Movies the King Never Made....

[0349054]

"The James Dean Story" (1957)
Originally conceived as a biographical film. Elvis Presley lobbied to
play Dean but the decision was made to make a documentary instead.



"Sweet Bird of Youth" (1962)
The role of Chance Wayne was first offered to Elvis Presley, but
Presley's manager turned it down because he didn't want Elvis to play a bad guy.


"The Way to the Gold" (1957)
This movie was originally meant to be an Elvis Presley vehicle, but Fox
refused to
pay the $250,000 plus 50 percent of the profits that Elvis' manager
asked (they had offered $150,000 plus 50 percent).


"Your Cheatin' Heart" (1964)
Elvis Presley was considered for the role of Hank Williams, but
Wiliams' widow
Audrey Williams vetoed the idea, as she felt that Elvis would become
the focus of
the movie.


As well of course, West Side Story, where Elvis was wanted as the lead and he was also wanted to be a part of, A Star Is Born.

For me anyway, Elvis' performance in King Creole, as well as Jailhouse Rock are simply his best ever acting work. Elvis, as far as im concerned, with the two performances I have just mentioned, falls into a category of 3 actors who have simply stunned me by the talent they displayed. That group consists of, James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause and Gaint, Elvis in King Creole and Jailhouse Rock and River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho as well as basically all his movies, but especially that one. Those 3 actors, displayed something which Hollywood always aspires to achieve, that sultry angst of teenage/young adult brilliance. It's such a pity that all three are gone, but the immortality of an eternal youth is a romantic concept in itself.

Anyone know of any other Movies, Elvis was offered but never accepted?

Of course we could just dream.....

[mistymorning]

What a pity that elvis lost these great chances to show his ability as a great actor! he could be really briliant! Tom Parker deprived elvis of showing his talent and ability as a serious actor .It,s unforgivable!Tom Parker looked at him just as money machine and deprived elvis of proving his acting ablities! he had shown in some of his films that he could be really great!

[spinout-designs]

How do you imagine he would have approached the role in 'A Star Is Born'.

Given his last acting role had been some 6 years previous, would he have gone all out to present a 'new' look to audiences to perhaps further attain recognition as a serious actor and at the same time distance this role from previous ones where he was instantly recognisable as Elvis first and the character was secondary ?

Would he have grown out his hair to play the role as a long haired, bearded rocker of the 70's, or would the role have been more tailored towards his style as it was in real life at the time ?

For those that have seen the movie, how does the film stand up, and do you feel it would have been a good role for Elvis, would it have had the potential to open doors for more dramatic roles ?

Not having seen the whole film myself, I'd be interested in peoples opinions regarding this. Incidentally, how many songs did Kris Kristofferson perform in the movie.

[0349054]

I wonder how Elvis would of approached the movie. I think, if it was to be critically acclaimed, he would have needed to distance himself from the 60's movies completely. But Elvis knew that his 60's movies wern't good, and some of the Memphis Mafia talk of how emarrassed he was about them.

I would hope that Elvis would of taken the opportunity to re-invent himself yet again and to stop touring for a while, to concentrate on acting. He had such great potential. I mean, had King Creole been Elvis' last movie, he would easily of been hailed as one of the greatest potential actors of the era.

[Tommy]

I didn't particulary like that movie A Star Is Born. I thought it was boring. If Elvis had of been staring in that movie it would have been great!

Tommy

[Raised on Rock]

Elvis also had the chance to play the leading role on the Oscar awarded 1969 movie: "Midnight Cowboy". I think that would be cool!

I like to imagine the '69 Elvis on the leading role of "Easy Rider" (the character played by Peter Fonda) Elvis meet Denis Hopper back in the 50's both admire each other...

[0349054]

Elvis was just such a talented actor, it really annoys me to think how his talent was squandered on money making, 'B' movies.

Elvis had the same talent as James Dean and later as River Phoenix would possess. These glimpses of brilliance don't last very long, as Linda Thompson said, "There is something about genius, that carries the seeds of it's own destruction."

[0349054]

Would Elvis of gone back to the movies eventually? I wonder if he ever would of won an Oscar, given the right role, he had the potential, as long as people let him be his own creative director.

[EnigmaticSun]

Yes, River Phoenix was a good one. Too bad the world had too much trouble accepting his sexual orientation and we miss River because of it.

I think Elvis should have been given the opportunity to play some more serious roles; people try to make fun of Elvis, but he was such an intelligent and honest man - Elvis knew about human suffering and he definitely had enough 'deepness', so to speak; I mean on a spiritual and emotional level.

[0349054]

If Elvis had lived past 77', and lets say he was still alive to this day, what movie, any movie since 77 untill today, do you think Elvis would have excelled in?

[Albert]

THe fact that Elvis never took the time between movies (and he had loooots of free time in the 60s) to follow acting classes might be a sign that Elvis didn't believe in becoming a good actor.

I think Elvis didn't saw himself as good actor, not good enough to play in good movies.

But many people believed that Elvis could have become a good actor, if someone would invest time, energy and TRUST in him.

[0349054]

Yeah by the 60's I agree. But Elvis always during the 50's I think thought he couold be a good actor. King Creole is enough to justify that.

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

Elvis could have been a great actor! unfortunately G.I. Blues set the tone for things to come, this formula proved so popular that little else was tried afterwards.

Given a different path Elvis could have honed his acting skills and moved to bigger rolls worthy of his talent.

I suppose to look at it in a possitive way if it hadn't been for the crappy movies Elvis might not have gone back on the road!!

Matt

[0349054]

So true, G.I Blues destroyed any chance he had of being a good actor. I have heard how annoyed Elvis would get, when the movie studios would take all the money earned by a Presley picture and pump it into financing a critically acclamied picture. Elvis was basically a cash cow for Hollywood, and from what I have heard it really hurt and annoyed him.

[Raised on Rock]

Elvis actually consider about seriously studing acting but... guess who brainwashed him to stop him?

Yep, the man we all know, The COronel Sanders!

[Memphisgurl]

i wonder how elvis would have done in a star is born? at that point he wanted to be taken serious as an actor

[Memphisgurl]

any thoughts?

[Tommy]

He would have been great in a Star Is Born. He would have taken away Barbara Streisand's presence in this movie.

Tommy

[1100ccRider]

If Elvis had lived past 77', and lets say he was still alive to this day, what movie, any movie since 77 untill today, do you think Elvis would have excelled in?

Quite a few. I've seriously believed, for some time now, that Elvis could have played Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. You might think I'm as insane as Kurtz, but I believe Elvis could have pulled off Marlon Brando's role (Brando didn't put any effort into it at all, and was uncooperative to a great extent, but even when he didn't try he was one of the best ever). I really do think that Elvis could have done it. Look at all of his film roles, the great dramatic ones (too few, like King Creole and Flaming Star) and the '60s formula films -- to my mind, Elvis was at his most convincing as an actor when he played it mean or angry, even if only for a few seconds in some of the '60s movies. It played to his natural strength as an unschooled actor, and is why he deserves the early comparisons to James Dean and Marlon Brando.

He'd have had to work at it hard, but I think he could have been a convincing Kurtz. That would have been impressive, and probably changed a lot of people's minds about him.

[1100ccRider]

Wasn't he up for Earl Holliman's role in The Rainmaker in 1956? I know he did a scene from it for a screen test, but I thought he was also considered for the role in the film, as his first movie (I seem to recall one of the TV hosts mentioning it, too, or Elvis mentioning it in an interview).

Also, I thought he was wanted for a role in Thunder Road, the Robert Mitchum movie that I think came out in '58.

[0349054]

Don't know about Thunder Road, but the Rainmaker was just for a screen test.

[KPM]

Yes the Col. vetoed Rainmaker because the kid brother part kinda ditzy to him. Elvis once said he did'nt want to take acting classes because he learned better by actually doing things than being taught. He ws afraid that what talent he had might get screwed up by trying to follow teachings rather than instincts. Sheree North who was in Trouble With Girls tried to convince Elvis to get into an acting class. According to her Elvis was using the "Method" approach to acting and did not even know it. He could have been a great actor, had he got scripts that challenged him and directors who pushed him in the right way.