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Jailhouse Rock

Play trailer Poster for Jailhouse Rock Released Oct 17, 1957 1h 36m Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 42 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A young man, Vince Everett (Elvis Presley), is convicted of manslaughter after being drawn into a bar fight while trying to defend a woman. In prison, Everett finds salvation when his cellmate, a country singer named Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), hears him sing and pegs him as a future star. Once released, Everett gets a job in a night club and meets Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler), a young woman who works for a record company and who, like Houghton, also sees talent in Everett.
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Jailhouse Rock

Critics Reviews

View All (42) Critics Reviews
Mildred Martin Philadelphia Inquirer It's just possible that this is the boy's best so far. For now, completely at ease, Elvis not only rocks but swings smoothly through the role of a kid who lands in jail for an accidental killing. Apr 12, 2024 Full Review Colin Bennett The Age (Australia) Even when trying to smoulder at the camera like a new Valentino, [Presley] suggests no real emotion, other than peevish petulance. Apr 12, 2024 Full Review Jean Yothers Orlando Sentinel Mickey Shaughnessy turns in a good job as Elvis' cellmate and the guy who punches him in the voice box. Judy Tyler and Jennifer Holden adequately hold up the feminine angles to the picture. Apr 12, 2024 Full Review P.S. Harrison Harrison's Reports Although he is far from a finished actor, Presley continues to show improvement and does fairly well in a somewhat unsympathetic characterization... The story is synthetic, but it has been given good direction and fits Presley's personality, Apr 12, 2024 Full Review Jeanette Eichel Buffalo News [The studio thinks] that adults are going to like the film -- Presley’s first really dramatic one. He does fairly well with it. Apr 12, 2024 Full Review Sali Peltier Tampa Bay Times Elvis seems to be developing into quite an actor and he portrays the difficult part of the young convict with fine ability. He definitely has improved since his first movie Love Me Tender. Apr 12, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Dave S Sentenced to prison for manslaughter after a barroom brawl, Vince Everett’s (Elvis Presley) cellmate, a former professional singer, teaches him to play guitar and tap into his natural talent as a singer. Upon release, Everett hits it big…but at a cost to those around him. Jailhouse Rock is a decent enough movie, filled with memorable songs and an early performance from Presley that proved he could act. On the flipside, some of the dialogue is brutal (“That’s the way the mop flops!!”), the story is predictable, and, most egregious, is the fact that Presley’s character is a repugnant narcissist, making it hard to believe that any of the characters in the movie would give him the time of day and making it difficult for any viewer to care what happens to him over the course of the film. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/20/24 Full Review Joel H I like the song Jailhouse Rock a lot. I don’t like the movie as much. The plot is a pretty standard story of a person’s rise to fame. However, for some reason, they decided to make Vince, Elvis Presley’s character, arrogant and annoying for almost the entire time. Normally they make the lead character more likeable. It also doesn’t help that Elvis isn’t that great of an actor. He can sing, sure, and he has charisma, but some of his lines were just laughable. I’m trying to remember if I’ve seen another Elvis movie in its entirety, but if Jailhouse Rock is one of the better ones, that’s not a good sign. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/11/24 Full Review CodyZamboni Movie is alot better than I remember. Elvis still plays a super jerk, but his compelling rise from ex-con, to singing and movie stardom, makes this watchable. His constant rude direspect of those who helped him on the way up, may put off alot of viewers. But top notch musical numbers, capped by the title tune, are very entertaining. So much so, that despite his major character faults, we still root for him. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/10/23 Full Review Karen S This is my 1st time really seeing this. Might have watched as a kid with my older brothers but truly don't remember. What I liked about it was he plays the total opposite of what he was in true life. He comes to understand towards the end that being rich with having money on the brain 🧠 isn't all there is to living. The Cast and story are good as well as the choreography, the songs, the band, and of course…Mr. Presley's charm, sexy smiles, dance moves, and those Vocals! 🕺🏻🎸🎹🎤🎼..⚡TCB😎 Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/10/24 Full Review William L Yes, Elvis made movies. No, you really don't need to watch them. Jailhouse Rock is one really good music video lumped together with three mediocre music videos with a story to stitch it all together, which is often weak enough that it just ends up with Elvis going, "gather 'round everyone, I'm going to sing a song" instead of bothering to come up with a reason why it would make sense in terms of narrative to have a song there. What is there in terms of the script is pretty predictable as well, a generic rags-to-riches in the entertainment industry storyline, except the main character is just generally standoffish to just about everyone who tries to help him without ever facing any repercussions. The saving grace is the intermittent music, which is still tied heavily to the audience's personal tastes when it comes to the King of Rock. The titular song is actually presented pretty well though, with a set that looks like a bandstand rendition of the musical Chicago and some fun choreography. But apart from that, modern appreciation for Jailhouse Rock as a film seems to be built more on nostalgia for the period than any of its own strengths. (1.5/5) Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 06/14/22 Full Review Audience Member This showcase for The King is much more entertaining then it is interesting as the narrative of the film is predictably cliche. The acting and script feel pretty wooden with the exception of Judy Tyler who actually creates some believable emotion in her role. As a musical, there is no denying the charisma Elvis brings to the screen. His performance of the titular number was the highlight of this film but everytime a musical number began the King immediately looked and felt more alive or natural then when he was hollowly reciting dialogue. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Jailhouse Rock

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Movie Info

Synopsis A young man, Vince Everett (Elvis Presley), is convicted of manslaughter after being drawn into a bar fight while trying to defend a woman. In prison, Everett finds salvation when his cellmate, a country singer named Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), hears him sing and pegs him as a future star. Once released, Everett gets a job in a night club and meets Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler), a young woman who works for a record company and who, like Houghton, also sees talent in Everett.
Director
Richard Thorpe
Producer
Pandro S. Berman
Screenwriter
Nedrick Young, Guy Trosper
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Warner Bros., Avon Productions
Genre
Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 17, 1957, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
Stereo
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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