"Flaming Star" is a Western hailed as one of Elvis Presley's best serious-acting gigs. It came out in 1960 and was his 6th film in four years.
Elvis stars as Pacer, a half-breed, living in the wilderness with his white father (John McIntire) & older brother (Steve Forrest) and Indian mother (Delores Del Rio). Barbara Eden is also on hand as a britches-wearing girl with eyes for Pacer's brother. Things get tense when a band of Kiowas starts attacking settlers and request Pacer's assistance.
Aside from the title song over the credits, Elvis only sings one song near the beginning. Beyond that, this is a serious Western with flashes of tragic violence. It's worthwhile for Elvis fans and a few other worthy factors (great wilderness locations, Barbara Eden, etc.), but it's not really a good film.
As a Western, "Flaming Star" has too much of what made Westerns in general laughable before the 60s. There are many exceptions, like "The Last Wagon" from 1956, but -- generally speaking -- the downside of Westerns before the 60s include contrived plot elements, an unrealistic vibe, bad music, white actors playing Natives and dumb Indian dialogue. "Flaming Star" is guilty on at least three of these counts.
As far as contrived plot elements go, there are just too many "Yeah, right" moments. For instance the guy who survives the Indian raid and hides out in a hole in the desert for days, half-dead and half-mad, just waiting to be used to move along the story. Or the scene where Pacer and his brother threaten a little girl to attain the services of the town's doctor -- they let the girl go BEFORE taking the doctor. Why would the doctor go with them if the girl was no longer in danger? Why wouldn't the town's people attack them once the girl is freed? Or the two cowboys who seek hospitality at Pacer's ranch, would ANYONE really be that rude and savage to two people kindly offering them help, half-breed or not? Bad scripting like this just takes the viewer right out of the story.
The white actors in Indian roles present a huge problem visually. How could anyone assume Pacer is an Indian since he looks (and dresses and sings) exactly like a white dude, not to mention the other Indians. Delores Del Rio looks more Hispanic than Native, why assume she's an Indian? Despite this, the Natives are portrayed fairly realistically. What kills it is the lame dialogue they're stuck with, words & phrasing that would make Tonto proud. I couldn't help mimicking such lingo with my wife after the film: "Me Chiefy Wiefy go to front room to listen to pleasant noise while moon lodge high in sky" (lol). At least "Flaming Star" is entertaining in this respect, it's just not the kind of entertainment the filmmakers intended.
If you want to catch a great Western from the same period check out Marlon Brando's "One-Eyed Jacks," released in 1961. It's the seminal 60's Western and far superior to most of the Spaghetti Westerns it influenced. What's really interesting is that Brando was originally supposed to play the role of Pacer in "Flaming Star" and the script was later rewritten for Elvis. Marlon, thankfully, chose to invest his time, money and talents into the making of "One-Eyed Jacks."
"Flaming Star" was shot in Utah and Thousand Oaks, California, and runs 92 minutes (but seems longer, in a bad way).
BOTTOM LINE: "Flaming Star" is worthwhile for Presley fans and a few other factors. It's got a good, serious vibe and is sometimes violent; it also has great wilderness locations. But it's shackled by most of the things that made Westerns eye-rolling experiences before the 60s and 70s (not that all Westerns in the modern era are good, of course). You could sum it up as a curious Elvis-led period piece.
GRADE: C-
Elvis stars as Pacer, a half-breed, living in the wilderness with his white father (John McIntire) & older brother (Steve Forrest) and Indian mother (Delores Del Rio). Barbara Eden is also on hand as a britches-wearing girl with eyes for Pacer's brother. Things get tense when a band of Kiowas starts attacking settlers and request Pacer's assistance.
Aside from the title song over the credits, Elvis only sings one song near the beginning. Beyond that, this is a serious Western with flashes of tragic violence. It's worthwhile for Elvis fans and a few other worthy factors (great wilderness locations, Barbara Eden, etc.), but it's not really a good film.
As a Western, "Flaming Star" has too much of what made Westerns in general laughable before the 60s. There are many exceptions, like "The Last Wagon" from 1956, but -- generally speaking -- the downside of Westerns before the 60s include contrived plot elements, an unrealistic vibe, bad music, white actors playing Natives and dumb Indian dialogue. "Flaming Star" is guilty on at least three of these counts.
As far as contrived plot elements go, there are just too many "Yeah, right" moments. For instance the guy who survives the Indian raid and hides out in a hole in the desert for days, half-dead and half-mad, just waiting to be used to move along the story. Or the scene where Pacer and his brother threaten a little girl to attain the services of the town's doctor -- they let the girl go BEFORE taking the doctor. Why would the doctor go with them if the girl was no longer in danger? Why wouldn't the town's people attack them once the girl is freed? Or the two cowboys who seek hospitality at Pacer's ranch, would ANYONE really be that rude and savage to two people kindly offering them help, half-breed or not? Bad scripting like this just takes the viewer right out of the story.
The white actors in Indian roles present a huge problem visually. How could anyone assume Pacer is an Indian since he looks (and dresses and sings) exactly like a white dude, not to mention the other Indians. Delores Del Rio looks more Hispanic than Native, why assume she's an Indian? Despite this, the Natives are portrayed fairly realistically. What kills it is the lame dialogue they're stuck with, words & phrasing that would make Tonto proud. I couldn't help mimicking such lingo with my wife after the film: "Me Chiefy Wiefy go to front room to listen to pleasant noise while moon lodge high in sky" (lol). At least "Flaming Star" is entertaining in this respect, it's just not the kind of entertainment the filmmakers intended.
If you want to catch a great Western from the same period check out Marlon Brando's "One-Eyed Jacks," released in 1961. It's the seminal 60's Western and far superior to most of the Spaghetti Westerns it influenced. What's really interesting is that Brando was originally supposed to play the role of Pacer in "Flaming Star" and the script was later rewritten for Elvis. Marlon, thankfully, chose to invest his time, money and talents into the making of "One-Eyed Jacks."
"Flaming Star" was shot in Utah and Thousand Oaks, California, and runs 92 minutes (but seems longer, in a bad way).
BOTTOM LINE: "Flaming Star" is worthwhile for Presley fans and a few other factors. It's got a good, serious vibe and is sometimes violent; it also has great wilderness locations. But it's shackled by most of the things that made Westerns eye-rolling experiences before the 60s and 70s (not that all Westerns in the modern era are good, of course). You could sum it up as a curious Elvis-led period piece.
GRADE: C-