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Jailhouse Rock (1957)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
6/12, 5/19
6/12:
Most critics panned Jailhouse Rock when the film first came out, and they found Elvis Presley's acting "stilted."
I can't believe it and thus strongly disagree. There are two memorable scenes.
The first is the music video which is famous for a couple of reasons. It's the first of any kind, and
the whole thing is well-choreographed that's actually done by Elvis himself. Yet it's just a rehearsal.
That's what makes the whole thing amazing. It was reportedly the first scene shot during the filming schedule, so
they started with the best and worked their way down.
The second, while it's not universally acknowledged, is the kissing scene between Judy Tyler and Elvis Presley along with
the iconic quote: "That ain't tactics, honey. It's just the beast in me." It's one of the best scenes in cinema history.
It's apparent Elvis was trying to imitate Marlon Brando and James Dean, and my research turns out to be true that he studied
their styles to prepare for the role. It's a good move on Elvis' part because he showed a natural ability to capture the essence
of The Method. If his acting was taken more seriously, especially for dramas, he would've been very good. Sadly, Judy Tyler
died in an automobile accident after the conclusion of filming Jailhouse Rock.
All in all, Jailhouse Rock is historical and remains the best picture of Elvis' terribly mismanaged acting career.
5/19:
I don't think anyone can be more beautiful in black and white than Elvis Presley.
Jailhouse Rock is proof positive how much potential Elvis had in acting which eventually went squandered in the
next twenty-eight forgettable purely-for-the-music hokey pictures.
Two of the greatest scenes in cinema history are the first-ever music video that was originally choreographed by the King
himself and Elvis forcefully kissing Judy Tyler which prompted her to say, "How dare you think such cheap tactics would
work with me!" before his response: "That ain't tactics, honey. It's just the beast in me."
Jailhouse Rock can be thought of a semi-biopic for Elvis Presley as it tells of a Horatio Alger
story of rising from rags to riches through music. It's exactly how it happened when he was discovered by Sam Phillips
at Sun Records who wanted to bring the sound of black music to a wider audience, that is, through TV.
All in all, Jailhouse Rock is a historical film that features Elvis Presley's best thepsic accomplishment.