Star of the Month: Elvis: ‘Out of the Army’
TCM, beginning at 7 p.m.
After putting legions of fans in mourning by taking a music and film hiatus between 1958 and 1960 for his famous stint in the Army, Elvis Presley, upon leaving the service, made up for lost time and satisfied audiences hungry to see him again on the big screen when he starred in a number of early ’60s films. Three of those air during tonight’s salute to the movies of the King on TCM. First is Blue Hawaii (pictured) (1961), a musical romantic comedy with a chart-topping soundtrack including classic tunes like Presley’s cover of the title song as well as “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and “Rock-a-Hula Baby.” Next is the musical comedy G.I. Blues (1960), the first film Elvis made upon release from the Army and whose plot plays off his stint, having him portray an Army tank crewman who also happens to have a singing career. The film also spawned another hit soundtrack, which featured the title song as well as a new recording of “Blue Suede Shoes.”
Lastly, for this theme, Elvis plays a boxer in the musical Kid Galahad (1962). After that, TCM takes a different turn as it ends its Elvis movie lineup early the next morning with Elvis: That’s the Way It Is, the classic 1970 concert documentary that chronicled the King’s return to live performances after years of making dramatic films, with footage mostly shot in Las Vegas during that summer. —