Kid Galahad (1962)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Powerful

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

I'm going to go against what I said in a previous review - Blue Hawaii - where I stated that 1960's Wild In The Country would be the last serious role Elvis Presley would play until 1968's 'Charro'. 'Kid Galahad' can hardly be described as "silly" or "lightweight musical comedy". In it, The King plays Walter Gulick - like in Blue Hawaii fresh from 2 years military service - and returns to his hometown to buy a Garage. In the meantime, he needs money, and after boxing for the Army, joins the local boxing academy where his steel jaw and canon fist makes him an asset and sets him off on the road to fame and fortune, and ultimately his own business and a future with fiancée Joan Blackman - his co-star from 'Blue Hawaii'. Once again 'Kid Galahad' showcases Elvis' talents as a serious actor with top actors around him, in this case veterans Gig Young and hardman Charles Bronson. Mushy Callahan trained Elvis for six weeks prior to filming and was impressed with his boxing ability, apparently due to the Karate that Elvis had been studying for 3 years by this point. One amusing story from behind the scenes was during filming and the talk of boxing and karate came up and Elvis in impressing the crew performed an act involving splitting a board in two with one punch, much to Charles Bronson's displeasure...Bronson was then encouraged to show he could do the same...but couldn't! An MGM exec claims "we heard the sound of something breaking but it was not the board..." Of course 'Kid Galahad' isn't in the same class as 'Raging Bull' or 'Rocky' but is arguably better than recent boxing flick 'Grudge Match' if only for it's seriousness, which is improved even further for the sub plot involving Academy School owner Gig Young's financial problems and corruption which leads to threats and scenes of intimidation in the movie. All in all, an enjoyable Movie, a few decent Elvis songs thrown in (only 6 though, less than half the amount that appeared in 'Blue Hawaii') I give 'Kid Galahad' a strong 6 out of 10.

Elvis Presley is an ex- GI penniless & broke looking for work as a mechanic but stumbles onto boxing instead as a way to earn some fast cash. Gig Young is a boxing manager up to his ears in debt with gangsters breathing down his neck & constantly putting the squeeze on him to pay up. Charles Bronson in a very different type of role is his trainer. There's some great dramatic acting from Elvis & Gig Young & Charles Bronson in pain with broken hands & some very realistic fight scenes in the ring.There's only a few songs which are OK but distracts from the dramatic story which is quite serious. The songs are out of place & don't belong in a boxing tale. After all this is a remake of the 1937 classic Warner Bros. movie with Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis & Humphrey Bogart who was also in the 1941 remake retitled "The Wagons Roll At Night". Elvis steps into Wayne Morris's shoes in the title role. Elvis is believable & perfect for the role of the boxer but it might've been better if Elvis played it straight with no singing musical scenes like the original version.Kid Galahad is a serious boxing drama not a musical. But it's still exceptional for an Elvis movie & it's one of his better 60's vehicles & not as formulated like most of the trashy & cheesy musicals he was pumping out like "GI Blues" & "Blue Hawaii" & others not worth mentioning. Another one of his better films is "Follow That Dream" from the same year. Kid Galahad has a storyline & some gritty realism & packs a punch...so to speak. There's some quality in this one & it's worth watching but the original 1937 version is better.

As long as Elvis Presley is in the cast, I'll always give it a 10!! I'm 58 and my generation look at Elvis as a watershed event in American Show Business (cap. by author). Those who didn't GET the 50's and the 60's deserve a lot of sympathy for the wonderful things that came to pass!!!! Although, seeing films from my decadent youth only makes me wistful for those times. I know E. looked like he knew enough about boxing to pull it off and he was in pretty good shape for the role of Galahad. He had been out of the Army for about two years and he hadn't gotten to the bad things in his lifestyle that made him leave at 42. But 1962 was a very good year. And I really like "Clambake" too!!

As a big fan of Elvis Presley, Gig Young, and Charles Bronson, as well as the sport of boxing, I enjoyed this movie for those reasons alone. Elvis gives a decent performance, but is stereotyped by the script as a goofy, goo-natured, lug-head, who has a natural gift of a cast-iron chin and one-punch knockout power. Half the movie Elvis looks in a daze with his mouth open catching flies!Charles Bronson has a surprise role as a trainer. Not once does his show off his impressive muscular build and even gets both his hands broken by gangsters. A truly different role for him. He too is stereotyped as the ex-boxer walking on his heels.Gig Young gives his usual out-standing performance, but there is nothing to like at all about his character; he's a liar, a user, aback-stabber, and an over-all jerk. The fight scenes are poorly done and considering they were advised by former World Light-welterweight boxing great Mushy Callahan, a big disappointment.However, if you like Elvis, this will be an enjoyable film.