Jailhouse Rock [Blu-ray]

Director: Richard Thorpe Richard Thorpe

Overview

One of the best of Elvis Presley's pre-Army films, Jailhouse Rock offers us the sensual, "dangerous" Elvis that had won the hearts of the kids and earned the animosity of their elders. Presley plays a young buck who accidentally kills a man while protecting the honor of a woman. Thrown into prison, Elvis strikes up a friendship with visionary fellow-con Mickey Shaughnessy. Shaughnessy suggests that Elvis perform in the upcoming prison show. Ol' swivel-hips scores a hit, and decides to stay in showbiz after his release. Together with pretty Judy Tyler (the former Princess Summerfall Winterspring on Howdy Doody, who would die in a horrible traffic accident shortly after completing this film), Elvis sets up his own record company. Alas, success goes to his head, and soon Elvis plans to ditch Tyler in favor of signing with a big-time label. Shaughnessy shows up long enough to punch out Elvis for his disloyalty; as a result, Elvis' vocal chords are damaged and he is unable to sing. Deserted by his flunkeys and hangers-on, Elvis learns the value of friendship and fidelity when Tyler and Shaughnessy stay by his side in his darkest hours. His voice restored, Elvis climbs back up the charts--but this time, he's a much nicer fellow, and a lot more committed to Tyler. Usually the musical numbers in a Presley picture (this one has a doozy, complete with chorus boys dressed as convicts!) are more compelling than the plot. Jailhouse Rock is a perfect balance of song and story from beginning to end; seldom would Elvis be so well showcased in the future.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/18/2007
UPC:	0012569798434
Original Release:	1957
Rating:	NR
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:36:00
Sales rank:	25,214

Special Features

Commentary by Steve Pond, Author of Elvis in Hollywood; New Featurette the Scene That Stole Jailhouse Rock; Soundtrack Remastered in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 as Well as Original Mono; Theatrical Trailer.

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Elvis Presley	Vince Everett
Judy Tyler	Peggy Van Alden
Mickey Shaughnessy	Hunk Houghton
Jennifer Holden	Sherry Wilson
Dean Jones	Teddy Talbot
Anne Neyland	Laury Jackson
Hugh Sanders	Warden
Vaughn Taylor	Mr. Shores
Mike Stoller	Pianist
Grandon Rhodes	Prof. August Van Alden
Katherine Warren	Mrs. Van Alden
Don Burnett	Mickey Alba
George Cisar	Jake the Bartender
Glenn Strange	Simpson, Convict
John Indrisano	Convict
Robert Bice	Bardeman, TV Studio Manager
Percy Helton	Sam Brewster
Peter Adams	Jack Lease
William Forrest	Studio Head
Dan White	Paymaster
Robin Raymond	Dotty
John Day	Ken
S. John Launer	Judge
Dick Rich	Guard
Elizabeth Slifer	Cleaning Woman
Gloria Pall	Stripteaser
Fred Coby	Bartender
Frank Kreig	Drunk
William Tannen	Record Distributor
Wilson Wood	Record Engineer
Tom McKee	TV Director
Donald Kerr	Photographer
Carl Milletaire	Drummond
Francis DeSales	Surgeon
Harry Hines	Hotel Clerk
Dorothy Abbott	Woman in Cafe
Walter Johnson	Shorty
Roy Bennett	Composer
Jerry Leiber	Composer
Aaron Schröder	Composer

Technical Credits

Guy Trosper

Richard Trosper

Guy Troper

Richard Thorpe	Director
Guy Trosper	Screenwriter
Pandro S. Berman	Producer
A. Arnold Gillespie	Special Effects
Wesley C. Miller	Sound Effects
Richard Trosper	Screenwriter
Guy Troper	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Widely considered the greatest rock musical of all time, Jailhouse Rock combines elements of the classic juvenile-delinquent cautionary tale with a fascinating look at early rock-'n' -roll. Its main draw is the charismatic presence of Elvis Presley, alluringly moody as Vince Everett, a construction worker sent to prison when a bar fight turns fatal. He goes in a decent if hotheaded kid and comes out a hard-as-nails ex-con. Managing to parlay a knack for music into rock stardom, Everett nearly destroys his life with his narcissistic behavior. Of course, all his destructiveness only makes Everett one of the sexiest characters Presley ever played. The film boasts a variety of bluesy Elvis tunes, and Mike Stoller -- who penned many of Presley's best songs along with Jerry Lieber -- appears in a cameo as a piano player. The showstopper, though, is "Jailhouse Rock" itself, as exuberant, gorgeous, and sublimely ridiculous a wide-screen musical sequence as anyone could want.

Barnes & Noble - Amy Robinson

If Jailhouse Rock isn't Elvis Presley's best movie, it's close enough to the top of the heap to be essential viewing for anyone interested in The King's legacy, and it's one of his few vehicles which really caught his raw, sexy energy and sneering charisma on film. Playing an ex-con rock & roll singer, Elvis' role isn't much of a stretch here, but it also allows him to let his natural charm shine through, and the film's cynical portrait of the inner working of the music business certainly seems to agree with him. Elvis didn't get many chances to play a character with a dark side or a bad attitude (especially after his hitch in the Army), and Jailhouse Rock finds him reveling in Vince Everett's cocky swagger and seen-it-all cool. Richard Thorpe's direction isn't especially inspired, but he keeps the story moving along well enough, and the production number for the title song is one of the few times Presley's live-wire magnetism made its way through the studio's choreography. Jailhouse Rock plays like a good, tough B-movie with some rockin' musical numbers thrown in, and it certainly serves Elvis and his talent far better than the glossier but empty-headed movies that dominated his post-Army career. Keep your ears peeled for the priceless moment where Elvis shares his opinions on modern jazz!

All Movie Guide - Mark Deming