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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.

This is definitely one of the King's best flix, his best performance surely. It was nice to see him play a taciturn guy but be believable, the surrounding cast-from LQ Jones to Jeanie there to Del Rio to John McIntire-were all pros, plus Don Seigel's record(Dirty Harry, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, etc.) speaks for itself.

Elvis, in Walter Matthau's opinion(co-starred with Elvis in 'King Creole')had some talent and could have become a decent actor if he'd stuck to things like this.

By all means, give it a look, its worth watching-Elvis gives it his best and it's a solid flick all around.

*** outta ****

For a man with a portfolio of at least two score movies, Elvis probably only made three that were worth the celluloid to make a tooth brush handle. This is one of them. Directed by Siegel(Invasion of the Body Snatchers,1956)this is a tight little western that casts Presley in an off-beat role as the mis-trusted, misguided half-breed. The film generates sincere tensions that culminate in an unsuspected climax. 'Tis a pity "The Colonel" wouldn't let Elvis have more roles like this one!

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.

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.