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KING CREOLE - Story Danny Fisher (Elvis Presley) lives with his father and sister, Mimi, in New Orleans. Mr. Fisher (Dean Jagger), since the death of his wife, has been drifting from job to job. It is his great ambition that Danny shall graduate from High School. Last year Danny failed to do so, chiefly because he has to work out of school hours as an odd job boy in a cheap nightclub to earn money for the family.
Now graduation time has come round again. While he is cleaning up at The Blue Shade one morning, Danny intervenes between a drunken patron and a girl called Ronnie (Carolyn Jones) whom the man is insulting. Ronnie, who is drunk, insists on driving Danny to school and makes him kiss her goodbye at the school gates. Danny is already late for the graduation class. And when he hits one of the boys, who wisecracks at him about his “girl friend”, he loses all chance of graduating.
That night, Shark (Vic Morrow), leader of a gang of hoodlums, tracks Danny down. He intends to revenge the punch Danny gave his brother in school, but in the ensuing fight, Danny gives Shark a thorough beating. Because he has proven himself so tough, Danny is invited to join the gang shop-lifting. His job is to divert attention by going through the store singing and playing his guitar, while the other boys steal the goods. Danny agrees. In the store he meets Nellie (Dolores Hart), a pretty little waitress and is attracted to her. He realises that Nellie knows what is going on. But she does not give them away, and Danny makes a date with her. At the share-out, Danny tells the other boys he is through with them. He earns the gratitude and devotion of a dumb boy by insisting that this lad gets his full share of the loot instead of the miserable sum the others intend to give him.
Later, at The Blue Shade, Danny speaks to Ronnie, who is accompanied by Maxie Fields (Walter Matthau), the owner of the club and her “protector”. Knowing that Maxie is viciously jealous, Ronnie pretends that Danny only spoke to her because she has heard him sing and admires his voice. To prove that she is not lying, Maxie orders Danny to sing. Among the customers is Charlie LeGrand (Paul Stewart), who owns a rival nightclub, The King Creole. Charlie offers Danny a job as a singer at his club.
Danny is a success as a singer at the King Creole and draws away all Maxie’s patrons. Shark, who is now employed by Maxie, is instructed by him to get Danny involved in some crime. Danny’s father has taken a job at a pharmacy where he is constantly imposed upon by the Manager. Aware that Danny is upset by this, Shark suggests to him that they beat up the Manager on his way to the bank, and Danny agrees. Unfortunately, a mistake is made and it is Mr. Fisher who is beaten up. Danny arrives on the scene too late to prevent his father from being seriously hurt. Maxie provides the best medical skill, and Mr. Fisher recovers. But Maxie now has a hold over Danny, and he threatens to destroy the King Creole completely unless Danny works for him. Danny has no alternative but to give his benefactor, Charlie LeGrand, notice and sign a contract with Maxie.
Mr. Fisher goes to plead with Maxie to release Danny. Maxie brutally tells him his own son was amongst his attackers. When he hears about this, Danny goes to settle his score with Maxie. After a furious fight, Danny is the victor. He tells Ronnie to make her escape from Maxie, who has used his hold over her so ruthlessly.
Recovered from the beating Danny gave him, Maxie orders his gang to get after Danny. Ronnie drives Danny out of town to a little shack which she keeps as her own private place. Maxie follows them with a gun. He shoots, and Ronnie is killed. Danny is saved by the dumb boy whom he befriended, who attacks Maxie from behind and pulls him into the river. Maxie is accidently killed with a gunshot from his own gun.
Danny returns to the King Creole. Nellie, who loves him and has waited for him patiently, is there to comfort him. Danny’s happiness is completed by reconciliation with his father. |
