Jailhouse Rock
Directed by Richard Thorpe
Written by Guy Trosper; story by Nedrick Young
1957/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Avon Productions
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Vince Everett: That ain’t tactics, honey. It’s just the beast in me.[/box]
This better-than-average vehicle for Elvis is a lot of fun.
Vince Everett (Elvis Presley) is minding his own business in a bar when he is forced to come to the defense of a lady who is being manhandled by her boyfriend. In the ensuing fistfight, the man dies and Vince is convicted of manslaughter and sent to the pen. There, he shares a cell with the prison’s deal-maker Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), an ex-country singer. Hunk shows him the ropes. Vince eventually shows some talent for singing. Hunk contrives to hide his popularity from him and they agree to become 50-50 partners after their release. A whipping makes Vince hard and bitter.
After Vince is released, he looks up Hunk’s old manager, who refuses to give him a chance. He gets on stage to prove his stuff and Peggy Van Allen, a pretty record promoter, takes him on. They are clearly on the road to romance but Vince’s obsession with fame and money stands in the way. Vince’s stardom makes him more obnoxious than ever. When will he ever see the light?
This has more of a plot than a lot of these things, some classic songs by Lieber and Stoller (the title tune, “You’re So Square”, and “Treat Me Nice”) and the “Jailhouse Rock” production number, in which Elvis shows off some pretty impressive dance moves. I had fun watching it.
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