King Creole

King Creole centres on Danny Fisher, a young man in New Orleans whose talent as a singer draws the attention of Maxie Fields, a local crime boss who wants him performing at his nightclub. Danny has no wish to work for a criminal, and his refusal sets up the film's central conflict, with Fields unwilling to accept no for an answer. The story moves between Danny's ambitions on stage, the pressures of his home life and the danger that comes with crossing a man like Fields.

The film was directed by Michael Curtiz, the twenty-fourth of the twenty-five features he directed in chronological order, following The Proud Rebel and preceding The Comancheros. Michael V. Gazzo and Herbert Baker wrote the screenplay, and Hal B. Wallis and Joseph H. Hazen produced for Paramount and Hal Wallis Productions. Elvis Presley plays Danny, with Carolyn Jones as Ronnie, Walter Matthau as Maxie Fields, Dolores Hart as Nellie, Dean Jagger as Mr. Fisher and Liliane Montevecchi as Forty Nina, among a credited cast of thirty-three.

Released in July 1958, King Creole runs 116 minutes and mixes crime, drama and music. On IMDb it holds 7 out of 10 from about 6,250 votes, while on TMDB it has 6.4 out of 10 from a much smaller number of votes. A critics' rating of 7.1 out of 10 from twenty-four reviews places it slightly above the audience scores.