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| Elvis! |
"He's the one -- the one with jumping beans in his jeans!"
Press agent Glenda Markle (Lizabeth Scott of Dark City) and her sort of boyfriend "Tex" Warner (Wendell Corey), hope to improve their situation and get lots of publicity by bringing young Deke Williams (Elvis Presley) into their band. Deke's hip-swinging antics incur the wrath of old biddies and the town council, but even the biddies are eventually won over by Deke's obvious likability and sex appeal. Jailhouse Rock, the next Presley film after Loving You, also juxtaposed an older has-been singer with an up and coming youngster but made a little more of the older man's angst, although Loving You has a slightly more serious script than Jailhouse. Elvis is fine, Scott and Corey are excellent, Delores Hart [Wild is the Wind] makes little impression as another band member and Presley's love interest. The title tune and "Teddy Bear" are the best numbers, and Presley betrays a not-terrible baritone when he warbles a ballad. One of the best scenes has Glenda reminding a disapproving council that years ago there was an outcry against jazz, and even against Debussy and Stravinsky decades before. Whatever you think of his acting and singing, Presley had presence in spades.
Verdict: Appealing performances help put this over. **1/2.
2 comments:
Hi Bill - a little Elvis immersion, eh? Teddy Bear is one of my favorite of his movie tunes. Love Lizabeth Scott, she adds a lot to this film.
-Chris
A good actress with an interesting face. May watch a little more Elvis in the days to come!
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