Top Twenty Lists

Movies

The Top20 Movies were chosen based on Elvis' acting ability, how well the movie did at the box office, soundtrack, fan favorite standards and co-star background. If you disagree with our choices feel free to contact us, we will make changes if necessary.
 

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1. King Creole

 The single greatest moment in Elvis' film career came in 1957 when he was offered this role. Not only was this role originally indented to be for Elvis' hero; James Dean, but it would offer Elvis the chance to be put in a situation he would never see again in the movies. Danny Fisher is a poor kid from Bourbon Street in New Orleans. He gets involved with a gang of thugs after becoming a singer at the King Creole club. Danny gets involved with two girls. One is very confused and in the mob. The other is a sweet innocent girl from a 5 and Dime store. After accidentally having a hit put out on his father Danny is disowned by his family and gets in a nasty brawl with members of the mob. It is a thriller and great movie. Elvis gets down and dirty with his character Danny Fisher. Elvis puts such raw emotion into this film that you can really tell he knows the character.

2. Jailhouse Rock

 Elvis gets down right dirty for this role. It may be the only movie that Elvis' character is actually able to be hated by his fans. Vince Everett gets into a fight whereabouts he kills a guy and ends up in prison for months. When he gets out he has been groomed by his cell-mate to become a singer. He begins trying gigs in joints where he meets Peggy, a record company worker. After Vince shows his temper he ends up settling down and making a deal with Peggy to make records. Eventually, he becomes so big that all he cares about is how much money he is making. In the end, after a horrible accident, Vince realizes what is really important, Peggy. Throughout this film Elvis shows so much potential. It reminds me much of 'Wild One' with Marlon Brando. There are so many times when you would just wish Elvis gets punched in the face for being a smart mouth and that is down right good acting. The dance sequence for Jailhouse Rock is believed by many to be the first ever music video due to how it is choreographed. The best thing we can say about this film...it's already been said. "Elvis Presley at his best".

3. Loving You

This film is so much like Elvis Presley the man that years later it was followed and almost closely remade with the title, "8 Mile". Deke Rivers is a lonely country boy who happens to get his chance to sing on stage. It is discovered that he can sing and drive the girls wild. So Glenda, a road manager for a traveling country band signs him on. Deke soon realizes that he is at the center of Rock and Roll controversy with his swiveling hips and sexual style. This sound very familiar huh? In the end, Deke proves he can be a performer and wins over the country and his girl through a television special. Elvis played this role so well because it was all about him. The concept for this film was copied and used fifty years later in the Eminem movie "8 Mile". There is a distinct connection between both films and performers. Including the concept they try to pull across.

4. Blue Hawaii

The greatest musical comedy of Elvis' career and one that actually worked. Chad Gates is an ex-GI and is coming home to Hawaii. He is in love with Mali and surfing. His mother and father have plans for him to take over the family business but Chad would much rather go into business for himself. When the opportunity comes as a tour guide, Chad accepts. Things take a downward spiral after Chad gets in a fight and his girlfriend suspects him of cheating on her. But in the end, Chad marries Mali and they have a grand wedding at the Coco Palms resort. This picture would prove to be both a high point and low point in Elvis' career. The high point was that this was his biggest box office success and biggest soundtrack album next to GI Blues and Roustabout. But the downfall was that it would set the pace for all of Elvis' movies from here on out. The film was filled with music, scenery and lots of girls and it sold. So why mess with that? All in all this was truly Elvis finest moment as a romantic comedian and it has truly paid off.

5. GI Blues

Next to Blue Hawaii this film proved to be Elvis' biggest comedy role. Tulsa is a GI who takes on a bet that he can win over the heart of German dancer Lily. He and his friends are in an up and coming band that plans to become night club owners when they return to the states. Lily falls for Tulsa instantly and the two seem very much in love. However, Tulsa has begun to feel guilty because of the bet so he breaks things off between Lily and calls the bet off. Then he needs Lily to help him baby-sit and Tulsa stays all night at her apartment. In turn, he wins the bet that should have been ended. When Lily finds out she is furious but when she realizes Tulsa loves her and was honest with the babysitting intentions she takes him back. The End. We probably have a few people that are upset that Viva Las Vegas took a back seat to this film. Well look at the soundtrack. This album would stay on the charts longer than any other Elvis Presley album, I think it deserves it's place above fan favorite status. The album would also spark a number 1 hit for Elvis, "Wooden Heart", which is something "Viva Las Vegas" didn't do.

6. Viva Las Vegas

The biggest cult classic Elvis film ever. Any time anyone thinks of Las Vegas they put "Viva" in front of it. Lucky is a race car driver who needs enough cash to buy an engine for the next big race. He meets Rusty played wonderfully by Ann Margret. You can tell from the beginning that there is 'passion' in the stars for these two. After courting Rusty and falling in love with her Lucky ends up squandering his opportunity to race but keeps his dream alive. A dream Rusty doesn't agree with. At the last minute a surprise donor helps the team out and Lucky races. He wins too! And it turns out that Rusty's father was the financial donor to getting the engine in time. And they live happily ever after. The romantic tension between Elvis and Ann throughout this movie is really felt. You can tell that Elvis actually is into the role even though the script wasn't much different than any other movie. And if there is any question that this movie is a fan favorite it was settled at the 25th Anniversary Concert when everyone in the Pyramid Arena sang along to C'mon Everybody.

7. Change of Habit

Elvis Presley (the actor) was back in this, his final performance. Dr. Carpenter is a ghetto doctor near New York. He needs volunteer nurses, so the local church sends three nuns. The nuns, however, can not reveal their identity to anyone. Dr. Carpenter begins to fall for one of the nuns played by Mary Tyler Moore but doesn't know her true identity. She finally tells him after some interesting things happen to the nuns at the hospital and at home. Dr. Carpenter is distraught over losing Michelle. But he saves her from rape and the movie ends with them trying for a relationship. This film, in many sequences, shows Elvis as the actor he could have been. He plays out the role perfectly and adds some great dramatic acting. The scene with the little girl who is autistic is very touching to see. And you see some real emotion flow out of Elvis too. A few good songs show up in the movie too: Rubberneckin' and Change of Habit.

8. Love Me Tender

Elvis first movie that he DID co-star in, not star. I think for Elvis personally this film was a disappointment because of the music, something he didn't want. Elvis plays Clint Reno, one of four brothers. His other three brothers have been off fighting in the Civil War and return to find that Clint has married his brother's (Vance) girl. Kathy still has feelings for Vance but married Clint because everyone thought Vance was dead. Now that everyone is back things become complicated. Vance stole money from the Union Army and owes the government. When he is arrested his friends and Clint come to his jail break and take him away. The Union forces are now after Vance and the gang so they resort to hide away. Clint is suddenly torn between Vance and Kathy when he realizes that they still have feelings for each other. In a last ditch effort to repay the money, Vance's gang turns on him and forces Clint to shoot him by lying to him about Vance and Kathy. When Clint tries to fight back for Vance's sake, he is shot and dies. Not a great ending as fans expect but, despite the ending, this is a good movie. It has a wonderful cast and a few catchy tunes. Including the number 1 hit title song.  It was a good film for Elvis because it kept him in his own frame of acting.

9. Charro!

Elvis grows a beard and an attitude for this film. And now for something completely different....Jess Wade is wanted by the Mexican Army for stealing a golden canon. But the only thing is, he has been set up. The man accused of taking the weapon has a gun shot wound on his neck. Jess had left the gang that stole it months earlier for a girl. As pay back, the gang branded his neck to look like that of the gunshot wound. He is now a faulty criminal. He returns to his old hometown to tell the sheriff what really happened and see the girl he left behind. When the gang begins firing the canon on the little town because Jess captured the leader's brother chaos ensues. Finally, the gang is defeated and Jess returns the canon to Mexico no longer a criminal. Next to Change of Habit this film was the best dramatic movie Elvis ever did in the 1960's. It was what he really wanted. A Clint Eastwood type movie with no music. The only song was the title song and Elvis appears upset and shaggy in the film to add luster. Fans have always enjoyed this movie but critics have also always praised it as what Elvis should have been doing all those years in Hollywood.

10. Flaming Star

This movie was kind of a 'spaghetti-western' as we call them in the USA! It offered a serious Elvis in an out-dated role. Pacer is a half-breed Indian that is in the midst of a racial conflict in the old west. His family is divided; brother and father are white men and his mother is Native American. When a raid kills many of their friends, it is decided that a great war will begin. People must choose sides. Pacer is un sure as to what side he can take, if any. Then his mother is killed by a white man and he sides with the Crow tribe. But after learning that his father was killed by Native Americans and that his brother his on the way to kill the Crow leader, Pacer sides with the only family he has left. After his brother is injured, Pacer sends him into town to be treated and fights the Native Americans on his own. In the end, he has seen the 'flaming star of death' and rides off into the hills to die. Elvis performs this role very good. And if there is any question as to how much Elvis loved fight scenes, watch this: some drifters ask for food and Pacer and his mother are bothered by them so they ask them to leave. Pacer is so outraged at the men that he fights them. When he makes a comment to one of them they reply and Pacer belts him in the face with his gun. It is one of the coolest Elvis scenes ever!

11. Wild In The Country

Great film that really tried for a last gasp of dramatic acting. Elvis almost reaches back to his roots from Loving You and Jailhouse Rock for this picture. The cast is very good too. The film offers a different Elvis, which is always nice. Some real potential was in this film but it just fell apart as it went along.

12. Roustabout

 This film tried to take Elvis back to the dramatic role. Although in the end it wasn't to great. The soundtrack is what really propelled this movie....being Elvis' last number 1 album until the Aloha special. If any doubt that this film would be bad actually occurred, it happens in one of the opening scenes. Maggie: "I could use a good Roustabout"  Charlie: "Are You Kidding?".  But all in all it is a fan favorite and it has a little bit of everything.

13. Girl Happy

 This film may have been one of the better comedy romance films he did. Elvis actually looked very good in this picture even though his hair has taken a new look and he has put on some weight. The reason this film is good is because of the chemistry between Elvis and Shelley Fabares. Both are actors taking it as a movie but they give us the impression that they are really falling for each other off camera too.

14. Follow That Dream

 This may have been one of the funniest Elvis movies of all time. And it meant to be funny and corky. Elvis plays this role so perfectly that it's a wonder all of his light-hearted musicals weren't so well criticized. He perfectly puts across the 'dumb' country boy humor that makes this movie almost a family comedy to sit and watch. The jokes make you laugh and the supporting cast plays along with Elvis perfectly in tune.

15. Girls! Girls! Girls!

 A wonderful little comedy that has some fun music with it. It obviously presents 'Return To Sender' which was one of Elvis' biggest hits. Elvis has some what of a new style during the year he makes this movie. He has become much more suave and sophisticated. This film brings a little of both worlds to the film. A rebellious Elvis and a romantic funny Elvis. In any case he delivers well and since the film took so long to come out back onto the market...fans just can't get enough of seeing the film.

16. Live A Little, Love A Little

 Without a doubt Elvis' best comedic role since Follow That Dream was this film. It was completely updated to the times too. The late sixties...new look for Elvis....about sex and passion. It is one crazy movie though. I mean I guess he could have called the police on this chick and the problem is solved end of movie. But instead he falls in love with her and some of the ups and downs together are very weird. It presents Elvis as something new instead of a race car driver...a photographer. Some of the best parts are watching how he gets from one job to another without being noticed. This movie is a hoot and the music is pretty decent to...A Little Less Conversation and Almost In Love are two of his better movie tracks.

17. Kid Galahad

 Elvis shows more acting ability in this movie than in many of his comedy films. He also has a great well-known cast around him. I think Joan Blackman was cast because MGM was trying to get some of the karma that was found in Blue Hawaii. They wouldn't get another Blue Hawaii but they did get a new kind of picture. Elvis must have been excited about this role because of the boxing. He lost weight for the role and decided to do his own stunts so I'm sure he was ready for the challenge of becoming a boxer. He plays a simple home-town boy which is something he does very well with his charm.

18. Fun In Acapulco

 A treat for fans, Elvis goes to Mexico. Ok, so maybe not really. If this whole movie would have been shot in Mexico it would have been a newer Blue Hawaii. The soundtrack did relatively well when it was released and it was backed by a movie filled with luscious beauties and fun atmosphere. It was the simple details that took this film down. The big thing was it was once again a film about Elvis becoming a singer and going from a nothing to a something because of his voice. People were just tired of seeing it. But this has and always will be a big fan favorite.

19. It Happened At The World's Fair

 This movie was a difficult pick. It does offer much of something Elvis movies don't. And it is the first film to really show Elvis' sophisticated look. But...the movie has been off the market for years and is difficult to be backed by the fans. The music is not the most creative or best but Elvis delivers a few really nice love songs in the picture. One thing you can't deny is the location. Elvis hardly every shot on location after Blue Hawaii and this is a nice change of pace for Elvis. The cast is very unknown but Gary Lockwood is always a nice touch to an Elvis movie.

20. Kissin' Cousins

 Ok, so this was not his best work. Some people may question why we put this film up here. We like to think that the cool thing about this picture is the 'double-dose' of Elvis that you get. It was something completely new and it kind of set a standard for it's time. This didn't happen much. This film, believe it or not, has also become a fan favorite over the years. A few decent songs but the soundtrack doesn't do much for us either. All in all it's all about Elvis and getting as much of him as you can. And in this film you get plenty!