Complete credited cast: | |||
Elvis Presley | ... | Walter Gulick | |
Gig Young | ... | Willy Grogan | |
Lola Albright | ... | Dolly Fletcher | |
Joan Blackman | ... | Rose Grogan | |
Charles Bronson | ... | Lew Nyack | |
David Lewis | ... | Otto Danzig | |
Robert Emhardt | ... | Maynard | |
Liam Redmond | ... | Father Higgins | |
Judson Pratt | ... | Howie Zimmerman | |
Ned Glass | ... | Max Lieberman | |
George Mitchell | ... | Harry Sperling | |
Roy Roberts | ... | Jerry Bathgate | |
Michael Dante | ... | Joie Shakes | |
Richard Devon | ... | Marvin | |
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Jeff Morris | ... | Ralphie (as Jeffrey Morris) |
When he completes his military service Walter Gulick returns to his birthplace, Cream Valley, New York. He was orphaned as an infant and grew up elsewhere but always wanted to return to where he was from. He hopes to be a mechanic but soon after his arrival finds himself working as a sparring partner at a boxing camp. Having lost all of his money in a crap game, Walter is happy to take any kind of work but a devastating right hook sends him down a different path. Willy Grogan thinks he has a winner in Walter who, after helping a lady out, is dubbed Kid Galahad. Willy is a likable man but gambles too much and may have been a witness to a mobster's conversation that would best be forgotten. As Walter gains more success, and falls in love with Willy's sister Rose, Willy Grogan finds himself coming under pressure from mobsters to make Walter takes a dive at his next big fight. Written by garykmcd
Elvis Presley is a mechanic turned fighter in "Kid Galahad," a 1962 film with Presley playing the role originally essayed by Wayne Morris in the '30s. He has strong support from Gig Young, Lola Albright, Joan Blackman and Charles Bronson.
Elvis plays an ex-GI named Walter Grogan, who is taken on as a fighter by a man (Gig Young) who runs a resort but owes money to mobsters due to gambling debts. What he doesn't count on is the Kid falling for his sister (Joan Blackman, Bette Davis in the original).
This is early Elvis, when the production values were high and the songs fresh. Later on, Colonel Parker would tighten up on the budgets, since the cheaper he could get the films made, the more money he made for himself and Elvis. And Elvis' parents had naively signed a contract giving Parker 50%. I think Elvis would have been happier with better movies, such as "King Creole," and less money.
"Kid Galahad" is quite good, though, with fine music and a relaxed performance by Elvis, who looks great. He doesn't have the jet black hair and while he's not as thin as he would eventually get from using amphetamines, he's still in great shape.
It became more and more difficult for Elvis to be Elvis, but here, he's a boyish, mellow guy who seemed to be enjoying what he was doing. Unfortunately, he didn't stay that way.