Description
Book SynopsisElvis Presley's stature as the King of Rock and Roll will never be challenged. Between his first RCA hit single in 1956the number-one smash Heartbreak Hoteland 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 in
Trade ReviewNeibaur reveals a side of Elvis Presley’s career that is often overlooked, and does so in a way that is sure to change the mind of anyone who dismisses it as unimportant in film history. This book, with its numerous interviews, behind-the-scenes info, and Neibaur’s added insight, will both inform and delight both longtime Elvis fans and those who are only just discovering his brilliance. * Examiner.com *
Neibaurs book is well written. . . .[H]e makes the history of Elvis Presley's film career comprehensible. . . .A very readable book, a wonderful addition to the other, is very recent publications on the film career of Elvis Presley. * The Memphis Flash *
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s Elvis Presley starred in over thirty movies with most dismissed as lighthearted vehicles to help sell the accompanying soundtrack albums. . . .However, they were a major part of Elvis' career and have often been overlooked in print with very few books examining his movie career. Fortunately that has now been corrected with the publication of James L. Neibaur’s latest book, The Elvis Movies. Neibaur, a film historian, is well qualified to write such a book as his previous work has included studies of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harry Langdon, among others. In The Elvis Movies he offers in-depth and critical discussions about each movie starting with Love Me Tender in 1956 and ending with Change Of Habit in 1969. . . .Besides the details of each film (producers, directors, actors, actresses, songs, box office gross etc) Neibaur examines the impact the movies had on Elvis’s career and popular culture at the time. By including chapters on The Rise of Elvis Presley, Elvis In The Army, The Comeback Special and The Final Years Neibaur also tracks the evolution of Elvis’s career and personal life. The book is also illustrated with movie stills, posters and trade ads which help illustrate the story. . . .The Elvis Movies reveals an often overlooked aspect of Elvis Presley’s career in a way that should change the mind of those who dismiss it as unimportant in the history of film and is highly recommended. * Peter Lewry - Official Blog *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 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
