Jailhouse Rock

"That ain't tactics honey, it's just the beast in me."

Elvis Presley plays "Vince Everett" who goes to jail after accidentally killing a man in a bar fight. While in the big house he is paired in his cell with Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), an ageing country singer whose best days are behind him. The pair strike up a friendship and Houghton teaches Everett to play the guitar, however, it's apparent that Everett is all about the voice. Recognising this fact, Houghton is quick to strike up a contract with Everett so that once both are on the outside they can make some money in the music industry. Paroled well early into his stretch, Everett meets Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler), a record company talent scout, who eventually gets won arou...

From con to concert performer

A young construction worker (Presley) is sentenced to a year in the state penitentiary for manslaughter, but wisely takes advantage of his time learning to play guitar better from an inmate who was formerly a county & western performer (Mickey Shaughnessy). After meeting a promoter when he gets out (Judy Tyler) and facing several challenges, hes a hit.

Jailhouse Rock (1957) was Elvis' third movie of the 31 he did, but it was his second starring role. This one has a similar plot to the previous Loving You, released earlier the same year, except for the ex-con angle. Despite the flat B&W photography, its superior due to the iconic title song performance and the fact that the last act is more com...

The hot-tempered young "Vince" (Elvis Presley) finds himself caught up in a bar-room brawl that has tragic results and sees him sent to jail. There, he is luckily placed with "Hunk" (Mickey Shaughnessy) who is the prison grifter with a penchant for the odd ballad on his guitar. It's the guitar that provides the conduit for the increasingly popular "Vince" and when he's released, he hooks up with the well-connected - and pretty tolerant "Peggy" (Judy Tyler) who manages to get him a recording contract that offers him wealth and stardom. Thing is, he soon finds that's not all it is cracked up to be and his newfound fame might not be enough to compensate for the relationships he's throwing under the bus. Elvis is really just going through the m...