25 best Elvis movies ever

Bye Bye Birdie (1963)

Written with Elvis in mind, this Vietnam draft comedy (oh, yes) about a young heartthrob going off to war starred Dick Van Dyke instead. We can’t help wondering whether it would have garnered its brace of Academy Award nominations with the King at the helm.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

If you’re going to make a parody of musical biopics then Judd Apatow (Superbad, Knocked Up) and John C. Reilly (Step Brothers) are the guys to do it. It’s really about Johnny Cash (see also Walk the Line), but Jack White puts in a comic turn as a wilfully miscast Elvis.

Elvis (2005)

Irish-born Jonathan Rhys Myers plays Elvis in this TV film of Elvis Presley’s life. With Randy Quaid and Rose McGowan in support, this is no small-scale TV movie. And with a clutch of awards to show for its efforts, it’s a must-watch for Presley praisers.

Jailhouse Rock (1957)

Despite its legendary dance scene, critics didn’t take warmly to Jailhouse Rock, the first movie Elvis made for MGM. But the public flocked to see the King’s moves. The man himself skipped the premiere, as did his co-star Judy Tyler. The latter had a good excuse – she was killed in a car crash two weeks after the film wrapped.

Walk the Line (2006)

No, we haven’t made a mistake – we’re well aware that Oscar-baiting Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line is about, well, Johnny Cash. But Elvis is alive in the plot and there’s a great performance of That’s Alright Mama from Tyler Hilton.