Elvis Presley's Film Career
From Hollywood heartthrob to silver screen icon
Elvis in Hollywood
Elvis Presley made 31 feature films between 1956 and 1969, becoming one of the most bankable movie stars of his era. His films ranged from dramatic performances to light-hearted musical comedies, though he often expressed frustration with the formulaic nature of many of his movie roles.
Featured Films
Love Me Tender (1956)
Directed by Robert D. Webb
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Jailhouse Rock (1957)
Directed by Richard Thorpe
King Creole (1958)
Directed by Michael Curtiz
G.I. Blues (1960)
Directed by Norman Taurog
Blue Hawaii (1961)
Directed by Norman Taurog
Viva Las Vegas (1964)
Directed by George Sidney
Iconic Performances
Complete Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Co-Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Love Me Tender | Clint Reno | Robert D. Webb | Richard Egan, Debra Paget, Robert Middleton |
| 1957 | Loving You | Deke Rivers | Hal Kanter | Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey, Dolores Hart |
| 1957 | Jailhouse Rock | Vince Everett | Richard Thorpe | Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy, Vaughn Taylor |
| 1958 | King Creole | Danny Fisher | Michael Curtiz | Carolyn Jones, Walter Matthau, Dolores Hart |
| 1960 | G.I. Blues | Tulsa McLean | Norman Taurog | Juliet Prowse, Robert Ivers, James Douglas |
| 1960 | Flaming Star | Pacer Burton | Don Siegel | Barbara Eden, Steve Forrest, Dolores del Rio |
| 1961 | Wild in the Country | Glenn Tyler | Philip Dunne | Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld, Millie Perkins |
| 1961 | Blue Hawaii | Chad Gates | Norman Taurog | Joan Blackman, Angela Lansbury, Nancy Walters |
| 1962 | Follow That Dream | Toby Kwimper | Gordon Douglas | Arthur O'Connell, Anne Helm, Joanna Moore |
| 1962 | Kid Galahad | Walter Gulick / Kid Galahad | Phil Karlson | Gig Young, Lola Albright, Charles Bronson |
| 1962 | Girls! Girls! Girls! | Ross Carpenter | Norman Taurog | Stella Stevens, Laurel Goodwin, Benson Fong |
| 1963 | It Happened at the World's Fair | Mike Edwards | Norman Taurog | Joan O'Brien, Gary Lockwood, Vicky Tiu |
| 1963 | Fun in Acapulco | Mike Windgren | Richard Thorpe | Ursula Andress, Elsa Cárdenas, Paul Lukas |
| 1964 | Kissin' Cousins | Josh Morgan / Jodie Tatum | Gene Nelson | Arthur O'Connell, Glenda Farrell, Jack Albertson |
| 1964 | Viva Las Vegas | Lucky Jackson | George Sidney | Ann-Margret, Cesare Danova, William Demarest |
| 1964 | Roustabout | Charlie Rogers | John Rich | Barbara Stanwyck, Leif Erickson, Joan Freeman |
| 1965 | Girl Happy | Rusty Wells | Boris Sagal | Shelley Fabares, Harold J. Stone, Gary Crosby |
| 1965 | Tickle Me | Lonnie Beale / Panhandle Kid | Norman Taurog | Jocelyn Lane, Julie Adams, Jack Mullaney |
| 1965 | Harum Scarum | Johnny Tyronne | Gene Nelson | Mary Ann Mobley, Fran Jeffries, Michael Ansara |
| 1966 | Frankie and Johnny | Johnny | Frederick de Cordova | Donna Douglas, Harry Morgan, Sue Ane Langdon |
| 1966 | Paradise, Hawaiian Style | Rick Richards | Michael D. Moore | Suzanna Leigh, James Shigeta, Marianna Hill |
| 1966 | Spinout | Mike McCoy | Norman Taurog | Shelley Fabares, Diane McBain, Deborah Walley |
| 1967 | Easy Come, Easy Go | Lt. (j.g.) Ted Jackson | John Rich | Dodie Marshall, Pat Priest, Pat Harrington Jr. |
| 1967 | Double Trouble | Guy Lambert | Norman Taurog | Annette Day, John Williams, Yvonne Romain |
| 1967 | Clambake | Scott Heyward / Tom Wilson | Arthur H. Nadel | Shelley Fabares, Will Hutchins, Bill Bixby |
| 1968 | Stay Away, Joe | Joe Lightcloud | Peter Tewksbury | Burgess Meredith, Joan Blondell, Katy Jurado |
| 1968 | Speedway | Steve Grayson | Norman Taurog | Nancy Sinatra, Bill Bixby, Gale Gordon |
| 1968 | Live a Little, Love a Little | Greg Nolan | Norman Taurog | Michele Carey, Don Porter, Rudy Vallee |
| 1969 | Charro! | Jess Wade | Charles Marquis Warren | Ina Balin, Victor French, Barbara Werle |
| 1969 | The Trouble with Girls | Walter Hale | Peter Tewksbury | Marlyn Mason, Nicole Jaffe, Sheree North |
| 1969 | Change of Habit | Dr. John Carpenter | William A. Graham | Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara McNair, Jane Elliot |
| 1970 | Elvis: That's the Way It Is | Himself | Denis Sanders | |
| 1972 | Elvis on Tour | Himself | Robert Abel, Pierre Adidge |
Film Career Timeline
Love Me Tender (1956)
Role: Clint Reno
Elvis was originally only supposed to sing in this film, but his role was expanded due to his growing popularity.
Loving You (1957)
Role: Deke Rivers
This was Elvis's first starring role in a feature film.
Jailhouse Rock (1957)
Role: Vince Everett
The famous jailhouse performance scene was filmed in one take and is considered one of the greatest musical numbers in film history.
King Creole (1958)
Role: Danny Fisher
Considered by many critics to be Elvis's best acting performance. Based on the novel "A Stone for Danny Fisher" by Harold Robbins.
G.I. Blues (1960)
Role: Tulsa McLean
The film was inspired by Elvis's own military service in Germany and features the hit song "Wooden Heart."
Flaming Star (1960)
Role: Pacer Burton
A rare dramatic role for Elvis, showing his potential as a serious actor.
Wild in the Country (1961)
Role: Glenn Tyler
Based on the novel "The Lost Country" by J.R. Salamanca.
Blue Hawaii (1961)
Role: Chad Gates
The soundtrack spent 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart and remained on the chart for 79 weeks.
Follow That Dream (1962)
Role: Toby Kwimper
Based on the novel "Pioneer, Go Home!" by Richard P. Powell.
Kid Galahad (1962)
Role: Walter Gulick / Kid Galahad
A remake of the 1937 film of the same name starring Edward G. Robinson and Bette Davis.
Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962)
Role: Ross Carpenter
Features the hit song "Return to Sender."
It Happened at the World's Fair (1963)
Role: Mike Edwards
Features a young Kurt Russell in his first film role.
Fun in Acapulco (1963)
Role: Mike Windgren
Features the hit songs "Bossa Nova Baby" and "You Can't Say No in Acapulco."
Kissin' Cousins (1964)
Role: Josh Morgan / Jodie Tatum
Elvis played dual roles in this musical comedy.
Viva Las Vegas (1964)
Role: Lucky Jackson
The chemistry between Elvis and Ann-Margret was so strong that Elvis's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, became concerned and had them separated during filming.
Roustabout (1964)
Role: Charlie Rogers
Features the hit song "Little Less Conversation."
Girl Happy (1965)
Role: Rusty Wells
Features the hit song "Puppet on a String."
Tickle Me (1965)
Role: Lonnie Beale / Panhandle Kid
Features several previously released Elvis songs rather than new material.
Harum Scarum (1965)
Role: Johnny Tyronne
Set in the Middle East, this film features Elvis as a singing movie star.
Frankie and Johnny (1966)
Role: Johnny
Loosely based on the folk song "Frankie and Johnny."
Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966)
Role: Rick Richards
Elvis's third and final film set in Hawaii.
Spinout (1966)
Role: Mike McCoy
Features Elvis as a race car driver and bandleader.
Easy Come, Easy Go (1967)
Role: Lt. (j.g.) Ted Jackson
Features the song "You Gotta Stop" which was cut from the final release.
Double Trouble (1967)
Role: Guy Lambert
Features several British actors and was partially filmed in England.
Clambake (1967)
Role: Scott Heyward / Tom Wilson
Elvis plays a millionaire who trades places with a water ski instructor.
Stay Away, Joe (1968)
Role: Joe Lightcloud
Based on the novel by Dan Cushman.
Speedway (1968)
Role: Steve Grayson
Features Nancy Sinatra as Elvis's love interest.
Live a Little, Love a Little (1968)
Role: Greg Nolan
Features the song "A Little Less Conversation" which became a hit in 2002 when remixed by JXL.
Charro! (1969)
Role: Jess Wade
One of the few Elvis films where he doesn't sing on screen.
The Trouble with Girls (1969)
Role: Walter Hale
Based on the novel "The Chautauqua" by Day Keene and Dwight Vincent Babcock.
Change of Habit (1969)
Role: Dr. John Carpenter
Elvis's final acting role in a feature film.
Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970)
Role: Himself
The film documents Elvis's 1970 concert engagement in Las Vegas, showcasing his return to live performances after years of focusing on movies.
Elvis on Tour (1972)
Role: Himself
Won the Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary in 1973.
Career Highlights
🎬 Breakthrough Role
Elvis made his film debut in Love Me Tender (1956), where he was originally only supposed to sing. His role was expanded due to his growing popularity, marking the beginning of his film career.
🎥 Critical Acclaim
King Creole (1958) is widely regarded as Elvis's best acting performance. Director Michael Curtiz (of Casablanca fame) worked closely with Elvis to bring out his dramatic abilities.
🎵 Musical Success
The soundtrack for Blue Hawaii (1961) spent 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart and remained on the chart for 79 weeks, becoming one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time.
🎭 Chemistry On Screen
Elvis's on-screen chemistry with Ann-Margret in Viva Las Vegas (1964) was so strong that his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, became concerned and had them separated during filming.
📽 Final Role
Elvis's final acting role was in Change of Habit (1969), where he played a doctor working with nuns in a poor neighborhood. The film tackled social issues like poverty and urban decay.