Directed
Phil Karlson
Writing Credits Frances Wallace(story), William
Fay (III)
Producer David Weisbart
A Four Leaf production
A Mirisch production
Colour by Deluxe
Cast Overview
Elvis Presley .... Walter Gulick, Gig Young .... Willy
Grogan, Lola Albright .... Dolly Fletcher, Joan
Blackman .... Rose Grogan, Charles
Bronson .... Lew Nyack, David Lewis .... Otto Danzig,
Robert Emhardt .... Maynard, Liam Redmond .... Father
Higgins, Judson Pratt .... Zimmerman, Ned Glass ....
Lieberman, George Mitchell .... Mr. Sperling, Roy Roberts
.... Jerry the Promoter, Michael Dante .... Joie Shakes,
Richard Devon .... Marvin
A
remake of a Warner Bros. golden oldie that starred Edward
G. Robinson, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart (often
retitled "The Battling Bellhop" on television.) Kid Galahad" stars Elvis as an ex-G.I. who comes back to his hometown in upper state New York. He wants to be an auto mechanic after returning from the Army, but instead he's reluctantly roped into being trained to be a boxer. Elvis has an anvil-fist and an iron jaw. Soon, he becomes boxing champ nicknamed "Kid Galahad". Joan Blackman returns and plays Elvis' love interest and the sister of the boxing camp owner Gig Young. Great picture formula, great songs and beautiful and breathtaking mountain scenery.
"KING
OF THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD"
Written by Ruth Bachelor & Bob Roberts, Performed by
Elvis Presley
Happy go lucky rocker with a Boots Randolph sax break.
Sung by Elvis as he hitches a ride on the back of a
truck. Released on the soundtrack EP (1962). Later on
the Elvis Double Features CD Kid Galahad/Girls Girls
Girls (1993).
"THIS IS LIVING"
Written by Fred Wise & Ben Weisman, Performed by Elvis
Presley
Elvis training in the open air and singing to the boys.
Released on the soundtrack EP (1962). Later on the Elvis
Double Features CD Kid Galahad/Girls Girls Girls (1993).
"RIDING THE RAINBOW"
Written by Fred Wise & Ben Weisman, Performed by Elvis
Presley
Sweet melody with backing from the Jordanaires. Released
on the soundtrack EP (1962). Later on the LP I Got Lucky
(1971) and on the Elvis Double Features CD Kid Galahad/Girls
Girls Girls (1993).
"HOME
IS WHERE THE HEART IS"
Written by Sherman Edwards & Hal David, Performed by
Elvis Presley
Nice ballad with good lyrics and production. Released
on the soundtrack EP (1962). Later on the Elvis Double
Features CD Kid Galahad/Girls Girls Girls (1993).
"I GOT LUCKY"
Written by Dee Fuller, Fred Wise & Ben Weisman, Performed
by Elvis Presley
Humorous rocker. Released on the soundtrack EP (1962).
Later on the RCA Camden LP I Got Lucky (1971) and on
the Elvis Double Features CD Kid Galahad/Girls Girls
Girls (1993).
"A WHISTLING TUNE"
Written by Sherman Edwards & Hal David, Performed by
Elvis Presley
Soft ballad. Released on the soundtrack EP (1962). Later
on the Elvis Double Features CD Kid Galahad/Girls Girls
Girls (1993).
Recorded
at:
Radio Recorders Studios, 7000 Santa Monica Boulevard,
Hollywood. October 1961.
Musicians:
Elvis Presley (vocals), Scotty Moore, Tiny Timbrell,
Neal Mathews (guitars), Bob Moore (bass), D.J. Fontana,
Buddy Harman (drums), Dudley Brookes (piano), Boots
Randolph (sax), the Jordanaires (vocals)
The soundtrack EP was released on September 17, reaching
#30 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Charles
Bronson - later to become very famous, partly thanks to
his almost endless series of "Death Wish" movies - made
it perfectly clear that he was not impressed by the fighting
abilities of a certain Elvis. Elvis on his part had no
particular good feelings for Bronson, whom he called a
"muscle-bound ape". To critics it was very obvious from
the movie, that Charles Bronson carried a very indifferent
attitude.
Ed Asner, who would also appear in 1969's "Change of Habit"
with Elvis and his future TV co-star Mary Tyler Moore,
makes his film debut here. Asner is currently known as
a sitcom actor.
Elvis
did enjoy something about this movie. For his boxing scenes,
he was coached by Mushy Callahan, a former world welterweight
boxing champion whom Elvis respected very much. Mushy
treated Elvis with respect, too.
After
three weeks of location shooting in Idyllwild, California,
Elvis and his gang moved into a new house in Los Angeles,
on Bellagio. It was a Mediterranean villa with more space
than the previous house on Perugia Way. At this time the
gang consisted of Joe Esposito, Lamar Fike, Sonny and
Red West, Gene Smith, "Chief" Ray Sitton, new guy Marty
Lacker and finally... Scatter. Elvis has bought the chimp
from Memphis TV star Caption Bill Kellebrew (it wasn't
Elvis first' ape, he had owned a spider monkey named Jayhew
back in 1956). Scatter had been taught to drive, smoke,
drink, make obscene gestures and look under every skirt
he saw. He was also fond of making a mess in general,
by wrecking hotel rooms and the likes.
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