After a disappointing screen test, Elvis asked for another and five days later on April 6, Elvis signed a seven-year, three movie contract with Paramount Pictures.  His salary for the three films was to be $100,000 for the first, $150,000 for the second, and $200,000 for the third.  That contract was later renegotiated and by the end of his career, Elvis was pulling down $1,000,000 per picture.

I'll be the first to admit that Elvis movie career was not the stuff film dreams are made of.  But Elvis truly wanted to be a great actor.  He desired to portray characters in the mold of James Dean and other 50s tough guys.  But the movie scripts being offered to him were usually decided three films in advance by his manager Colonel Tom Parker with Elvis having little or no say in what was going on.  In the late sixties, Elvis finally said "enough is enough" and broke away from the film roles which had literally begun to make him physically sick.  Still, Elvis became one of the most successful and highest paid actors in the 1960s.

There are a few surprising jewels in Elvis's 31 motion pictures and two documentaries, and some where Elvis showed flashes of promise.  On this page, I'd like to offer my own reviews of his films and share some interesting points and recommendations.

In addition to my own comments and production notes, I will rate the movies on a scale of one to five with five being the best rating.  Do bear in mind I rate these as Elvis films, and a rating of five for such a film should not be confused with a high rating for a movie of academy award winning proportions.  But this page is a memorial to Elvis, and as such, it all begins and ends with Elvis.  Wow, what a great concept!  Enjoy the reviews of the films listed below.