Elvis Presley "Kid Galahad" US Half Dollar Commemorative Coin

Elvis Presley is rightly called the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.  Not only was he a singing sensation, he was also a movie star!  This coin highlights one of hit films Elvis starred in. 
Mystic has permanently bonded a vibrant image of Elvis to this uncirculated US Half Dollar.  The coin features an original photograph of Presley from his estate’s official archive...  more

Elvis Presley is rightly called the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.  Not only was he a singing sensation, he was also a movie star!  This coin highlights one of hit films Elvis starred in. 
Mystic has permanently bonded a vibrant image of Elvis to this uncirculated US Half Dollar.  The coin features an original photograph of Presley from his estate’s official archives along with an image of his signature. The coin is officially licensed by Elvis Presley Enterprises.

Kid Galahad

Legendary producer Hal Wallis once said, “A Presley picture is the only sure thing in Hollywood.”  By 1962, Elvis had nine hit movies to his credit.  Although the formula of songs, girls, and exotic scenery was breaking box office records, Paramount Pictures was ready to try something new.  Turning to Hollywood’s golden era, studio executives decided to remake the 1937 classic Kid Galahad with Elvis in the starring role.

Based on Frances Wallace’s novel, “Kid Galahad” was serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in 1936.  The following year, Warner Brothers released its film version starring Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogart, and Bette Davis.

Elvis filmed Kid Galahad in the fall of 1961.  The strong supporting cast included Gig Young, Lola Albright, and Joan Blackman.  Elvis’ character, Walter Gulick, was a fresh-faced army veteran who returns home to start his own auto repair business.  Short on cash, Walter agrees to box for money at a training camp.  However, the owner of the camp is a gambler who owes the mob some money and must persuade Walter to fix the match.

To prepare for the role, Elvis trained with boxing legend and former welter-weight world champion Mushy Callahan.  Jimmy Lennon, a real-life boxing announcer from the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, announced two of Elvis’ fights in the film.  Nearly 20 years later, Lennon announced two of the fights in the Academy Award-winning boxing drama Raging Bull starring Robert De Niro.

Not all of the drama in Kid Galahad took place in the ring.  It’s reported that Charles Bronson, a tough guy on stage and in real life, didn’t like Elvis any more than Elvis liked him.  Fortunately, the two stars worked together long enough to produce one of Elvis’ best films – Kid Galahad ranked #9 on 1962’s list of top-grossing films.