Jailhouse Rock is an American motion picture directed by Richard Thorpe, released by MGM on November 8, 1957. The film stars Elvis Presley (his third ever film role), Judy Tyler, and Mickey Shaughnessy. Tragically, co-star Tyler was killed in an automobile accident a few weeks after the film was completed, and like Loving You before it, Presley was so upset that he refused to ever watch the completed film. In 2004, this film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Trivia
- The pair of shapely female legs seen walking across the stage in the scene where Presley and Judy Tyler meet belong to showgirl Gloria Pall.
- The film is most famous for the dance sequence in which Elvis sings the title track while cavorting with other “inmates” through a jail cell block. The sequence is widely acknowledged as the most exciting and best-executed musical scene in any of the 30 Presley narrative movies, and is also credited by some musical historians as being the first prototype for the modern music video. This sequence was also duplicated by Britney Spears during her infamous 2007 MTV Video Music Awards Performance.
- In August 2007 a Deluxe Edition with some special material was released.
- This film was the first of only 2 Elvis movies (the other being “Viva Las Vegas”) to be released onto every home video format ever distributed in the U.S. (Beta, VHS, CED Disc, Laserdisc, DVD, HD DVD and Blu-Ray DVD)
- Jailhouse Rock ranks 495th on Empire magazine’s 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.
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
- Bill Hickman: Guard who whips Vince