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Elvis' #1 Pop Singles on Cashbox, USA: Heartbreak Hotel (1956) Don't Be Cruel (1956) Hound Dog (1956) Love Me Tender (1956) Too Much (1957) All Shook Up (1957) Teddy Bear (1957) Jailhouse Rock (1957) Don't (1958) Stuck On You (1960) It's Now Or Never (1960) Are You Lonesome Tonight? (1960) Surrender (1961) Good Luck Charm (1962) Return To Sender (1962) In The Ghetto (1969) Suspicious Minds (1969) Burning Love (1972) (The Cashbox chart is now defunct) Elvis Facts: Elvis was 5' 11" tall
Elvis' natural hair color was dark blond
Elvis' blood type was O Positive
Elvis' shoe size was 11D
One of Elvis'( maternal) ancestors, Morning White Dove (born 1800, died 1835), was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian
Elvis' uncle, Noah Presley, became Mayor of East Tupelo on January 7, 1936
The Presley family moved to Memphis on November 6, 1948
Elvis was issued a Social Security card in September 1950 with the # 409-52-2002
In 1954 some of the shows played by Elvis & The Blue Moon Boys were at the Overton Park Shell; the Bel-Air Club; Sleepy-Eyed John's Eagle's Nest Club and the Louisiana Hayride
Elvis' first manager was Scotty Moore, then Bob Neal, before signing with Colonel Tom Parker
The first DJ to play an Elvis record was Fred Cook (WREC), not Dewey Phillips (WHBQ). However, Dewey had the distinction of being the first DJ to play an Elvis record in its entirety
Elvis once dated famous stripper, Tempest Storm
Elvis was filmed from the waist up only during his 3rd and final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show
In the 50s Elvis was friendly with rising stars, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner and Ty (Bronco Lane) Hardin
Gladys Presley was 46 years old when she died, not 42, as many books suggest
The Roustabout album sold 450,000 copies on its initial release, 150,000 copies more than any of the preceding three soundtrack LPs. It was Elvis' last "soundtrack" album to reach #1 on the major album charts in the US
Elvis received $1m for filming Harum Scarum (aka Harum Holiday). The film grossed around $2m in the US
Elvis and Priscilla married on May 1, 1967
They were officially divorced on October 9, 1973
Elvis earns nearly $3.5m in 1968 and pays just over $1.4m in income tax
Elvis' return to live performing in Las Vegas on July 31, 1969 was in front of an "by invitation only" audience. Stars in attendance included Wayne Newton, Petula Clark, Shirley Bassey, Burt Bacharach and Angie Dickinson
On January 9, 1971, the national Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) announced Elvis as one of "The Top Ten Young Men of the Year". Elvis spoke at the official awards ceremony on January 16
"Elvis: Aloha From Hawai" made entertainment history on January 14, 1973, when it was beamed around the world by satellite. In the Philippines it drew 91% of the audience, in Hong Kong 70%. The viewing audience was estimated at more than 1 billion
For his 4 week Hilton Vegas season in August 1973 Elvis received $610,000 Sales of Elvis' 1973 album, Raised On Rock, were less than 200,000 units on its initial release
Elvis paid $2,959,000 in income tax in 1973
In December 1976 Elvis was sworn in as a special deputy sheriff of Shelby County (Memphis) by Sheriff Gene Barksdale
Elvis' final live concert was in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977 When Elvis died, he and his father Vernon, were embroiled in an FBI investigation called Operation Fountain Pen More than 1,500 books have been published about The King in more than 30 languages
At Dec 2005 Elvis' biggest selling album in the US is the budget priced, Elvis' Christmas Album, with accredited sales of 9 million units (fingers crossed it reaches 10 million to give Elvis his first "Diamond" award)
By early2006, Sony BMG's "collectors label", Follow That Dream, had released more than 50 Elvis CDs
During the 1980s, tour guides at Graceland stated that Elvis' biggest selling album (globally) was Moody Blue, with sales exceeding 14 million
While Sony BMG estimates Elvis' global sales exceed 1 billion, the company is unable to substantiate this figure. Accredited sales worldwide are estimated to be less than 400 million
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Jailhouse Rock: Elvis is so young and sexy! (Sue Birdsall) King Creole: I thought Elvis handled a challenging dramatic part well and it had an 'A' list cast (Ben Ryan) Blue Hawaii: Simply loved the exotic Hawaiian setting and music. I can watch Elvis in Blue Hawaii over and over (Penny Jacks) Love Me Tender: I went to see Love Me Tender when it opened in 1956. We cued for nearly two hours to get front row seats. I was an experience I'll keep with me for the rest of my life (Mary Guest) King Creole: Elvis was great in this film. It had it all, a great location, great cast, great music and of course, a great Elvis (Paul Roberts) Change of Habit: This was a teriffic change of role for Elvis and a sign of what could have been. I liked the way it handled social issues and how could Mary Tyler Moore not choose Elvis? (Barbara Coombs) Blue Hawaii: The classic Presley travelogue. A sublime 60s film (Clay Ahrens) G.I. Blues: The 60s Elvis. The clean cut American male and the promise of what was coming...nights at the drive-in (Aaron Iaansen)
'Like that classic, Love Me Tender placed the then-emerging notion of The Generation Gap in a period-piece setting. In such a context, young westerners could be re-imagined as 1950s style juvenile delinquents, suffering in ‘the era of Momism.’ (10) James Dean’s major problem in Rebel had been the dominating personality of his mother, the father reduced to a cipher. In Love Me Tender, Milded Dunnock is listed in the credits only as ‘The Mother,’ though every other character (even minor ones) was assigned a name. This allows Dunnock to serve both as a universal symbol of American motherhood, 1950s style, as well as a substitute for Elvis’s own beloved Gladys. Indeed, the love demonstrated for Dunnock by all the brothers is intense, at times perversely strong. When, after the long absence, Vance steps down on home ground, his initial instinct is to hug his mother. Then—and only then—-does he move on to beautiful Cathy, the girl he left behind. This is paralleled by Clint’s feelings. When Elvis sings the title song, he’s directed by Robert D. Webb to do so in an unexpected way. The family relaxes on their porch after the brothers’ return. All encourage Clint to sing; to the tune of the folk ballad “Aura Lee,” he performs the slightly modernized “Love Me Tender.” Like Ranse, however, with his pecking order for homecoming hugs, Clint offers the song up not to Cathy (at least not initially), but to his mother.'The words:
are addressed to Dunnock. As an afterthought, he turns to Cathy, at last half-heartedly proferring a chorus to her. This directly parallels the star’s own situation. Elvis first recorded his voice when, on July 1, 1953 , he paid either $3 or $4 to record several songs for his mother on a 10-in. acetate for her birthday present. He did not know studio technician Marion Keisker had turned on a tape machine and made a note of his phone number and address, which she passed on to Sun Records’ Sam Phillips. (11) As in the movie, Elvis’s “mother was very possessive of him,” a writer for the Memphis Press-Scimitar noted following Elvis’s death; (12) Jay Cocks likewise claimed that Elvis was “fanatically and unabashedly devoted to his mother.” (13) Such respect, even devotion, to a parental figure suggests Elvis’s early critics were misguided in perceiving him as a threat to American values that they hoped to retain and pass on to their own children, Elvis fans all: He was an odd mixture of a hood--the haircut, the clothes, the sullen, alienated look; and a sweet little boy--curiously gentle and respectful . . .'
by Night Rider Designs
But that wasn't the end of the story. Waite had 50 hours of footage -- including 33 minutes of medium-girthed Presley showing off his black-belt moves and eight minutes of Bruce Lee demonstrating karate in 1967 in Long Beach -- in the back of his 1963 GMC pickup truck in his garage. And there the project stayed until recently, when he gave the footage to Isaac Florentine, an Israeli-born director of action films, and Florentine's partner, Don Warrener, who ran a chain of karate schools in Canada . Florentine and Warrener's company, Rising Sun Productions, which distributes karate movies and other martial arts-related items, edited the footage down to 93 minutes. (None of the footage of Presley is in the movie because the Elvis Presley estate wouldn't allow it to be released; according to Warrener, the estate was unhappy with the singer's less than flattering appearance.) The two are now distributing the finished product, "New Gladiators," on video and DVD, and are hoping to interest Hollywood in a theatrical release. "New Gladiators" documents what fans know as the golden age of the sport, when martial artists were interested in the art of karate and not the glory or the money. The film focuses on several karate fighters in training and captures tournament action -- two European team matches and the Urquidez Brothers Invitational in Beverly Hills . Several well-known martial artists of the period appear, including John Corcoran, Ticky Donovan, Emil Farkas, Roy Kurban, Ron Marchini, John Natividad and Benny "the Jet" Urquidez. On a recent morning, Florentine, Warrener and Waite gather in Rising Sun's cramped Beverly Hills office with three of the men in the film: Urquidez, a world-champion kickboxer who operates the Jet Center in Burbank; Farkas, who wrote the Encyclopedia of Martial Arts and is owner of the Beverly Hills Karate Academy; and Dave Brock, a seven-time karate champion. Also sitting in are writer Joe Hyams, one of Bruce Lee's first students and author of "Zen in the Martial Arts," and Majeet Raz, one of Urquidez's students. They are there not so much to talk as to show their support for "New Gladiators." Waite first came up with an idea for doing a documentary on tournament life in 1974 and shared it with Parker, the instructor. "He said we should have E.P. look at this; we'll call him right now," Waite recalls. Presley agreed to meet with them that afternoon. "We went up to the house and we talked for a bit, and I presented the idea to him." Presley was leaving for Las Vegas that night and told the two he would have to think about it. "A couple of hours later, he said he liked the idea and said, 'Come to Vegas.' So I went to Vegas and we talked about the film. He gave me a check for $50,000." Waite says he never completed the film and didn't want to use the 16-millimeter footage of Presley, hoping instead to shoot him on 35-millimeter in more choreographed moves. But the King's weight had ballooned since the film's inception. "We thought he was going to come down a little bit [in weight]. We flew back to Memphis a few times and showed him the film, and he said, 'That's good enough to me.' He wore a rubber suit and I thought he would get smaller, but he didn't. It's always hard to cut someone into something when they are heavy. And it doesn't look good for the sport." To Florentine and Warrener, resurrecting "New Gladiators" is akin to exhibiting the Lost Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail. The film has achieved almost legendary status among karate devotees. In fact, Florentine first heard of "New Gladiators" back in Israel in the late '70s when he was a teenager. Since its release on DVD and VHS in August, "New Gladiators" has become Rising Sun's biggest seller of the year (1,345 copies sold so far). Waite says that the film was 90% complete before he gave it to Florentine and Warrener. "I tried to keep it as much as possible intact the way they meant it to be," Florentine says. "I didn't want to cut stuff. When you see it now in the 21st century, it takes you back into the '70s and really captures the period. There were holes in the film, but we patched it." "This film was never made for release for the general public," Waite adds. "It was made for us -- the karate world." To complete "New Gladiators," Florentine used the work print -- one that hasn't been color corrected or timed. So the quality of the print is atrocious -- there are skips, jarring jumps, and the picture is a faded mixture of browns and yellows. Then there are several credit problems. The poster says that Oscar-winners "Davio & Hora" supplied the cinematography. It is pointed out to a rather embarrassed Florentine that one of the cinematographers is Allen Daviau, not Davio -- he's also listed as Allen Davio in the credits. And though Daviau's been nominated for such films as "E.T." and "Bugsy," he has never won an Oscar. John Hora, who was the director of cinematography on such films as "Gremlins," has never been nominated for an Academy Award. And on both the credits and posters, the late actor Iron Eyes Cody is referred to as Iron Eye Cody. Everyone involved in the film knows that, as is, "New Gladiators" couldn't be distributed theatrically. Still, Florentine says, "I think it deserves justice." It is their dream that a savvy filmmaker in Hollywood will restore the original print, recut the negative and release it theatrically. Waite believes the original negative is in pretty good shape -- it sits in boxes in a corner in the back room at Rising Sun. Time is of the essence for restoration because Waite, Florentine and Warrener say they were knocked back from the smell of vinegar when they opened the film cans -- a sign that the negative could be suffering from "vinegar syndrome" deterioration. They also have had a hard time explaining to Hollywood executives exactly what they have on their hands. "We approach people and say we have this documentary and it was funded by Elvis," Florentine says. "People don't believe it." "In the martial arts world our credibility is unquestionable," Warrener says. "But the outside world is a new level for us." Visit Rising Sun Productions EIN Note: Rising Sun Productions has extinguished its supplies of 'The New Gladiators'. Copies can often be found for sale on ebay and on amazon.com Read more about The New Gladiators
Wild In The Country (Russia)
The basic plot revolves around the issue of whether or not Joyce is rorting the social security system by hiding excessive profits from the cottage industry she runs from home. Or is she simply trying to supplement her meager income to better support her two daughters, shrewd but vulnerable Cilla and the lovely Lisa Marie? The film is interesting to watch. Roseanne makes a warm and likeable Joyce and the supporting cast is solid. The storyline is slow moving but nevertheless engaging. It highlights the hardships many families relying on social security are faced with and their endeavors in making life just that little bit easier. Whether or not you believe Joyce is taking advantage of the system and her friendship with the social worker is largely a subjective experience. There are nice touches of humor in The Woman Who Loved Elvis and the narrative has a strong message about faith, spirit and living and loving life, not to mention the power of Elvis and his music. As with Roseanne’s previous television family there may be dysfunction but there is a lot of love, honesty and laughter. As I watched I couldn’t help wonder why Roseanne is drawn to ‘blue collar’ characters and why her ongoing fascination with the pervasive cultural impact of Elvis. Throughout the film there is a diversionary romantic triangle sub-plot involving Emily the social worker, who befriends Joyce, much to the chagrin of her superiors. Will Emily stick with her fiancée back east or fall for her boss? A second sub-plot involves Joyce’s relationship with her ex-husband Jack, played by Roseanne’s then real-life husband, Tom Arnold. Will Jack leave his new wife, the town sex-pot and return to the family that loves him more? A dramatic almost fatal accident near the end of the film neatly resolves the dilemma. Because of the generally slow plotting of the film the sub-plots are a welcome device to keep the viewer interested. The film features a number of Elvis tracks, several by Elvis and two by well known Elvis sound-a-like, Ronnie McDowell. Of added interest is that the film was directed by Elvis’s friend and twice co-star, Bill Bixby. The Woman Who Loved Elvis is based on the novel, Graced Land, by Laura Kalpakian (ISBN: 0-8021-1474-1) published by Grove Weidenfeld in 1992. The author is an entertaining writer, developing colorful characters and situations. The essence of her writing has been transferred to the small screen admirably. The Woman Who Loved Elvis should not be confused with the similarly titled book by Susie Mee, The Girl Who Loved Elvis. The movie was released on DVD in 2002 on the Platinum label. While there is no region coding on the disc some sources list it as being Region 1 ( USA - NTSC) format. In the USA the DVD edition can be purchased online from Amazon & Tower Records. In Australia it is available from Ezy DVD. All three outlets ship internationally. Details of the release are: Catalog: Platinum #02589 Region: 1 ( USA NTSC) ? Rated PG-13 Running time: 104 minutes Special Features: Interactive Menus – Scene Index – Digitally Mastered Video: good clean transfer Audio: Dolby Stereo - as you would expect of a telemovie, solid without being outstanding Disc: Picture disc Director: Bill Bixby Verdict: The Woman Who Loved Elvis is an enjoyable film, not outstanding, but like the fondly remembered ‘Touched By Elvis’, a nice tribute to the King of Rock & Roll and the spirit of remaining true to your beliefs. Well worth a look.
Elvis media texts & The Colonel - the 1960s A major difference this time around compared to what had occurred in 1956 centered on the amount of control the Colonel held over these texts. Parker began to limit the number of interviews Presley gave to reporters and columnists, opting to hold press conferences instead. He also continued a practice he had begun while Elvis was in the army, which was to periodically release information to the press on Elvis' behalf, again as a way of controlling the publicity that circulated about his boy. Source: "Understanding Elvis: Southern Roots vs. Star Image", Susan M. Doll, Garland Publishing, Inc., 1998, ISBN: 0815331649 Read: The First Online Symosium on Elvis Aron Presley Film Papers Click & tell us your favorite Elvis film and why (We will publish responses up until June 30)
from: "It Happened At The World's Fair" ???Fill in the missing names and name the film??? Finally, ---- is ready to give in. ------- arranges a romantic supper at his place and picks up the guitar, which she says belonged to her mother, though by now he is not sure what to believe any more. Annoyed that after all her machinations she is the one now playing hard to get, ---- eventually flings the cake out of the window and gives her what she has been after all along - though like ------, who covers his eyes, we do not get to witness the sex scene, or their postcoital murmurings, for when ---- wakes she is gone, unable to cope with her feelings now that she has found the one man for whom she has been searching her whole life. Adapted from "Elvis: The Hollywood Years", David Bret, Robson Books, 2001, ISBN: 1861054165
"Speedway" One-Sheet for Theatre display ELVISWhile not about Elvis Presley, this film is a powerful examination of life in and the impact of war in Bosnia, and through its title character symbolises Elvis' global impactBosnia,1993-1996co-directing: Alain Duplantier Original format 35mm Running time 65 minutes production LAZENNEC Original language Serbo-Croatian Subtitle French or English Creditswith Click to view an excerpt from "Elvis"
The autobiographical element is present. Once more, Elvis (called Steve Grayson) is cast as a race car driver, allowing him to live out onscreen one of his favorite fantasies. (36) Making that fantasy appear real is the presence of real-life stock-car racers playing themselves, including Richard Petty, Buddy Baker, Cale Yarborough, Dick Hutcherson, Tiny Lund , G.C. Spencer, and Roy Mayne. During Speedway ’ s trackside sequences, Elvis/Steve melds in with them, becoming one of the boys – a theme that will in more than one sense serve as this lighthearted musical’s serious subtext. That this is about more than is initially apparent becomes clear when, after winning yet another race, Steve returns to the trailer he shares with his old friend and business manager, Kenny Donford (Bill Bixby). The place has been furnished to look like a miniature Playboy mansion; a striking brunette has arrived and waits for Steve, who likes her. But Steve finds the young woman in the arms of Kenny who, despite protestations, tries every trick in the early 1960s book to seduce her. Elvis’s alter-ego will ruin various ruses Kenny pulls on women who showing up to meet Steve. If we accept racing stardom as a correlative for Presley’s stardom, it’s clear that Kenny serves as a one man symbol for the longstanding Memphis Mafia. In simplified fashion, he represents the coterie of old friends, distant relatives, and hangers-on who served in various capacities such as business managers, enjoying the spoils of stardom – including countless women attracted like magnets to Elvis but often ending up in the beds of one of the other ‘boys.’ (37) Also, that expository sequence, in which Steve rescues the brunette from Kenny’s attempted date rape (at least in contemporary terms), re-establishes (following his momentary return to that value system in Spinout) Elvis’s own gradual distancing of himself from the image he embodied during the decade’s early years. Though he will be surrounded by pretty girls throughout Speedway , never once will he attempt to corner and seduce any in the way he regularly did in films from the decade’s first half. If anything, he is now the white knight, saint-like Galahad, showing up in the nick of time to rescue another woman from Kenny.
Elvis Film Society 'Restoration & Preservation Programme': The Restoration & Preservation Programme which began in 1996 is continuing well. Apart from work to acquire and restore original movie posters (both U.S. and U.K. versions), the programme includes the design, production and laminating of materials relevant to Elvis's filmed career. To date there have now been in excess of 80 posters laminated. The majority of these are Society-designed, custom-made posters on specific film subjects. The Film Society is producing or has already produced 3 posters per feature film (from Love Me Tender to Elvis: That's The Way It Is - Special Edition), 3 posters per TV Special (NBC 1968, 'Aloha From Hawaii', Elvis in Concert), 1 poster per TV appearance (Ed Sullivan, Milton Berle, Frank Sinatra etc.), 1 poster per important moments in Elvis's career (New York Press Conference, June 1972 etc.). This is a very extensive and time-consuming programme and will take some considerable time to complete. Exhibition: The long-term aim of the programme is to present a large-scale exhibition of Elvis's filmed career, incorporating not just his Hollywood feature films but his Television Specials and guest appearances with others, alongside historic and important chapters in his life and career. To date, the Film Society has been invited on several occasions to present smaller exhibitions of this material which have in fact gained much interest. These exhibitions have taken place in Mitchell Library and the Scottish Exhibition Centre (both in Glasgow), and recently the Society presented a small exhibition for the new Falkirk Branch of the Elvis Presley Fan Club Organisation. April 2003 saw just such another presentation when the Film Society hosted another such display at the invite of the Edinburgh Branch of the Fan Club. Click to visit the Elvis Film Society website
In Search of Elvis Cupertino born brothers shoot 'Blair Witch' spoof DARIENNE J. HOSLEY, Cupertino Courier, December 2000 Picture two brothers who dream of making it big by making movies together. They could be the next Coen brothers, or the next Farrelly brothers. They've worked together since they were children, and now they're working on their first big project. They start their own company, pull together a cast, and shoot their big movie. They're almost done--but they've run out of cash and have maxed out their credit cards. They're looking for help to finish the feature even as they juggle television and Internet projects. It's the story of the Cardamone brothers, and it's only just beginning. "There's two ways of making it in motion pictures," said Chris Cardamone. "Either you're extremely gifted and talented and everybody knows that or you're hustling. If you're not hustling, you're waiting for some kind of divine intervention." Chris, 24, and his brother Tom, 23, aren't waiting for a lucky break to find them. With their new company, Thaumatrope Entertainment, they're wrapping up a movie, preparing a TV pilot for a comedy sketch series, and getting ready for a commercial pitch and a music video. "I don't like turning down a lot of work," Chris explained. They're nearly finished with their first feature film, The Elvis Myth Project, a spoof on the wildly successful The Blair Witch Project, released in 1999. Tom and a friend from Cupertino came up with the story idea and pitched it to Chris late last year. "Wouldn't it be funny if there were these filmmakers, out in the woods, looking for Elvis Presley?" Tom said. "I thought it would be hilarious." His brother kicked around the idea until the spring, when he sat down and pounded out a 150-page script. They filmed most of the movie in county parks with some scenes in the streets of Los Angeles. They hoped to get the blessing of Lisa Marie Presley and Elvis Presley Enterprises--both brothers are fans of the late rock star -- but were instead threatened with legal action. However, most of the experience has been positive. "We had some incredible kindnesses from strangers," Chris said. "We had professional actors here, established people, on no budget but willing to give up their time and traipse through the woods of Santa Cruz." They also received some help from friends at Hewlett Packard, where Tom worked before moving to Los Angeles four months ago. Matthew Hsu helped them get Thaumatrope Entertainment off the ground and Dean Johnson provided the brothers with a camera and other technical equipment. The brothers have been working together--with Tom behind the camera and Chris directing--since they were children. Chris recalls using a Super-8 camera, given to him by his father, Pete, to record events at the family's church, St. Joseph of Cupertino. But they found other ways to use the camera for entertainment. "We started out early in Cupertino doing little comedy sketches on film and video," Tom said. They used their older brother Pete's video camera and took film from San Francisco 49ers games and set it to movie music. The brothers say they got a taste of Hollywood thanks to their uncles: One was a child actor and another works at the Warner Brothers' studio. Chris dabbled in poetry and English literature in high school, but became committed to movies after taking a filmmaking class taught by Debbie Vanni at Monta Vista High School. "Mrs. Vanni was somebody who had a big influence on making me fall in love with film," he said. He made a 20-minute film, titled Silent Lucidity, for the class with help from his cameraman brother. Chris eventually decided against a promising career as a chef and instead is enrolled in the University of Southern California's School of Cinema. Tom moved to Los Angeles to join him and begin work on The Elvis Myth Project four months ago. "It was really scary," Tom said. "Everything I've ever known has been Cupertino. My whole world was Stevens Creek and DeAnza boulevards." But he said the upheaval is worth it. "I went down there with an attitude: Me and Chris are going to accomplish something here," he stated. He looks forward to returning home for a movie premiere one day, to celebrate with the friends and family who have encouraged the brothers to pursue their dream. Even as they try to find funding to wrap up The Elvis Myth Project, the brothers are beginning work on several new projects. One is a pilot of a television series they call "Freakpower," a sketch comedy series about comedians from the Los Angeles area. They're also starting work on a second pilot called "That Movie Sucks," a project Chris describes as "a television show for Generation Y, by Generation Y." Tom, who has already created several animated short films, is working on a longer animated project with his brother under the auspices of Thaumatrope. The Cardamones are also talking about pitching commercials and Internet projects, and shooting a music video for a band called Pepper. "We want to make our company into an independent production company that's out there with the likes of Fine Line and Artisan and be in as many media venues as possible: TV, motion pictures, the Internet," Chris said. "But for me and Tom, we want to have as much fun as we possibly can doing something we love."
Rating the Elvis film bibliography:
^ not yet released Star Ratings:
Did you know #7: Elvis' 1969 film, "The Trouble With Girls" was originally planned to be filmed in 1959-60 as "Chatauqua" starring Glenn Ford. Subsequent rumors had Elvis joining the cast. By 1964, Glenn Ford was out, Elvis was out, and Dick Van Dyke was in. In 1965 MGM sold the rights to the film to Columbia Pictures and "Chatauqua" was renamed "Big America". MGM subsequently bought back the rights to the film in 1968 leading to its release as "The Trouble With Girls (and How to Get Into It), starring Elvis, in 1969. The cast also included character actors John Carradine and Dabney Coleman, horror film maestro, Vincent Price, and Annisa Jones, best known as Buffy in TV's "Family Affair". Did you know #6: Elvis was asked to play opposite screen legend, Robert Mitchum, in his 1958 film, Thunder Road. Did you know #5: "The Six Million Dollar Man", Lee Majors, appears briefly in Clambake as a moustachioed bar waiter. Did you know #4: The movie, "Touched By Love" (aka "To Elvis, With Love") starring Deborah Raffin and a young Diane Lane, was based on a true story. The sentimental tear jerker tells the story of a young girl's pen-pal relationship with Elvis. Afflicted by cerebral palsy, the dieing girl, Karen, is cared for by nurse Lena Canada who wrote the book "To Elvis, With Love" after Karen passed away. Did you know #3: Elvis' 26th film, "Stay Away, Joe" was based on the best selling novel of the same name by Dan Cushman. Did you know?#2: Most fans are familiar with Kurt Russell's appearance in "It Happened At The World's Fair". But few fans know that TV star, Corbin Bernsen (L.A. Law) is one of the children featured in the playground scene (song: "Confidence") in "Clambake". Red West also features in the scene. Did you know? #1: Three songs were cut from Blue Hawaii - Steppin' Out of Line; La Paloma; Playing with Fire. (Source: Reel Elvis, Pauline Bartel)
EIN comment: This film should be good publicity for ELVIS if it uses Elvis' real music & appeals to young kids. (News, Source: Zap2it)
Critics rate Elvis' best films: In their "HIGH FIVE VIDEO GUIDE", David McBride and James Plath provided their assessment of Elvis' top 5 films: 1) Jailhouse Rock isn't just about the music. One of Elvis's earliest films is still one of the best, with a credible script and solid acting by Mickey (as the guitar-plucking cellmate who spots the King's raw talent and zeroes in on a percentage) and Judy Tyler, who also helps to draw out a fine perfermance from Presley. Some great music (title song plus "Treat Me Nice" and "Don't Leave Me Now," but nowhere near "formula" Elvis. 2) King Creole will be many fans' pick for the top film in this category, and we rate it just a smidgeon below Jailhouse Rock because the script starts to get into formula territory, and Elvis begins to overplay the chip-on-the-shoulder thing that will become a trademark in later films. But it's hard to argue with a supporting cast that includes Walter Matthau, Vic Morrow, Dean Jagger, and Carolyn Jones, and a script that features a New Orleans setting! 3) Flaming Star is perhaps the best of Elvis's historical films, with this one set in the Old West. Presley does a great job as a half-breed Indian (no surprise, really, since Elvis was part Cherokee) who has to pick sides. This came out seven years before Paul Newman's Hombre, with its similar themes and situations, and is just as good. 4) Love Me Tender is Elvis's film debut, and for that reason alone we see a performance out of him that's fresh and light years away from Vegas jumpsuit Elvis. Set in the Civil War, the film plays Elvis opposite Debra Paget and also features historical film veterans Richard Egan, Neville Brand, and Robert Middleton. Lots of singing for a Western, but the surprise in this film is that for a rookie actor Elvis showed some real promise. 5) Wild in the Country takes a Clifford Odets script and goes a little wild with the cliches, but Elvis and the supporting cast turn in surprisingly good performances. Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld, John Ireland, and Gary Lockwood are convincing in this tale about a quick-tempered (what else?) country boy who aspires to be a writer.
There is no need, then, for Elvis to here make the usual choice between two women because Rusty is all Before that can happen, he reveals another attitude that An intriguing new motif "Elvis Cinema & Popular Culture" release update: Amazon indicates that Douglas Brode's highly anticipated lateral look at Elvis' film career was published on 30 May and ships in 1 to 3 weeks. Barnes & Noble lists the release date as 21 June. Elvis in the Top 10 Movie Stars List: In his book, The Top Ten of Film (DK Publishing, 2003), Russell Ash lists Elvis in the Top Ten Movie Stars for these years: STARS OF 1957 (Elvis = No. 4) STARS OF 1961 (Elvis = No. 10) STARS OF 1962 (Elvis = No. 5) STARS OF 1963 (Elvis = No. 7) STARS OF 1964 (Elvis = No. 6) STARS OF 1965 (Elvis = No. 6) STARS OF 1966 (Elvis = No. 10)
He coulda been a contender: For a few years, it seemed Elvis might manage - like Bing, Frank or Dino - to become as big in movies as he was on records. His late '50s vehicles (Jailhouse Rock, King Creole) had good songs, decent stories and real directors (Michael Curtiz). In 1960, as a renegade half-Indian on the warpath in Flaming Star, he gave a real acting performance. But after the army, he only made colourful pap (Fun In Acapulco) with mind-numbing songs (No Room To Rhumba In A Sports Car, indeed). By 1969, he was wiped out as a film star except in concert. Why? Blame Colonel Parker for nixing every interesting offer. In anothjer universe, Elvis was Oscar-nominated for The Defiant Ones, West Side Story, Sweet Bird Of Youth, Midnight cowboy (!) or the Barbra Steisand A Star Is Born. Any one of these credits might have established Elvis as an A-list film star, but he was tragically consigned to kiddie matiness in Harum Scarum, Tickle Me and Fun In Acapulco. (Excerpt from Silver Screen '56 He Coulda Been A Contender, Kim Newman) Selected Elvis Film Grosses (in USA) Source: Forever Elvis, FECC messageboard, 2003
Point of Interest: In the 1960s Elvis films had an average print run of 350. This compares to print runs of 2,800 today.
"THE TRUTH ABOUT ELVIS & ANN-MARGRET" (STAR MAGAZINE - July 15, 2003) By Patricia Nolan Viva Elvis Presley, purrs Ann-Margret! It's been almost 40 years since the King dirty danced with the Swedish sex kitten in the film musical Viva Las Vegas -- and the 62 - year - old actress' red hair still stands on end thinking of her steamy sin city escapade. "It was magic being with Elvis," reveals Ann-Margret, who's usually reluctant to talk about her relationship with the hip-swiveling singer.
"We would talk for hours at my house in the middle of the night," she reveals. "We talked about everything--our love for our families, our careers, our goals, our spiritual views, music. Sometimes we would drive around in my little sports car for hours at time... We would drive all over Los Angeles, to the beach, up in the hills and mountains. Everything was still quiet at that time of night, and we felt like we owned the world. Elvis would come over to my house alone, away from his entourage, and we shared such wonderful times together." They were still romantically involved when President John Kennedy was assassinated. Ann-Margret immeadiately drove to Elvis' house in the Hollywood Hills for comfort and emotional support. "We both cried all afternoon as we watched everything on TV," she says. "We were in shock and I remember we said prayers together for the president, for his family, and for the country. I had met President Kennedy and sang at a party for him only six months before, so I felt just terrible. Just being with Elvis on that awful day helped me survive. I will always be grateful to him for that." Ann-Margret and Elvis parted ways soon after they finished filming Viva Las Vegas. Both would eventually marry within a week of each other in May 1967--Elvis to Priscilla Beaulieu, Ann-Margret to Roger Smith. Ann-Margret doesn't regret kissing Elvis farewell. In fact, lighting up Las Vegas with the Hound Dog remains a very special time in her life. "And it will live on forever," she says, "thanks to the movie.
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Quote: "Elvis Presley is the supreme socio-cultural icon in the history of pop culture" (Dr. Gary Enders) Quote: "Elvis is the 'glue' which holds our society together....which subconciously gives our world meaning" (Anonymous) Quote: "Eventually everybody has to die, except Elvis" (humorist Dave Barry) Quote: "He is the "Big Bang", and the universe he detonated is still expanding, the pieces are still flying" (Greil Marcus, "Dead Elvis") Quote: "I think Elvis Presley will never be solved" (Nick Tosches) Quote: "He was the most popular man that ever walked on this planet since Christ himself was here" (Carl Perkins) Quote: "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew I wasn't going to work for anybody...hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail" (Bob Dylan) Quote: "When we were kids growing up in Liverpool, all we ever wanted was to be Elvis Presley" (Sir Paul McCartney) Quote: "You can't say enough good things about Elvis. He was one of a kind" (Johnny Cash) Quote: "And don't think for one moment he's just a passing fancy....he's got enough of it to keep him on top for a long time" (R. Fred Arnold, Fury magazine, Aug 1957) Quote: "It isn't enough to say that Elvis is kind to his parents, sends money home, and is the same unspoiled kid he was before all the commotion began. That still isn't a free ticket to behave like a sex maniac in public" (Eddie Condon, Cosmopolitan) Elvis records reaching #2 & #3 on the Cashbox Pop Singles chart: #2: A Fool Such As I (1959) #2: A Big Hunk Of Love (1959) #3: Hard Headed Woman (1958) #3: One Night (1958) #3: (You're The Devil) In Disguise (1963) Elvis Facts: Tickets for Elvis' show on March 29, 1957 in St. Louis cost $2.00 to $2.50 While in Germany Elvis was hospitalised with tonsillitis in October 1959 Despite being an illegal immigrant, photographic evidence shows Colonel Tom Parker traveled to Canada with Elvis in 1957 Elvis strongly believed there weren't enough good songs in King Creole to justify releasing a soundtrack album. RCA initially agreed, releasing two very successful EPs from the movie. A soundtrack LP eventually followed During the 1960s Elvis had his own football team, Elvis Presley Enterprises, which played in the Memphis touch football league. In the 1962 final, EPE narrowly lost to Delta Automatic Transmission, 6-13 In Clambake, (Elvis) Scott Hayward's driving licence shows February 23, 1940...taking 5 years off Elvis' real age In the 1970s Elvis was offered $5m to stage a concert in front of the Pyramids in Egypt. When the Colonel declined the offer, Saudi billionaires raised the offer to $10m
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