DVD

Jailhouse Rock
One of the best of Elvis Presley's pre-Army films, Jailhouse Rock offers us the sensual, "dangerous" Elvis that had won the hearts of the kids and earned the animosity of their elders. Presley plays a young buck who accidentally kills a man while protecting the honor of a woman. Thrown into prison, Elvis strikes up a friendship with visionary fellow-con Mickey Shaughnessy. Shaughnessy suggests that Elvis perform in the upcoming prison show. Ol' swivel-hips scores a hit, and decides to stay in showbiz after his release. Together with pretty Judy Tyler (the former Princess Summerfall Winterspring on Howdy Doody, who would die in a horrible traffic accident shortly after completing this film), Elvis sets up his own record company. Alas, success goes to his head, and soon Elvis plans to ditch Tyler in favor of signing with a big-time label. Shaughnessy shows up long enough to punch out Elvis for his disloyalty; as a result, Elvis' vocal chords are damaged and he is unable to sing. Deserted by his flunkeys and hangers-on, Elvis learns the value of friendship and fidelity when Tyler and Shaughnessy stay by his side in his darkest hours. His voice restored, Elvis climbs back up the charts--but this time, he's a much nicer fellow, and a lot more committed to Tyler. Usually the musical numbers in a Presley picture (this one has a doozy, complete with chorus boys dressed as convicts!) are more compelling than the plot. Jailhouse Rock is a perfect balance of song and story from beginning to end; seldom would Elvis be so well showcased in the future. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Elvis Presley as Vince Everett Judy Tyler as Peggy Van Alden Mickey Shaughnessy as Hunk Houghton Vaughan Taylor as Mr. Shores Jennifer Holden as Sherry Wilson Dean Jones as Teddy Talbot Anne Neyland as Laury Jackson

Crew Randall Duell - Art Director William Horning - Art Director Kathryn Hereford - Associate Producer Alex Romero - Choreography Robert E. Relyea - First Assistant Director Richard Thorpe - Director Ralph Winters - Editor Jeff Alexander - Musical Direction/Supervision Abner Silver - Songwriter Mike Stroller - Songwriter Sid Tepper - Songwriter Roy C. Bennett - Songwriter Aaron Schroeder - Songwriter Jerry Lieber - Songwriter Ben Weisman - Songwriter William J. Tuttle - Makeup Robert J. Bronner - Cinematographer Pandro S. Berman - Producer Henry W. Grace - Set Designer Keogh Gleason - Set Designer Arnold A. Gillespie - Special Effects Ned Young - Screen Story Richard Trosper - Screenwriter Guy Troper - Screenwriter

Jailhouse Rock
If Jailhouse Rock isn't Elvis Presley's best movie, it's close enough to the top of the heap to be essential viewing for anyone interested in The King's legacy, and it's one of his few vehicles which really caught his raw, sexy energy and sneering charisma on film. Playing an ex-con ock & roll singer, Elvis' role isn't much of a stretch here, but it also allows him to let his natural charm shine through, and the film's cynical portrait of the inner working of the music business certainly seems to agree with him. Elvis didn't get many chances to play a character with a dark side or a bad attitude (especially after his hitch in the Army), and Jailhouse Rock finds him reveling in Vince Everett's cocky swagger and seen-it-all cool. Richard Thorpe's direction isn't especially inspired, but he keeps the story moving along well enough, and the production number for the title song is one of the few times Presley's live-wire magnetism made its way through the studio's choreography. Jailhouse Rock plays like a good, tough B-movie with some rockin' musical numbers thrown in, and it certainly serves Elvis and his talent far better than the glossier but empty-headed movies that dominated his post-Army career. Keep your ears peeled for the priceless moment where Elvis shares his opinions on modern jazz! ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
 

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General Specifications: Language Options: English, French, Spanish Subtitle Options: English, French Sound Processing: 1: PCM mono Additional Features: Interactive menus Theatrical trailer Scene access DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 96 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 0. Scene Selections 1. Logos [:17] 2. Main Title [1:09] 3. The Sugar Man [1:09] 4. Trouble in a Dress [:50] 5. The Fight [:52] 6. Sentencing; Hunk [5:32] 7. One More Day [2:46] 8. Young and Beautiful [3:31] 9. I Wanna Be Free [4:00] 10. Food Fight [3:01] 11. Freedom; the Letters [2:55] 12. The Exploitation "Man" [3:57] 13. "Young and Beautiful (reprise)" [3:46] 14. Don't Leave Me Now (Take One) [2:20] 15. Don't Leave Me Now (Take two) [5:14] 16. At Peggy's Parents' [4:12] 17. Vince's Voice Change [6:02] 18. Treat Me Nice [5:13] 19. The Girl's Got Other Plans [5:00] 20. Hunk Returns [3:00] 21. Jailhouse Rock [3:16] 22. One More Day (Reprise) [4:43] 23. Climax Studios [3:16] 24. The Debu-Detente [2:07] 25. Baby, I Don't Care [4:23] 26. The Way the Mop Flops [4:53] 27. Teaching Vince a Lesson [5:08] 28. Young and Beautiful (finale) [3:54] Side #2 0. Scene Selections 1. Logos [:17] 2. Main Title [1:09] 3. The Sugar Man [1:09] 4. Trouble in a Dress [:50] 5. The Fight [:52] 6. Sentencing; Hunk [5:32] 7. One More Day [2:46] 8. Young and Beautiful [3:31] 9. I Wanna Be Free [4:00] 10. Food Fight [3:01] 11. Freedom; the Letters [2:55] 12. The Exploitation "Man" [3:57] 13. "Young and Beautiful (reprise)" [3:46] 14. Don't Leave Me Now (Take One) [2:20] 15. Don't Leave Me Now (Take two) [5:14] 16. At Peggy's Parents' [4:12] 17. Vince's Voice Change [6:02] 18. Treat Me Nice [5:13] 19. The Girl's Got Other Plans [5:00] 20. Hunk Returns [3:00] 21. Jailhouse Rock [3:16] 22. One More Day (Reprise) [4:43] 23. Climax Studios [3:16] 24. The Debu-Detente [2:07] 25. Baby, I Don't Care [4:23] 26. The Way the Mop Flops [4:53] 27. Teaching Vince a Lesson [5:08] 28. Young and Beautiful (finale) [3:54]