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Directed Don Siegel
Writing Credits Clair Huffaker, Nunnally Johnson

Cast Overview
Elvis Presley .... Pacer Burton, Steve Forrest .... Clint Burton, Barbara Eden .... Roslyn Pierce, Dolores del Rio .... Neddy Burton, John McIntire .... Sam Burton, Rodolfo Acosta .... Buffalo Horn, Karl Swenson .... Dred Pierce, Ford Rainey .... Doc Phillips, Richard Jaeckel .... Angus Pierce, Anne Benton .... Dorothy Howard, L.Q. Jones .... Tom Howard, Douglas Dick .... Will Howard, Tom Reese .... Jute, Marian Goldina .... Ph'sha Knay, rest of cast listed alphabetically, Henry Armago .... Brave.

Plot

Elvis Presley stars as Pacer Burton, son of a white father (John McIntire) and Native American mother (Dolores del Rio) who finds his loyalties tested in a war of attrition between a fierce Indian tribe, the Kiowas, and a group of racist white settlers on the Texas frontier in 1870.

Although his parents attempt to remain outside the fray, his father is eventually killed in an Indian attack on the settlement. A white man, enraged over the Indian attacks, kills Pacer's mother. Shunned by white society after the Indian attacks, Pacer elects to fight on the side of the Kiowas while his brother, Clint (Steve Forrest), stays with the settlers. When Clint rides into the Kiowa camp alone and kills their chief to avenge his father's murder, Pacer fights off the entire tribe to protect his brother, and Clint barely escapes with his life. After Pacer's girl, Roslyn Pierce (Barbara Eden), has tended to Clint's severe wounds, she's unsuccessful in trying to stop him from going off to try to save his brother's life.

Don Siegel was probably the best director the King ever worked with, and he draws a quietly smoldering performance from Elvis, who was still undeniably raw. Even better, Siegel captures an existential starkness to homestead and town, and calmly makes a pro-Native American case without preaching.

Musical Soundtrack

"FLAMING STAR"
Written by Sid Wayne & Sherman Edwards
Performed by Elvis Presley
The title tune to the film with Elvis trying his best to make something out of nothing. Released on the EP Elvis By Request (1961) and later on the Camden-RCA LP Elvis Sings Flaming Star (1969). Again on the Elvis Double Features CD Flaming Star/Follow That Dream/Wild In The Country (1993).

"A CANE AND A HIGH STARCHED COLLAR"
Written by Sid Tepper & Roy C Bennett
Performed by Elvis Presley
C&W song with accordian and guitar and the rowdy cast answering Elvis' verses about his case against marriage. Released on the LP Elvis-A Legendary Performer Vol. 2 (1976). Again on the Elvis Double Features CD Flaming Star/Follow That Dream/Wild In The Country (1993).

Recorded at:
20th Century Fox Studios, Beverley Hills, California. August 1960

Musicians:
Elvis Presley (vocals), Howard Roberts, Tiny Timbrell (guitars), Myer Rubin (bass), Bernie Mattinson (drums), Dudley Brookes (piano), Jimmie Haskell (accordian), the Jordanaires (vocals).

Although four songs were recorded for the soundtrack of Flaming Star (the other two being "Summer Kisses, Winter Tears" and "Britches"), Elvis was only seen singing "A Cane and A High Starched Collar" in the picture while "Flaming Star" was played behind the title credits.RCA originally planned not to release any of these songs on record

Trivia

Director Don Siegel had previously directed Invasion Of The Body Snatchers in 1956.

Working titles for the movie were "Flaming Lance" after the novel by Claire Huffaker. The original title for this movie was "Black Star". Elvis even recorded a song with that name. When the title was changed, he re-recorded the song, using the same words and melody, but changing the word "black" with "flaming". The song "Black Star" was unreleased for years, until it appeared on the Elvis boxset "Collectors Gold" in 1991.

Elvis was to have worn brown contact lenses in the film as there is no such thing as a blue-eyed indian, however he didn't wear the lenses in the end and nobody commented on the small discrepancy.

The Los Angeles Indian comunity made Elvis a blood brother of their tribe. Chief Wah-Nee-Ota inducted Elvis into their Los Angeles tribal council on completion of filming.

Whilst Elvis was making the movie he had trouble with over zealous fans trying to reach him. A group of eleven teenagers crashed the studio gates in the back of a laundry truck but they only got as far as Col. Parker's office before being detected.

Elvis had another song number in the film, "Summer Wishes, Winter Tears", which was cut after preview audiences laughed at the staging (Elvis singing to the Indians around a campfire, accompanied by a chief on war drums). A studio version of the tune was recorded, but the original 'Indian' version was only resurrected recently on the German 'Elvis: Double Features' CD collection.

Originally planned as a vehicle for Marlon Brando, not Elvis Presley.

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