Elvis Presley on Encore: Network shines the spotlight on The King’s movies all month long

Elvis Presley made 31 movies between 1956-69, and while his celluloid career will never be as celebrated as his musical output, it’s hard not to crack a smile when thinking about good-time movies like Viva Las Vegas, Blue Hawaii and, of course, Clambake.

Throughout May, Encore will have those titles during an event the network has dubbed The Elvis Collection: Whole Lotta Elvis, which will feature 24 of the King’s films, with one airing each night. The event includes the 1981 docudrama This Is Elvis (May 14), as well as an all-day marathon of Elvis movies May 25.

In addition to reliving the carefree fun of most Elvis films, one of the treats is going back and noticing some of his costars, some of whom you might not associate with star vehicles for popular musicians. Yes, that’s Angela Lansbury in Blue Hawaii (May 3), Walter Matthau in King Creole (May 5), Burgess Meredith in Stay Away, Joe (May 8), Ann-Margret in Viva Las Vegas (May 11), and Mary Tyler Moore in Change of Habit (May 30).

Then there are the movies that remind you it wasn’t all beaches, babes and dancing for Elvis. He dabbled in more dramatic territory with King Creole, which was directed by Casablanca’s Michael Curtiz, Kid Galahad (May 31); and his final film, Change of Habit. Heck, even Jailhouse Rock (May 4) is a lot more serious than people might remember. He also got fully into the psychedelic ’60s with Live a Little, Love a Little (May 10).

No, it’s not a milestone birthday, or a major anniversary of anything in his illustrious career, but really, do we need an excuse to pay tribute to the King?

Here’s the lineup for The Elvis Collection, with each feature playing at 8pm ET/PT:

May 2 — Frankie and Johnny (1966)
May 3 — Blue Hawaii (1961)
May 4 — Jailhouse Rock (1957)
May 5 — King Creole (1958)
May 6 — Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962)
May 7 — Roustabout (1964)
May 8 — Stay Away, Joe (1968)
May 9 — Fun in Acapulco (1963)
May 10 — Live a Little, Love a Little (1968)
May 11 — Viva Las Vegas (1964)
May 12 — Spinout (1966)
May 13 — Blue Hawaii (1961)
May 14 — This Is Elvis (1981)
May 15 — Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966)
May 16 — Viva Las Vegas (1964)
May 17 — Kissin’ Cousins (1964)
May 18 — G.I. Blues (1960)
May 19 — Clambake (1967)
May 20 — It Happened at the World’s Fair (1963)
May 21 — Follow That Dream (1962)
May 22 — This Is Elvis (1981)
May 23 — Easy Come, Easy Go (1967)
May 24 — Harum Scarum (1965)
May 25 — (all-day marathon beginning at 5am) Blue Hawaii; Clambake; Fun in Acapulco; Spinout; Paradise, Hawaiian Style; Change of Habit; Roustabout; Girls! Girls! Girls!; Viva Las VegasKing Creole; Jailhouse Rock; G.I. Blues; It Happened At the World’s Fair; This Is Elvis
May 26 — Girl Happy (1965)
May 27 — Speedway (1968)
May 28 — G.I. Blues (1960)
May 29 — Jailhouse Rock (1957)
May 30 — Change of Habit (1969)
May 31 — Kid Galahad (1962)

Elvis Presley Encore