Kid Galahad - United
Artists 1962
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By: For Elvis Fans Only
Source: EPE
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Kid Galahad |
Elvis Presley's tenth movie was "Kid
Galahad", filmed in 1962 for United
Artists. Filming for Kid
Galahad" was October 23, 1961
until December 20, 1961. "Kid Galahad"
was released in August 1962 and reached
#9 on Variety's list of top-grossing
films for that week. It was ranked at
#37 for the year.
The basic concept of the Wallace
story was kept, but there were some
alterations, such as changing the name
and pre-boxing occupation of the title
character. In this version he's Walter
Gulick, a mechanic newly home from
military service. As Kid Galahad - or
Walter Gulick, Elvis turns up in Cream
Valley after being demobbed and looking
for work. Inevitably, he finds two: one
as a mechanic, and one as a sparring
partner for a local boxer. When Elvis
knocks out the boxer he's sparring with,
the manipulative, but decent manager Gig
Young sees his potential as a fighter.
Gig Young played the
fight promoter. Born Byron Barr, he
developed a love of acting while growing
up in his native Minnesota. He worked in
such films as "Desk Set", "That Touch of
Mink" and "Strange Bedfellows". He
received Academy Award nominations as
Best Supporting Actor for his work in
the films "Come Fill the Cup" and
"Teacher's Pet". He won both an Academy
Award and a Golden Globe Award as Best
Supporting Actor for his performance in
the 1969 film "They Shoot Horses Don't
They?". He was nominated for an Emmy
Award for the 1970 TV production "The
Neon Ceiling".
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Elvis Presley & Charles Bronson
in Kid Galahad. |
Charles Bronson played
trainer Lew Nyack in "Kid Galahad".
Bronson was born Charles Buchinsky in
Pennsylvania in 1921, one of 15 children
born to Lithuanian immigrant parents.
The only member of his family to
complete high school, he worked the coal
mines to help support his family. During
World War II he served in the U.S. Army
and afterwards used his G.I. Bill to
study acting. His credits include
hundreds of movies and TV programs as
supporting actor and headlining star -
usually in a craggy, tough guy role. His
films include "The Magnificent Seven",
"The Dirty Dozen", "The Valachi Papers",
"Mr. Majestyk" and "Death Wish" (I, II,
III, IV & V). He was nominated for an
Emmy Award in 1961 for Outstanding
Performance in a Supporting Role for his
work in television's G.E. Theatre
presentation "Memory in White". In 1972
he received a Golden Globe Award for
Favorite Male World Film Actor. His most
recent work has been a series of TV
movies called "Family of Cops".
Joan Blackman played Elvis' love
interest Rose Grogan, sister of the
promoter. She and Elvis had worked
together the year before in "Blue
Hawaii". Blackman's other credits
include the films "Moon runners" and
"Macon County Line" and a number of TV
guest appearances.
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Elvis Presley in Kid Galahad. |
Lola Albright played Dolly Fletcher, the
promoter's girlfriend. She is probably
best known for her Emmy nominated role
of singer Edie Hart on the TV series
"Peter Gunn". She acted in such films as
"Easter Parade" and "Champion" and has
numerous guest TV guest appearances
among her credits.
Elvis had just acquired Scatter, a
pet chimpanzee that amused Elvis and his
entourage with his antics. Scatter often
travelled to California with them and
visited the set of Elvis' movies. This
was Scatter's first trip to Hollywood.
In "Kid Galahad" the story called for
the fighters training camp to be set in
the Catskills of New York in the
summertime. However, the movie was
filmed in the fall/winter season in
Idlywild, California, a resort east of
Los Angeles. In this higher elevation it
was getting colder as winter
temperatures do, even in sunny
California. The actors have recalled
having to wear summer wardrobe and smile
while in fact they were freezing cold
and trying not to have their breath show
up on camera.
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Elvis Presley & Charles Bronson
in Kid Galahad. |
David Lewis played Otto
Danzig in "Kid Galahad". He also worked
in such films as "The Apartment", "The
Absent-Minded Professor" and "The Boston
Strangler". However, he might be more
recognized for his long running later
role as the original Edward Quartermaine
in the TV soap opera "General Hospital".
Mr. Lewis was nominated five times for
an Emmy Award for this role, winning one
in 1982.
Long time character actor Robert Emhardt
played Maynard the cook, known for his
corned beef. Mr. Emhardt often played
sinister types in his movie career. You
can also see him as the banker in Elvis'
1969 movie "Change of Habit".
Ned Glass, another well known character
actor, played Max Lieberman, owner of
the Shangri-La where the film's
character named Dolly used to sing. You
might have recognized him from Elvis'
1958 movie "King Creole" in which he
played a hotel desk clerk. Mr. Lieberman
was nominated for an Emmy in 1969 for
his work in the TV series "Julia".
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Elvis Presley in Kid Galahad. |
Ed Asner played
assistant district attorney Frank Gerson.
It was only Mr. Asner's second movie
role, having debuted just before "Kid
Galahad" in the movie "The Murder Men".
Later, he played a small role in the
1969 movie "Change of Habit", starring
Elvis and Mary Tyler Moore. Soon after
that, stardom came to Asner through
television. He is best known for his
long-running role as Lou Grant in "The
Mary Tyler Moore Show" and the spin-off
series "Lou Grant". Other TV credits
include the mini-series "Roots" and
"Rich Man, Poor Man". His accolades
include 15 Emmy nominations (7 wins), 11
Golden Globe nominations (5 wins), and
the2002 presentation of the Screen
Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
Mushy Callahan, world champion junior
welterweight boxer, served as Elvis'
boxing coach for his boxing scenes. Mr.
Callahan also served as technical
adviser/fight choreographer on such
films as "Gentleman Jim", "From Here To
Eternity" and "The Great White Hope". He
was inducted into the World Boxing Hall
of Fame in 1989.
Also making the fight scenes more
authentic was Orlando do la Fuente who
played Sugarboy Romero. At the time he
was an undefeated welterweight boxer.
Jimmy Lennon, the fight announcer from
the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles,
added his voice as the fight announcer
for "Kid Galahad". Mr. Lennon played the
fight announcer in a number of other
movies including "Raging Bull" and
"Rocky III".
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Elvis Presley in Kid Galahad.
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David Weisbart produced the film. He had
previously produced films such as "Rebel
Without A Cause" and "April Love", as
well as three Elvis films: "Love Me
Tender", "Flaming Star" and "Follow That
Dream". Weisbart went on to produce "The
Pleasure Seekers" and "Valley of the
Dolls".
"Kid Galahad" was directed by Phil
Karlson, who was a young law student
when he got a job as a prop man at
Universal Pictures. He soon took to the
film business and pursued directing in
such low budget projects as films
starring the Bowery Boys, Charlie Chan
and the comedy team of Abbott &
Costello. He also directed "Hell to
Eternity", "The Young Doctors", "Ben",
and "Walking Tall". He won a Directors
Guild of America award in 1960 for his
work on the TV film "The Scarface Mob".
A theatrically released film called
"Kid Galahad" came out
in 1937, based on a Frances Wallace
story and directed by Michael Curtiz
(who later directed the Elvis film "King
Creole" in 1958). "Kid Galahad" starred
Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis and
Humphrey Bogart. Wayne Morris played the
role of Ward "Kid Galahad" Guisenberry a
bellhop who unintentionally becomes a
boxer and falls in love with his
promoter's sister. When this movie aired
on TV it was renamed "Battling Bellhop"
to avoid confusion with the 1962 film
"Kid Galahad" starring Elvis Presley.
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Kid Galahad |
Soundtrack
- King Of The Whole Wide World 2:07
(Ruth Batchelor / Bob Roberts)
- This Is Living 1:44 (Ben Weisman /
Fred Wise)
- Riding The Rainbow 1:37 (Ben Weisman /
Fred Wise)
- Home Is Where The Heart Is 1:49
(Sherman Edwards / Hal David)
- I Got Lucky 1:54 (Fuller /
Weisman/Wise)
- A Whistling Tune 2:40 (Sherman Edwards
/ Hal David)
Recorded at:
Radio
Recorders Studios, 7000 Santa Monica
Boulevard, Hollywood. October 1961.
Musicians:
Elvis Presley (vocals), Scotty Moore,
Tiny Timbrell, Neal Mathews (guitars),
Bob Moore (bass), D.J. Fontana, Buddy
Harman (drums), Dudley Brookes (piano),
Boots Randolph (sax), the Jordanaires
(vocals)
The soundtrack EP was released on
September 17, reaching #30 on the
Billboard Hot 100.
Kid Galahad - United Artists
1962
Directed Phil
Karlson
Writing Credits Frances
Wallace(story), William Fay (III)
Producer David Weisbart
A Four Leaf production
A Mirisch production
Colour by Deluxe
Cast Overview
Elvis Presley .... Walter Gulick, Gig
Young .... Willy Grogan, Lola Albright
.... Dolly Fletcher, Joan Blackman ....
Rose Grogan, Charles Bronson .... Lew
Nyack, David Lewis .... Otto Danzig,
Robert Emhardt .... Maynard, Liam
Redmond .... Father Higgins, Judson
Pratt .... Zimmerman, Ned Glass ....
Lieberman, George Mitchell .... Mr.
Sperling, Roy Roberts .... Jerry the
Promoter, Michael Dante .... Joie
Shakes, Richard Devon .... Marvin.
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