Elvis (1979 film)

Infobox_Film
name = Elvis


caption =
director = John Carpenter
producer = Anthony Lawrence
writer = Anthony Lawrence
starring = Kurt Russell
Shelley Winters
Season Hubley
music = Joe Renzetti
cinematography = Donald M. Morgan
distributor =
released = 1979
runtime = 150 min.
language = English
budget = |

"Elvis" is an early TV film by John Carpenter and is based upon the life of 'The King of Rock 'n' Roll' Elvis Presley. However, it ends in 1970 and does not depict the last few years of Elvis' life and career.

"Elvis" is notable in Carpenter's career for two reasons. It was made after "Halloween" had wrapped, so it offered him an avenue to try his hand at a film away from the horror genre. It was also the first time Carpenter had worked with Kurt Russell, who became a frequent collaborator of Carpenter's. Russell subsequently starred in "Escape from New York" (1981), "The Thing" (1982), "Big Trouble in Little China" (1985), and "Escape from L.A." (1996).

Country singer Ronnie McDowell provided the vocals for a number of songs Russell performed in the film as Elvis.

Trivia

Kurt Russell worked with and met Elvis Presley in the film, It Happened at the World's Fair (1963). In the film, Elvis wants to meet the fairground's nurse and he pays a young boy (played by Kurt Russell) to kick him in the shins. Later in the movie, the young boy sees Elvis and the nurse together on a date and asks Elvis if he can kick him again for money.
Kurt Russell's cinematic involvement with Elvis Presley also includes dubbing the voice of a young Elvis in Forrest Gump and playing an Elvis impersonator in 3000 Miles to Graceland.