Pulverdampf und heiße Lieder (1956)

Pulverdampf und heiße Lieder: Directed by Robert D. Webb. With Richard Egan, Debra Paget, Elvis Presley, Robert Middleton. At the end of the Civil War, a Confederate team is ordered to rob a Union payroll train but the war ends leaving these men with their Union loot, until the Feds come looking for it.

“Finally got around to seeing Elvis Presleyu0026#39;s debut film in its entirety and in widescreen, and I think itu0026#39;s a good deal better than itu0026#39;s usually given credit for. Richard Egan plays Vance Reno, who is serving in the Civil War and returns home after the war ends to join his family and reunite with his lover (Debra Paget). But a tragedy ensues when itu0026#39;s learned that while he was away, his young brother Clint (Elvis) fell in love with and married his girl, after hearing that Vance had died. Also factoring into the trouble is that Vance has kept some Union cash which he never delivered to its destination when he found out the war had ended in the interim.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis turned out to be a good, solid story with fine performances, especially by Richard Egan. But again, Elvis is amazing as a completely first-time novice actor. He always wanted to be on the big screen from youth, after admiring James Dean, Marlon Brando and Tony Curtis. For a film fan who never had any professional acting training or experience, heu0026#39;s really quite good as Clint Reno. Though he didnu0026#39;t want to sing in this film, Presley was already a big recording star so of course there had to be songs in the movie. The title tune is a classic and itu0026#39;s very emotional as perfromed within the context of the film. I also like the singalong ditty u0026quot;Weu0026#39;re Gonna Moveu0026quot;, which is performed by Elvis on the front porch u0026quot;1950s-styleu0026quot; with his family, even though itu0026#39;s 1865. Other songs include the unremarkable u0026quot;Let Meu0026quot; and u0026quot;Poor Boyu0026quot;. *** out of ****”