Elvis Films FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the King of Rock 'n' Roll in Hollywood Paperback – Illustrated, October 1, 2013

Elvis Films FAQ by author by Paul Simpson ('Elvis The Rough Guide') is a 400-page marvellously entertaining look at Elvis’ movie career and with a very engaging agenda covering all aspects of this important part of his legacy.The first few chapters examine each film individually and are nicely grouped into four distinctive periods. There is a general overview of the chosen time frame and then a detailed look at each film.These key chapters take up the first 130 pages of the book.While there is, of course, a real fascination as Elvis’ early film career develops how Simpson found enough enthusiasm to write in detail about Elvis’ awful mid-to-late 60s movies is pretty impressive. He even finds some positives about the dreadful ‘Double Trouble’ and ‘Easy Come, Easy Go’!The real enjoyment of this book is the deep exploration of all facets of Elvis’ movie career. Simpson really does seem to try and cover most reader’s questions in the extensive 65 chapters examining everything from ‘Did Col Parker really provide any Technical Advise’ to ‘What do You do When You’re Asked to Write A Song Called ‘A Dog’s Life’.In the book Simpson not only looks for blame in Elvis’ terrible mid-sixties period movies – and it is certainly not all of Colonel Parker’s fault - but also examines the reasons for the triumphs of Elvis’ best movies.His detailed investigation into the influence of Hal Wallis throughout Elvis’ film career both good (King Creole, Blue Hawaii etc) and bad (Easy Come, Easy Go etc) is very interesting.The book is honest, very detailed, and extremely well researched and best of all a very enjoyable read. The book also features a nice selection of photos to illustrate the narrative.Simpson also looks at Elvis’ soundtrack music in depth and discusses whether the importance of it in Elvis’ movies was good or bad – and amusingly also looks at some of the crazy aspects of it.Some of the more off-beat & interesting themes that Simpson explores are…- The King's Consorts: Elvis's Leading Ladies and the Part They Played in His Life- The Last Farewell: Proof That Elvis's Movies Could Damage Careers- Something in the Way He Moves: Elvis the Dancer- "Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby": Child Stars in the King's Movies- The King's New Clothes: Presley as a Fashion Icon- Pieces of My Life: Were the Movies Elvis's Autobiography?- "Elvis Cannot Be Fat or Pudgy Looking": The Continuing Struggle over the King's Weight- The 50 Percent Men: The Abundance of Svengali Parker Figures in Elvis Movies- Girls! Girls! Girls!: Elvis as a Very Chaste Kind of Super Stud- There's So Much World to See: The Elvis TraveloguesPerhaps the real triumph of this book was that it actually makes me want to revisit these Elvis films that I’ve seen too many times already – yes, even the dreadful ones like Double Trouble.Some fascinating new trivia is revealed along the way.Another positive of this new book is that Simpson adjusts Elvis’ movies earnings and budgets to compare to today’s figures which really helps one understand the relevance of Elvis’ films in the marketplace at the time.The book also provides some interesting insights into the movies and how they fitted into Elvis’ own personal journey.Simpson’s writing is often humorous and found myself laughing out loud at times. The book is a very enjoyable read unlike some other investigative essays which can seem a little dry and factual at times.Finally there is over 75 pages dedicated to a very detailed look at Elvis’ film music, the great over-looked songs, the dreadful songs and how the soundtrack albums were both good and bad for his career.In the end ‘Elvis Films FAQ’ is a marvellous examination of our hero as he created one successful movie after another and with perfect timing finally escaping his movie contracts at the right point.It is after all likely that the all-important Memphis Sessions would not have occurred had Elvis’ later films been better produced.Director Cameron Crowe neatly explains the appeal of the Elvis Film... , "Elvis' catalogue of 31 movies is never less than fascinating, even when he was banging out three a year and barely keeping track of which girl, animal, car, co-star, or guitar he was performing with. Either a performer has built-in screen presence or he doesn't. Most don't. Elvis did, every time he stepped in front of the big glowing camera."　Overall verdict: ‘Elvis Films FAQ’ is one of the most enjoyable books I have read this year. If you are interested in Elvis’ film career, as well as wanting to learn some new and fun trivia, then this is the book for you. Paul Simpson has examined every angle of Elvis’ film career and writes about it in a very engaging and enjoyable style. The real triumph of this book is that it will make you want to watch all of Elvis’ films one more time! Highly recommended.For the full review and interview with the author - check out the Elvis Information Network. www.ElvisInfoNet.com

This book is a fun read on Elvis's movies, which have often been maligned much more harshly than many of them deserved. There's no question Elvis had his share of bad movies but it's unfair to say they were all bad. Simpson's book covers the good and the bad, sheds some light on a possible reason actress why Stella Stevens did not get along with Elvis, and reveals at least one other actress, Marianna Hill, who also loathed working with Elvis, and who apparently viewed working with the King as being beneath someone of her stature. Not that she ever had any room to complain as an A-list actress she was not. Not even a B-list actress. Just someone who was perhaps full of herself, much like Stevens, though Stevens as an actress was several notches above Hill. The book also depicts producer Hall Wallis's role in perhaps being Col. Parker's partner in crime in keeping the better roles away from Elvis. Not every actor, writer and director agreed on Elvis's acting talent but Elvis had his supporters too including Walter Matthau, John Rich and Tennessee Williams. The songwriting and music publishing are examined, which is where the real damage was done to Elvis's career as Parker chased away all of the songwriters and left Elvis with a group of lesser talented songwriters. Although to be fair, the problem wasn't the songwriters supplying Elvis with inferior songs. It was Parker wanting as much of the songwriter's penny as he could get. Why bother writing a song of quality that could possibly make millions more than what they did sell because good ol Col. "Greed" Parker who already had the penny on the publishing, wanted the songwriting royalty too? I really considered many of Elvis's movie songwriters to be hacks because they relied on songs that were in the public domain. But, when you consider the work and sweat that goes into writing hit songs and Parker trying to take as much of their money as he could get, you can't really blame the songwriters over not wanting to put too much effort in. Still, many of the songwriters did make some efforts to supply Elvis with good songs.But, the book does have some faults: credits the movie studio and production team that produced "Clambake" on producing "Easy Come, Easy Go," one of Elvis's worst movie (along with "Clambake"), makes a minor harp on the age of Elvis's character in "Clambake" to Elvis's real age (27 vs 32) - there's no rule a character in a fictional movie has to be the same age as the actor playing him or her. If you're going to nitpick over five years, which isn't that much of an age difference, what do you do when you come across an actor or actress with a real age difference between their real age and the character they play? Like 33 year old Barbra Streisand playing 20ish in the remake of "A Star Is Born." Streisand was only five years younger than Kristofferson and yet she was supposed to be the young, up and coming superstar in love with washed up and old Kristofferson. Streisand was stretching and she wasn't believeable. I, for one, am glad Elvis didn't make that movie with her.What I would like to have seen in the book was more info on the behind the scenes, deleted scenes, a where are they now on Elvis's costars, living and deceased - information about them before and after Elvis and how they felt about working with Elvis. But, maybe another book will come along about that. But, this book is worth your time and money for what is in there and it's an easy read. Buy it and then rewatch most of Elvis's movies. There's not that many that are unwatchable.

Great book with so many behind the scene stories about all the Elvis movies

Even though I've seen all of Elvis' movies many times and read book on them, every page of this book has new info and points-of-view. My big surprise was that after the author goes through all 33 of the King's movies, giving fun facts and behind the scenes information, the book is only have over. From there it kicks into a higher gear giving more detailed information on directors, co-stars, writers, the music and more. I was actually sorry when the long book was over.I like how the writer points out many scenes from Elvis' movies that sparkle on their own, be it a co-stars performance when being sung to, like Joan Blackman when Elvis sings 'Home is Where the Heart Is', or the love scene between Elvis and Hope Lange in 'Wild in the Country'. When these scenes are pointed out, I know right away what he's talking about, but never thought about the reason for it until the writer goes into the reason.It's great to know, as the writer pointed out, that there are some die-hard fans of 'Tickle Me', as I am. However, I guess I'm the only one on the planet that has 'Stay, Away Joe' as his all-time favorite movie, not Elvis movie, but movie. Just like the writer points out that Stephen Spielberg told Teri Garr that 'Viva Las Vegas' was his all time favorite movie.Okay, I'll let the writer tell you the rest. If you a fan of any Elvis more, or his songs, or of Elvis, get this book because there is enough behind the movie and the music recording scenes to make all fans happy.

This was an informative book about the movies Elvis starred in and it had a lot of good information in it .It was well layed out and had a good writing style. However, having read other Elvis material over the years, I did not find that there was anything new that I hadn't read somewhere else. The title " all that's left to know about the king " is a bit misleading because of the number of other books written containing the same information. With that being said... if I had the choice which of the many books on this subject I would prefer to read ...then I would say that this would be one of my top choices..

Excellent, much better than I expected. Recommended. Of the two, the movie FAQ or the Music FAQ, this is the better one.

FANTASTIC......THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW BOOKS OUT OVER THE YEARS ABOUT THIS SADLY OVERLOOKED PERIOD OF ELVIS' CAREER,MOST OF THEM TELL YOU NOTHING YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW.THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN BY SOMEONE WHO IS OBVIOUSLY A FAN BUT THAT DOESN'T STOP HIM FROM TELLING IT THE WAY IT IS.YES ELVIS DID MAKE SOME MEDIOCRE MOVIES (HARUM SCARUM) BUT ALSO MADE SOME CLASSICS (KING CREOLE) THIS BOOK GIVES YOU AN INSIGHT INTO THE MOVIE MAKING PROCESS,THE SONGWRITING PROCESS,THE CO-STARS,THE DIRECTORS AND MUCH MUCH MORE.I BOUGHT IT TWO MONTHS AGO AND HAVE NOT PUT IT DOWN SINCE.BUY IT YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.

Le livre qui explore tous les aspects de la filmographie du king : films , bio des acteurtrs mais aussi des personnes ayant participé à ces films ,... L'auteur sait rester critique , clair et assez concis . Une vrai réussite , tout comme son "rough guide" sur Elvis

Most excellent book, full of accurate facts. Such a change from the "Memphis Mafia" self-agrandisement efforts. An intelligent read; even long time fans will actually find some new information here – a good buy.