Year: 1962
Director: Phil Karlson
Country: US
Language: English
Kid Galahad would be Elvis Presley's 10th feature length film, and in the eyes of most of the nation's reviewers it's the film that turned him from a "detestable" (their words not mine) rock n' roll phenomenon (my words not theirs) into a competent money making movie superstar. For the motion picture industry Elvis had changed his look somewhat, from a teenage horn-dog to a more mature man, but it still didn't detract his audience which was growing every day.
When he completes his military service Walter Gulick (Elvis Presley) returns to his birthplace where he hopes to be a mechanic but instead becomes a prizefighter with unfortunate ties to the mob.
United Artists also had a similar feelings to that of the film critics, thus they gave Elvis more varied roles in the early 60's. His previous film Follow that Dream had the King pretending to be a poor hillbilly. This feauture has him as a poor prizefighter with no other alternative. While Presley had played a street brawler before, this role had the unique challenge of having to physically look like a professional. Unfortunately this is where his performance lacks as his abs are non-existent and his muscles are nowhere to be found.
Presley does bring the right amount of emotion to the role, and that can be attributed to the film's light script which ranges from light romantic melodrama (albeit not in the same league of Sirk) to a bit of a family comedy. Kid Galahad contains the standard Presley musical numbers designed to draw his faithful followers to the box office. I'm not entirely sure any of them are memorable and attracted much soundtrack buys.
Many will cite this as their favourite Elvis Presley picture, but unfortunately I don't really see the appeal. Even Blue Hawaii & Viva Las Vegas had songs you could hum, even belt out to. Elvis has improved from his early days, but the direction falls flat and the script amounts to little more than Hollywood fluff.
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