So it's film 2 of the 3 Elvis greats and the one you probably know best of all of 'em: Jailhouse Rock! I'll keep a lid on the booshwash jibber- jabba and focus on the platters that matter.
'Young and Beautiful'
-Slow tune sang in his prison cell
'I want to be free'
-Okayish tune at the prison talent show
'Don't leave me now'
-In the studio. Take 1= country version, take 2= with added backing vox (see the clip link). Nice sports coat Elvorino!
-In the studio. Frickin' great (see the clip link). Nice sports coat Elvorino!
-Classic alert! Elvis is going the full on MGM style big musical staging number in a clip you all know, and if you don't you will be severely spanked with a wet plimsoll.
'(You're so square) Baby I don't care'
-Weird film within a film moment
Weird Stuff-
Elvis commits manslaughter in a bar?!
Narration to the camera by the lawyer
Best bits
'You'll never make a guitar player: you got no rhythm in your bones'
'I wouldn't feed this garbage to a razor back hog'
'I'm gonna buy a guitar and sing love songs to you' Elvis to his landlady!
Elvis is a bad-ass, money- obsessed, bitter ex- con; a naive dude who defends an old trollops honour at the start. Again, the romance is underplayed (she's his manager/ producer) and Scotty Moore et al get on screen as well. As good, if not better, film than 'Loving you', albeit with a weaker soundtrack.
-He's just a 'kid from the neighbourhood'
- Hot groupie in his dressing room- "That's kissin', cousin''
-"Jumpin' beans in his jeans"
-"Hey Sideburns"
For the songs we have a solid selection of rock 'n' roll tunes on one of the few LP soundtracks worth buying in the Elvo (another moniker at the Den house) cannon. First up the rather tame title track that gets an orchestral treatment over the opening titles; 'Got a lot o' lovin' to do' is a stone cold classic where Elvis tones down the moves onstage at a political rally where he gets up to 'boogie woogie'!; (Let's have a) Party which is heard twice is decent but not a patch on the Wanda Jackson version- this is another song sung on a truck!; 'Lonesome cowboy' features a foxy gal in shorts in the audience!; 'Hot dog' is another live track featuring screaming bobby soxxer types. Nice black striped shirt on Elv; 'Mean woman blues' is great and is his foray into singing in a barroom; 'Teddy bear' is another tune that you'll all know that I'm no fan of. This one is delivered onstage with a mean cowboy shirt and necktie.
Plenty of high points and I fear that this may be the template that gets watered down as we progress through the next 29. Elvis is Deke: a singer who makes it...his manager shocks the media with his wild image etc...After a hectic first half hour or so we move to a kinda love triangle. This has great songs (best yet!) with a relatively formulaic script. No songs are delivered in the 'musical style. A winner!
Elvis= Vince Everett
Score= 7/10
Elvis Score= 3/3
Leading lady= Judy Tyler 7/10
Songs= 9/10
Viewed= 26/11/07
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