Customer Reviews

Wild in Country [VHS]

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although I don't feel that this is one of Elvis' best efforts, there is still something about this movie that draws you to it!

A more serious role, than his usual musical performances, he comes across as still being a little raw, but I still enjoyed it, all the same.

There were fine supporting roles played by Millie Perkins as his girlfriend Betty Lee, Tuesday Weld as his cousin Noreen, and Hope Lange as his psychiatrist.

Tuesday Weld has come a long way since her debut, playing the teenage daughter of Danny Kaye ("Red Nichols") in The Five Pennies, and put in a very good performance.

Millie Perkins also delivered a sound performance. I enjoyed her role as much as I did in the movie The Diary of Anne Frank in which she portrayed "Anne Frank".

Hope Lange is always enjoyable to watch, and that is the case here again in this movie.

Although not ranked as high in my all time favourite Elvis movies, it is still worth the watch, and a good movie to have in your collection.

Wild In The Country would offer Elvis his last serious role in a film by a significant director (Philip Dunne). Elvis portrays Glenn Tyler, a southern boy from a rural, poverty-stricken background, who has just been released from juvenile hall. Central to the character of Glenn is that the brooding young man is at a crossroads in his life, and he must choose the path most suitable for him. His choices are represented by three women. Noreen (Tuesday Weld) is Glenn's cousin who urges him to stay with his own kind. Noreen offers passion and good times, but such a carefree existence allows little thought for the future. Betty Lee (Millie Perkins), who is Glenn's childhood sweetheart selflessly places Glenn's future above her own needs, urging him to leave town and attend college. She is prepared to lose him that he may have an education and a secure future. Hope Lange costars as Irene Sperry, the court-appointed psychiatrist assigned to Glenn's case, who recognizes in him the raw talent of a budding writer. She also encourages Glenn to attend college but causes scandal when she falls in love with him. Glenn ends up following Betty Lee's advice and asking her to wait for him.

With a strong supporting cast including a young Tuesday Weld who was only 17 years old during the film's production. She was one of the hottest and wildest starlets in Hollywood and already had romances with two of of her costars in the film - Elvis and Veteran Actor John Ireland.

Produced for Twentieth Century Fox by Jerry Wald. Released June 22, 1961. Color.

Elvis can act, and sing and love!!! This movie, based very loosly on the JD Salamenca novel Lost In The Country, is about Glen who is put on probation after a run in with his drunk borhter(and a previous charge of car theft). He is to move in with his Uncle Rolfe and cousin Nory and work in Uncle Rolfe's Snake-Oil Medicine factory and he must meet with social worker Irene Sperry. He still finds time to spend time with girlfriend BettyLee but is warned to leave her alone, by her father. Even from the beginnig Glen is a sour, angry young man and only finds time to soften up to BettyLee and later Ms. Sperry who he considers an enemy who's trying to find out if he's "touched in the head". When he can no longer carry on with BettyLee he has a fling with his cousin Nory(who has an illegitimate baby) whom he butts heads with at first. Uncle Rolfe, in a way, encourages this but then seems outraged(when it really happens) causing Glen to lash out and run away to work at a car garage. Right now the only women he can turn to is Ms. Sperry who finds a hidden writing talent in Glen and asks him to write in a journal and present it to him. ONe day she takes him to a prestigious University and encourages his writing talent. ON the way back they stop over in a motel during a storm and of course they attempt to make love only to have Irene come to her senses. While there a young man(Glen's enemy) reads the motel register and realizes the two are there. The young man's father is the town lawyer who is married and carrying on with Ms. Sperry. When he tells his father(whom he can't stand), the man confronts Irene who confesses she is in love with Glen. She tries to discourage Glen, who feels the same way, when she explains her husband felt the same way but he was not ready for marriage and it led to his accidental death. Unfortunately, Glen is at the house when Irene is confronted by her lawyer lover and Glen then claims that the young man will die for this and the boy does after being hit by Glen. Glen is put on trial but Ms. Sperry arrives saying the deceased had a heart problem(she overheard this from the boy's father) but the father vehemently denies it. Irene is ruined and attempts suicide. Glen has been exonerated(after the boy's father realizes he cannot hide the heart condition and hurt Irene) and is released and tells her he will always be there. Glen then goes to college but still says he will be back for her. I can believe it! This is a rare opportunity to see an angry and sensitive Elvis who can act and he does very little singing. It's a shame his movie career didn't continue on this course. Hope Lange is excellent but she seems to play "the other women" alot, but always harmless. It's the first time she plays a rather weak one, especially when she tries to kill herself. This is a wonderful movie

"Wild In The Country" is certainly the number one best movie of Elvis, eventhough it seems to be a forgotten one. Actress Hope Lange (the role of Irene Sperry) had great chemistry with Elvis. I'm not an Elvis fan, but I do think he had done an excellent job being the character Glenn Tyler...END

Released in 1961, Wild in the Country would be Elvis' last purely dramatic role for several years. He gives what may be his finest acting performance as a troubled young man from a dysfunctional family whose passion is really writing. This film was only moderately successful at the box office. Elvis' next film, Blue Hawaii, a musical comedy would be a big hit so at the behest of Colonel Tom, his subsequent movies became formula musicals. Unfortunately the quality of the scripts and soundtracks would decline over the years, leaving many fans to wonder what might have been had Elvis been give more of an opportunity to develop as a serious actor.

"Wild in the Country" can be safely placed among other fine movies of Elvis.

I consider his best dramatic ones to be "King Creole", this one, "Flaming Star" and "Kid Galahad". In the comedy section, I would place "Blue Hawaii", "Follow That Dream" and "Girls! Girls! Girls!" among the top ones.

I would add for the sake of popularity "Viva Las Vegas" and "Speedway", because of the exceptional female counterparts he had in them: Ann Margret and

Nancy Sinatra.

All the rest is for fandom's sake.

"Wild" includes cast members such as John Ireland, Hope Lange and Tuesday Weld, who all do a wonderful job to give this movie a more special feeling of seriousness than one mught expect.

Elvis too, shows that he can actually act and yet come through naturally with it.

After all, it wasn't Elvis fault if he was forced into cheesy movies. We were still in the days of exclusive contracts with the Studios.

Despite all his efforts to be accepted as a serious and committed actor, managers, casting directors and yes, even directors and producers, seldom

allowed him to bring his skills to the surface, preferring in him the performer of songs, or at most, the lover type.

As with many 20th Century-Fox DVDs, this one received a fair treatment, with a decent copy transfer and a wonderful discreet surround sound.

I never watched this movie this clearly as on this DVD before.

I can highly recommend it.

When a child my dad would always take me to the latest Elvis movie and I have very fond memories. I wanted to have the entire collection and then watch them all. This movie completed my set and now I am going to start watching them all over again. Thanks Amazon for making this so affordable!

This is one of the more serious movies Elvis made that shows his true talent as an actor. He does some singing in it but where appropriate not all over the movie like other films he's done. A classic Elvis film that is worth watching.

my wife has loved this movie for a long time and i finally bought it for her. actually i have most of elvis's movies but did not have this one. now she is happy and so am i

I haven't seen this movie in years. I am so glad I bought it. This movie was one of the very few that I didn't have on DVD. I felt like it was completely different from his other movies. Although I consider King Creole as his best acting, Elvis was amazing in his part as Glen. Just think what he could have done if he hadn't made some of his later movies. I love Blue Hawaii, G.I. Blues, Girls, Girls, Girls, Frankie and Johnny, and Flaming Star is one of my favorites. Elvis was such a great entertainer. If you are a true Elvis fan, you will love this movie too. Tuesday Weld was really good in this part, so was Hope Lange.