King Creole was the fourth of Elvis Presley’s Hollywood movies, released in June 1958. Loosely based on Harold Robbins’ novel A Stone For Danny Fisher, about a struggling young Boxer. Producer Hal Wallis decided it would make a perfect vehicle for Elvis Presley, and so the lead character became a Singer instead of a Boxer, and the whole project was promptly transformed into a musical.
It’s one of the best of the Presley soundtracks opening with the title track King Creole penned by Leiber & Stoller, followed by R&B number Crawfish, and the contrasting Rock'n'Roll track Dixieland Rock which is reminiscent of Jailhouse Rock. Sadly, it was to be the last truly dramatic role Elvis was ever given, and Presley himself would always cite King Creole as his personal favourite out of all the films he made.
