Elvis westerns

[stuart.uk]

Spolier

In my opinion Elvis was a great western hero, the fact he only made 3 (If you discount decent comedy Stay Away Joe), Love Me Tender, Flaming Star and Charro is a crying shame.

Though Elvis was the big name in LMT, I felt it was really a Richard Egan/Debra Paget film with EP supporting. I revisited the film not long ago, expecting to be disappointed, but found it was really quite a good film.

Flaming Star is IMO a minor classic, up there with Randolph Scott and Joel Mcrea westerns. It had a great cast John Mcintire as his white skinned dad, Delores Del Rio as his Indian mother and Steve Forrest as his half brother. Elvis was tormented in the film, the whites killing his mother and Indians, his father.

Charro maybe came to late to save Elvis' film career after a series of clunkers, but it's still a very watchable western. Charro is clearly influenced by the Clint Eastwood spaggetti westerns and features as the main villain Victor French, before he fell under the wing of Michael Landon as a nice guy in Little House On The Prairie and Highway To heaven. The talented but underused Ina Balin was Elvis' love interest. It's a pity the film couldn't have been a springboard for the return of serious Elvis' films. I remember songwriter Tim Rice saying Elvis should have carried on making movies, while doing a less hectic schedule of concert tours which took a lot out of him

[Western Guy]

"Charo" is pretty bad, but I've gotta say I really enjoy "Love Me Tender" (despite Elvis's so-out-of-period hip-swinging). Elvis does display some pretty convincing acting chops and what a terrific supporting cast. How can you go wrong with Neville Brand, Robert Middleton and William Campbell. The storyline is pretty compelling, as well.

Likewise, "Flaming Star" is good Western entertainment. Elvis, I believe, could have enjoyed a substantial acting career if not for the interference of good ol' Colonel (think Kentucky Friend rather than military rank) Parker who I know from my talks with Dolores Fuller was instrumental in pushing Elvis into films that were popular with fans of the time (think Jerry Lewis) but made limited use of Elvis's talents. It was Parker who vetoed Elvis's participation in the Streisand remake of "A Star Is Born", a film that Elvis desperately wanted to do, but rejected because of Parker's Svengali influence over what was best for him -- read: What was best for Tom (Colonel Sanders) Parker.

[Lzcutter]

If I got the chance to have three wishes to cast/recast films, I think my #1 choice would be that Elvis would have been able to take the role of Colorado (he was originally considered and Hawks wanted him in the role) in Rio Bravo and not been drafted until after the film was in the can.

Can you imagine, the Duke, Dean Martin, Walter Brennan and Elvis holding down that Sheriff's Office waiting for the circuit judge to hear the case against Joe Burdette?

And Dean and Elvis doing a duet of Purple Eyes in the Canyon? I still get all giddy just thinking about it the possibility.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Ricky Nelson in the role but dang, a girl can dream, can't she?

[stuart.uk]

I wonder if the Colonel might have put the block on Elvis doing Rio Bravo, after all Duke and Dean would have been billed above him. Parker seemed to have issuses about his star playing second fiddle in a movie, even if the role was a good one worth doing. Martin is a good example, some of best performances came in supporting roles like Rio Bravo, where IMO he was one of the few actors to steal a film from Wayne

It just occurred to me if Presley had done Rio Barvo with his strong persona, it might have been tempting to make Angie Dickinson his love interest instead of Wayne's, given the fact she was 22 and Elvis 24

[Lzcutter]

Stuart,

I'm not so sure.

Ricky was 19 when he made Rio Bravo which would have put him in the age range to romance Angie's character, Feathers.

But Hawks, after To Have and Have Not, more often than not, seemed to be looking for lightning to strike again by teaming young actresses with middle-aged actors.

Whether it was Elvis or Ricky Nelson, I doubt he would have changed Leigh Brackett's script to put the emphasis on Elvis and Angie instead of Wayne and Angie. He continued to emphasis the May-December romances often in the films that followed in the wake of Bogie and Bacall. Not to mention his own reputation as the "Grey Fox", known for romancing his younger female co-stars and any good-looking younger woman in a skirt.

You are probably right, the Colonel might have scotched the idea of Elvis being in a supporting role to Wayne and Martin but I still believe that if Elvis had been able to do the film, he would have been dynamite in the role and we would all remember Rio Bravo even better than we do now.

[stuart.uk]

I agree Elvis would have been great in both Rio Bravo and A Star Is Born

I can also see your point regarding Hawk's May to December romances. It was the same in Elderdo with Charleen Holt (In both films a more experienced actress could easily played Feathers and Maud, though Angie is great in the role in RB) However, when thinking about a possible romance between Colorada and Feathers I was reminded of Hawks later effort with Wayne in Rio Lobo. I know by this time Wayne was getting on a bit (However, he still had his romantic moments in McQ, Big Jake, The Undefeated, Cahill and The Shootist), but Hawk's left the romancing in this film to the younger members of the cast.

It's funny, but when an older blonde haired Angie suggested to Hawks she'd like to work with him again, he told her he wasn't interested, as he prefered her as a brunette

[mrsl]

.
Elvis was stiff and an obvious beginner in Love Me Tender, but he eased up quite a bit by the time he made Flaming Star and Charo, which I thought was a darn good movie western. I always thought Rio Bravo was the first movie made, and El Dorado second, but about a year ago, I was corrected and feel it was a shame EP was not included in El Dorado. My reasoning for this is that although Mitchum and Wayne would have top billing, I'm sure some sort of credit board could have been made up to make a special presentation of Elvis. Also, Mitchum and Wayne were both pretty unselfish actors, and for them to co-star with Elvis probably would have taught him a world of good as far as acting goes. I'm not sure if it would have been good for him to hang with those two reprobates in the late after hours, but sitting around a fishing hole with Mitchum would have been priceless. I know from reading his book, that whenever Mitchum made an outdoors movie, they always had to go looking for him when they were ready for him, and he was usually at some fishing hole.

I liked Elvis' performance in Flaming Star for the first half of the movie, but he loses something in the second half. In Charo, he seems to be trying to be a tough as if he is channeling Clint Eastwood. Too bad nobody took him aside to put him in a better mindset. Speaking of going aside, his Dad should have done so and told him in no uncertain terms that although he owed a lot to the 'Colonel', he did not owe him the rest of his life. But Ii guess Vernon was enjoying the flowing in of money a little too much.
.

[Lzcutter]

I always thought Rio Bravo was the first movie made, and El Dorado second, but about a year ago, I was corrected

Anne,

Not sure who corrected you and thought El Dorado was done first but they had their info mixed up.

Rio Bravo was first, it was produced by Hawks and released in 1959.

El Dorado was produced by Hawks and released in 1966.

[Western Guy]

Re: Elvis and "The Colonel":

I really don't think Vernon would have had that much influence over his son when it came to dealing with a sharpie like Tom Parker. In fairness, yes, he did guide Elvis into superstardom but he took almost total control over him when it came to decision making. As Dolores Fuller told me and is recorded in her book, Elvis remained pretty much to the end a naive, trusting country boy who bowed to the judgment of those whom he believed held his best interests. Well, Elvis became a cash cow and, like Mike Tyson, easy prey to the unscrupulous dealings of others. Dolores said that Elvis once told her he desperately wanted to do more dramatic roles, a la "Love Me Tender", "Flaming Star" and "King Creole", but once he began receiving million-dollar salaries for lesser fare like "Tickle Me", "It Happened at the World's Fair, etc. etc. . . . well, let's keep the ball rolling.

[stuart.uk]

What surprises me about Tickle Me was that he had a strong leading lady in Julia Adams who'd been in Bend Of The River and The Lawless Breed

[mrsl]

.
Lynn:

Trust me. I would have bet my paycheck that I was correct, but when certain people correct me, I bow to their finer knowledge. It was right here on SSO, and I believe I didn't argue because the cause was not that vital, and my eyes could not distinguish as to whether it was 1959 or 1956. Some things just are not worth arguing about, and this is one of them. In either case, my preference is El Dorado, but I can see EP as both Colorado and Mississippi.
.

[Western Guy]

Well, yes, Stuart, but by the time "Tickle Me" was filmed (1965), I think Julia's career was pretty much on the downward slide. A more notable exception, of course, was Miss Stanwyck, who appeared with Elvis in "Roustabout".

For the record, I pretty much grw up on the Elvis/Jerry Lewis double features that used to play at our old Lyceum Theatre. For what they were intended, they were enjoyable. But Elvis, I think, could have been an effective dramatic effort. He almost made it with "Charro!"

[stuart.uk]

Julia had her moments in Murder She Wrote