promotional poster for King Creole
Directed by	Michael Curtiz Michael D. Moore (2nd unit)
Produced by	Hal B. Wallis
Written by	Harold Robbins (novel) Herbert Baker & Michael V. Gazzo (screenwriters)
Starring	Elvis Presley Carolyn Jones Walter Matthau
Music by	Walter Scharf
Cinematography	Russell Harlan
Editing by	Warren Low
Distributed by	Paramount
Release date(s)	July 2, 1958
Running time	116 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

King Creole is an American motion picture directed by Michael Curtiz, released by Paramount Pictures on July 2, 1958. The film stars Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, and Walter Matthau. It is Presley's fourth movie, and adapted from the 1952 novel by Harold Robbins, A Stone for Danny Fisher.

Primary Cast

• Elvis Presley: Danny Fisher
• Carolyn Jones: Ronnie
• Walter Matthau: Maxie Fields
• Dolores Hart: Nellie
• Dean Jagger: Mr. Fisher
• Liliane Montevecchi: Forty Nina
• Vic Morrow: Shark
• Paul Stewart: Charlie LeGrand
• Jan Shepard: Mimi Fisher
• Brian G. Hutton: Sal

Synopsis

Certainly the film boasts the best assemblage of talent for any Presley motion picture. Helmed by Michael Curtiz, a noted director during the golden era of the Hollywood studio system, whose famous productions include The Adventures of Robin Hood in 1938, Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1942, and in the same year, Casablanca, ranked by the American Film Institute as the second greatest American film ever made. Hal Wallis was the number-two man at the studio that employed Curtiz during that time, Warner Bros., with over three decades of experience in hundreds of films. The cast comprised an impressive array of supporting actors, including Academy Award winner Dean Jagger, along with the emerging A-List stars in Walter Matthau and Carolyn Jones.

Presley plays Danny Fisher, a young, tough musician making his way in New Orleans. Matthau plays Maxie Fields, a kingpin of organized crime in the city, with Jones as Ronnie, a call girl with limited prospects. With its aspects of film noir, its relatively realistic depiction of the mix of poverty and ambition, and in the unsentimental relationships between the three principal characters, King Creole fits in the mold of films from that era like The Big Knife and Sweet Smell of Success. Most critics cite this as Presley's best film, and best acting performance.

Soundtrack

King Creole is the sixth album by Elvis Presley, issued on RCA Records, LPM 1884, in September 1958, recorded in three days at Radio Recorders in Hollywood. It contains songs written and recorded expressly for the film, and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. It followed the film release by over ten weeks.

The bulk of the songs originated from the stable of writers contracted to Hill and Range, the publishing company jointly owned by Presley and Colonel Tom Parker: Fred Wise, Ben Weisman, Claude Demetrius, Aaron Schroeder, Sid Tepper, and Roy C. Bennett. Conspicuous in their relatively limited contribution were Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who had come to an impasse with the Colonel during the making of the previous movie, Jailhouse Rock, in which they had practically dominated the musical proceedings. Furious over mere songwriters having such easy access to Presley without going through Parker's "proper channels," the Colonel closed off their avenue to his prize client, especially since the duo had also tried to influence Presley's film direction, pitching him an idea to do a gritty adaption of Nelson Algren's recent novel, A Walk on the Wild Side, with Elia Kazan directing, and Leiber & Stoller providing the music.^[1] The Colonel put the kibosh on such notions, although echoes of the concept remained in the film, and the pair still managed to place three songs on the soundtrack, including the title track and "Trouble," arguably the film's best songs. Presley's performance of "Trouble" in the film alludes to Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley; he would return to the song for his tremendously successful television comeback special.

The songs "Hard Headed Woman" and "Don't Ask Me Why" appeared as two sides of a single on July 10, 1958, to coincide with the release of the film. "Hard Headed Woman," the A-side, and "Don't Ask Me Why" both made the pop singles chart, peaking at #1 and #25 respectively.

The album was reisued for compact disc in an expanded edition on April 15, 1997, and again in an audiophile version from Japan on August 25, 2005. For the both reissues, an additional seven tracks were added, including the song "Danny" taken from the same sessions, with six alternates, four previously unreleased.

King Creole
Soundtrack by Elvis Presley
Released	September 19, 1958
Recorded	January-February 1958
Genre	Rock
Length	33:53
Label	RCA LPM 1884
Producer	Walter Scharf, Phil Khagan
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Elvis Presley chronology
Elvis' Golden Records (1958) King Creole (1958) For LP Fans Only (1959)

Personnel

• Elvis Presley - vocals, guitar
• Scotty Moore - guitar
• Tiny Timbrell - guitar
• Neal Matthews - bass, guitar
• Dudley Brooks - piano
• Bill Black - bass
• D.J. Fontana - drums
• Bernie Mattinson - drums
• The Jordanaires - backing vocals
• Kitty White - vocals on "Crawfish"
• Gordon Stoker - bongos
• Hoyt Hawkins - cymbals
• Ray Siegel - bass, tuba
• Mahlon Clark - clarinet
• John Ed Buckner - trumpet
• Justin Gordon - saxophone
• Elmer Schneider - trombone
• Warren Smith - trombone

Track listing

Side One

Track	Recorded	Song Title	Writer(s)	Time
1.	1/23/58	King Creole	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller	2:16
2.	1/16/58	As Long As I Have You	Fred Wise and Ben Weisman	1:50
3.	1/15/58	Hard Headed Woman	Claude DeMetruis	1:53
4.	1/15/58	Trouble	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller	2:16
5.	1/16/58	Dixieland Rock	Claude Demetrius and Fred Wise	1:46

Side Two

Track	Recorded	Song Title	Writer(s)	Time
1.	1/16/58	Don't Ask Me Why	Fred Wise and Ben Weisman	2:06
2.	1/16/58	Lover Doll	Wayne Silver and Abner Silver	2:09
3.	1/15/58	Crawfish	Fred Wise and Ben Weisman	1:38
4.	1/23/58	Young Dreams	Aaron Schroeder and Martin Kalmanoff	2:23
5.	1/23/58	Steadfast, Loyal And True	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller	1:15
6.	1/15/58	New Orleans	Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett	1:58

1997 and 2005 Reissue Bonus Tracks

Positions for albums taken from the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart.

Track	Recorded	Original LP/EP Issue	Catalogue	Release Date	Chart Peak	Song Title	Writer(s)	Time
1.	1/15/58	previously unreleased				King Creole (alternate version)	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller	2:04
2.	1/23/58	previously unreleased				As Long As I Have You (movie version alternate)	Fred Wise and Ben Weisman	1:24
3.	1/58		CP1 3082	12/78	#113	Danny	Fred Wise and Ben Weisman	1:51
4.	1/16/58	previously unreleased				Lover Doll (undubbed)	Wayne Silver and Abner Silver	2:09
5.	1/16/58	previously unreleased				Steadfast, Loyal And True (movie version)	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller	1:15
6.	1/16/58	Essential Elvis Vol. 3	RCA 2229-2-R	1/91		As Long As I Have You (movie version)	Fred Wise and Ben Weisman	1:24
7.	1/23/58	Essential Elvis Vol. 3	RCA 2229-2-R	1/91		King Creole (alternate take)	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller	2:04

Trivia

• The film inspired the name for the band Kid Creole and the Coconuts.
• The Leiber/Stoller song "Trouble" was recorded by the band Samhain on their 1990 Final Descent album, and on Danzig's 1993 album .

Notes

References

• Jorgenson, Ernst (1998). Elvis Presley: A Life In Music - The Complete Recording Sessions. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-18572-3

See also

• List of Elvis Presley films
• Elvis Presley discography

External links

Movie Reviews

• Review by Cheryl Northcott at Apollo Movie Guide.

DVD Reviews

• Review of the movie collection "Lights! Camera! Elvis! Collection (King Creole, Blue Hawaii, G.I. Blues, Fun in Acapulco, Roustabout, Girls! Girls! Girls!, Paradise, Hawaiian Style, Easy Come, Easy Go) by Paul Mavis at DVD Talk, August 6, 2007.

•  • [ e] Michael Curtiz
1910s	The Last Bohemian • Today and Tomorrow • Captive Souls • My Husband's Getting Married • The Exile • The Borrowed Babies The Princess in a Nightrobe • Prisoner of the Night • Bnk Bn • Golddigger • One Who Is Loved By Two • Seven of Spades • The Karthauzer The Black Rainbow • The Wolf • The Medic • Mr. Doctor • Master Zoard • The Red Samson • The Last Dawn • Spring in Winter • Tartar Invasion Secret of St. Job Forest • Nobody's Son • The Charlatan • A Penny's History • The Fishing Bell • Earth's Man • The Colonel • Peace's Road Jean the Tenant • The Merry Widow • Magic Waltz • A Skorpi I. • The Devil • Lulu • Lu, the Coquette • Jds • The Ugly Boy Alraune (with Edmund Fritz) • 99 • The Sunflower Woman • The Lady with the Black Gloves
1920s	Boccaccio • The Star of Damascus • The Scourge of God • Miss Tutti Frutti • Good and Evil • Mrs. Dane's Confession • Labyrinth of Horror Queen of Sin and the Spectacle of Sodom and Gomorrah • Young Medardus • Avalanche • Nameless • A Deadly Game • General Babka Harun al Raschid • Moon of Israel • Red Heels • Cab No. 13 • The Golden Butterfly • The Third Degree • A Million Bid • The Desired Woman Good Time Charley • Tenderloin • Noah's Ark • Glad Rag Doll • Madonna of Avenue A • The Gamblers • Hearts in Exile
1930s	Mammy • Under a Texas Moon • The Matrimonial Bed • Bright Lights • A Soldier's Plaything • River's End • Demon of the Sea God's Gift to Women • The Mad Genius • The Woman from Monte Carlo • The Strange Love of Molly Louvain • Doctor X • The Cabin in the Cotton 20,000 Years in Sing Sing • Mystery of the Wax Museum • The Keyhole • Private Detective 62 • Goodbye Again • The Kennel Murder Case • Female • Mandalay • Jimmy the Gent • The Key • British Agent • The Case of the Curious Bride • Black Fury • Front Page Woman • Little Big Shot Captain Blood • The Walking Dead • The Charge of the Light Brigade • Stolen Holiday • Mountain Justice • Kid Galahad • The Perfect Specimen Gold Is Where You Find It • The Adventures of Robin Hood (with William Keighley) • Four's a Crowd • Four Daughters • Angels with Dirty Faces Dodge City • Daughters Courageous • The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex • Four Wives
1940s	Virginia City • The Sea Hawk • Santa Fe Trail • The Sea Wolf • Dive Bomber • Captains of the Clouds • Yankee Doodle Dandy • Casablanca Mission to Moscow • This Is The Army • Passage to Marseille • Janie • Roughly Speaking • Mildred Pierce • Night and Day • Life With Father The Unsuspected • Romance on the High Seas • My Dream Is Yours (with Friz Freleng) • Flamingo Road • The Lady Takes a Sailor
1950s	Young Man with a Horn • Bright Leaf • The Breaking Point • Force of Arms • Jim Thorpe -- All-American • I'll See You in My Dreams The Story of Will Rogers • The Jazz Singer Trouble Along the Way • The Boy from Oklahoma • The Egyptian • White Christmas • We're No Angels The Scarlet Hour • The Vagabond King • The Best Things in Life Are Free • The Helen Morgan Story • The Proud Rebel • King Creole The Hangman • The Man in the Net
1960s	The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn • A Breath of Scandal • Francis of Assisi • The Comancheros
Short films	Jn az csm (1919) • Sons of Liberty (1939)
Productions	Bright Lights (1935)

•  • [ e] Elvis Presley

Album Discography Elvis Presley (album) • Elvis (1956 album) • Loving You • Elvis' Christmas Album • King Creole • For LP Fans Only • A Date with Elvis • Elvis Is Back! • G.I. Blues • His Hand in Mine • Something for Everybody • Blue Hawaii • Pot Luck • Girls! Girls! Girls! • It Happened at the World's Fair • Fun in Acapulco • Kissin' Cousins • Roustabout • Girl Happy • Elvis for Everyone • Harum Scarum • Frankie and Johnny • Paradise, Hawaiian Style • Spinout • How Great Thou Art (album) • Double Trouble • Clambake • Speedway • NBC-TV Special • From Elvis in Memphis • • Elvis In Person at the International Hotel • Back In Memphis • That's the Way It Is (Elvis Presley album) • Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) • Love Letters from Elvis • Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas • Elvis Now • He Touched Me • • • Elvis (1973 album) • Raised on Rock/For Ol' Times Sake • Good Times (Elvis Presley album) • • Promised Land (Elvis Presley album) • Today (album) • From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee • Moody Blue • Elvis in Concert Filmography Love Me Tender • Loving You • Jailhouse Rock • King Creole • G.I. Blues • Flaming Star • Wild in the Country • Blue Hawaii • Follow That Dream • Kid Galahad • Girls! Girls! Girls! • It Happened at the World's Fair • Fun in Acapulco • Kissin' Cousins • Viva Las Vegas • Roustabout • Girl Happy • Tickle Me • Harum Scarum • Frankie and Johnny • Paradise, Hawaiian Style • Spinout • Easy Come, Easy Go • Double Trouble • Clambake • Stay Away, Joe • Speedway • Live a Little, Love a Little • Charro! • The Trouble with Girls • Change of Habit Documentaries The Pied Piper of Cleveland • • Elvis on Tour • This Is Elvis Television Specials • Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special • Aloha from Hawaii • Elvis in Concert Plays & Stage Shows based on Elvis' Works Cooking with Elvis • All Shook Up (musical) • Jailhouse Rock • Cirque du Soleil • Elvis. The Musical • Are You Lonesome Tonight? Radio Appearances Grand Ole Opry • Louisiana Hayride Additional TV Appearances The Dorsey Brothers' Stage Show • The Milton Berle Show • The Steve Allen Show • The Ed Sullivan Show Top 10 U.S. Singles Heartbreak Hotel • I Want You, I Need You, I Love You • Don't Be Cruel • Hound Dog (song) • Love Me Tender (song) • Love Me • Too Much • All Shook Up • (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear • Jailhouse Rock • Don't • Wear My Ring Around Your Neck • Hard Headed Woman • One Night • I Got Stung • A Fool Such As I • I Need Your Love Tonight • A Big Hunk O' Love • Stuck on You • It's Now Or Never • Are You Lonesome Tonight? • Surrender • I Feel So Bad • (Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame • Little Sister • Can't Help Falling in Love • Good Luck Charm • She's Not You • Return to Sender • (You're the) Devil In Disguise • Bossa Nova Baby • Crying In The Chapel • In the Ghetto • Suspicious Minds • Don't Cry Daddy • The Wonder of You • Burning Love Christian Recordings Amazing Grace • Reach Out To Jesus • He Touched Me • He Knows Just What I Need • Lead Me, Guide Me • How Great Thou Art • His Hand In Mine • I'm Gonna Walk Dem Golden Stairs • In My Father's House • Milky White Way • Known Only To Him • I Believe In The Man In The Sky • Joshua Fit The Battle • Swing Down, Sweet Chariot • Mansion Over The Hilltop • If We Never Meet Again • Working On The Building • Crying In The Chapel • In The Garden • Somebody Bigger Than You Or I • Farther Along • Without Him • So High • Where Could I Go But To The Lord • By And By • If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side • Run On • Where No One Stands Alone • We Call On Him • Who Am I? • Life • Only Believe • I've Got Confidence • Seeing Is Believing • He Is My Everything • Bosom Of Abraham • An Evening Prayer • There Is No God But God • A Thing Called Love • I, John • Miracle Of The Rosary • Put Your Hand In The Hand • I Got A Feelin' In My Body • Help Me • If That Isn't Love • Why Me Lord • Farther Along • Oh Happy Day • Bosom Of Abraham • You Better Run • Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus • Nearer My God To Thee • When The Saints Go Marchin' In • Just A Little Talk With Jesus • Jesus Walked That Lonesome Valley • I Shall Not Be Moved • Peace In The Valley • Down By The Riverside • Farther Along • Blessed Jesus • On The Jericho Road • I Just Can't Make It By Myself • I Hear A Sweet Voice Calling • Softly And Tenderly • It Is No Secret • I Believe • Take My Hand, Precious Lord • I Asked The Lord • He • Oh How I Love Jesus • O Lord, Show Me Thy Ways • Hide Thou Me • Sing You Children • Let Us Pray • Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child • Where Could I Go But To The Lord • Up Above My Head • Saved • The Lord's Prayer'' • Other Related Articles Graceland • Priscilla Presley • Lisa Marie Presley • Memphis Mafia • Colonel Tom Parker • Cultural depictions of Elvis Presley • Cultural impact of Elvis Presley • Elvis Presley phenomenon • Elvis Presley's political beliefs • Elvis Presley's relationships • Elvis impersonator • Elvis and Gladys • Elvis and Me • Elvis sightings • "Tagish" Elvis Presley • Elvis-A-Rama Museum • Linda Thompson • Judy Spreckels • June Juanico • Elvis Presley's Sun recordings • List of songs about or referencing Elvis Presley • Elvis Presley Enterprises • Elvis has left the building