Stars: Elvis Presley, Dean Jagger, Walter Matthau, Dolores Hart, Carolyn Jones, Vic Morrow, Paul Stewart, Liliane Montevecchi

Director: Michael Curtiz

Summary: A musical drama in which Elvis becomes a big hit when forced to sing in a gangster's nightclub.

Considered by many to be the best Elvis movie, KING CREOLE stars the young Mr. Presley as Danny Fisher, a singer with a knack for getting into trouble. After the cops nab him for stealing, Danny vows never to violate the law again. He manages to land a gig singing at a hip nightclub in the French Quarter of New Orleans. However, mobster Maxie Fields (Walter Matthau), soon demands that Danny perform exclusively for him. And to make matters worse, Danny gets involved with Maxie's squeeze (Carolyn Jones) and risks losing his own true love, Nellie (Dolores Hart), as well as his own neck.

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Before his handlers persuaded him to settle for the safety of a screen franchise, the young Elvis Presley had weightier ambitions as an actor. The 1958 King Creole, his fourth feature outing, hints at the underlying seriousness of his goals.

Presley plays Danny Fisher, a New Orleans teenager struggling to graduate from high school while working in a sleazy French Quarter club to support his family. He's also characterised as a troubled youth with a dangerous temper and feelings of shame and resentment toward his meek, unemployed father (Dean Jagger). When Danny's gift for singing provides him with a potential career break (and the requisite excuse for Elvis's production numbers), his involvement with a ruthless gangster (Walter Matthau) and his sultry, alcoholic moll (Carolyn Jones) threatens both his future and his family.

King Creoleboasts an impressive production pedigree (including producer Hal Wallis and director Michael Curtiz, the team behind Casablanca) and the supporting cast helps elicit one of Presley's most emotional performances. Jones in particular overrides the inherent clichés of her role: her self-loathing and sexuality are both palpable. Presley--still a few years away from the more sanitised image that would be integral to those franchise features--is young enough to be a credible teen, but more crucially he makes his rage and yearning largely convincing. --Sam Sutherland

Aspect Ratio:	1.78 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Theatrical Trailer
Subtitles:	Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
Year:	1958
Release Date:	March 18, 2002
Runtime:	111 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	P H E 8147
Keywords:	Music, King, Films, Shows, Creole, Performing, Musicals, Arts
Genre:	Music/Performing Arts