Elvis Presley once had dreams of becoming a dramatic actor akin to the \u201cnext James Dean\u201d until a historical album prompted a distinct career change in the opposite direction. RCA released the record-breaking soundtrack on October 20, 1961, cementing Presley\u2019s place as a lighthearted, comedic actor (who also happened to sing in his movies). The exotic locale of this particular film helped inform the rest of what would later be dubbed the \u201cPresley pictures,\u201d putting the King of Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll on the silver screen in sunny spots like Las Vegas and Acapulco.<\/p>\n
Hawaii, of course, was the first. Blue Hawaii opened in 1961 to tremendous critical acclaim, becoming the 10th top-grossing film of the year. The film\u2019s soundtrack, performed by Presley, was also incredibly successful. The album spent a whopping 39 weeks in the Top 10 of Billboard\u2019s Top Pop LP charts. This impressive run made it the second-highest charting soundtrack album of the decade, bested by West Side Story. The Blue Hawaii soundtrack included some songs that would become synonymous with Presley\u2019s musical legacy, like \u201cCan\u2019t Help Falling in Love\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n As impressive as these accolades were, they came at a creative price. Leading up to the film\u2019s release, Presley was pushing for more serious, dramatic acting roles instead of the fluffy comic roles he played in movies like G.I. Blues. Although Presley and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, were in agreement that Hollywood was the next best endeavor for the rock musician (who was freshly and honorably discharged from the U.S. Army at the time), Parker wasn\u2019t sure Presley should pursue drama.<\/p>\n Blue Hawaii only proved Parker\u2019s point.<\/p>\n