What Were Elvis’ Favorite Movies?
Elvis Presley performed live frequently, recorded enough material for 57 full-length albums plus dozens of singles and EPs, and starred in TV specials, concert films, and 31 movies. But even though he was an incredibly busy guy, the King had a lot of hobbies. In addition to his loves of martial arts, reading, football and racquetball, Elvis was also a huge fan of film. In her 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, Priscilla Presley wrote about the movies Elvis loved to watch again and again. Here are a few of his favorites.
Les Miserables (1935)
20th Century Fox Film Corp./Courtesy: Everett Collection
This film was the first of many adaptions of Victor Hugo’s epic novel of poverty, generosity and justice before and during the French Revolution. Fredric March plays Jean Valjean, a peasant who steals a loaf of bread to feed his starving family and spends the rest of his life on the run from obsessed policeman Inspector Javert (Charles Lawton). The film was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, but lost to Mutiny on the Bounty.
Wuthering Heights (1939)
Everett Collection
An adaptation of Emily Bronte’s classic British gothic novel, this film was directed by William Wyler, the man behind classic films like Roman Holiday and Ben-Hur (for which he won the Best Director Oscar in 1959). Marketed with the tagline “The greatest love story of our time … or any time!” the film starred Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon as the tragic, star-crossed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy. David Niven portrayed Edward, the practical man Cathy marries in spite of her very impractical love for Heathcliff. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Actor, Best Director and Best Screenplay, but won only Best Cinematography — Black and White.
The Way of All Flesh (1940)
Everett Collection
This drama had an especially large impact on Elvis. Priscilla Presley wrote of it, “We cried ourselves to sleep over The Way of All Flesh, which concerns a banker who plans to carry a large sum of money out of state, only to discover upon awakening the following morning that he has been robbed. Stripped of everything, he takes to the streets, surviving among the derelicts, an outcast. Years later, one Christmas night, he wanders into his hometown and peers through the window to see his wife and children, now grown, opening their presents. Sensing his presence but never recognizing him, his wife takes pity on the lonely old man and invites him in to share the evening with her family. He declines, heading down the snowy street alone.”
The film didn’t just move Elvis emotionally — it also awakened some directorial instincts within him. “Elvis identified so thoroughly with the story,” noted Priscilla, “that he toyed with the idea of a remake. He intended to cast Vernon in the lead role.”
Mr. Skeffington (1944)
Everett Collection
This Bette Davis melodrama follows cruel, shallow socialite Fanny, who marries the titular Mr. Skeffington (played by Claude Rains) only to help her brother get out of financial trouble, and learns a long, hard lesson about the true nature of love. Dealing with serious issues like materialism, anti-Semitism and social status, the film led to a Best Actress nomination for Bette Davis and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Rains.
>> Priscilla Presley Reveals What She & Elvis Watched on TV at Graceland
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Courtesy Everett Collection
This Frank Capra Christmas classic tells the story of George Bailey, a small-town banker contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve, until his guardian angel reveals the impact his life has had on the people around him. Though today the film is on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 best American films ever made, and is considered to have given James Stewart and Donna Reed career-defining roles as George and Mary Bailey, it was considered a failure upon release, and did not earn back its budget at the box office.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Century Fox Film Corp./courtesy Everett Collection
The King had a thing for Christmas films! This family classic gave young Natalie Wood her first major role, as a young girl whose life is changed by a department store Santa who may just be the real thing. Edmund Gwenn won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his turn as Kris Kringle, and the film was recognized by the Library of Congress in 2005.
Letter From an Unknown Woman (1948)
Everett Collection
Joan Fontaine‘s Lisa spends her life quietly in love with Louis Jordan’s Stefan, who takes notice of her only a handful of times — each of which is outlined in the film’s titular letter. Based on an Austrian novella, the film dealt with controversial topics like premarital sex and out-of-wedlock childbirth. In 1992, it was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress.
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