Plot
Construction worker Vince Everett (Elvis Presley) accidentally kills a drunk and belligerent man in a barroom brawl. He is sentenced to one to ten years in the state penitentiary for manslaughter. His new cellmate, washed-up country and western singer Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), after hearing Vince sing and strum his guitar, starts teaching him.
Hunk convinces Vince to participate in an upcoming inmate show which is broadcast on nationwide television. Vince gets numerous fan letters as a result, but Hunk sees to it they are not delivered. Hunk then convinces a reluctant Vince to sign a contract to become equal partners in his act.
Upon his release 20 months later, Vince is finally given his fan mail by the warden. Hunk promises Vince a singing job at a nightclub owned by a friend. At the club, Vince meets Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler), a promoter for singing star Mickey Alba. Vince is surprised when the club owner (an uncredited Percy Helton) refuses to let him sing and instead offers him a job as a busboy. Determined to prove the skeptic wrong, Vince goes on stage when the house band takes a break. He starts to sing "Young and Beautiful", but, enraged by a customer who is paying no attention and laughing about something else, smashes his guitar and storms out of the club.
Peggy follows Vince out and convinces him to record a demo so that he can listen to himself. Vince does not like what he hears, but Peggy helps him improve. Vince then makes a recording of "Don't Leave Me Now", which Peggy takes to Geneva Records. The manager is unimpressed, but agrees to play the tape for his boss in New York.
The next day, Peggy informs Vince that the song has been sold. She then takes Vince to a party at her parents' home, but Vince offends a guest he mistakenly believes is belittling him and leaves. When an angry and offended Peggy confronts him, Vince steals two kisses.
When they go to buy Vince's hit single, however, Vince and Peggy are shocked to discover that the recording is Mickey Alba's. Vince storms into the Geneva Records office and slaps the manager. To avoid having his work stolen again, Vince suggests that he and Peggy form their own record company, which they name Laurel Records, and hire attorney Mr. Shores (Vaughn Taylor). For his first project with his new label, Vince records "Treat Me Nice", and begins pitching it. Rejected by everyone, Peggy finally convinces friend and disc jockey Teddy Talbot (Dean Jones) to air the song. It becomes an immediate hit. Later that evening, Vince kisses Peggy and asks her out to celebrate, but is disappointed when he finds out that she has already accepted a dinner date with Teddy.
Vince later gets the chance to appear again on television. During a party, he introduces Peggy to Laury Jackson (Anne Neyland), a singer Vince has signed to the label. A little later, Hunk arrives, having been paroled, and persuades a reluctant Vince to give him a spot on the upcoming TV show. Vince rehearses "Jailhouse Rock" in a stylized "cell block" with other "inmates". Hunk's number is cut because his style of music has become outdated. Afterward, Vince points out that according to his lawyer, the contract Hunk had him sign in prison is worthless, but Vince offers him ten percent—not fifty—which Hunk accepts.
Within a few months, Vince is a star, but Peggy is no longer on speaking terms with him, as he has let his success go to his head. Vince then signs a movie deal with Climax Studios. The studio head asks him to spend the day with his new leading lady, Sherry Wilson (Jennifer Holden), for publicity purposes. The actress is less than thrilled with her co-star at first, but eventually falls for him.
Meanwhile, Hunk grows increasingly tired of Vince and his self-centered attitude. When Peggy shows up unexpectedly, Vince is happy to see her at first, but becomes upset when she says she came only to talk about business. Mr. Shores then approaches him with an extravagant offer from Geneva Records to purchase Laurel Records and sign him to a rich contract. Peggy refuses to sell, but Vince announces that he is going ahead with the deal since he owns controlling interest, which upsets her. Finally pushed too far by Vince's treatment of Peggy, Hunk repeatedly punches the star, even though Vince refuses to fight back. Hunk finally hits Vince in the throat, endangering his singing ability. Vince is rushed to a hospital.
Vince forgives the contrite Hunk, and realizes he loves Peggy and she loves him. Though his doctor declares that his vocal cords are fully recovered, Vince is worried that his singing voice might have been affected, but a rendition of "Young and Beautiful" to Peggy reassures him.
Read more about this topic: Jailhouse Rock (film)
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