**Short answer elvis presley movie speedway:** Speedway is a 1968 Elvis Presley musical film directed by Norman Taurog and co-starring Nancy Sinatra. The plot revolves around stock car racing, with Presley portraying an auto racer who finds himself pursued romantically by three women while also trying to win back his former girlfriend.
Going Behind the Scenes of Elvis Presley’s Movie Speedway
Elvis Presley is undoubtedly one of the biggest icons in music history. He was not just a musician but also an actor who starred in many films throughout his career. One of the most iconic movies he appeared in is Speedway, which tells the story of a race-car driver named Steve Grayson.
Behind every successful movie is years and months worth of preparation, dedication, hard work and talented crew members contributing to it’s production. In this blog post we will be taking you behind the scenes look at Elvis Presley’s film ‘Speedway’.
In 1967, Elvis’ acting career was well underway as he signed on for another project with MGM studios starting from pre-production all through filming until finally releasing later that year; being directed by Norman Taurog who had already worked closely alongside Elvis during other productions such as “Blues Hawaii”. With its fast cars, high-speed races, lively musical performances & elvis’s signature style fashion statement were components utilised that became synonymous with some presley-esque elements- combine them creating what fans were familiar within much loved singer-slash-iconic rebel attitude-laden persona.
The plot revolves around Steve Grayson (played by Elvis) trying to secure funding for his car racing team while balancing romance with IRS agent Susan Jacks (Nancy Sinatra). The dynamic between these two characters created an interesting mix where both would use flirting skills against each other. Although their relationship wasn’t portrayed strictly romantic- there was always indication & playful teasing hidden amidst dialogues adding layers into suspense build-ups over time.
Notably addressing costume design: This era proved challenging yet exciting because male wardrobe choices leaned towards conservative options typically featuring standard wear suits making it easy to fall back on uninspiring clothing motifs. But when tasked with styling ‘The King’, Designer William Travilla added his own charm capturing essence how intricate accessories pieces truly give depth into wardrobe elevating costumes beyond expectations incorporating velvet collars shirts paired with satin pants complemented by printed silk handkerchiefs; giving flair into the character’s overall look onscreen.
Filming for ‘Speedway’ took place at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. The cast and crew arrived months before filming began to prepare for the race scenes, with Elvis himself taking lessons to become more comfortable behind the wheel of a racecar and teaching Nancy Sinatra how to drive manual as well as hiring professional racing drivers key delivering flawless graphics during competitions itself without breaking immersion or displaying evident lack of driving expertise.
One interesting fact that is often overlooked about this film however is it’s been heavily re-scripted from its original screenplay. It was initially titled ‘Daredevil’ instead also there were other versions going around previously .Various scriptwriter teams had worked on rewriting plotlines rephrasing event sequences every step resulting shifting characters insights over time reflecting updated times & industry trends panning filmmaking sector globally
In conclusion, while we might only get exposed towards final polished product -behind snapshots carries much wider landscape considering weeks and months worth preparation gone intricate wardrobe reasoning
Step by Step: Exploring the Making of Elvis Presley’s Speedway
Elvis Presley is, without doubt, one of the most iconic figures in music history. His tracks like “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Suspicious Minds,” and “Jailhouse Rock” have become legendary, timeless hits that are enjoyed by people all over the world to this day.
One of his lesser-known films, Speedway released in 1968 is a musical comedy centered around NASCAR racing; it was directed by Norman Taurog and features Elvis as Steve Grayson – an entertainment singer who happens to be quite handy with race cars too! The movie also stars Nancy Sinatra as Susan Jacks -a girl he falls for- Bill Bixby as Kenny Donford–his nemesis on the racetrack–and lets not forget about Carl Ballantine’s amusing performance as “Slim”.
Now let us explore some interesting facts about the making of “Speedway”:
Preparation
As you might imagine, preparing for a film such as this was no easy feat. While Presley had experience singing and acting — having appeared on dozens of television shows and starred in 27 movies throughout his career before Speedway–he wasn’t particularly knowledgeable when it came to driving or NASCAR history. So it’s said that he took crash courses(!) at none other than Charlotte Motor Speedway under driver Smokey Yunick!
The Filming Scene:
Like many movies made during this era, much of the filming took place within a soundstage consisting mostly of interiors including but not limited to races set up using rear projection shots which means there was no actual race-car track used until later parts of the production so prepare yourself: get ready for continuity issues galoreyyyyy!.
Throughout different scenes we can observe him wearing several types/colors/blends oh helmets while riding through fake backgrounds virtually fast-paced along with props that looked pretty cheap aesthetically speaking –another product-brought-to-the-masses kinda thing-. Interesting factoid: Even Elvis himself disliked the motorcycles used in filming.
That being said, some scenes were filmed at an actual racetrack featuring stock cars and real-life drivers. These high-speed sequences often saw Presley behind the wheel –when he was not replaced by a stuntman that is- going upwards of 100 miles per hour (!!).
Musical Interludes
As with many of his films, Presley put on several musical performances within Speedway. Even though these songs weren’t what you would necessarily hear while attending on-location races here’s another interesting fact: ”Your Time Hasn’t Come Yet Baby” (a track written by Bill Giant Bernie Baum, and Florence Kaye) -one of Elvis’ own favorites-, wasn’t released separately to radio until almost two years after the movie’s debut so basically we all got to know it because we watched him sing it for speedway first.
Overall Reception:
Though “Speedway” might have been critically panned as one among a lesser successful film from Presley’s oeuvre- even earning nominations for Golden Raspberry Award—it still had earned
Your FAQs Answered: Everything You Need to Know About Elvis Presley’s Movie Speedway
Elvis Presley was not only the King of Rock and Roll, but he also had a successful movie career. Many Elvis fans might recall his 1968 hit film Speedway, which featured The King as stock car racer Steve Grayson.
If you’re curious about this iconic movie and want to know more about it, we’ve got everything you need to know right here in our FAQs answered guide:
1. What is the plot of Speedway?
The story revolves around Steve Grayson, who drives for a wealthy businessman whose daughter wants him dead so she can inherit her father’s money. Despite the chaos surrounding him, Steve decides to focus on winning the big race that could change his life forever.
2. When was Speedway released?
Speedway hit theaters during May of 1968.
3. Who directed it?
Norman Taurog took charge as director for several other Elvis movies before undergoing production with Speedway
4.What did critics think of Nashville Rebel when it first came out?
Critics generally gave positive reviews upon seeing Speedway at its debut although some felt like previous films executed better stories than this one does.
5.What are some notable moments from Speedway worth checking out?
One memorable scene takes place where Ann-Margret’s character Rona asks if she should wear something less revealing while golfing with Elvis’ character Steve at a local country club–and then they both duet together in “He Made Me Love Him”! Another favorite moment is when Nancy Sinatra appears in an uncredited role singing alongside Foghat!
6.Was there any particular reason why Elvis didn’t perform soundtrack songs live during concerts after finishing up filming?
Unfortunately due to contractual reasons with record companies regarding royalty rights issues connected with performing original compositions outside originally produced album recordings; mainstream television broadcasts often represented opportunities for audience chances there instead considering ongoing battles over streaming platforms nowadays!Frankly though many still love putting records or cassettes on when wanting to experience the full extent of Elvis’ abilities.
7.How did Ann-Margret get involved in Speedway?
Ann-Margaret has worked alongside Elvis before, performing together throughout “Viva Las Vegas” and even had a brief relationship outside of film with one another. so naturally she was approached for it’s casting process!
8.Did any other notable people appear in Speedway as well?
Yes! Celebrities include Nancy Sinatra (daughter to Frank) who appeared uncredited while singing together sounding great on songs including “There Ain’t No Easy Run”; Bond girl Luciana Paluzzi; famed harmonica player Charlie McCoytoo
And there you have it! Now that all of your burning questions about this classic Elvis movie have been answered, why not give it a rewatch? You never know–it just might become your new favorite movie.
