The Hollywood Grind

By the end of the 1960’s, Elvis had completed thirty-one movies, twenty-seven of which were made in the 1960’s. He had become the highest-paid star in Hollywood, typically earning a salary of $1 million, plus up to 50% of the movie profits once the studio had recovered production costs. On top of that were the royalties from the soundtrack albums and any singles. The movies had made Elvis extremely wealthy, but despite this, he felt misunderstood and used by Hollywood. From 1965 onward, he grew increasingly despondent. Whilst he remained professional in completing them, privately, those close to him, such as Priscilla and key members of his entourage, nicknamed by the press as the Memphis Mafia, would see him treat each new script with contempt. The Colonel, who was only interested in the bottom line, frequently told him he needed to fulfil his obligations. Elvis wanted either a decent script or to go back out in front of a live audience.

The typical year involved filming three movies, making the soundtracks, and, in between, Elvis would distract himself with spiritualism, karate, and spending his fortune.

“How Great Thou Art” aside, 1967 was the least successful year of Elvis’ career. He particularly hated “Clambake” and singing “Old McDonald” in “Double Trouble”. As box office returns began to decline, to maintain profits, the movies were made more cheaply and more quickly. An example of this is evident in “Clambake” when the Californian hills are clearly visible in what is supposed to be Florida.

There was a change in the final few movies, which were more dramatic. “Live a Little, Love a Little” had a more adult theme, but failed to hold interest. It is known today because it includes the song “A Little Less Conversation”, which became a huge international hit in 2002 when it was remixed. The western “Charro!” only featured the title song sung over the credits. Whilst “Charro!” was not well received by critics at the time, it was reassessed years later and is sometimes considered one of Elvis’ best acting performances. Elvis held this view too, but he was disappointed when he realised the script had been watered down for filming. “The Trouble with Girls” was set in 1927 and was about the problems faced by the manager of a travelling Chautauqua show. Finally, Elvis’s last acting performance came in “Change of Habit”, a film about inner city decay in which Elvis plays a compassionate doctor.

Elvis welcomed the change in tone, even if they were not as commercially successful as some of the earlier movies. But in 1969, Elvis returned triumphantly to the recording studio and live performance, and there would be no turning back.

Here is a list of Elvis’ movies from the 1960s, with their release years.