...proves that Elvis didn't just get lucky with his first performance; the boy could actually act.
Flaming Star (1960)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:10
Fresh:9
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.2/10
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Genre: Westerns
Synopsis: Elvis Presley stars as Pacer Burton, son of a white father (John McIntire) and Native American mother (Dolores del Rio) who finds his loyalties tested in a war of attrition between a fierce Indian... Elvis Presley stars as Pacer Burton, son of a white father (John McIntire) and Native American mother (Dolores del Rio) who finds his loyalties tested in a war of attrition between a fierce Indian tribe, the Kiowas, and a group of racist white settlers on the Texas frontier in 1870. Although his parents attempt to remain outside the fray, his father is eventually killed in an Indian attack on the settlement. A white man, enraged over the Indian attacks, kills Pacer's mother. Shunned by white society after the Indian attacks, Pacer elects to fight on the side of the Kiowas while his brother, Clint (Steve Forrest), stays with the settlers. When Clint rides into the Kiowa camp alone and kills their chief to avenge his father's murder, Pacer fights off the entire tribe to protect his brother, and Clint barely escapes with his life. After Pacer's girl, Roslyn Pierce (Barbara Eden), has tended to Clint's severe wounds, she's unsuccessful in trying to stop him from going off to try to save his brother's life. Presley gives his finest performance as the sensitive Pacer, supported by an excellent cast in what is likely his best film. The strong, uncompromising script on the tragic cost of racism is superbly directed by Don Siegel. [More]
Starring: Elvis Presley, Barbara Eden
Starring: Elvis Presley, Barbara Eden
Director: Don Siegel
Director: Don Siegel
Screenwriter: Clair Huffaker
Get This Movie
Reviews for Flaming Star
Famed action director Don Siegel saw an element of raw danger in Elvis and gave him his very best role in this excellent quasi-Western.
Less an "Elvis film" than a western starring young Presley in a surprisingly well cast role, this lean frontier drama... offers one of his most impressive performances.
An emotionally charged liberal themed Western that keeps things rocking.
If only the King had been paired more frequently with directors like Don Siegel and Michael Curtiz, he'd have given more terrific performances like the one here.
Although the sight of a shirtless Elvis wrestling a native warrior is fascinating enough, there are few surprises in the sequence of events.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Flaming Star at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

TECHLAND gives us a first look at the extras, including Leonard Nimoy's last day on set!

AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


