Why Elvis Presley Lost the Chance to Play Jesse James

For better or worse, Elvis Presley and Jesse James are two of America’s rebel icons. Elvis lost out on the opportunity to play the Western outlaw for reasons beyond his control. Another famous actor of the era replaced him. Regardless, the Western genre became a significant part of the singer’s career.

The director of ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ wanted Elvis Presley to play Jesse James

Nicholas Ray was a film director known for making movies about outcasts. His filmography includes King of Kings, In a Lonely Place, Johnny Guitar, and, most famously, Rebel Without a Cause. According to the book Elvis Films FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the King of Rock’ n’ Roll in Hollywood, Ray wanted the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll to star in his movie The True Story of Jesse James. The director wanted James to come across as a sex symbol, so he thought Elvis would be perfect for the role. In addition, Ray met Elvis and found him fascinating.

Despite this, 20th Century Fox wanted an actor under one of their contracts to star in The True Story of Jesse James. Robert Wagner, known for his roles in A Kiss Before Dying, The Towering Inferno, and the Austin Powers films, landed the job instead.

Nicholas Ray didn’t like Robert Wagner’s performance as Jesse James

Initially, Ray said he was happy with The True Story of Jesse James. Later, he admitted the film would have been better if the “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” singer played the titular gunslinger. Ray felt that Elvis had more charisma than Wagner. The director was also annoyed that Wagner spent so much time wondering if he looked good onscreen.

The True Story of Jesse James is forgotten today. Perhaps it would be famous if a certain rock star played James! On the other hand, most Elvis movies are forgotten as well.

There’s still a whole lot of Westerns starring Elvis Presley

While Elvis never played James, he did appear in a handful of Western films. His first role was in the Civil War musical Love Me Tender. The setting made sense, as the song “Love Me Tender” is heavily based on the Civil War-era ballad “Aura Lee.”

Elvis would later headline the drama Flaming Star, a drama that deals with Native American issues. The Belfast Telegraph reports the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was part Cherokee. Critics consider Flaming Star one of the “All Shook Up” singer‘s better movies. Don Siegel, the visionary behind classics such as the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Dirty Harry, directed Flaming Star.

Elvis would play a Native American onscreen again in the comedic musical Stay Away, Joe. Due to its stereotyping, that movie has aged like milk. The Western Charro! became the only Elvis film that doesn’t feature him singing. Considering the film’s more serious tone and the fact that it came out in 1969, Charro! could be seen as the singer’s attempt to jump on the Spaghetti Western bandwagon.

Elvis didn’t get to play James, but he made more than enough Westerns for one cinematic lifetime.