Steinesongo Too many fans seem to be blown away

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Kodie Bird True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

LittleStorpingInTheSwuff "Flaming Star" has been one of my favorite Elvis songs ever since it came out. But it took over 55 years (honest!) before I saw the movie. And I was very impressed by his acting. The few Elvis movies I have seen over the years on TV were of the musical romance genre, which were his box office draws. Well let me tell you, after recently watching "King Creole" for the first time, and now "Flaming Star", I am convinced that Elvis could have been a really decent serious actor if he had been given the chance. He probably wouldn't have been as good as Sinatra, who also went from singer to actor, but he would have been close. His acting in "Flaming Star" surpassed his fine performance in "King Creole". Maybe his two years in the army helped mature him above that of a bobby sox heart throb. In any event, "Flaming Star" is Elvis' finest movie as a straight actor, and well worth watching.

classicsoncall I haven't seen enough Elvis Presley movies to say whether this is one of his better ones as some other reviewers state, but the film being what it is, he does a competent job among a fair contingent of fellow actors in support roles. Interestingly, this is the second film in a row I've seen in which John McIntire figures prominently; he was an evil town boss up against Jimmy Stewart in "The Far Country", while here he's portraying the patriarch of a ranch family, maintaining his integrity as the husband of Kiowa Indian squaw Neddy (Dolores del Rio), who's translated name means 'thin woman who deserted her own people'.As a half-breed, Presley's character is torn between two races, particularly after new Kiowa chief Buffalo Horn (Rodolfo Acosta) renews his tribe's war against whites with raids on local ranchers, including the Burton homestead. Before it's explained, I thought 'Flaming Star' might have been Pacer's Indian name, but we soon learn that it refers to a dream or vision in which a flaming star signals impending doom or death. Two such instances occur in the story, once for Pacer's mother Neddy, and then again for Pacer himself at the finale.Most likely in keeping with the general dark tone of the story, Presley's appearance here doesn't bring with it a host of musical numbers. After offering the title song over the opening credits, there's only one more fairly lively number called "A Cane and a High Starched Collar" performed in front of family and friends before the story turns ominous.Directed by movie veteran Don Siegel, there's probably more graphic violence here than one might expect, particularly given the film's celebrity star in the lead role. A wicked Kiowa hatchet to a settler's forehead caught me by surprise, and Presley himself engaged in a pretty realistic looking tussle with his white brother Clint (Steve Forrest) in the story. I was surprised as well that Presley's character was allowed to die in the picture from mortal wounds suffered in the final battle, a fate generally not considered for entertainers as popular with the ladies as Elvis was.

Wuchak "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-

MarkJGarcia 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!