The Guide to...
JAILHOUSE ROCK (1957)
Elvis in action as never before!
What’s it about?
Jailhouse Rock stars the Elvis Presley his fans like to remember – young, good-looking,
and in a movie with a proper plot and the greatest rock ‘n’ roll dance number on film.
In what was his third outing as an actor, Presley (then probably the biggest star on the
planet) puts his snarling rebel charisma to good use in the role of Vince Everett, who is
sent to prison after finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. His cellmate
teaches him to sing, which sets him on the road to stardom on his release. Rated as
one of his best films, it stands as a reminder of what might have been – even his biggest admirers would admit Elvis was probably never in as good a movie again.
Who made it?
Backstory
Star Elvis Presley (who played Vince) was
already a huge star in the new world of
“rock’n’roll” when he made his film debut
in 1956 with Love Me Tender. He made
over 30 films before his death in 1977 – and
sold more than 1,300,000,000 albums.
The 1950s were all about the thennew idea of the “teenager”. In the US
economic boom that followed World
War II, young people had more money than ever before – and wanted to
spend it on things that were tailored to
them, rather than their parents. Cinema, competing with the relatively new
phenomenon of television, targeted
this lucrative market with gusto. Actor
James Dean became the poster boy
for adolescent angst – and when film
studios looked to the music charts for
box office draws, it was inevitable that
Presley (himself a big fan of James
Dean) would be signed up.
Actress Judy Tyler (Peggy) died in a car
accident shortly after filming was completed on Jailhouse Rock. It was her second
film role. Elvis was reported to be so upset
that he never watched the finished movie.
Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
penned the title track, Jailhouse Rock, as
well as other songs for the film. They continued to write for Elvis throughout his career.
The production
The most famous aspect of the film (the title track dance number) almost put an end
to Elvis’ career. While sliding down a pole, he knocked a cap from his tooth and inhaled it – the cap lodged in his lung and required surgery to remove. It was an anxious few days before his voice returned to full strength.
The reviews
“Elvis Presley’s glorious third movie [in which] the snarl and talent were for once
harnessed to a suitable plot. [Elvis reveals] an acting talent on a par with that of
James Dean, only previously hinted at in his first two movies.”
Radio Times
Look out for
What happened next?
Despite his undoubted talent as an
actor, the musical numbers are where
Elvis really comes alive. The highlight of
the film may already be well known to
some because it’s been parodied and
paid tribute to dozens of times (most
recently by Eminem) – but its vitality remains undimmed by the years. The title
number showcases Elvis’s unique style,
and was actually choreographed by
him. It introduced rock ‘n’ roll into the
Hollywood musical – so it’s apt that
Gene Kelly, the greatest dancer of
the musical’s golden age, was on set
watching it being performed.
Jailhouse Rock was a huge success
– but two months after its release in
1957, Elvis was drafted into the US Army
(military service was standard in America at that time). He resumed his Hollywood career in 1960, but struggled to
match the quality of his early films.
Talking points
Do popstars really make good movie stars?
How is acting in a film different to performing in a music video?
The music business is portrayed as being fairly wholesome in the film, do you
think it’s like that in real life?
Review starter
If you want to see how teenagers were invented, you have to see this film …
Elvis Presley is better known as a singer than an actor, but his performance in this
rock ‘n’ roll musical is…
What we think
The point where rock ‘n’ roll and Hollywood met, this classic musical is a lasting
testament to the charisma of its star.