20 Films From The 1950s That Everybody Should Watch

19. Jailhouse Rock

The so-called 'King of Rock and Roll' would star in over thirty feature films over the course of his career, but few are as memorable and iconic as his early appearance in 1957's Jailhouse Rock. Convicted of manslaughter and put in a jail cell with a washed up country singer, Presley sings and dances his way through ninety minutes of definitive '50s cliches, but does so with such charisma that it's difficult not to be taken in. Complete with the inevitable hip-thrusting and upper-lip contorting, the film's soundtrack is good enough to stand completely on its own, the likes of I Want To Be Free and the title track Jailhouse Rock being particularly notable. The scene in the film in which Presley performs the latter is widely regarded to be one of his most iconic moments on screen. But despite its status as a classic today, the film was released to extremely mixed reviews to begin with. While some critics praised the catchy tunes, other panned the film for featuring such a morally questionable protagonist. Their displeasure was only emphasised by being less than impressed with Presley's limited acting abilities.