Flaming Star

Elvis stars as a half-Indian in this exciting Don Siegel-helmed Western with a ton of action and a meanstreak. Elvis's character is surprisingly tough and hard-assed, plus the songs are kept to a minimum (he sings the title song and does a little hoe-down at the beginning...that's it). Anyway, Indians are massacring farmers in an attempt to take back their land, and Elvis is torn between the Indians and the racist white folk. Elvis gives a great, understated performance...he seems aware that this is a Siegel film, not an Elvis film. All in all it's the King's best foray into filmland.

One of Elvis's best films. Legendary film director Don Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Dirty Harry) gets the most out of Elvis and the King proves here that when he had something of substance to work from, he was more than capable.

This film not only has a gripping and tragic storyline, it looks and feels authentic enough in dealing with an important chapter in American history. The film is packed with emotional moments and action and an all round good cast. If Elvis had gotten more film roles like this one, he could have become one of the great movie stars. 8 out of 10.

Clair Huffaker was a master story teller. His westerns are still read by true western aficionados. "Flaming Star" was Elvis's opportunity to act and to prove to the world that he could. Unfortunately the Colonel didn't want the world to know. This is one of Hollywood's best kept secrets. Maybe the fact that Elvis knew that he had actual talent for acting broke his heart, and those stupid Hall Wallis "sillies" must have driven Elvis crazy! Huffaker writes a good story of an interracial family harassed by prejudice and bigotry of the small western town. It is the struggle of two brothers in love with the same woman. It shows the love of a husband to his Indian wife. This film has enduring story.

Elvis Presley really stretched his acting talents to the limit in Flaming Star. Though the singing King is kept to a minimum, Flaming Star is one of his finest acted films. And musically the title song which Elvis sings over the opening credits is a great one for him.

The only other musical number is right at the beginning of the film where Elvis sings a country hoedown during a party. Right after that the world of Elvis's character Pacer Burton falls apart. He's the son of John McIntire and his wife Dolores Del Rio who is a Kiowa Indian. The rest of the family consists of older brother Steve Forrest. The Kiowas with their new chief Rudolfo Acosta go on the warpath and when their formerly friendly neighbors turn on them the Burtons are all alone on their Texas frontier spread.

Being of mixed race Presley feels the conflict from within. Elvis under the direction of Don Siegel gives a wonderful performance with pain registering from every pore every minute he's on screen when the Kiowa War starts.

Flaming Star is the most negative film Elvis Presley ever did in his career. It's a stinging indictment of racial prejudice, one of the best ever put on screen. Elvis rarely stretched his talents on the screen like this and Flaming Star is one of his films that's quite a bit more than a showcase for his music.

A lot of highbrows will dismiss that as another Elvis lousy movie.But just have a look at the name of the director:it's not Norman Taurog,it's Don "Body Snatchers" Siegel!And every Siegel movie is worth a watch at least or more with such gems as "invasion of the body snatchers" and "beguiled".

The screenplay is close to John Huston's "the unforgiven",Hepburn and here Presley are half-breed people and thus generate violence.But what seems fascinating here is Presley's part and his tragedy ,both in the movie,and in real life:the loss of his own mother.His performance is by far his most moving not only because he 's directed by a director with a genuine talent,but also because he probably searched his memories to give such a harrowing rendition.The old mom,an Indian herself ,who tries to go back to the mountain to die there is the moment which climaxes the movie.

This obsession with the mother's loss would continue in "wild in the country" ,Elvis's next movie,before he sank in an ocean of schmaltz.