Easily Presley’s most satisfying film overall and a first-rate if slow-moving Western in its own right which, once again, benefits from the assured guiding hand of a strong director who is an expert of tough action to boot.
For the record, the lead role was originally intended for either Frank Sinatra or Marlon Brando (for whom Nunnally Johnson specifically wrote the script), but against all expectations, Presley gives an excellent, brooding portrayal of a half-breed (for which he was even inducted in a Native American society!); Barbara Steele was supposed to have played the female lead but proved unsatisfactory during a screen test (the principal film-makers reportedly didn’t want her from the outset because she was taller than Elvis and also since, in their view, she couldn’t act but the Chairman of Fox was clearly rooting for her behind the scenes!) and she was eventually replaced by Barbara Eden. Frankly, I feel that Steele would have been miscast anyway in this secondary role and, thankfully, the direct result of her missing out on this film was her iconic performance in Mario Bava’s Italian horror classic BLACK Sunday (1960) and a subsequent career as the reigning “Scream Queen” of Italian Gothic horror films!
The title tune, naturally sung by Elvis himself, is very good (the “Flaming Star” being the Indian sign for impending death) and Presley was originally supposed to sing 10 songs throughout the film but, given its unusually somber tone, wiser heads prevailed and these were reduced to just two, which were then disposed of within the very first reel! Unsurprisingly perhaps, the end result of all this was that FLAMING STAR underperformed at the box office and Presley would basically never again be allowed to stray from the tried-and-true “formula” or develop his burgeoning thespian skills in dramatic pictures.
Anyway, to get to the film’s plot proper: Presley’s family comprises white folk John McIntire and Steve Forrest (Dana Andrews’ brother) and an Indian mother, movingly played by Dolores Del Rio. Rodolfo Acosta appears as the aggressive new Kiowa chief who wants Presley to join him in his fight against the white man while, on the other hand, the whites also ask Forrest to choose sides. Eventually, this leads to much confrontation (also familial) and bloodshed – culminating in Elvis’ showdown with his tribe which actually occurs offscreen, and the film’s surprisingly downbeat ending is all the more effective because of it. Incidentally, that same year saw another Western in which a family is despised by the townspeople because of their mixed blood
Elvis Presley sure made short albums, but "Flaming Star" is a great one. And how about the tunes themselves? The title song is the country/western number, but Elvis & his band still give it a great rock 'n' roll swagger. You can just picture Elvis riding into the sunset on his horsie with this one. "Wonderful World" is the album's cheeseball ballad, filled with lush strings and backing vocals, but hey, with Elvis' magic vocal touch, it still works (and let's face it, Elvis could sing the phone directory and it would still sound great). "Night Life" is a super little rocker about a hot night in Las Vegas (Elvis' favorite town, of course!). Presley's guitarist even gets to fire off a cool little solo in the middle of it. Awesome tune! Things get quiet and mellow with the next song, the bluesy "All I Needed Was The Rain." It's a great little song, with an excellent performance from Elvis. Then things get upbeat again with "Too Much Monkey Business," a classic Presley rock'n'roller (Elvis even gets to put his trademark "Uh-huh-huh" stamp on it). Next is the patriotic medley of "The Yellow Rose Of Texas" and "The Eyes Of Texas." It may be cheese, but Elvis does it justice, and you can't help but smile & sing along with The King and the male chorus at the rousing finale. From here on out it's all great little rockers---"She's A Machine" is a groovy tune (with horn section), the fun "Do The Vega" is Elvis in Chubby Checker/"Twist" mode, and finally, there's an awesome live performance of the dirty rocker "Tiger Man
Track Listings
|
SIDE1
1. Flaming Star |
| 2. Wonderful World |
| 3. Night Life |
| 4. All I Needed Was the Rain |
| 5. Too Much Monkey Business - The Jordanaires, Elvis Presley |
|
SIDE2
6. Yellow Rose of Texas/The Eyes of Texas |
| 7. She's a Machine - The Jordanaires, Elvis Presley |
| 8. Do the Vega |
| 9. Tiger Man |
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GREG'S GREATS
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