Product Details

• Actors: David Keith, Tuesday Weld, Charlie Schlatter, Angela Goethals, Jacque Lynn Colton
• Directors: Chris Columbus
• Writers: Chris Columbus
• Producers: Debra Hill, Lynda Obst, Stacey Sher, Stephanie Austin
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Touchstone / Disney
• VHS Release Date: April 21, 1994
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630133129X
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,495 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ~ TRULY WONDERFUL ESCAPISM ~, June 22, 2001

By	BARRY DOMINIC GRAHAM (Hope, BRITISH COLUMBIA Canada) - See all my reviews

'Heartbreak Hotel' is one one the all-time greatest entertainment treasures. With a solid, brilliant cast led by the incredibly talented Mr. David Keith as Elvis Presley, this movie could brighten even the dullest mood with its simple charm, humour and wonderful music. Some have complained about the lack of facial likeness between Mr. Keith and 'the King' as if that was an error of some kind rather than focusing on the fact that Mr. Keith captures the essence of Elvis without having to rely on physical likeness which can only testify to this great actor's limitless capabilities, so much so, that there are moments when Elvis almost appears transfigure through David Keith, who incidently is also a native of the State of Tennessee. No-one ever intended this movie to be taken seriously, but only enjoyed for its sheer entertainment value. The majority of the singing is actually performed by David Keith himself, which no Elvis impersonator could top !! I have read reviews of this movie which cast doubt on this fact, but if you watch the end titles you will see his vocal performing credits. I also know that he used his own voice because HE told me in person during several chats I had with him whilst he was here in Hope, BC with James Spader filming the upcoming movie 'The Stick-Up'. Charlie Schlater is also an immensely talented actor with the same kind of natural charisma and talent of Michael J. Fox. As I said previously, all the cast are magnificent and obviously adored making this movie as their pleasure and happiness shines through. Remember, this is not an Elvis biography, but merely a fantasy tale which in its own way honours the memory of the real Elvis. A heartfelt tribute to 'the King'. David Keith can also be seen in 'An Officer and a Gentleman'; 'U-571'; 'Men of Honor'; 'Brubaker'; 'The Rose'; 'The Lords of Discipline'; 'Major League 2'; and 'Texas' among many others.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HEARTBREAK HOTEL (Chris Columbus, director) - 1988 USA, February 25, 2000

By	Phil Sweetland (Nashville) - See all my reviews

Heartbreak Hotel is one of my favorite movies.The only bad news is that amazon.com tells us the picture is currently unavailable because the studio isn't making it in the VHS format.

It's a strange spin on the Elvis myth, a story in which an Ohio teen (Charlie Schlatter) unites his troubled mother (Tuesday Weld) with Presley (David Keith) by kidnapping The King during a tour stop in Cleveland.

All three do fine work in the improbable tale, during which young rock'n'roller Schlatter ends up getting musical and romantic advice from Keith.

The Presley character sees a great deal of himself in the troubled teen played by Schlatter, who at first totally rejects Presley as an early-1970s caricature and Vegas performer who had lost touch with teens of that period.

The music is wonderful in this picture, including lots of obscure Elvis performances like "If I Can Dream" and "American Trilogy," and some things off THE MEMPHIS RECORD.

Keith played Presley in some TV specials as well, and is at his best when he duets with Schlatter onstage at a high school talent show near the end of the picture.

All in all, Heartbreak Hotel is a very imaginative story and an absolute must-see (out of curiosity if nothing else) for the ever-increasing number of Presley fans around the worldwide.

Feb. 25 2000

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Elvis impersonations ever!, October 31, 2003

By	andy8047 (Nokomis,Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Heartbreak Hotel (DVD)

It's 1972 and Johnny Wolfe(Charlie Schlatter) and his band prepare for a performance for a talent show at their high school. His mom Marie(Tuesday Weld) is a die-hard Elvis Presley fan. So to "make her happy",Johnny and his buddies "kidnap" Elvis(David Keith) after a concert via an anesthetic,and drive him to the Wolfes' home. It was there when Elvis awoke. Johnny wanted Elvis to stay so his mom can meet him(Elvis). Elvis subtracts 16 years off his life. He shaved off his big heavy sideburns and wore an outfit that he regularly wore in 1956. Johnny told Elvis,"My mom says you looked the coolest in '56!) Marie had returned home from the hospital after being severely beaten up by her drunk and physically abusive boyfriend(Chris Mulkey). She finds "young" Elvis at the top of the Wolfes' staircase,playing guitar and singing one of Marie's favorites,"Love Me". A shocked Marie changes into a beautiful dress and invites Elvis to stay for dinner. Johnny's little sister(Angela Goethals) is so afraid to sleep in the dark until Elvis convinces her that doing that is not scary. Elvis even redecorates the Wolfes' home and in the process,discards Johnny's rock band posters. At the talent show,Elvis appears with Johnny and his band backing him up. Then Elvis' band of bodyguards fly to Elvis' whereabouts so he can go on with his touring elsewhere. Elvis was like a husband to divorced Marie and a father to Johnny and his sister. At one point in the film,Johnny beats up Steve,Marie's boyfriend,revengefully("You stay away from my mother!") At another point,while returning from a grocery store,Johnny is later beaten up by Steve and a couple of Steve's buddies in front of a bar where Steve and his buddies were shooting pool. I dedicate this film to the memory of Elvis Aaron Presley(January 8,1935-August 16,1977). HEARTBREAK HOTEL is strictly fictitious and is no way based on actual events that occurred during the real Elvis' life. The film was directed by Chris Columbus,who also wrote the story and screenplay. Columbus also directed ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING,a year before this film.