King Creole (1958)

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Herbert Baker (screenplay) and
Michael V. Gazzo (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

2 July 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Musical

Plot:

Having flunked graduation for a second time and needing cash to support his crabby (and thus unemployed) father...

Plot Keywords:

Nightclub | Crime Boss | Delinquent | High School | Street Gang

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 (as Brian Hutton)
Jack Grinnage	...	Dummy
Dick Winslow	...	Eddie Burton
Raymond Bailey	...	Mr. Evans - School Principal
Gavin Gordon	...	Mr. Primont - Druggist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leon Tyler	...	Drug Clerk (scenes deleted)
Val Avery	...	Ralph (uncredited)
Hazel Boyne	...	Woman Who Asks For Water (uncredited)
Sam Buffington	...	Dr. Martin Cabot (uncredited)
Candy Candido	...	Doorman of the King Creole Nightclub (uncredited)
Lilyan Chauvin	...	Catherine (uncredited)
Charles Evans	...	Mr. Furst, Drug Store Manager (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Drugstore Lunch Counter Patron (uncredited)
Barbara Gayle	...	Salesgirl (uncredited)
Ned Glass	...	Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Cliff Gleaves	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Rita Green	...	Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
Dorothy Hack	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Helene Hatch	...	Mrs. Pearson - Teacher (uncredited)
Kay Haydn	...	'B' Girl (uncredited)
Trustin Howard	...	Master of Ceremonies of King Creole Nightclub (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Collector (uncredited)
Eugene Jackson	...	Saxophone Player in Blue Shade (uncredited)
Jackie Joseph	...	Salesgirl (uncredited)
Alexander Lockwood	...	Dr. Patrick (uncredited)
Thomas Martin	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Walter Merrill	...	Mr. McIntyre (uncredited)
Jacqueline Park	...	Salesgirl (uncredited)
Ziva Rodann	...	Entertainer (uncredited)
Ric Roman	...	Eddie (uncredited)
Tony Russel	...	Chico, Bartender at the Blue Shade Nightclub (uncredited)
Susanne Sidney	...	Salesgirl (uncredited)
Blanche Thomas	...	Woman (uncredited)
Nina Vaughn	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Kitty White	...	Street Vendor (uncredited)
Fred Winston	...	Shark's Brother (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

Writing credits
Herbert Baker		(screenplay) and
Michael V. Gazzo		(screenplay) (as Michael Vincente Gazzo)
Harold Robbins		(novel "A Stone for Danny Fisher")

Produced by
Paul Nathan	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	producer

Original Music by
Walter Scharf

Cinematography by
Russell Harlan		(director of photography)

Casting by
Bert McKay		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
J. McMillan Johnson		(as Joseph MacMillan Johnson)
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Frank R. McKelvy		(as Frank McKelvy)

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Nellie Manley	....	hair style supervisor
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor
Hedy Mjorud	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Jack Stone	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Frank Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Richard Blaydon	....	unit production manager (uncredited)
Frank Caffey	....	production manager (uncredited)
C. Kenneth Deland	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)
Curtis Mick	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael D. Moore	....	assistant director (as D. Michael Moore)
Ralph Axness	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Cy Brooskin	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Ned Dobson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Eugene Acker	....	painter (uncredited)
Maurice Goodman	....	leadman (uncredited)
Robert McCrellis	....	props (uncredited)
Barnard Schoefelt	....	props (uncredited)
E. Sutherland	....	props (uncredited)
Dick Webb	....	foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Harold Lewis	....	sound recordist
R.D. Cook	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Nick Gerolimates	....	cable person (uncredited)
Tom Hadley	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Hayden Hohstadt	....	boom grip (uncredited)
Harold Lewis	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
Bud Parman	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Joe Gray	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Rocky Shahan	....	stunt double (uncredited)
George Washburn	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Guy Bennett	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Mal Bulloch	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Ed Crowder	....	grip (uncredited)
Bud Fraker	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Guy Harris	....	electrician (uncredited)
James Hawley	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Al Holton	....	best boy (uncredited)
Bill Neff	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Lorne Netten	....	best boy (uncredited)
H. Parsley	....	grip (uncredited)
Dominic Seminerio	....	grip (uncredited)
Paul Uhl	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ed Wharman	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Olive Long	....	casting secretary (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John A. Anderson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Grace Harris	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Dario Piazza	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Warren Low	....	editorial supervisor

Music Department
The Jordanaires	....	vocal accompaniment
Charles O'Curran	....	stager: musical numbers
Walter Scharf	....	music adaptor
Mahlon Clark	....	musician: clarinet (uncredited)
John C. Hammell	....	music editor (uncredited)
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Troy Sanders	....	musical advisor (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
William Davidson	....	location unit manager
Tom Parker	....	technical advisor (as Col. Tom Parker)
Norman Stuart	....	dialogue coach
William W. Gray	....	location unit manager (uncredited)
Al Peterson	....	key craft service (uncredited)
Art Sarno	....	publicist (uncredited)
Marvin Weldon	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hal Wallis Productions
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Key Video (1987) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan for CBS/Fox Video)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• Alvorada Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) (1974) (West Germany) (TV)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• Magnetic Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Viacom

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for violence and sensuality

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Hal Wallis Productions

Trivia:

Elvis Presley said to director Michael Curtiz after filming that "Now I know what a good director is". Curtiz had earlier directed "Casablanca" (1942) and became one of Elvis' favorite directors.

Goofs:

Continuity: Character starts running twice because of editing mistake in the end of movie.

Quotes:

Shark:Danny... We know you're in here. You come on out now, and you got a chance. You can't get away, Maxie's got the whole town covered!
[Shark flips out his switch-blade]
Shark:This is it, buddy! This is the big get-even day! We've got a lot to settle up, you and me. Danny I knew it was your old man that night. I knew it, and I slugged him anyway, so you come on out and get me! You come out and get me, or we're coming in!
[Shark and his cohort continue to try to trap and corner Danny. Danny climbs up and stands on the bottom sill of a hidden window on the wall in a dark part of the alley as he hides from Shark and his cohort]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Visionado obligado: Primer (#2.5)" (2012)

Soundtrack:

Don't Ask Me Why

King Creole (1958) ***

Adapted from the book "A Stone for Danny Fisher", Elvis Presley plays a rebellious kid with a wimp of a father (Dean Jagger) who quits school and takes up singing at a night club in New Orleans, only to get mixed up with a group of thugs (headed by Vic Morrow) and their crime boss (Walter Matthau).

Elvis considered this melodrama his best film and I happen to agree. It's nicely photographed in noirish black and white and directed by Michael Curtiz, featuring Elvis' most cultivated performance. It's a good story too, complimented by good actors in their roles. Walter Matthau is ideal as Maxie the heavy, who practically owns the whole town. Carolyn Jones is properly pitiful as his pathetic tramp, and Vic Morrow does well as the lead hoodlum who caters to Matthau. The songs Presley sings fit nicely into the action and are pleasant, though I don't believe any of them were signature biggies for Presley outside of, possibly, "Hard Headed Woman," and "King Creole" itself. It's a real shame that the best hit rocker, "Hard Headed Woman," is really given a raw deal as we only get to hear the end of it within the movie. The best music performance is Elvis' rendition of "Trouble" as he dominates the nightclub stage with authority and toughness while fearlessly singing it at Maxie.