Elvis Presley Reigns Supreme in King Creole

Working on a recent tribute to Elvis Presley using clips from his films gave me ample time to review a decent amount of his filmography (I focused on eighteen Presley vehicles, from his debut in 1956’s Love Me Tender to his final film (outside of documentaries or concert films), 1969’s intriguing Change of Habit, while avoiding much of his stale 1965-69 output and mainly limiting selections to (IMO) the best of Presley’s cinematic endeavors. The project also allowed me to take another look at Elvis’ screen persona as it evolved through good, bad and somewhere in-between movies. One major takeaway I noticed was how, regardless of the quality of the film, Elvis managed to effortlessly hold the screen, while simultaneously working hard to squeeze some entertainment value out of something like Girl Happy (and succeeding doing “The Clam” and serenading Shelley Fabares via one of his loveliest ballads, “Puppet on a String”) in a charming manner, and sometimes revealing himself to be a persuasive actor in the process.

Presley’s earnestness and magnetism on-screen was evident from his initial appearance in Love Me Tender, and these traits served him well as he attempted to broaden his film horizons by mixing sure-fire fare (Jailhouse Rock, G.I. Blues, Blue Hawaii) with more out-of-left field offerings, allowing him a chance to stretch as an actor, such as with his fine work in the compelling Don Siegel-directed 1960 Western Flaming Star, wherein Elvis gives a focused, moving performance as a half-breed facing a series of conflicts concerning his loyalty to both his family and a nearby tribe. However, vying with Star in regard to Presley’s best role and film may be his work as Danny Fisher in 1958’s King Creole, adapted from the 1952 novel A Stone for Danny Fisher by Harold Robbins. Working under the strong guidance of first-rate, renowned director Michael Curtiz, Elvis found the ideal opportunity to combine his talents as the chief rock n’ roll star of his era with scenes that pushed his dramatic abilities to the limit, resulting in possibly the most fully rounded, convincing characterization of his career.

                Supported by an exceptional cast, great B&W cinematography by Russell Harlan, and a deft, involving screenplay by Herbert Baker and Michael V. Gazzo, Creole stars Presley as a young man in New Orleans who finds himself gaining sudden success as a nightclub singer on Basin Street, while simultaneously dealing with various local underworld figures, family conflicts and a romance or two thrown in for good measure. The main storyline concerns Danny’s attempts to stay on a straight-and-narrow path and avoid a life of crime that threatens to sidetrack his burgeoning career as a singer. With his swarthy good looks and brooding intensity combined with an innate decency, Elvis does a terrific job in displaying all the complexities at play in Danny’s makeup, specifically his rebellious nature and a more gentle, vulnerable side that serves him well during more intimate scenes. He is also well-served musically, showing in numbers such as “Trouble” and the title song the talent, charisma, verve and sensuality that marked him as the most phenomenally successful recording artist of the era. Curtiz does a great job showing his young star to the best advantage, both on-stage and during dramatic sequences, making a viewer wish the man who helmed Angels with Dirty Faces, Casablanca, Mildred Pierce and a host of other classics had more opportunities to guide Elvis as he attempted to develop his acting prowess, before the Oscar-winning director’s passing in 1962.

Regarding others in the top-flight cast, with Creole Carolyn Jones found herself near a career apex in films, after starting her career in the early 1950’s and providing to have a knack for standing out in small roles in major productions, such as House of Wax, The Big Heat, The Seven Year Itch and The Tender Trap, before breaking through with her stunning, Oscar-nominated work as a scared Greenwich Village bohemian in 1957’s The Bachelor Party. Jones makes a similar impact in Creole, providing ample dramatic heft to the movie as Ronnie, the troubled girlfriend of oily, domineering nightclub owner Maxie Fields (played by Walter Matthau with cagey aplomb). Jones instills an edge and conviction to her scenes with Elvis not usually found in his romantic pairings, helping him lend depth to his portrayal as the triangle between Ronnie, Danny and Maxie intensifies. After her memorable work in Creole, Jones’ film career would continue to proposer via fare such as Career, A Hole in the Head and as a member of the mammoth all-star cast for How the West was Won, before finding her greatest (and everlasting) fame on television as Morticia in The Addams Family.

Among the rest of the stalwart players, Dean Jagger illustrates why he was considered one of the more reliable character actors of his time (with an Oscar for Twelve O’Clock High to his credit), portraying Danny’s somber father in a direct, engaging manner. Jagger is unafraid to show the defeatist attitude that prevents Mr. Fisher from moving on with his life after the loss of his wife several years before, and his scenes with Elvis wherein Danny displays shame and resentment against his father carry substantial power. Dolores Hart is once again ideally cast opposite Elvis after making her film debut the previous year in his second film, 1957’s Lovin’ You. In Creole, Hart brings both strength and purity to the role Nellie, a young girl who, along with Ronnie, develops a strong attachment to Danny. Hart and Presley play together with a simplicity and naturalness that is endearing, making it easy for an audience to root for the relationship to survive the turmoil that comes their way after Danny meets Nellie at a local five-and-dime. Vic Morrow, a few years removed from his breakthrough work as The Blackboard Jungle’s main juvenile delinquent, again shows his skill for playing a sleazy troublemaker with a creepy, hyper-kinetic zeal. As “Shark,” Morrow is great at suggesting untold dangers whose depiction would not be allowed by the production code, lending an uneasy excitement to scenes wherein Shark attempts to corrupt Danny and force him into a life of crime.

Although Creole proved a success and furnished Presley with yet another #1 hit (“Hard Headed Woman,” which curiously is only heard briefly off-screen in the film), after his tenure in the Army later efforts to move away from lighter fare, or at least combine comedy and drama elements (such as 1962’s Follow That Dream) never caught on in a similar fashion. A turning point of Elvis’ career came after his iconic teaming with Ann-Margret in 1964’s Viva Las Vegas which, although one of his biggest hits, went over-budget and caused Col. Tom Parker to thereafter focus on cranking out mostly dire movies of the comedy-romance ilk, featuring forgettable plots and songs. However, viewing films from earlier years in his career shows Elvis possessed a natural, beguiling presence and an impressive, intuitive aptitude for acting when he could strongly identify with a role and seamlessly mesh it with his inherent gifts as a performer, from his high wattage, electrifying musical style to an easy-going, friendly and vastly likable on-screen presence. King Creole stands as a lasting example of what Elvis in his prime was capable of on-screen, providing proof that he possessed ample skill both as a movie star and actor, and under different circumstances could have had a career on film to rival his accomplishments elsewhere as one of the most talented performers of his (or any) generation.