Elvis Presley starred in 31 movies in his acting career. Not every single one was a critical darling, but many did well at the box office, giving Presley the status of one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. His movies earned over $284 million worldwide, and a few earned Elvis a pretty payday.
Here are the top 5 highest-grossing Elvis Presley movies
5. ‘Jailhouse Rock’ – $4 million
Jailhouse Rock is the third movie starring Elvis Presley. Directed by Richard Thorpe, the film centers around Vince (Presley), a convict who discovers in jail that he has the potential to become a star. While the movie received mixed reviews from critics, it was a hit with audiences and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
The film is also fondly remembered for its soundtrack, which included the song “Jailhouse Rock.” The titular tune reached No. 1 in the U.S. and was a top 10 hit in several other countries.
4. ‘Blue Hawaii’ – $4.2 million
Hawaii became a popular location for Elvis Presley as he filmed three movies there. The first of these was Blue Hawaii, a musical romantic comedy where Elvis portrayed a soldier returning to Hawaii for fun in the sun and plenty of relationship drama. It’s another box office hit that critics didn’t love, but it also had a fantastic soundtrack. It featured the song “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” which peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
3. ‘G.I. Blues’ – $4.3 million
G.I. Blues is a 1960 American musical comedy starring Elvis and Juliet Prowse. The film is directed by Norman Taurog and stars Presley as a U.S. Army specialist with a budding singing career. Reviews were mixed, but audiences turned out to see Prowse and Presley co-star in a movie.
2. ‘Love Me Tender’ – $4.4 million
Love Me Tender is the first film featuring Elvis and the only one where he didn’t receive top billing. However, Elvis was the selling point for the film, and 20th Century Fox marketed the movie around the Memphis singer. The movie was originally going to be titled The Reno Brothers but was later changed when advanced sales for Presley’s “Love Me Tender” hit one million. The title was altered to bank off the song’s success.
1. ‘Viva Las Vegas’ – $9.4 million
Viva Las Vegas is often regarded as one of Elvis Presley’s best movies by audiences and critics. Directed by George Sidney, the film stars Elvis as a race car driver who must participate in a Las Vegas talent show to pay for his car’s new engine. The musical also stars Ann-Margret, Cesare Danova, William Demarest, and Teri Garr.
Viva Las Vegas was a hit at movie theaters, as it was the 14th highest-grossing film of 1964. Many critics praised the on-screen chemistry between Ann-Margret and Elvis. However, the chemistry might not have been acting as the pair reportedly had an affair around the time of filming. Still, the romantic musical garnered almost $10 million for MGM, so the studio had no problem creating some drama.
