Kid Galahad
Encyclopedia
Kid Galahad is a 1962 musical film starring Elvis Presley
as a boxer
. The film was released by United Artists
. The film opened at #9 at the box office when released in the United States in August 1962. Variety
ranked the film at #37 on the list of the top-grossing films of 1962.
The film was shot on location in Idyllwild, California and is noted for having a strong supporting cast. Most critics rate it as one of Elvis Presley's best performances.
The film is a remake
of the 1937 original version
starring Edward G. Robinson
, Bette Davis
, and Humphrey Bogart
and directed by Michael Curtiz
, who also directed the Elvis Presley 1958 film King Creole
. UA had owned the original version at the time of the remake's release.
One day he intercedes on a lady's behalf and decks one of Willy's top fighters. Willy is persuaded to let this "Galahad" take a shot in a legitimate ring. Both men are reluctant, but each has a need for the money. Walter begins working out under the watchful eye of Willy's top trainer, Lew.
The attractive Rose, younger sister of Willy, shows up unexpectedly. She and Walter almost immediately hit it off. The obsessively protective Willy doesn't want his kid sister falling for some "grease monkey" mechanic and two-bit boxer. Dolly is envious of the young couple's romance and resents Willy's interference.
After several successes in the ring, Walter is readied for his biggest fight. Gangsters want him to take a dive so that Willy can pay off his debts to them, but "Galahad" throws his muscle behind Willy and emerges victorious. He wins the big fight against Ramon "Sugar Boy" Romero as well as Willy's approval, retiring undefeated to his vintage car and his new love.
, who appeared in the film. Reigning welterweight champion Orlando De La Fuente also appeared in the film as Ramon "Sugar Boy" Romero. Shooting began in early November, 1961 in Hidden Lodge, Idyllwild, California before a storm forced a move to Hollywood. The director Phil Karlson directed Walking Tall
in 1973 and the Matt Helm
films The Silencers
(1966) and The Wrecking Crew
(1969) starring Dean Martin. Gig Young won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They?.
Studios in Hollywood, California. At this point in his career, Presley had a proven sales track record, and up to 300 demos
were often submitted for a single film even given the requisite publishing arrangements favorable toward companies owned by Elvis and the Colonel
, Elvis Presley Music and Gladys Music. As the plots for Presley films became interchangeable, songs rejected for a certain storyline could later be used for an entirely different film, as with "A Whistling Tune" which had been omitted from Presley's previous film but found a place here instead.
Six songs were recorded for the film and the soundtrack
issued as an extended play single
in August 1962 to coincide with the film's premiere. The Kid Galahad soundtrack EP reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
as a boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. The film was released by United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
. The film opened at #9 at the box office when released in the United States in August 1962. Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
ranked the film at #37 on the list of the top-grossing films of 1962.
The film was shot on location in Idyllwild, California and is noted for having a strong supporting cast. Most critics rate it as one of Elvis Presley's best performances.
The film is a remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of the 1937 original version
Kid Galahad (1937 film)
Kid Galahad is a 1937 prizefighter film starring Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart. The movie was directed by Michael Curtiz....
starring Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
, Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, and Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
and directed by Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz was an Academy award winning Hungarian-American film director. He had early creditsas Mihály Kertész and Michael Kertész...
, who also directed the Elvis Presley 1958 film King Creole
King Creole
King Creole is a 1958 American film directed by Michael Curtiz and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The story was adapted from the Harold Robbins novel A Stone for Danny Fisher and featured Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, and Walter Matthau. The film tells the story of a nineteen-year-old who gets mixed...
. UA had owned the original version at the time of the remake's release.
Synopsis
Willy Grogan is a small-time boxing promoter, based in the Catskills resort region of Green Valley, New York. He owns the Grogan's Gaelic Gardens inn. He has debts to pay and often pays too little attention to the woman who loves him, Dolly. Into their midst comes Walter, a young man recently discharged from the Army who loves the peaceful setting almost as much as he loves working on old cars. Walter's simple goal is to go into business as a mechanic at a nearby garage.One day he intercedes on a lady's behalf and decks one of Willy's top fighters. Willy is persuaded to let this "Galahad" take a shot in a legitimate ring. Both men are reluctant, but each has a need for the money. Walter begins working out under the watchful eye of Willy's top trainer, Lew.
The attractive Rose, younger sister of Willy, shows up unexpectedly. She and Walter almost immediately hit it off. The obsessively protective Willy doesn't want his kid sister falling for some "grease monkey" mechanic and two-bit boxer. Dolly is envious of the young couple's romance and resents Willy's interference.
After several successes in the ring, Walter is readied for his biggest fight. Gangsters want him to take a dive so that Willy can pay off his debts to them, but "Galahad" throws his muscle behind Willy and emerges victorious. He wins the big fight against Ramon "Sugar Boy" Romero as well as Willy's approval, retiring undefeated to his vintage car and his new love.
Primary Cast
- Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
: Walter Gulick - Gig YoungGig YoungGig Young was an American film, stage, and television actor. Known mainly for second leads and supporting roles, Young won an Academy Award for his performance as a dance-marathon emcee in the 1969 film, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?.-Early life and career:Born Byron Elsworth Barr in St...
: Willy Grogan - Lola AlbrightLola AlbrightLola Jean Albright is an American singer and actress.Albright worked as a model before moving to Hollywood. She began her motion picture career with a bit part in the 1948 film The Pirate, and followed it with an important role in the acclaimed 1949 hit Champion...
: Dolly Fletcher - Joan BlackmanJoan BlackmanJoan Blackman is an American actress.-Biography:Blackman made her television acting debut as a guest performer in a 1957 series, Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans, and then appeared in her first motion picture, Good Day for a Hanging, in 1959. She had a significant role in two Elvis Presley films...
: Rose Grogan - Charles BronsonCharles BronsonCharles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
: Lew Nyack - Edward Asner : Frank Gerson
- Roy RobertsRoy RobertsRoy Roberts was an American character actor. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen.-Biography:...
: Jerry Bathgate - Judson PrattJudson PrattJudson Pratt was an American actor whose longest continuing work was in thirteen episodes of ABC's Walt Disney Presents and NBC's Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. A native of Hingham in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Pratt appeared in numerous television westerns and drama series from...
: Howard Zimmerman - Robert EmhardtRobert EmhardtRobert Emhardt was an American stage, film, and television actor. He typically played villains.Emhardt studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He began his Broadway career as an understudy for the equally heavyset Sidney Greenstreet in the 1930s, with his actual stage debut...
: Maynard - Liam RedmondLiam RedmondLiam Redmond was an Irish actor known for his stage, film and television roles.-Early life:Redmond was one of four children born to carpenter Thomas and Eileen Redmond...
: Father Higgins - Ned GlassNed GlassNed Glass was an American character actor who appeared in more than eighty films and on television more than one hundred times, frequently playing nervous, cowardly or weasely characters...
: Max Lieberman - Red WestRed WestRed West is an American actor, film stuntman and songwriter.West was born Robert Gene West in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Lois and Newton Thomas West. He was a close high school friend of rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. An excellent athlete and former U.S...
: Opponent (uncredited) - Del "Sonny" West : Bit Part (uncredited)
- Joe Esposito : Bit Part (uncredited)
Background
For this role, Presley was tutored in the arts of pugilism by former world junior welterweight champ Mushy CallahanMushy Callahan
Mushy Callahan was the ring name of Vincent Morris Scheer, a boxer and a champion in the light welterweight division.Callahan was born on November 3, 1904, in New York City. He took the ring name of Mushy Callahan and began boxing in 1924....
, who appeared in the film. Reigning welterweight champion Orlando De La Fuente also appeared in the film as Ramon "Sugar Boy" Romero. Shooting began in early November, 1961 in Hidden Lodge, Idyllwild, California before a storm forced a move to Hollywood. The director Phil Karlson directed Walking Tall
Walking Tall
Walking Tall is a 1973 semi-biopic of Sheriff Buford Pusser, a former professional wrestler-turned-lawman in McNairy County, Tennessee. It starred Joe Don Baker as Pusser...
in 1973 and the Matt Helm
Matt Helm
Matt Helm is a fictional character created by author Donald Hamilton. He is a U.S. government counter-agent—a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of the term as used in spy thrillers.-The character and the series:The...
films The Silencers
The Silencers (film)
The Silencers is the title of an American spy film spoof motion picture produced in 1966 and starring Dean Martin as agent Matt Helm. It is only loosely based upon the novel The Silencers by Donald Hamilton, as well as another of Hamilton's Helm novels, Death of a Citizen.The film was the first of...
(1966) and The Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew (1969 film)
The Wrecking Crew, released in 1969 and starring Dean Martin, Elke Sommer, and Sharon Tate is the fourth and final film in a series of American comedy-spy-fi theatrical releases featuring Martin as secret agent Matt Helm....
(1969) starring Dean Martin. Gig Young won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They?.
Soundtrack
Recording sessions took place on October 26 and 27, 1961, at Radio RecordersRadio Recorders
Radio Recorders, Inc. was a recording studio based in Los Angeles, California. Famous musicians to have been recorded in the studio include Charlie Parker, Jimmie Rodgers, Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and The Carpenters among others. In its prime, the studio was known...
Studios in Hollywood, California. At this point in his career, Presley had a proven sales track record, and up to 300 demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
were often submitted for a single film even given the requisite publishing arrangements favorable toward companies owned by Elvis and the Colonel
Colonel Tom Parker
"Colonel" Thomas Andrew "Tom" Parker born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, was a Dutch-born entertainment impresario known best as the manager of Elvis Presley...
, Elvis Presley Music and Gladys Music. As the plots for Presley films became interchangeable, songs rejected for a certain storyline could later be used for an entirely different film, as with "A Whistling Tune" which had been omitted from Presley's previous film but found a place here instead.
Six songs were recorded for the film and the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
issued as an extended play single
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in August 1962 to coincide with the film's premiere. The Kid Galahad soundtrack EP reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Personnel
- Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
- vocals - The JordanairesThe JordanairesThe Jordanaires are an American vocal quartet, which formed as a gospel group in 1948. They are best known for providing vocal background for Elvis Presley, in live appearances and recordings from 1956 to 1972...
- background vocals - Boots RandolphBoots RandolphHomer Louis "Boots" Randolph III was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit, "Yakety Sax"...
- saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Scotty MooreScotty MooreWinfield Scott "Scotty" Moore III is an American guitarist. He is best known for his backing of Elvis Presley in the first part of his career, between 1954 and the beginning of Elvis' Hollywood years...
, Tiny TimbrellTiny TimbrellHilmer J. Timbrell was a Canadian-born session musician and master guitarist.Hilmer J. "Tiny" Timbrell was born in Canada but moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue his career in music...
, Neal Matthews, Jr.Neal Matthews, Jr.Neal Matthews, Jr. was an American vocalist who achieved fame as part of The Jordanaires, one of country music's premier backup groups; most notably with Elvis Presley.-Biography:...
- electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Dudley Brooks - pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Bob MooreBob MooreBob Loyce Moore is an American session musician, orchestra leader, and bassist who was a member of the legendary Nashville A-Team during the 1950s and 60s.-Biography:...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - D.J. Fontana, Buddy HarmanBuddy HarmanBuddy Harman was an American session musician.-Career:Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he played drums on over 18,000 sessions for artists such as Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Connie Francis, Chet Atkins, Marty Robbins, Roger Miller,...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Side one
| Track | Recorded | Song Title | Writers | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 10/27/61 | King Of The Whole Wide World King Of The Whole Wide World King Of The Whole Wide World is a song by Elvis Presley.... |
Bob Roberts and Ruth Bachelor | 2:44 |
| 2. | 10/27/61 | This Is Living | Fred Wise and Ben Weisman Ben Weisman Ben Weisman was an eccentric American composer significant for having written more songs recorded by Elvis Presley than any other songwriter in history. The "Mad Professor" as Weisman was nicknamed by Elvis, worked with the King from 1956 to 1971... |
1:43 |
| 3. | 10/26/61 | Riding the Rainbow | Fred Wise and Ben Weisman Ben Weisman Ben Weisman was an eccentric American composer significant for having written more songs recorded by Elvis Presley than any other songwriter in history. The "Mad Professor" as Weisman was nicknamed by Elvis, worked with the King from 1956 to 1971... |
1:37 |
Side two
| Track | Recorded | Song Title | Writers | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 10/26/61 | Home Is Where the Heart Is | Sherman Edwards Sherman Edwards Sherman Edwards was an American songwriter.-Biography:Edwards was born in New York City and was raised in Weequahic, New Jersey, where he attended Weequahic High School. He attended Columbia University, where he majored in history. Throughout college, Edwards moonlighted, playing jazz piano for... and Hal David Hal David Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:... |
2:32 |
| 2. | 10/27/61 | I Got Lucky | Fred Wise, Dolores Fuller Dolores Fuller Dolores Agnes Fuller was an American actress and songwriter best known as the one-time girlfriend of the low-budget film director Edward D. Wood, Jr. She played the protagonist's girlfriend in Glen or Glenda, co-starred in Wood's Jail Bait, and had a minor role in Bride of the Monster... , Ben Weisman Ben Weisman Ben Weisman was an eccentric American composer significant for having written more songs recorded by Elvis Presley than any other songwriter in history. The "Mad Professor" as Weisman was nicknamed by Elvis, worked with the King from 1956 to 1971... |
2:10 |
| 3. | 10/26/61 | A Whistling Tune | Sherman Edwards Sherman Edwards Sherman Edwards was an American songwriter.-Biography:Edwards was born in New York City and was raised in Weequahic, New Jersey, where he attended Weequahic High School. He attended Columbia University, where he majored in history. Throughout college, Edwards moonlighted, playing jazz piano for... and Hal David Hal David Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:... |
3:17 |
External links
- Behind the Scenes look at Kid Galahad at Elvis Presley News.com
- Review by Graeme Clark at The Spinning Image
- Review by Dan Mancini at DVD Verdict, June 23, 2006
- Review by DSH at The DVD Journal
- Region 2 Review by Anthony Nield at DVD Times, 11-09-2003
- Region 2 Review by Nigel Patterson at Elvis Information Network, October 21, 2003