Movie #113- "Jailhouse Rock" (1957)

Music has almost always played a role in the history of motion pictures going back to when pianists and live musicians would provide the musical score during the silent era.  When sound hit the screen with "The Jazz Singer", music helped blaze the trail as the audience could hear the musical numbers projected in front of them.  Al Jolson was a singer/entertainer, bringing his talents from Broadway onto the silver screen.  Throughout the history of movies, musicians have tried to navigate between the two worlds.  The appearances would vary in degrees, with some singers/musicians appearing as themselves while others would make an attempt at acting.  We still see it occur today, with a vast range of success.
Elvis Presley is easily one of the biggest names in rock history, and along his musical credits, he has multiple acting credits in his career.  Elvis' acting career is often dogged about the later movies in his repartee, but it's an area I can't comment because I have never seen a non-performance Elvis movie.  My father was a big Elvis fan, and I remember him taking my sister and I to an Elvis double feature in which both films were performance based (one may have been "Elvis on Tour").  I believe my sister fell asleep and we left before the second film finished.  So into more uncharted territory I wondered.
Elvis brings a dangerous charisma to the role of Vince.  His status as a bad boy, a threat to moral decency helped shape the character.  Elvis sneers at everyone, including those close to him.  Vince wants to be a singer/songwriter, but soon that isn't enough.  As he climbs the ladder success, he revels in a world of excess.  Vince gives the illusion of the man everyone adores while mistreating those in his inner circle.  Fame can create problems as the real Elvis would also discover. 
MOVIE ENDING SPOILER ALERT!  But then, we get toward to the end of the film.  Vince develops a vocal issue and may never sing again.  It's a tense moment as he approaches the piano, and surprise, his voice is back.  Instead of any real apologies to the people he's treated unfairly, the movie simply ends.  It's like a huge build up to his comeuppance, then nothing.
On a musical level, the film logically integrates the music into the story.  The "Jailhouse Rock" sequence is  deserving of it's classic status, and is really the only production number.  The other numbers are scattered about the film, during recording sessions, performances, etc. 
Elvis showed promise in this role, but once the connection between movies and soundtracks was made, the descent into cheese began.

Rating: 7/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 107