Jailhouse Rock (1957)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Nedrick Young (story)
Guy Trosper (writer)

Release Date:

8 November 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

MGM Presents ELVIS PRESLEY at his greatest

Plot:

After serving time for manslaughter, young Vince Everett becomes a teenage rock star.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Manslaughter | Country Singer | Fame | Jail

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Elvis Presley	...	Vince Everett
Judy Tyler	...	Peggy Van Alden
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Hunk Houghton
Vaughn Taylor	...	Mr. Shores (narrator)
Jennifer Holden	...	Sherry Wilson
Dean Jones	...	Teddy Talbot
Anne Neyland	...	Laury Jackson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Abbott	...	Woman in restaurant (uncredited)
Peter Adams	...	Jack Lease (uncredited)
François André	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Robert Bice	...	Bardeman (TV studio manager) (uncredited)
Bill Black	...	Bass player (uncredited)
Don Burnett	...	Mickey Alba (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Waiter in Strip Club (uncredited)
George Cisar	...	Jake (bartender) (uncredited)
Fred Coby	...	Jerry (bartender) (uncredited)
John Daheim	...	Tough man in bar (uncredited)
John Dennis	...	Mail clerk #1 (uncredited)
Francis De Sales	...	Surgeon (uncredited)
Elaine DuPont	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Joan Dupuis	...	Record shop girl (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Van Alden party guest (uncredited)
D.J. Fontana	...	Drummer (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Head of studio (uncredited)
Jo Gilbert	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Bill Hale	...	Guard (uncredited)
Percy Helton	...	Sam Brewster (uncredited)
Jack Herrin	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Bill Hickman	...	Guard who whips Vince (uncredited)
Harry Hines	...	Hotel clerk (uncredited)
Bob Hopkins	...	Announcer (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Convict (uncredited)
Walter Johnson	...	Shorty (bartender) (uncredited)
Sid Kane	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Studio photographer (uncredited)
George Klein	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Frank Kreig	...	Drunk (uncredited)
S. John Launer	...	Judge (uncredited)
Alyn Lockwood	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
John Logan	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Tom Mayton	...	Mail clerk #2 (uncredited)
Joe McGuinn	...	Studio gateman (uncredited)
Tom McKee	...	TV director (uncredited)
Carl Milletaire	...	Mr. Drummond (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Shooting gallery proprietor (uncredited)
Orv Mohler	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Scotty Moore	...	Guitar player (uncredited)
Tracey Morgan	...	Girl in booth (uncredited)
Gloria Pall	...	Striptease woman (uncredited)
Joe Ploski	...	Convict in 'Jailhouse Rock' number (uncredited)
Charles Postal	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Robin Raymond	...	Dotty (uncredited)
Grandon Rhodes	...	Prof. August van Alden (uncredited)
Dick Rich	...	Prison guard (uncredited)
Hugh Sanders	...	Prison warden (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Van Alden Party Guest (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Elizabeth Slifer	...	Cleaning woman (uncredited)
K.L. Smith	...	Worker (uncredited)
Mike Stoller	...	Piano player (uncredited)
Glenn Strange	...	Matt (convict) (uncredited)
Bob Stratton	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Convict in Yard (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	Record distributor (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Record Shop Owner in Montage (uncredited)
Paula Trent	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Katherine Warren	...	Mrs. Van Alden (uncredited)
Steve Warren	...	Assistant director (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Paymaster (uncredited)
Russ Whitney	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Linda Williams	...	Girl in bathing suit (uncredited)
Matt Winston	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Recording engineer (uncredited)
Jack Younger	...	Minor Role (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Thorpe

Writing credits
Nedrick Young		(story) (as Ned Young)
Guy Trosper		(writer)

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer
Kathryn Hereford	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jeff Alexander

Cinematography by
Robert J. Bronner		(director of photography) (as Robert Bronner)

Film Editing by
Ralph E. Winters

Art Direction by
Randall Duell
William A. Horning

Set Decoration by
F. Keogh Gleason		(as Keogh Gleason)
Henry Grace

Makeup Department
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist

Production Management
James Marchant	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert E. Relyea	....	assistant director
Hank Moonjean	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Wesley C. Miller	....	recording supervisor (as Dr. Wesley C. Miller)

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects

Stunts
Joe Gray	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Jeff Alexander	....	music supervisor
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Tom Parker	....	technical advisor (as Colonel Tom Parker)
Alex Romero	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Avon Productions (II)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1975) (USA) (TV) (network premiere) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm and 16mm prints)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Perspecta Sound encoding) (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | New Zealand:G | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G (alternate rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Chile:TE | Finland:K-16 | Norway:12 (video rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Avon Productions (II)

Trivia:

In the listing of the American Film Institute's "100 years, 100 Songs" the song "Jailhouse Rock" was voted #21.

Goofs:

Continuity: No visible sign of tracheotomy.

Quotes:

Vince Everett: [their first meeting, after she has criticized his dull singing style] Okay, you're used to the top talent. What are you wasting your time working *me* over for?
Peggy Van Alden: [softly] I like the way you swing a guitar.
[they look at each other and start laughing]
Vince Everett: Yeah, I guess I *did* get a lot of wrist action into it, didn't I?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Elvis at the Movies (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Don't Leave Me Now

Reactions to one of Elvis' best flicks

I heard a young woman who hadn't seen "Jailhouse Rock" before leaving the Parkway Theater here in Oakland say "I didn't expect it to be so sad." And yes, it's a pretty dark version of Elvis' own early life. To add to the dark shadow over this film, Elvis' lovely and tolented young co-star, Judy Tyler, died before this film was released (I believe it was a car accident, but I could be wrong). Elvis was pretty broke up about it, and so am I. Well, enough said, it's got the classic "Jailhouse Rock" number (often excerpted and included in TV retrospectives on Elvis), with some pretty smooth dance moves revealed by the often immobile Elvis. E really shines in this one; one of his best films.