Walter Gulick, played by Elvis Presley, returns home to his small town in upstate New York after serving in the Army. With limited job prospects, he takes a job as a sparring partner at a local boxing gym run by Willy Grogan (Gig Young), a former boxer with connections to the mafia.
Willy sees potential in Walter's boxing skills and begins to train him to become a professional boxer. Along the way, Walter falls in love with Willy's sister Rose (Joan Blackman) and has to navigate their complicated relationship.
As Walter rises through the ranks as a fighter, he starts to face off against tougher opponents and becomes entangled in Willy's illegal boxing operations. When Willy's shady dealings catch up with him, Walter has to decide whether to stay loyal to his mentor or expose the corruption and risk his career.
Kid Galahad features many of Elvis's iconic songs, including "King of the Whole Wide World" and "This is Living." Despite mixed reviews from critics, the movie was a box office success and helped solidify Elvis's status as a Hollywood star.