she is angered once it’s revealed he was hired by her father, they rekindle their relationship with the blessing of Big Frank.
Clint Reno in Love Me Tender (1956)
Love Me Tender was the acting debut of Presley, and the only time he did not have top billing in a feature. Presley plays Clint Reno, who stays home as his three older brothers fight for the Confederates in the American Civil War. Vance Reno (Richard Egan) and the other two brothers return to a changed home four years later. Now home, Vance plans on returning money stolen from a Union train by the brothers, which puts them at odds with fellow ex-Confederates, resulting in a final shootout that takes the life of Clint.
Danny Fisher in King Creole (1958)
King Creole is hailed as one of Presley’s best acting performances, playing nineteen-year-old student Danny Fisher, who quits school to find work to support his father and sister. He is lured into membership in a gang, but leaves when he lands a job as a singer at the King Creole nightclub, the only nightspot not owned by gangster Maxie Fields (Walter Matthau). Maxie attempts to hire him for his own club, but Danny declines, leading to a finale where Maxie, his mistress Ronnie (Carolyn Jones) and lead thug Shark (Vic Morrow) are killed, leaving Danny and Nellie (Dolores Hart) free.
Vince Everett in Jailhouse Rock (1957)
In jail serving a one-year sentence for manslaughter, Vince Everett (Presley) is introduced to the record business by his cellmate, Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy). Everett decides to become a singer when he gets out, which he does successfully, but the arrogance from his success alienates those closest to him. A fight with Hunk brings him to realize the errors of his ways, ending the film on a positive note. The film is the source of the iconic dance sequence to the title song.
Lucky Jackson in Viva Las Vegas (1964)
Lucky Jackson (Presley) goes to Las Vegas, looking to participate in the city’s first annual Grand Prix Race. In order to compete, he needs to buy a new engine for his car. He raises the money, only to lose it after being shoved into the pool by the hotel’s swimming instructor Rusty Martin (Ann-Margret). In order to replace the money and pay his hotel bill, he begins to work as a waiter, and enters the hotel’s talent contest to win a cash prize, all while trying to woo Martin away from his romantic and race car competition, Count Elmo Mancini (Cesare Danova).
Elvis on Tour (1972)
Elvis on Tour is a concert film and offstage documentary, recorded during a fifteen-city spring tour earlier that year. The movie’s claim to fame is its win for Best Documentary Film at the 30th Golden Globe Awards, the only time an Elvis movie had won an award in film.