Elvis Presley - The Signature Collection (It Happened at the World's Fair / Speedway / Spinout / Harum Scarum / Jailhouse Rock / Viva Las Vegas) | 
 enlarge | Directors: Gene Nelson, George Sidney, Norman Taurog, Richard Thorpe
Actors: Elvis Presley, Ann-margret, Joan O'brien, Nancy Sinatra, Shelley Fabares
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
Buy Used: $57.50
Used (5) Collectible (1) from $57.50
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 49672
Format: Box Set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Published)
Rating: G (General Audience)
Number Of Items: 6
Running Time: 559
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.7 x 3.7
MPN: D67037D
ISBN: 0790797135
UPC: 012569703728
EAN: 9780790797137
ASIN: B0002OXVE6
Theatrical Release Date: June 12, 1968
Release Date: August 24, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Two indisputable Elvis classics bolster this six-pack of Kingly films, with special emphasis on Elvis as race-car driver (three pictures feature this fave filmic occupation). Everybody loves Jailhouse Rock, the third movie in the Presley filmography. It's a kicky tale about a jailbird who learns to be a rock & roll singer in prison (a plot not at all crazy by later Elvis standards). The film catches Elvis in the freshness of being the New Thing, and his rave-up to the title tune is an exultant announcement that rock and roll just bashed down the front door of popular culture. It Happened at the World's Fair jumps ahead five years, the Elvis formula set. Location shooting at the futuristic Seattle World's Fair of 1962 lends a quirky backdrop, and check out the young Kurt Russell (future inhabitor of the Elvis persona) kicking the King in the shins. Viva Las Vegas is the other consensus classic: EP plays a race-car driver waiting tables in Sin City, sparking big time with Ann-Margret. The two stars generate some heat, and the theme song has inspired many a road trip. No such trip will be inspired by Harum Scarum, a mad comedy set in the Middle East. Elvis is kidnapped while touring, and a lame spoof of Rudolph Valentino movies ensues. It's back to the race track for the remaining pair. Spinout places the King in the direct path of three marriage-minded women, but he prefers his car and his guitar. Dumb plot, but the songs at least are agreeably rocking. Speedway has a slimmed-down Elvis and a groovy nightclub hangout, plus the ineffable Nancy Sinatra--there's some terrific kitsch value in this one. --Robert Horton
Description
6-Disc, 6-Film Set includes: Viva Las Vegas - Elvis Presley and vivacious Ann-Margaret sizzle in this dazzling funfest that's brimming with high-voltage musical numbers, roaring race cars and glittery Vegas action. Jailhouse Rock- In one of his best-loved films, Elvis Presley, stars as a small-time convict who uses his time in prison to practice music, then goes on to become a big-time performer. Co-stars Judy Tyler and Dean Jones. Spinout- Elvis Presley is at the wheel and headed for a romantic Spinout. Shelley Fabares (his co-star in Girl Happy) plays the love struck rich girl who always gets what she wants. Deborah Walley is the rock drummer eager for a love duet. Diane McBain is the bestselling author researching "The Perfect American Male" and who knows she's found him. Elvis sings Never Say Yes, Adam and Evil, All That I Am, the title number and the emphatic Stop, Look, Listen. Take Spinout out for a spin. Speedway - For the first time since he and Ann-Margaret proclaimed Viva Las Vegas, Presley pairs with a high-octane singing, dancing leading lady. The supersonic song list include Let Yourself Go, Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby and Your Groovy Self. Have a groovy time! It Happened at The World's Fair - Fun, music and Elvis all happen in this romp boasting one of the best backdrops of any Elvis Presley movie: the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, with its showpiece Space Needle, monorail and more. Harum Scarum- Go East, Young Man,? sings show-biz star and martial arts wiz Johnny Tyronne. To hear is to obey. A clandestine group called the Assassins kidnaps Johnny and whisks him to a remote Arabian realm isolated from the world for 2,000 years. The kidnappers want Johnny to use his fighting finesse to kill a desert king. Johnny a hitman? No, he's a hit, man, a top singer of songs like Kismet, Harem Holiday and nine more, all part of the jammin', swashbucklin' fun of Harum Scarum.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 Good sampling of Elvis' strengths and weaknesses August 21, 2008
This set contains six movies Elvis Presley made at MGM from 1957-1968, during the waning days of the Hollywood studio system. There are two bonafide Elvis classics, three light-and-fluffy romantic comedies with music, and one overly silly attempt to cast Elvis in a swashbuckling mode. VIVA LAS VEGAS (1964), easily the best of the bunch, is one of very few Elvis movies that can be considered a genuine full-fledged movie musical and was directed by old MGM studio hand George Sidney (ANCHORS AWEIGH, SHOW BOAT) and written by veteran author Sally Benson (MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS). The choreographer was an innovative newcomer, David Winters, best known for playing A-rab in both the stage and screen versions of WEST SIDE STORY. Ann-Margret is Elvis' co-star and she gets some songs and a dance number of her own and some charming duets with Elvis. Which begs the question of why Elvis didn't work more often with formidable female musical stars of the caliber of Ann-Margret, who clearly brings out the best in Elvis. He works with Nancy Sinatra in one of the light-and-fluffy ones in this set, SPEEDWAY (1968), but Nancy gets only one song of her own, "Your Groovy Self," written for her by Lee Hazlewood, and has very little musical interaction with Elvis, which seems like a wasted opportunity.
SPINOUT (1966) is one of the light-and-fluffy ones, but I found it to be the most outright entertaining of the set, largely because it has a funny script (co-written by Theodore J. Flicker, writer-director of the 1967 cult hit, THE PRESIDENT'S ANALYST) and a top-drawer cast, including three beautiful and delightful leading ladies, each of whom represents a very different character type attracted to Elvis. There's Deborah Walley, the tomboyish drummer in Elvis' band; Shelley Fabares, the spoiled rich girl and auto heiress; and Diane McBain, a sexually aggressive best-selling author seeking the perfect American male. There's a racing subplot, but it takes a back seat to the music, comedy and clever romantic rivalry.
IT HAPPENED AT THE WORLD'S FAIR (1963) is light and fluffy too, but not as well-written as SPINOUT. It has its enjoyable moments, though, including Elvis' attachment to a cute little Chinese girl (Vicky Tiu) and their day trip to the Seattle World's Fair, as well as a nice man-of-the-people scene where Elvis, staying at a bungalow court filled with middle-aged and senior citizen residents, picks up his guitar and strolls the area, singing to his neighbors. HARUM SCARUM (1965), on the other hand, is just a tired attempt to insert the star into a modern day Arabian Nights swashbuckler filled with stock Hollywood sets and stereotyped Arab characters left over from the whole Thief-of-Bagdad/Ali Baba bag of cliches. Elvis would certainly have made a great action star, but needed a better movie than this to prove it.
JAILHOUSE ROCK (1957), generally thought of as one of Elvis' best movies and certainly containing one of his most striking performances, turned out to be much more problematic for me. While Elvis is quite charismatic as a difficult and volatile young man on the rocky road to success, he's stuck with an old-line MGM writer-director team who completely miss his rhythms. There needed to be a new way to film and capture Elvis but they drag him down with a product shaped to conform to the standard studio assembly-line model, with little acknowledgment of the subversive undertone that Elvis brought to American pop culture. Given all the new directors entering Hollywood at that time (e.g. Arthur Penn, John Frankenheimer, Sidney Lumet), it's a shame no one saw what an opportunity this was to create something a little fresher and bolder.
Must Agree With Hunter May 27, 2008
I love Elvis, but I agree with Hunter on the packaging. I've never bought a boxed set that came with different type and size cases. The two larger snap cases do not fit in the box. I thought the guy I purchased from had re-packaged, too, but he said he didn't and I guess he didn't. I have a huge collection and this is the worse packaged. But, I love the movies so I gave it 3 stars.
 elvisophile April 23, 2008
I am very pleased with this box set. I am compiling a collection of Elvis movies, and this is a great addition. Thank you
Great Elvis movies; great gift April 9, 2008
Bought this as a gift for my Elvis fanatic dad. It had many of the hits that he loved. It is worth it to buy the sets because then you don't have to search for each individual title and that can cost much more than buying this set. There's nothing special about the set, just the movies in a box set, no glitz and glamor inside like special features and booklets, but who needs all that when you only want to watch the movies? Economical and great gift!
 Oldtimer April 11, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Shouldn't review this product. I remember the movies from when I was young and beautiful and in love with Elvis. I'm 72 now and wanted to have the movies I saw way back when to have forever.
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