The Elvis Presley Movie Poster Collection: The King’s Every Film, From 1956 to 1969
They’re all here, including ‘King Creole,’ ‘Jailhouse Rock,' ‘Viva Las Vegas' and 'Love Me Tender'
The legacy of Elvis Presley endures nearly 50 years after his passing, as the continuing celebration of his music, films and larger-than-life persona proves. His influence has transcended generations, keeping the King of Rock ‘n Roll alive in unexpected ways. And one of the most debated aspects of his legacy is his film career, dismissed by many critics and casual viewers as formulaic, superficial and pretty forgettable. But there’s another side to that conversation that needs to be recognized: without these films, we wouldn’t have nearly as much Elvis music as we do.
These Elvis movies weren’t just about entertaining audiences or making him a star, but were carefully designed as vehicles to promote and sell soundtrack albums, which often generated more revenue than the films themselves. This actually wasn’t anything new, the tradition going back to Al Jolson, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and even The Beatles, whose 1964 film A Hard Day’s Night was originally conceived to give United Artists Records a soundtrack to sell.
“Elvis really followed Sinatra’s career,” explains Susan Doll, author of The Films of Elvis Presley.. “In his mind, when he was being courted for the movies, that’s how we saw his career going in terms of becoming an actor. Using his singing popularity and then filtering that into an acting career.”
It’s Doll’s feeling that Elvis’ films can be credited to (or blamed on) producer Hal B. Wallis: “He’s the person who tailed Elvis so tightly and squeezed him into a very specific star image. That was his specialty. He did these A-list movies and his specialty was to understand a star’s image. That was the lifeblood of Hollywood in the Golden Age where all films were cast based on the pre-existing image of the stars. And grooming a star to have a specific image. Wallis was very good at that.”
Say what you will about Elvis’ filmography, the positive, says Doll, “is the fact that he reached more fans and he was always grateful for his fans. This gave him a wider and broader fan base. And it allowed him a lifestyle to which he was accustomed. There were times when he felt isolated by that lifestyle, but there were also advantages to it that I don’t think he would have been able to live without once he got used to them.”
What follows is a visual celebration of Elvis Presley on the big screen through the posters of each of his films from 1956 to 1969.
‘Love Me Tender’ (1956)
‘Loving You’ (1957)
‘Jailhouse Rock’ (1957)
‘King Creole’ (1958)
‘G.I. Blues’ (1960)
‘Flaming Star’ (1960)
‘Wild in the Country’ (1961)
‘Blue Hawaii’ (1961)
‘Follow That Dream’ (1962)
‘Kid Galahad’ (1962)
‘Girls! Girls! Girls!’ (1962)
‘It Happened at the World’s Fair’ (1963)
‘Fun in Acapulco’ (1963)
‘Kissin’ Cousins’ (1964)
‘Viva Las Vegas’ (1964)
‘Roustabout’ (1964)
‘Girl Happy’ (1965)
‘Tickle Me’ (1965)
‘Harum Scarum’ (1965)
‘Frankie and Johnny’ (1966)
‘Paradise, Hawaiian Style’ (1966)
‘Spinout’ (1966)
‘Easy Come, Easy Go’ (1967)
‘Double Trouble’ (1967)
‘Clambake’ (1967)
‘Stay Away, Joe’ (1968)
‘Speedway’ (1968)
‘Live a Little, Love a Little’ (1968)
‘Charro!’ (1969)
‘The Trouble with Girls’ (1969)
‘Change of Habit’ (1969)
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