Kid Galahad (1962)
When he completes his military service Walter Gulick returns to his birthplace, Cream Valley, New York. He was orphaned as an infant and grew up elsewhere but always wanted to return to where he was from. He hopes to be a mechanic but soon after his arrival finds himself working as a sparring partner at a boxing camp. Having lost all of his money in a crap game, Walter is happy to take any kind of work but a devastating right hook sends him down a different path. Willy Grogan thinks he has a winner in Walter who, after helping a lady out, is dubbed Kid Galahad. Willy is a likable man but gambles too much and may have been a witness to a mobster's conversation that would best be forgotten. As Walter gains more success, and falls in love with Willy's sister Rose, Willy Grogan finds himself coming under pressure from mobsters to make Walter takes a dive at his next big fight.
Presley packs the the screen's biggest wallop...with the gals...with the gloves...with the guitar!
Walter Gulick: Don't push me, Willy. I'm a grease monkey that won't slide so easily!
Idyllwild, California, USA
(Cream Valley, many sites throughout town)
Garner Valley, California, USA
(first part of title sequence; Walter sings "Riding the Rainbow")
Lily Rock, San Jacinto Mountains, California, USA
(bare granite knob in background high above Grogan's training camp)
Hidden Lodge - 25120 Glen Road, Idyllwild, California, USA
(Grogan's Gaelic Gardens)
Hollywood Reservoir, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
(Independence Day picnic; fighters jogging with Lew on bike)
Edward Asner's feature film debut (uncredited).
Elvis Presley gave the guitar that he used in this film and also in Follow That Dream (1962) to property master Frank Agnone.
Charles Bronson did not speak to Elvis Presley and kept his distance while filming.
Dolores Fuller who wrote the song "I Got Lucky" for Elvis had been the girlfriend of Edward D. Wood Jr. a decade earlier and had acted in several of his productions. She wrote songs for several Elvis movies.
Professional boxing coach "Mushy" Callahan trained Elvis for the fight scenes.
Continuity
In the very beginning of the movie, when Nick's fighter is counted out, in the close up, Nick puts his cigar in the right side of his mouth. Then, in the very next shot, a bit farther away, the cigar is in the left side of his mouth.
Revealing mistakes
At about the 45 minute mark into the film and after the "first" professional fight. Galahad knocks out the more intimidating opponent. The ref's count was extremely fast...but as soon as he counted "...ten" and waved his hands signifying the bout was over, the defeated opponent was hurriedly getting up after being "knocked out"
Kid Galahad trains for the climactic big fight during the middle of summer, Independence Day to Labor Day, yet when you see all the orange and yellow leaves on the trees and on the ground it is obvious that these scenes were filmed in autumn.