King Creole (1958)
(Michael Curtiz, US 1958. 116 min., DCP)
Elvis Presley is a nightclub singer (who croons “Hard-Headed Woman” and “Trouble,” among others) dragged into the criminal underworld. Filmed in VistaVision, most famous for White Christmas and four Alfred Hitchcock films, which flips 35mm film on its side to maximize resolution while providing a widescreen image. Call this my guilty pleasure, if you must, but it’s the closest Elvis ever came to fulfilling his potential as a potent actor and rebellious threat, before the Army and manager Col. Tom Parker put him in a cage. The film also features an early appearance by Walter Matthau as a gangster, expert direction by Curtiz (Casablanca), and Presley’s greatest song score by far.” — Jack Garner