King Creole is a 1958 American musical drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and based on the 1952 novel A Stone for Danny Fisher by Harold Robbins.

Presley later indicated that of all the characters that he portrayed throughout his acting career, the role of Danny Fisher in King Creole was his favorite.

After Danny's mother died, his grieving father lost his job as a pharmacist and moved his impoverished family to the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Danny invites Nellie to a fictitious party in a hotel room; finding nobody else there, she starts crying and leaves after admitting that she still wants to see him again, but not under those conditions.

His rendition of "Trouble" impresses Charlie LeGrand, the honest owner of the King Creole club, the only nightspot in the area not owned by Maxie.

When Mr. Fisher leaves the store dressed in Primont's hat and coat (lent due to a rainstorm), Shark recognizes him, but mugs him anyway, as that would be even better for Maxie's purposes.

Hal Wallis acquired the rights to A Stone for Danny Fisher in February 1955 for $25,000,[3] with the intention of giving the lead role of a New York boxer to either James Dean or Ben Gazzara.

[6] Wallis selected Michael Curtiz, a noted director of the Hollywood studio system whose works included The Adventures of Robin Hood, Yankee Doodle Dandy and Casablanca.

[9] Presley, after seeing an early copy of the finished film, thanked Curtiz for giving him the opportunity to show his potential as an actor; he would later cite Danny Fisher as his favorite role of his acting career.

King Creole was another financial success at the box office for Elvis, making $2.64 million in North America at the box office[18] in 1958 alone[19] During the May 1959 Mexican premiere at Américas Cinema in Mexico City, a riot started when, according to the local newspapers, 600 teenagers broke into the theater without paying the admission fee.

[20] Writer Parménides García Saldaña recounted the incident on his article "El Rey Criollo", in which he detailed the presence of gangs and their harassment of the women in attendance.

It's got plenty of action and characterisation and the star gives his best acting performance to date ... (the) Incidents and characters of the original novel are distorted, but the plot stands up well and the dialog is salty and emotion-packed.

Carolyn Jones is a knockout as a fallen thrush who would like to love him; their aborted romance gives the pic its finest scenes.

[23] Howard Thompson of The New York Times also gave a favorable review: Mr. Curtiz and his players have got it snugly draped around Mr. Presley's shoulders.

These also perfectly typify the Bourbon Street honky-tonks that Mr. Curtiz and his fine photographer, Russ Harlan, have beguilingly drenched with atmosphere.

[24]The Spectator, however, criticized the relationship of Presley's character with his love interests: The girls in his (Michael Curtiz's) latest film, King Creole, are both played by good, serious actresses: Carolyn Jones and Dolores Hart...

Instead of being kissed, they beg for kisses, which Mr. Presley sulkily and reluctantly hands out now and then, with the air of a small, fastidious boy being pressed to eat marshmallow and, though he feels a bit sick, not quite knowing how to get out of it... As the most extreme example of a contemporary idol, Mr. Presley is pretty fascinating, and, though you may be put off at first by his pale, puffy, bruised looking babyish face, by the weary cherubic decadence you might imagine in Nero, and the excessive greasiness of his excessively long, spiky locks, his films, however bad (and King Creole is pretty low on his list), are well worth taking a look at.

"[28] Commonweal lamented the lack of punishment to the main character for his actions, but praised the director for his influence on Presley: No doubt adults won't be moved much by "King Creole" one way or the other, but unfortunately teenage audiences may be taken in, especially since Danny is supposed to be a sympathetic character and at the end goes unpunished by the police for his crimes ...

It must be said in favor of Director Michael Curtiz that he does succeed in getting Presley to act every now and then, but the cards are stacked in such an obvious manner against Danny that even Montgomery Clift couldn't have handled the role with conviction.

[29]Catholic World commented: Playing a part— an underprivileged youth who, on and off, displays some dignity and honest aspirations — that requires some histrionic effort, Presley shows signs that he is getting the hang of acting.

The picture itself, however, after a promising enough beginning turns into a lurid melodramatic hash composed in about equal part of juvenile delinquency, gangsterism and sex.

These may be legitimate dramatic subjects but the script gives them an illegitimate viewpoint and leaves muddled moral issues dangling.

[31]Allrovi rated the movie with four stars out of five, stating, "The film's highlight is a brief exchange of fisticuffs between Elvis and Walter Matthau.