Flaming Star

You want to see Elvis sing? Buy Tickle Me. You want to see Elvis act? Round up this 1960 western that ranks with Jailhouse Rock and King Creole as among Elvis's best films. The King could act, and it's sad to consider the formulaic film vehicles that mostly squandered his talents (his cinematic fate was sealed when this film tanked at the box office, while the song-filled G.I. Blues, released the same year, was a hit). Elvis sings only two songs as Pacer, the half-breed son of a rancher and his Indian wife, who's torn between two cultures when racial tensions erupt following an attack by his mother's former tribe. Elvis benefits from a strong script (by Clair Huffaker, adapted from his novel), the sure hand of director Don Siegel (Dirty Harry), and a stellar supporting cast, including a fetching young Barbara Eden, and, as his mother, venerable Mexican actress Dolores Del Rio. Although extra-less, the disc sports a handsome transfer. Also newly released are two more of Elvis's best films, Wild in the Country, written by Clifford Odets, and Love Me Tender, Elvis's screen debut. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)