Presley, at first, insisted on pursuing higher roles, but when two films in a more dramatic vein—Flaming Star (1960) and Wild in the Country (1961)—were less commercially successful, he reverted to the formula.
Presley mula-mula mengambil peran yang lebih serius, namun saat dua film dalam suasana lebih dramatis—Flaming Star (1960) dan Wild in the Country (1961)—kurang meraih kesuksesan komersial, ia kembali ke rumusan tersebut.