By day he was a Memphis truck driver who hated his job and aspired to become an electrical repairman. But young Elvis Presley had another dream, and in 1954 he stepped into the studio at Sun Records to say goodbye to driving trucks forever. Within two years, he was not only a recording star but a film star as well. The King was born.
When he arrived in Hollywood from his home in Missouri determined to make it, he found work at a Mexican restaurant wearing a chicken costume. But when Brad Pitt landed his first acting gig in Dallas it was in the role of the boyfriend of Priscilla Presley's on-screen daughter.
The road to stardom is filled with odd detours and some spectacular potholes. Their First Time in the Movies charts that crazy journey and the moment, the very edge of stardom, when some of our best-loved stars began to glimmer. We all know the Marilyn Monroe of Some Like it Hot and the Clark Gable of Gone with the Wind. Everyone remembers Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull, Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct, and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. But before they were stars they were hopefuls with talent, determination, and often an uncanny gift for following their illustrious destinies.
Now, for the first time ever, the first performances—in the movies—of over 30 top stars are collected on one video tape, complemented by a beautifully designed book that tells the stories of these stars, and 70 others, on their way to the top. It is a remarkable showcase of the raw talent that made our top entertainers the enduring stars they are.