Purely Joyful Movie!

Perfect cast and a good story

Fantastic!

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

"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-

Flaming Star is a 1960 western film starring Elvis Presley, Barbara Eden and one of Hollywoods first Golden Age beauties, Dolores del Rio who was then about 50 years old. The film was directed by Don Siegel, and had a working title of Black Star. Elvis Presley plays Pacer Burton, the son of a Kiowa mother, played by Dolores del Rio, and a Texas rancher father. His family, including a half-brother, Clint, live a typical life on the Texas frontier. Life becomes anything but typical when a nearby tribe of Kiowa begin raiding neighboring homesteads. Pacer soon finds himself caught between the two worlds, part of both but belonging to neither. The film was released only one month after G.I. Blues but failed to ignite the charts, reaching number 12 on the Variety Box Office survey for the week. Presley's next film, Wild in the Country, also failed to impress fans or critics, and Colonel Tom Parker used this to persuade Presley that his audience didn't want to see him in straight acting roles. This led to musical-comedies such as Blue Hawaii and Kid Galahad, which set the precedent for many of his roles during the 1960s. I gave this movie 7 out of 10, mainly watched it because I wanted to see Dolores del Rio!

Line Elvis Presley up with a good script, great direction, and a plausible plot and you get "Flaming Star". Although the film could've done without his singing, at least it comes across as a natural part of the birthday party sequence and isn't overwhelming and stupid. Don Siegel, of Clint Eastwood fame, was always a good director, and much underrated. He holds this film together well, with Elvis as a half white, half Kiowa young man who must decide where his allegiance lies when the Indians have finally had enough of the whites. Addresses well the issues of prejudice in an era when that was mostly taboo. A couple of chilling moments, and a gritty performance by the always competent John McIntyre as Elvis' father. Barbara Eden is subdued as the love interest, and Delores Del Rio is simply wonderful as his long suffering mother. The skirmishes are well handled, and the ending is not trite, but realistic. Many claim Elvis did better work in his earlier films, but I disagree, this is his best effort, and a solid one at that. Tune in just to watch Elvis handle the two baddies who try to take advantage of his mother -- you NEVER mess with Elvis' mother!

In 1878 Texas, a war is brewing between the white men and the Kiowa Indians. Elvis Presley plays Pacer, a half-breed son of his Indian mother and white father. Steve Forrest portrays his older brother, who was first born to dad and his original wife, who was also a white woman. Pacer is suddenly faced with a tough decision when things get ugly and he must choose sides between the whites and the Kiowas. For anyone who doubted that Presley could act, this respectable Western shows that he had the chops to be a serious dramatic actor when given the chance. It's easily his best dramatic performance. With Barabara Eden (I DREAM OF JEANNIE) and directed by Don Siegel, this is a strong story of prejudice and loyalty, with a lot of action and a touch of violence. Elvis was only required to pick up his guitar for one family singalong in the first scene of the actual film, and then it's onto serious business from that point on. Another song, "Flaming Star," runs along with the credits, and it's an excellent one. *** out of ****