Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14937 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-03-18
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Black & White, Dubbed, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
• Dubbed in: French, German, Italian, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 111 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
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 Creole boasts 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

Video Description
DVD Special Feautres:
Language: English (dolby digital 5.1), French, German, Italian, Spanish (mono), Restored English. Black & White
111 mins approx

Synopsis
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.

Customer Reviews

Magnificent
King Creole was Elvis' fourth film, and with a stellar cast, legendary director and a great script; you'll know that King Creole is an excellent film.

Regarded by many as Elvis best film; I disagree, "Flaming Star", "Jailhouse Rock", "Wild in the Country", "Change of Habit" and "Charro" are also contenders.

Excellent, Just Excellent
Many believe King Creole to be the best film that Elvis ever made. Well, that's not far wrong, as King Creole is an excellent film, so good that I would rate it very close to the likes of Rebel Without a Cause.

The cast is great (Walter Matthau, Dean Jagger & Carolyn Jones) plus the legendary Michael Curtiz of Casablanca fame, in the directors seat.

King Creole is so good that many critics, and indeed fans can't see past it. Which is a shame as Elvis made many more high calibur films, that, when looked at without pre-conceptions about the fluff and beach films, we have a very fine actor in Mr Presley.

It's also a pity that there are no special features on this DVD, as the transfer is excellent as is the great sound.

My personal recommendations, aside from King Creole, I would say that Flaming Star was his best film. Check out the 10 best below, they are excellent.

1 Flaming Star
2 King Creole
3 Wild in the Country
4 The Trouble With Girls
5 Change of Habit
6 Jailhouse Rock
7 Follow that Dream
8 Charro
9 Stay Away Jow
10 It Happened at the Worlds Fair

Undoubtably the King's best movie!
If you only ever see one Elvis movie, see this one, Elvis' personal favourite. More than any of the other thirty movies Presley starred in, King Creole shows Elvis' remarkable talent and acting ability.

A 'colourful' movie, shot in black and white. Lies, cheating, stealing, cheap nightclubs, cheap women, and that's only on Bourbon Street!

Memorable characters you'll love and hate. The unscrupulous Maxi Fields, Nellie the nice girl, and Ronnie the moll to name a few.

A superb script, terrific cast and good soundtrack make King Creole timeless.