Undoubtedly the best acting from Elvis Presley in a career in which too many of his Hollywood musicals were purely mushy vehicles to sell record soundtracks (which they did in their millions).

Much of the credit for this rests on the assured direction of Michael Curtiz (who will always be remembered for Casablanca) and who successfully put most of Hollywood's top male actors through their paces, including Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn (several times) and James Cagney.

The plot, based on Harold Robbins' A Stone for Danny Fisher, is strong stuff for a musical, but there is a succession of now-familiar Elvis tracks for his fans.

Film buffs should look out for a tiny cameo from silent screen actress Minta Durfee Arbuckle, once married to legendary Fatty Arbuckle.

Both dynamic and dramatic by Elvis's later standards, with Walter Matthau an excellent menacing villain.


©ipc tx. Film content from TVTimes