G.I. Blues Released August 18th 1960 USA (November 23rd 1960 UK) Hal Wallis Productions / Paramount Pictures   104 minutes Produced by Hal B. Wallis Directed by Norman Taurog Music by Joseph J. Lilley Written by Edmund Beloin and Henry Garson

Cast:

Elvis Presley (Tulsa Maclean), Juliet Prowse (Lili), Robert Ivers (Cookie), James Douglas (Rick), Letícia Román (Tina), Sigrid Maier (Marla), Scotty Moore (as himself), Bill Black (as himself), Arch Johnson (MSG McGraw), Kenneth Becker (Mac - as Ken Becker), Carl Crow (Walt), Beach Dickerson (Warren), Trent Dolan (Mickey), Fred Essler (Papa Mueller), John Hudson (CPT Hobart), The Jordanaires (as themselves), Mickey Knox (Jeeter), Erika Peters (Trudy), Jeremy Slate (Turk), Edson Stroll (Dynamite), Ron Starr (Harvey) and Ludwig Stössel as the puppet show operator.

Notes:

Working titles: 'Cafe Europa' and 'Christmas In Berlin'. Most sources offer 'McLean' as his name, but take a closer look at the name badge on the chest of his flak jacket! This was Elvis' first movie after his Army release. The 32nd Armoured Division was Presley's regiment when he was in the Army, so it was used for the film. The G.I. Blues soundtrack album was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1960: 'Best Sound Track Album or Recording of Original Cast from a Motion Picture or Television' and 'Best Vocal Performance Album, Male'. Edmund Beloin and Henry Garson were both nominated in 1961 by the Writers Guild of America in the category of 'Best Written American Musical'.

Songs:

Tonight is so Right for Love / What's She Really Like / Frankfurt Special / Wooden Heart / G.I.Blues / Pocketful of Rainbows / Shoppin' Around / Big Boots / Didja Ever / Blue Suede Shoes / Doin' the Best I Can

Flaming Star Released December 20th 1960 (January 13th 1961 UK) 20th Century Fox    101 minutes Produced by David Weisbart Directed by Don Siegel Music by Cyril J. Mockridge Written by Clair Huffaker and Nunnally Johnson

Cast:

Elvis Presley (Pacer Burton), Barbara Eden (Roslyn Pierce), Steve Forrest (Clint Burton), Dolores del Río (Neddy Burton), John McIntire (Sam "Pa" Burton), L.Q. Jones (Tom Howard), Richard Jaeckel (Angus Pierce), Rodolfo Acosta (Buffalo Horn), Karl Swenson (Dred Pierce), Ford Rainey (Doc Phillips)

Story:

Pacer Burton, a half-breed boy - the son of Neddy, a Kiowa mother and Sam, a Texas rancher father - is forced to make an almost impossible decision between heritage and family when tension arises between his mother's native American people and the white settlers. His family, including a half-brother, Clint, live a simple life on the Texas frontier but it becomes considerably more complicated for Pacer when a local tribe of Kiowa indians begin raiding neighbouring homesteads and he finds himself caught between the two worlds, part of both but not really belonging to either.

As the conflict increases between the white settlers and the Kiowas, the Burton family suffers split loyalties and, when Neddy and Sam are killed, Pacer sides with the Indians while his half-brother Clint is on the side of the settlers. Family eventually wins when Pacer turns and fights against his fellow Indians, not because the Indians are on the 'wrong' side of the war, but because they have attacked his brother.

Notes:

Studio titles: 'Flaming Lance', 'Flaming Heart' and 'Black Star'. Based on the book 'Flaming Lance' by Clair Huffaker. The film rights had been available since 1958 when Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando were originally lined up to play the brothers. Barbara Steele was replaced during filming by Barbara Eden after the studio decided that her British accent was was too pronounced. Elvis was inducted into the Los Angeles Indian Tribal Council by native American Wah-Nee-Ota after his performance in this film. Andy Warhol's famous diptych of Presley as a cowboy came from a shot in this movie.

Songs:

Flaming Star / A Cane and a High Starched Collar