You Rock Radio
Elvis Aaron Presley
Elvis Presley by the Numbers
Elvis
Published by
yourockradio.com
Elvis Presley at a Glance
Introduction ................................................................ 1
Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock 'n' Roll ......................... 7
Chapter 1: Introducing Elvis Presley ............................................................................... 9
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes: Examining Elvis's Early Years.................... 27
Chapter 3: Touring As the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys .............................. 49
Chapter 4: Shocking America: Elvis Becomes a National Sensation ......................... 63
Chapter 5: What's the Ruckus About: The Impact of Elvis the Pelvis ....................... 83
Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to
Hollywood Leading Man ............................................. 99
Chapter 6: Taming the Rebel: Elvis Goes to Hollywood ........................................... 101
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image: Elvis Becomes the Leading Man ....................... 115
Chapter 8: Sinking to a Low Point in Hollywood ........................................................ 137
Chapter 9: Looking Beyond the Presley Travelogue ................................................. 147
Chapter 10: Defending Elvis's Movies: They're Not That Bad.................................. 159
Part III: From the Las Vegas Stage to
the End of the Road ................................................. 173
Chapter 11: Making the Comeback of a Lifetime ....................................................... 175
Chapter 12: Viva Las Vegas: Returning to Live Performances ................................. 189
Chapter 13: Savoring Elvis in Concert ......................................................................... 197
Chapter 14: Enjoying a Professional Peak .................................................................. 219
Chapter 15: Fading Away .............................................................................................. 231
Part IV: From the King of Rock 'n' Roll
to American Cultural Icon ........................................ 247
Chapter 16: In the Aftermath of Death ........................................................................ 249
Chapter 17: Examining the Jokes, Stereotypes, and Negative In uences ............... 259
Chapter 18: Appreciating Elvis as a Cultural and Historical Figure ........................ 275
Chapter 19: Visiting the Sites: The Elvis Tourist ....................................................... 291
Chapter 20: Understanding Elvis Today ..................................................................... 303
Part V: The Part of Tens ........................................... 313
Chapter 21: Ten Best Elvis Songs................................................................................. 315
Chapter 22: Ten Best Elvis Albums.............................................................................. 321
Chapter 23: Ten Best Elvis Moments........................................................................... 327
Chapter 24: Ten Best Elvis-Related Movies ................................................................ 333
Appendix: Cast of Characters .................................... 339
Index ...................................................................... 347
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................. 1
About This Book .............................................................................................. 2
Conventions Used in This Book ..................................................................... 2
What You're Not to Read ................................................................................ 3
Foolish Assumptions ....................................................................................... 4
How This Book Is Organized .......................................................................... 4
Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock 'n' Roll .............................................. 4
Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood
Leading Man ........................................................................................ 5
Part III: From the Las Vegas Stage to the
End of the Road .................................................................................. 5
Part IV: From the King of Rock 'n' Roll to American
Cultural Icon ....................................................................................... 5
Part V: The Part of Tens ........................................................................ 6
Icons Used in This Book ................................................................................. 6
Where to Go from Here ................................................................................... 6
Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock 'n' Roll ......................... 7
Chapter 1: Introducing Elvis Presley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Identifying a Cultural Icon .............................................................................. 9
Uncovering the Roots of Elvis's Music ....................................................... 10
Recording for Sun Studio .................................................................... 11
Gaining a fan base ................................................................................ 12
Gyrating Across America .............................................................................. 13
Changing Elvis's Notorious Image ............................................................... 14
Shooting his rst lms ......................................................................... 15
Serving in the army .............................................................................. 15
Becoming a Leading Man in Hollywood ...................................................... 16
Starting out as an actor ....................................................................... 17
Finishing as a movie star .................................................................... 18
Evaluating a Hollywood career .......................................................... 19
Capitalizing on a Turning Point ................................................................... 19
Making a comeback with the '68 Comeback Special ....................... 20
Reinventing the music ......................................................................... 20
Taking time for a personal life............................................................ 21
Elvis By The Numbers
x
Returning to Live Performances .................................................................. 21
Attending an Elvis concert: Teddy bears and underwear .............. 22
Dressing a star: The jumpsuits........................................................... 22
Appreciating the World's Greatest Entertainer: "Vegas Elvis" ...... 23
Taking a toll: A personal and professional decline ......................... 24
The End of the Road for the King ................................................................ 25
Tracing Elvis Presley's Continued Popularity ........................................... 25
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes:
Examining Elvis's Early Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Growing Up in Tupelo ................................................................................... 28
Introducing Elvis's parents ................................................................. 28
Examining the family's greatest misfortune ..................................... 30
Considering Elvis's earliest musical in uences and experiences .... 31
Walking in Memphis: Elvis the Teenager .................................................... 32
Making the move .................................................................................. 32
Getting through high school............................................................... 33
Absorbing a medley of musical in uences ....................................... 34
Understanding Southern musical genres .......................................... 36
Making Music and History at Sun Studio .................................................... 37
Taking that rst step: Elvis, Marion, and the Memphis Recording
Service ............................................................................................... 37
Meeting Sam Phillips ........................................................................... 39
Cutting "That's All Right" .................................................................... 40
Releasing additional Sun Studio recordings ..................................... 42
Making His Radio Debut with Deejay Dewey Phillips ............................... 45
Performing in Public for the First Time ...................................................... 46
Chapter 3: Touring As the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys . . . .49
Introducing the Blue Moon Boys ................................................................. 50
Dressing As the Hillbilly Cat ......................................................................... 51
Hitting the Road on the Country-Western Circuit ..................................... 53
Failing at the Opry ............................................................................... 53
Hopping aboard the Louisiana Hayride ............................................ 54
Adding a drummer: D.J. Fontana........................................................ 55
Acquiring a manager: Bob Neal .......................................................... 55
Becoming a hard act to follow ........................................................... 56
Recognizing the Importance of Touring ..................................................... 56
One in a million: Standing out from the crowd ................................ 57
Establishing a diverse following ........................................................ 58
Shakin' and gyratin': Honing a performing style .............................. 60
Chapter 4: Shocking America: Elvis
Becomes a National Sensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Meeting Colonel Tom Parker ........................................................................ 64
Uncovering the Colonel's true background ...................................... 64
Waiting in the wings to sign Elvis ...................................................... 65
Making Elvis his sole client ................................................................. 66
Table of Contents
xi
Finding a Home at RCA ................................................................................. 68
Working with Steve Sholes ................................................................. 68
Recording for RCA for the rst time .................................................. 69
Releasing an album: Elvis Presley ...................................................... 72
Tweaking Elvis's sound ....................................................................... 72
Considering the role of Hill and Range ............................................. 74
Taking Television by Storm .......................................................................... 75
Appearing on Stage Show .................................................................... 76
Tearing up The Milton Berle Show ..................................................... 77
Clowning around on The Steve Allen Show ....................................... 78
From the waist up: Tackling The Ed Sullivan Show ......................... 79
Chapter 5: What's the Ruckus About:
The Impact of Elvis the Pelvis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Anatomy of a Controversy ........................................................................... 83
Weighing the backlash: Generational con ict and sex ................... 85
Weighing the criticism: Rock 'n' Roll versus Tin Pan Alley ............ 87
Weighing the subtext: It's the Civil War all over again ................... 90
Cooling the Controversy ............................................................................... 92
Countering the bad publicity ............................................................. 92
Merchandizing Elvis like other pop culture gures ........................ 93
Going Hollywood .................................................................................. 94
Buying Graceland ................................................................................. 94
Serving in the army now ..................................................................... 95
Controlling the media's access to Elvis ............................................ 96
Noting Two Touchstones in Elvis's Personal Life ..................................... 96
Suffering a terrible loss: The death of Gladys Presley .................... 97
Meeting Priscilla ................................................................................... 97
Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to
Hollywood Leading Man .............................................. 99
Chapter 6: Taming the Rebel: Elvis Goes to Hollywood . . . . . . . . . . .101
Embarking upon a Movie Career ............................................................... 102
Signing with Hal Wallis ...................................................................... 102
Following in the footsteps of Sinatra ............................................... 103
Evaluating Love Me Tender ............................................................... 103
Telling Elvis's Life Story: How His Movies Act As Autobiography ........ 105
Looking at Loving You ....................................................................... 106
Exploring Jailhouse Rock .................................................................. 108
Turning King Creole into an Elvis vehicle ....................................... 110
Using Elvis's Movies to Spin His Image ..................................................... 111
Explaining the success myth ............................................................ 111
Seeing the characters of Deke, Vince, and Danny
as Elvis and vice versa ................................................................... 112
Elvis By The Numbers
xii
Shaping Elvis's music and performing style
into Hollywood production numbers .......................................... 113
Co-starring with some well-known actors ...................................... 114
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image:
Elvis Becomes the Leading Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Returning to Hollywood to Rebuild a Career ........................................... 116
Using the army as a turning point ................................................... 116
The King meets the Voice ................................................................. 118
Singing the G.I. Blues ......................................................................... 119
Calculating a Successful Movie Formula .................................................. 121
Establishing the Presley formula ..................................................... 121
Crediting Hal Wallis as the father of the Elvis musical ................. 123
Making an Elvis lm: Add these ingredients and stir .................... 124
Listing the best of the Travelogues ................................................. 125
Playing a Leading Man Off-Screen ............................................................. 127
Handling the press ............................................................................. 127
Dressing like a movie star ................................................................. 128
Taking the South out of the boy....................................................... 129
Hanging with the Memphis Ma a .................................................... 129
Dating his leading ladies ................................................................... 130
Trading Rock 'n' Roll for Pop ..................................................................... 131
Living in a pop-music world ............................................................. 131
Recording in the studio again .......................................................... 132
Savoring the soundtrack tunes ........................................................ 133
Saying goodbye to live performances ............................................. 134
Marrying Priscilla and Settling Down . . . At Least for a While .............. 134
Chapter 8: Sinking to a Low Point in Hollywood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Examining the Change in Approach to Making an Elvis Movie ............. 138
Dealing with the Devil: Considering the Colonel's New Movie Deals ... 139
Let's make a deal ................................................................................ 139
Let's make a movie -- fast and cheap ............................................. 140
Introducing Sam Katzman: King of the Quickies ..................................... 142
Kissin' Cousins .................................................................................... 142
Harum Scarum..................................................................................... 143
Considering the Movie Music .................................................................... 144
Considering the role of the songwriters ......................................... 145
Factoring in poor marketing practices ............................................ 145
Focusing on the Fans ................................................................................... 146
Re ecting on Elvis's Movie Career ............................................................ 146
Chapter 9: Looking Beyond the Presley Travelogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Breaking the Travelogue Mold ................................................................... 147
Delving into the genres and story lines .......................................... 148
Exploring Elvis's roles ....................................................................... 148
Clashing over the music .................................................................... 148
Table of Contents
xiii
Considering Four Films from the Early '60s ............................................. 149
Shooting a western: Flaming Star ..................................................... 150
Milking the melodrama: Wild in the Country ................................... 151
Tackling satire: Follow That Dream ................................................. 152
Making a musical drama: Kid Galahad ............................................ 153
Factoring in the Final Films ........................................................................ 153
Sleeping with the girl ( nally): Live a Little, Love a Little ............. 155
Reminiscing with a period piece: The Trouble with Girls .............. 155
Breaking into the Italian western genre: Charro!............................ 156
Getting dramatic: Change of Habit ................................................... 157
Chapter 10: Defending Elvis's Movies: They're Not That Bad . . . . . .159
Understanding Why the Movies Need to Be Defended ........................... 160
Factoring in Elvis's dissatisfaction .................................................. 160
Examining the standard view of Elvis's movies ............................. 162
Appreciating Elvis's Movies As Part of the Teen Musical Subgenre ..... 165
The typical teen musical ................................................................... 166
The Presley Travelogues .................................................................. 167
Revealing how the movie music works ........................................... 170
Following in Elvis's Footsteps .................................................................... 171
Part III: From the Las Vegas Stage to
the End of the Road .................................................. 173
Chapter 11: Making the Comeback of a Lifetime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Getting Back on Track with a New Producer ........................................... 176
Working with producer Felton Jarvis .............................................. 176
Perfecting Elvis's songs and their sound ........................................ 177
Spreading the Gospel ........................................................................ 178
Savoring the success of How Great Thou Art .................................. 179
Creating a Hit: The '68 Comeback Special ................................................. 179
Shaping the special ............................................................................ 180
Looking closely at the completed special ...................................... 182
Understanding how the special rede ned Elvis Presley............... 184
Recording From Elvis in Memphis .............................................................. 184
Rediscovering Memphis as a recording center ............................. 185
Establishing a musical direction with his latest album ................ 185
Selecting the songs for the American
Sound recording sessions ............................................................. 187
Chapter 12: Viva Las Vegas: Returning to Live Performances . . . . . .189
Conquering Las Vegas ................................................................................. 190
Preparing for the rst concert performance in eight years ......... 191
Opening night: July 31, 1969 ............................................................. 191
Congratulating Elvis after the show ................................................ 192
Elvis By The Numbers
xiv
Signing the tablecloth deal ............................................................... 193
Breaking records ................................................................................ 194
Returning to Las Vegas ..................................................................... 194
Taking His Show on the Road .................................................................... 195
Playing the Astrodome ...................................................................... 195
Going through a divorce ................................................................... 196
Chapter 13: Savoring Elvis in Concert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
Introducing the Musicians Who Joined Elvis in Concert ........................ 198
Rock 'n' rollers: The TCB Band ........................................................ 198
Gospel singers J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet .................... 201
Female vocal group, the Sweet Inspirations ................................... 202
Soprano Kathy Westmoreland ......................................................... 203
Orchestra director Joe Guercio ....................................................... 203
Examining the Music: Uniquely Elvis ........................................................ 204
Revamping old favorites ................................................................... 204
Performing the new singles .............................................................. 205
Move over Paul Simon: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" ................ 206
Remembering swamp rock: "Polk Salad Annie" ............................. 206
Singin' a song about the Southland: "An American Trilogy" ........ 207
Pondering the Priscilla Songs ........................................................... 208
Singing it his way ............................................................................... 208
Appreciating the Signi cance of All the King's Jumpsuits ..................... 209
Designing the rst jumpsuit ............................................................. 210
Considering the jumpsuits as autobiography ................................ 210
Ritualizing the Experience .......................................................................... 213
Making an entrance ........................................................................... 214
Exchanging gifts and tossing underwear ........................................ 214
Romancing his audience ................................................................... 215
Dramatizing his act ............................................................................ 216
Leaving the building .......................................................................... 216
Chapter 14: Enjoying a Professional Peak. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
Becoming an Outstanding Young Man ...................................................... 220
Went to a Garden Party: Elvis Performs in New York City ..................... 221
Performing for the World: Aloha from Hawaii ......................................... 223
Achieving a career pinnacle ............................................................. 224
Broadcasting to the world ................................................................ 225
Tossing the cape ................................................................................ 225
Reliving the concert over and over with the Aloha albums ......... 226
Capturing the Concert Years on Film ........................................................ 226
Elvis: That's the Way It Is ................................................................... 226
Elvis on Tour ....................................................................................... 228
In uencing Las Vegas Entertainment ........................................................ 228
A therapeutic shot in the arm for Las Vegas .................................. 229
Establishing the Vegas-style performance template ..................... 229
Table of Contents
xv
Chapter 15: Fading Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231
Caught in a Trap: Discovering the Downside of Fame ............................ 232
Traveling the Road of Excess ..................................................................... 232
Living in a state of arrested development ...................................... 233
Struggling with a drug problem ....................................................... 235
Wrestling with a weight problem ..................................................... 237
Collecting extravagances .................................................................. 238
Lost and Weary: Watching the King's Career Decline ............................ 240
Paying the piper: The high price of the road ................................. 241
Singing them moody and blue: Elvis records his last albums...... 241
August 16, 1977: Last Stop on the Mystery Train .................................... 243
Shocking the world with the news ................................................... 244
Preparing a Southern-style funeral .................................................. 245
The King is dead, long live the King ................................................ 246
Part IV: From the King of Rock 'n' Roll
\to American Cultural Icon ........................................ 247
Chapter 16: In the Aftermath of Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
Moving Elvis to Meditation Garden ........................................................... 250
Thieves in the night ........................................................................... 250
Coming home to Graceland one last time....................................... 251
Establishing New Rituals ............................................................................ 251
Gathering at the gates ....................................................................... 252
Returning to Memphis ....................................................................... 252
Establishing Elvis Week .................................................................... 254
The evolution of Elvis Week ............................................................. 257
Chapter 17: Examining the Jokes, Stereotypes,
and Negative Infl uences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259
Bashing Elvis: The Press versus Presley .................................................. 260
Shaping early opinions: The bodyguard book ............................... 261
Revealing the ugly truth: Elvis's drug abuse .................................. 262
Weighing in on weight ....................................................................... 264
Spreading rumors: Elvis is alive ....................................................... 265
Treating Elvis with respect: It's about time.................................... 267
Marketing Elvis Presley: Would You Like to Buy Some Elvis Sweat? .... 267
Recognizing the Colonel's hand ....................................................... 268
Valuing the Elvis merchandise: From trash to treasure ............... 269
Reading the Memoirs: Elvis, We Hardly Knew Ya ................................... 270
The Memphis Ma a cash in .............................................................. 271
The cook, the stepfamily, the wife, and her lover ......................... 272
Imitating the King: From Impersonators to Tribute Artists ................... 273
Elvis By The Numbers
xvi
Chapter 18: Appreciating Elvis as a
Cultural and Historical Figure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275
Taking Care of Elvis's Music: BMG-RCA .................................................... 275
Cranking out the discs: RCA puts the
pressing plants to work ................................................................. 276
Developing new strategies to release Elvis's music ...................... 277
Introducing the Masters Series to casual
listeners and die-hard fans alike .................................................. 278
Digging for gold .................................................................................. 279
Marketing ELVIS: 30 #1 Hits ............................................................... 280
Mythologizing Elvis Onscreen ................................................................... 281
Busting the biopics ............................................................................ 282
Discovering the documentary: This Is Elvis ................................... 284
Turning Elvis into a symbol in ctional lms ................................. 284
Showing up in biopics of other celebrities ..................................... 287
Reading Some Worthy Elvis Biographies ................................................. 289
Chapter 19: Visiting the Sites: The Elvis Tourist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .291
Graceland: Visiting the King's Palace ........................................................ 291
Still devoted: Looking at Priscilla's role in
managing Graceland ...................................................................... 292
Walking through the house .............................................................. 293
Strolling the grounds ......................................................................... 296
Where Legends Were Born: Stopping by Sun Studio .............................. 297
Sun before Elvis .................................................................................. 298
Sun after Elvis ..................................................................................... 298
Touring Other Elvis Sites in Memphis ...................................................... 300
Making a Pilgrimage to Tupelo .................................................................. 301
Exploring the California Hideaways .......................................................... 301
Chapter 20: Understanding Elvis Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .303
Innovator and History Maker: Elvis Changes the
Music of the 1950s ................................................................................... 304
Integrating regional styles of music ................................................ 304
Defying pop music standards ........................................................... 305
In uencing an important generation ............................................... 306
Shaping Youth Culture in the 1950s .......................................................... 306
Forging an identity ............................................................................. 307
Smells like teen spirit ........................................................................ 307
Offering Something to Everyone ................................................................ 308
Comparing Rebel Elvis with Vegas Elvis ......................................... 308
Acknowledging his Southern roots.................................................. 310
A taste of forbidden fruit: Examining Elvis's
effect on his young female fans .................................................... 310
Considering other meanings of Elvis's image ................................ 312
Table of Contents
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Part V: The Part of Tens ............................................ 313
Chapter 21: Ten Best Elvis Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315
"That's All Right" ......................................................................................... 315
"Heartbreak Hotel" ...................................................................................... 316
"Don't Be Cruel" ........................................................................................... 316
"All Shook Up" .............................................................................................. 317
"Jailhouse Rock" .......................................................................................... 317
"It's Now or Never" ...................................................................................... 318
"Return to Sender" ...................................................................................... 318
"How Great Thou Art" ................................................................................. 319
"If I Can Dream" ............................................................................................ 319
"Suspicious Minds" ...................................................................................... 320
Chapter 22: Ten Best Elvis Albums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .321
Elvis Presley: The First Album .................................................................... 321
Elvis's Christmas Album: Rock 'n' Roll Controversy .............................. 322
Elvis Is Back! Home from the Army ........................................................... 322
Blue Hawaii: The Movie Music ................................................................... 323
How Great Thou Art: Gospel Roots ............................................................ 323
From Elvis in Memphis: Back in the Groove ............................................. 324
That's the Way It Is: Elvis's Heartsongs ..................................................... 324
Reconsider Baby: Ain't Nothin' But the Blues .......................................... 325
The Masters Series ...................................................................................... 325
ELVIS: 30 #1 Hits ........................................................................................... 326
Chapter 23: Ten Best Elvis Moments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327
Performing "That's All Right" at the Overton Park Shell,
July 30, 1954 .............................................................................................. 327
Performing "Hound Dog" on The Milton Berle Show, June 5, 1956 ........ 328
Defying Authority Onstage in Jacksonville, August 11, 1956 ................. 328
Getting Censored on The Ed Sullivan Show, January 6, 1957 ................. 329
Performing the Title Song in Jailhouse Rock, 1957 .................................. 329
Swinging with Ann-Margret in Viva Las Vegas, 1964 ............................... 330
Mesmerizing a Live Audience on The '68 Comeback
Special, December 3, 1968 ....................................................................... 330
Opening with "Blue Suede Shoes" at the
International Hotel, July 31, 1969 ........................................................... 331
Shaking Hands with Richard Nixon, December 21, 1970 ........................ 331
Performing for the World: Aloha from Hawaii, January 14, 1973 .......... 332
Chapter 24: Ten Best Elvis-Related Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333
Bye Bye Birdie .............................................................................................. 333
Mystery Train ................................................................................................ 334
Leningrad Cowboys Go America ................................................................. 335
Elvis By The Numbers
xviii
Wild at Heart ................................................................................................. 335
Honeymoon in Vegas ................................................................................... 335
True Romance ............................................................................................... 336
Picasso at the Lapin Agile ............................................................................ 336
3000 Miles to Graceland ............................................................................... 337
Walk the Line ................................................................................................ 337
Hounddog ...................................................................................................... 338
Appendix: Cast of Characters ..................................... 339
Index ....................................................................... 347
Introduction
Elvis Presley needs no introduction, but he does need an updated evalua-
tion of his life and career and a sincere appreciation of his contributions
to popular American music. After years of fan hyperbole, accusations and
rumors by former friends and associates, and bad jokes about fried banana
sandwiches, it's time to give Elvis his due -- and that's just what this book
does.
Even though Elvis died at age 42, he managed to accomplish more than several
entertainers combined. Elvis integrated different styles of music to create the
sound called "rockabilly," a musical thread that made up the fabric of a then-
new genre referred to as "rock 'n' roll." Openly singing the songs of African
Americans (and properly acknowledging their influence on his sound), Elvis
helped focus industry and audience attention on blues and R&B. He achieved
integration musically, but the country struggled with the concept socially.
Drop-dead handsome and charismatic, Elvis parlayed his rock 'n' roll notoriety
into movie stardom. A decade later, after a new generation of rock 'n' rollers
had forgotten him, and the mainstream press had written him off as obsolete,
Elvis reinvented himself to take the stage once more to become a 1970s super-
star. Gaudy, glamorous, and glorious, Elvis filled Vegas hotel showrooms and
huge concert venues with old and new fans who wanted to see a legend.
Elvis's career evolved through many phases, absorbed a variety of musical
styles, and involved all arenas of entertainment. Some people are fans of his
early rock 'n' roll music; others are fans of his movies; still others prefer the
gaudy splendor of the Vegas concert performer. Elvis's widespread appeal
developed from a diverse career that as the title of one of his albums sug-
gests truly held something for everybody. Likewise, this book about Elvis
contains something of interest for everyone, whether you're an Elvis fan, a
pop culture enthusiast, a lover of indigenous American music, or someone
looking for a fascinating story about fame and fortune.
Elvis left behind no autobiography, memoirs, or even a definitive interview.
Throughout much of his career, any interaction with the media was through
press conferences, which aren't conducive to revealing personal informa-
tion. As a matter of fact, you could say that Elvis's approach to the press was
to conceal information more than to reveal it. Consequently, direct access
to Elvis's personal feelings, beliefs, and opinions on any given topic is rare.
Most of the time, information on his feelings and opinions has come to us
secondhand through memoirs by former associates and family members,
many of whom have agendas or, at the very least, fuzzy memories. I have
made every effort to include Elvis's perspective on important aspects of his
2
Elvis By The Numbers
life and career, but in many cases, it just isn't possible. Ironically, for one of
the most written-about entertainers of the 20th century, Elvis lacks a direct
voice in his own story.
About This Book
Elvis By The Numbers covers all phases of Elvis's career, from his musical influ-
ences as a teenager in Memphis and his first recordings for Sun Studio to
his final concert and continued popularity even in death. All the celebrated
events that everyone knows about are featured as well -- his controversial
hip-swiveling performing style, the famous Ed Sullivan Show appearance,
his much-maligned movie career, his marriage to Priscilla Beaulieu, and his
fascination with jumpsuits. In addition, I shine a spotlight on little-known
details about his life to provide you with a well-rounded portrait of the 20th
century's most famous personality.
Also covered are the anniversary celebrations, memorial events, important
posthumous record releases, and other post-death phenomena that keep his
memory alive and introduce his music to new generations. Most importantly,
I explain the significance of the events of his career, analyze the meaning of
the music, and put Elvis into a cultural perspective. The question most often
asked about Elvis is "why." Why is he still so famous; why does he still sell
records; why does he continue to draw new fans; and why does he continue
to be the number-one moneymaking celebrity. By the end of this book, you'll
understand why Elvis remains such a presence in our culture.
You don't need to read this book in chronological order to discover Elvis.
Though the structure follows the chronology of Elvis's life, each chapter is
written to stand on its own. Feel free to select any chapter in any part and
start reading without worrying about becoming confused. You can move
around the book as you like, picking your favorite Elvis topics to read first.
Conventions Used in This Book
I use several conventions consistently throughout this book, including the
following:
Most of the time, I refer to Elvis by his first name because the enter-
tainment industry, fans, the media, and average Americans tend to
recognize him by his first name. Partly because of his level of fame and
partly because of the uniqueness of his first name, Elvis usually is the
only name needed. However, when making formal declarations (or just
for the sake of variety), I sometimes use the full name Elvis Presley and,
occasionally, Presley.
Introduction
3
Elvis's longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker, goes by many names,
befitting an old-school carnival manager who was always working an
angle. Like those who knew him, I refer to him as the Colonel, Colonel
Parker, or simply Parker.
When chronicling the success of Elvis's records, I refer to their chart
status, which refers to Billboard magazine's music charts. Billboard has
been devoted to the music industry since the 1930s, and its charts track
the popularity of recordings. The methods of calculation have evolved
with the ever-changing music industry, but the Billboard charts remain
the standard measure for rating songs in the U.S. The two most impor-
tant charts are the Hot 100, or Top 100, which ranks the top 100 songs,
and the Billboard 200, formerly called the Top LPs or Top Albums chart,
which tracks album sales. When I mention that an Elvis song became
number one, or that he enjoyed many number-one records, I'm referring
to the first position on the Hot 100.
Another measure of success for a recording artist is the number of gold,
platinum, and multi-platinum records accumulated during a career. The
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awards (or certifies)
gold, platinum, or multi-platinum status based on the number of records
sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Certification isn't auto-
matic, however. The record company must request it and pay to have
sales of a given album or single audited. To receive gold status, a single
or album must sell 500,000 units. In 1976, platinum status was instituted
by the RIAA for albums selling one million units. In 1984, multi-platinum
status was announced for records that doubled, tripled, or quadrupled
their platinum amounts. Even though Elvis died in 1977, the Elvis Presley
Estate and RCA (his record label) asked the RIAA to audit sales of his
records to keep his statistics up-to-date.
I use bold text to highlight key words in bulleted lists.
When I introduce a new term that you may not be familiar with, I use
italics and define the term within the text.
What You're Not to Read
My fondest hope is that you pore over every word in this book, but if you're
short on time (perhaps because you're busy listening to Elvis's albums and
planning your next trip to Graceland), feel free to skip the following:
Sidebars: If you're reading in a hurry or skimming for essential infor-
mation, you can skip over the sidebars, which appear in gray boxes
throughout the book. Although the information I include in the sidebars
is fun and interesting, it isn't essential to the main points.
4
Elvis By The Numbers
Any text accompanied by the Trivia icon: You can amaze your friends
and family with the details of Elvis's life and career if you read the
text next to the Trivia icons (see the icon pictures at the end of this
introduction), but these tidbits aren't essential to understanding Elvis's
importance.
Foolish Assumptions
As I started writing Elvis By The Numbers, I made some assumptions about the
folks who would be interested in this book. First and foremost, I assume the
obvious -- that you're interested in discovering something about Elvis. I also
made some other assumptions. Perhaps one of the following applies to you:
You recognize Elvis Presley and can sing along to "Jailhouse Rock" or
another famous tune, but you want to know why he warrants such fame.
You have seen dozens of books on Elvis Presley and were looking for the
one that really explains the meaning of Elvis.
You have always wanted to go to Graceland but don't know what to
expect.
How This Book Is Organized
Elvis By The Numbers is divided into five parts. Four sections relate to the
phases of Elvis's career, and one consists of useful reference lists.
Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock 'n' Roll
Starting at the beginning with Elvis's childhood in Tupelo, Mississippi, this
part discusses the importance of his Southern background in the develop-
ment of his sound. That sound was evident from his very first recordings in
1954 for tiny Sun Records, a regionally based company owned and operated
by Sam Phillips. Phillips helped develop Elvis's musical style, eventually
dubbed "rockabilly," which represents the start of Presley's career. Elvis's
regional success led to a nationally based record contract in 1956 with RCA,
which tweaked his style and called it rock 'n' roll. Elvis's association with
rock 'n' roll, combined with his unique performing style, created a furor in
the mainstream press and inflamed the public.
Introduction
5
Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to
Hollywood Leading Man
As soon as producer Hal Wallis signed Elvis to a movie contract in 1956, the
young singer talked about nothing but being a serious actor. His 13-year
Hollywood career didn't work out quite the way that he wanted it to, but it
did help cool the controversy over his musical performing style and change
his image from notorious rock 'n' roller to handsome leading man. This part
chronicles his entire movie career, from the excitement of King Creole to the
nonsense of Kissin' Cousins. Typically, Elvis's film career is criticized because
much of it consisted of formulaic musical comedies, but I offer a different
perspective. I acknowledge the good films, dispel misconceptions, and offer a
context with which to appreciate them.
Part III: From the Las Vegas Stage
to the End of the Road
In 1968, with the help of a well-received television special on NBC, which
was later referred to as The '68 Comeback Special, Elvis reinvented himself.
No longer challenged by the musical comedies he had been pushed into,
he recorded a critically acclaimed album and then returned to live perfor-
mances in 1969. Eventually, however, the rigors of the road led to a decline in
his career and his health. This part covers this last phase of his career, from
a career high point when he premiered his live act at the International Hotel
in Las Vegas in 1969 to his death in 1977.
Part IV:From the King of Rock 'n' Roll
to American Cultural Icon
Death did nothing to change the popularity of Elvis, and this part proves it
by detailing the many ways (positive and negative) that his memory has been
kept alive. Each year in Memphis, fans celebrate his life and music on the
anniversary of his death by visiting important Elvis-related sites such as his
home, Graceland. Over the years, RCA has constructed Elvis's legacy based
on key releases of his historically important music. In addition, more notori-
ous events in his life came to light and focused attention on his personality,
career, and death. All of this, and more, has combined to keep Elvis in the
public eye.
6
Elvis By The Numbers
Part V: The Part of Tens
A trademark feature of the By the Numbers series, the Part of Tens contains fun
and interesting lists of reference-style information. My lists include the obvi-
ous, such as the ten best Elvis songs and the ten best Elvis albums. I also
include a list of the ten best Elvis moments, which features the high points of
his life and career that meant the most to Elvis. I round out this part with a
chapter on ten Elvis-related movies, which are fictional films featuring Elvis
as a character. Also, don't forget to check out the appendix, which is a cast of
characters listing some important people in Elvis's life.
Icons Used in This Book
In traditional By The Numbers style, I have chosen some icons to make accessing
information even easier. The icons in this book include the following:
This icon signals a fascinating fact or an interesting detail that adds dimension
to the main ideas discussed in a given chapter.
This icon highlights an important point that you should remember for the
future.
Like adjectives in a sentence, quotes from Elvis or from people who knew him
or worked with him add color and an expressive personal perspective.
Where to Go from Here
I organized this book so you can quickly and easily find the information
you're looking for. For main topics and key events in Elvis's life, check out the
table of contents or index. Because Elvis By The Numbers isn't linear, feel free
to start anywhere. If you love the Vegas Elvis, start with Chapter 12, which
describes his triumphant return to the stage; if you're a rock 'n' roll rebel, flip
to Chapter 4 to read about Elvis in 1956 when he tore across the country like
a hurricane, redefining musical tastes and upsetting the status quo. It doesn't
matter where you start; it's just important that you do.
Part I
From Rockabilly to
Rock 'n' Roll
In this part . . .
To explore the beginning of Elvis Presley's musical
career is to explore the development of rock 'n' roll
and its impact on our culture.
With Sam Phillips, the owner-operator of Sun Records,
Elvis developed rockabilly, a cornerstone of rock 'n' roll.
And then he introduced it to a nationally based audience
that didn't know what to make of the singer, his music, or
his performing style. This part goes back to Elvis's youth
to reveal his inspirations and then follows his path from
Sun Studio, where he cut his first record in 1954, through
his controversial performances on national television to
his stint in the army in 1958.
Chapter 1
Introducing Elvis Presley
In This Chapter
Outlining Elvis's place in American history
Summarizing Elvis's life
Tracking Elvis's popularity from beginning to end
On the one hand, Elvis Presley needs no introduction, because his name
and face are recognized around the world as the ultimate celebrity.
Imitators re-create his act; late-night comedians joke about him; cable chan-
nels rerun his movies; and merchandisers exploit his image on everything
from T-shirts to lamps. On the other hand, the reasons for his fame have
become lost in the trappings of celebrity, especially for younger generations
born after his death on August 16, 1977.
For the original fans, who have remained loyal for over 50 years, Elvis earned
his reputation as the King of Rock 'n' Roll; for others, discovering why he
deserved his fame and a place in American cultural history may be a
revelation.
In this chapter, I introduce you to Elvis Presley through the high points of his
life and career, including his post-death popularity. This chapter sets up an
extensive exploration of Elvis Presley -- the cultural icon -- that details the
events of his life, explains the significance of his music, and contemplates his
meaning to American pop culture.
Identifying a Cultural Icon
Almost everyone knows that Elvis Presley was a famous singer, but many
people don't fully understand what he contributed to popular music to earn
his widespread fame. Elvis combined different types of music to form a style
called rockabilly, which became one of the key sounds in rock 'n' roll. To form
this musical style, he fused the country-western music of the South with the
rhythm and blues of African Americans and the pop music that dominated
the radio and recording industries.
10 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
The combination of musical genres and sounds into a new style of music
was Elvis's true gift and his contribution to popular culture. That this integra-
tion of musical styles took place just prior to the civil rights movement, prefig-
uring social integration, makes this moment in pop culture history seem
momentous.
Elvis wasn't the first to sing in a rock 'n' roll style, so he can't be credited
with inventing it. But, his version of this new music became widely popu-
lar during the mid-1950s. He spread rock 'n' roll music across the country,
making it popular to a wide audience, especially teenagers. In that regard,
he was a true innovator. (For more information on Elvis's start in music, see
Chapter 2).
Elvis also yielded a strong influence on youth culture. During the 1950s, teen-
agers had begun to think of themselves as being different from their parents'
generation. Because of the economic prosperity of the period, teens enjoyed
a disposable income that they could spend on themselves instead of con-
tributing toward family survival. With that money they dressed themselves
in fashions marketed to their age group, went to movies that featured stars
of their generation, and listened to music that appealed to them. So it wasn't
a surprise when Presley's rock 'n' roll music, his hairstyle, and his fashion
sense became a part of this new culture for teenagers. (For more information
on the burgeoning youth culture, see Chapter 5.)
Later in his career, Presley changed his musical style and his personal look
to keep up with the times and gain popularity among older audiences. He
became a movie star during the 1960s and then returned to live musical
performances during the 1970s. Because his career went through so many
changes, he was popular with different types of people for different reasons.
Even after his death, his popularity remains strong among a wide variety of
people. This wide popularity, as well as his important role in American musi-
cal history, makes him a cultural icon.
Uncovering the Roots of Elvis's Music
On January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Aron Presley was born a half
hour after his stillborn twin brother, Jesse Garon. Thus, the occasion was
a mixed blessing to parents Vernon and Gladys Presley, who lived in a two-
room shotgun shack on the wrong side of the tracks in Tupelo. A true son of
the South, Elvis never ventured far from his roots, physically or musically.
While a young boy in Tupelo, Elvis learned to play the guitar from relatives,
and then he fell under the influence of country-western singer Mississippi
Slim.
Chapter 1: Introducing Elvis Presley
11
It wasn't until his family moved to Memphis that Elvis's real musical education
began. The diversity of music on Memphis's radio stations exposed Elvis to a
variety of genres, which eventually influenced his music. Several radio sta-
tions played country music, and big band music was broadcast from the
famed Peabody Hotel. Rhythm-and-blues artists could be heard on two differ-
ent radio stations: WDIA and WHBQ. WDIA was owned by two white men, but
it was mostly staffed by black disc jockeys who played the locally produced
records of hometown bluesmen. WHBQ played a variety of music, but it's best
remembered for disc jockey Dewey Phillips's Red Hot and Blue program that
showcased the recordings of black artists.
Memphis also developed into the center for white gospel music during the
1950s, so the four-part harmonies of the gospel quartets who regularly visited
the city became another influence on the teenage Elvis. He and his parents,
and later he and his girlfriend, regularly attended the all-night gospel sings at
Ellis Auditorium. In addition, the city's Beale Street district was home to the
clubs and joints where African American musicians played blues and rhythm
and blues. Elvis became familiar with the music of the well-known local R&B
artists, including B.B. King, Rufus Thomas, and Big Memphis Ma Rainey. All
these Southern-based musical genres inspired Elvis's early singing style,
which turned out to be a true fusion of sounds. (For more information on
Elvis's early years, see Chapter 2.)
Recording for Sun Studio
Sam Phillips, owner of Sun Studio and a small Memphis-based record com-
pany also called Sun, recorded the music of blues and R&B musicians. He was
quoted in local papers as saying, "If I could find a white man who could sing
with the sound and feel of a black man, I could make a billion dollars." Little
did he know that Elvis would soon walk right through his doorway.
Elvis's ability to integrate Southern musical genres into a blend of beat and
rhythm was exactly what Phillips was looking for. However, it took some time
before the two walked into the studio together and made history with Elvis's
first recording, "That's All Right," which was an old blues tune originally writ-
ten and recorded by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. Elvis's interpretation of the
song featured a relaxed vocal style, upbeat tempo, and a driving rhythm as
well as these two elements that would make his sound famous:
Syncopated lyrics using a hiccupping sound
Reverberation for an echo effect
12 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Elvis's sound became the essence of rockabilly, though no one called it by
that name at the time. A few days after his first recording, Elvis and the two
musicians who backed him up -- guitarist Scotty Moore and bass player Bill
Black -- recorded the bluegrass classic "Blue Moon of Kentucky" as the flip
side to "That's All Right," giving Elvis his first single. (To read more about
this single, check out Chapter 2.)
Sam Phillips took this first record to disc jockey Dewey Phillips (no relation
to Sam) to play on his Red Hot and Blue radio program as well as to other
deejays at other stations. By the end of the month, "That's All Right" was
shooting up the local charts, and Elvis made his first major public appear-
ance at the Overton Park Shell.
Gaining a fan base
From the summer of 1954 to the end of 1955, Elvis and his band, who called
themselves the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys, enjoyed success as
a Southern-based country-western act. Even though their music sounded
decidedly different from typical country music, their status as white Southern
singers classified them and their music as "country." They cut four more
singles for Sun Studio and toured across the South on the same bill as such
well-known country acts as Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, Hank
Snow, Faron Young, and Ferlin Husky.
Elvis's singing style wasn't the only unique feature of his high-powered act.
As he crisscrossed the South, his performing style evolved to become a
unique, highly energetic part of an Elvis Presley performance. Dressed in
outrageously colorful clothes -- such as those worn by R&B artists down on
Beale Street -- Elvis moved throughout his entire act, bouncing on the balls
of his feet, shaking his legs, and swiveling his hips. In addition, bass player
Bill Black, something of a comedian, danced and rolled around on the floor
with his huge bass fiddle. The trio's frenzied performances were considered
by some venues to be too wild, and other country performers hated to follow
their act, but their weekly appearances on the Louisiana Hayride radio pro-
gram brought them wide exposure across the South and a loud, raucous, and
youthful fan base.
In The Nashville Sound: Bright Lights and Country Music by Paul Hemphill, coun-
try singer Bob Luman recalls seeing Elvis when Luman was still a teenager in
Kilgore, Texas: "This cat came out in red pants and a green coat and a pink
shirt and socks, and he had this sneer on his face and he stood behind the
mike for five minutes, I'll bet, before he made a move. Then he hit his guitar a
lick, and he broke two strings. Hell, I'd been playing for ten years, and I hadn't
broken a total of two strings. So there he was, these two strings dangling, and
he hadn't done anything except break guitar strings yet, and these high school
girls were screaming and fainting and running up to the stage, and then he
started to move his hips real slow like he had a thing for his guitar . . . ."
Chapter 1: Introducing Elvis Presley
13
The antics of the fans, especially the girls, drew the attention of country
promoter Colonel Tom Parker (also known as simply "the Colonel"), who
believed the strange-looking kid with the big moves could be a national suc-
cess. By the end of 1955, Parker had succeeded in becoming Elvis's manager,
and with that the stage was set for Presley's introduction to Middle America.
(For more information on this era of Elvis's career, see Chapter 3.)
Gyrating Across America
Colonel Parker negotiated a deal with the nationally based company RCA
Victor to sign Elvis to a contract. The strategy at RCA involved exposing
Elvis to mainstream audiences by promoting him in the nationally based pop
market as well as the regionally based country and R&B markets. On January
8, 1956, Elvis recorded his first songs for RCA, including "Heartbreak Hotel."
An instant success, the song climbed to number one on the pop and country
charts and number three on the R&B chart. (For more information on Elvis's
contract with RCA and his first recordings for the company, see Chapter 4.)
Parker's goal from the beginning was to gain the broadest audience possible
for his one and only client. In addition to promoting Elvis's records in the pop
market to court the teen audience nationwide, he wanted to use television to
broaden his "boy's" appeal. Little did he realize that he was about to set off
one of pop culture's most famous controversies.
Two weeks after Elvis's first RCA recording session, he appeared for the first
time on television as a guest on Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's weekly variety
series Stage Show. Compared to the more conventional acts on the show --
such as pop singers, dancers, and comedians who dressed, performed, and
acted like the singers, dancers, and comedians on other variety shows --
Elvis looked strange, alien, even dangerous. If you tuned in to Stage Show and
saw Elvis performing, the following might have shocked you as it did many in
the television audience:
His ducktail haircut, which was long and slicked back
His shiny Beale Street suit, which featured wide-legged trousers that
shook when he moved
Eye makeup on his eyelids and under his lashes that must have startled
even show business veterans who had seen it all
His high-energy performance in which he shook, shimmied, and swiv-
eled, causing screams and squeals from the studio audience
During the next eight weeks, he appeared five more times on the program
with ever-increasing ratings (though Stage Show never beat its competition
on NBC, The Perry Como Show).
14 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
The Colonel continued to book Elvis on the most popular variety shows,
including the much-beloved Milton Berle Show. Elvis and his band first
appeared on the Milton Berle Show in April. When he returned for a second
appearance in June, he performed "Hound Dog" for the first time on televi-
sion -- and in a particularly provocative manner, sensually thrust his hips
toward the microphone. This single appearance ignited a nationwide back-
lash concerning his performing style. In fact, the performance prompted
parents, religious groups, TV reviewers and columnists, and even the PTA
(Parent Teacher Association) to condemn Elvis by declaring him indecent
and associating his music with juvenile delinquency. The criticism against
Elvis became part of the overall condemnation of the new youth-oriented
music known as rock 'n' roll.
After the Milton Berle Show, Colonel Parker booked Elvis on The Steve Allen
Show. The high ratings from Allen's program prompted Ed Sullivan to offer
the unprecedented fee of $50,000 for Elvis to make three appearances on The
Ed Sullivan Show. Elvis's final appearance on Sullivan's show in January 1957
features the now legendary moments when the CBS censors demanded that
"Elvis the Pelvis," the singer's new nickname in the press, be filmed only from
the waist up while singing. More than live concerts or recordings, Elvis's TV
appearances fueled the controversy surrounding his hip-swiveling perform-
ing style.
The controversy surrounding Elvis's performing style became symbolic of
generational conflict, reflecting the rise of the new youth culture (see the ear-
lier section "Identifying a Cultural Icon" for more details on this new culture).
However, other social circumstances also added to the conflict over Elvis and
his music, including a prejudice against Southern culture and tastes and a
racist attitude toward the music of African Americans. (For more information
on the controversy generated by Elvis, see Chapter 5.)
Changing Elvis's Notorious Image
Colonel Parker didn't realize that courting teenage audiences around the
country could generate so much controversy and bad publicity (see the pre-
ceding section for more on the uproar over Elvis the Pelvis). The notoriety
certainly garnered television ratings, but it did little to broaden Elvis's appeal
to a mainstream audience. So throughout the rest of the 1950s, Parker and
others worked to cool the controversy and broaden Elvis's appeal.
Ever mindful of the value of old-fashioned promotion, which the Colonel
called "exploitation," the wily ex-carny generated a lot of publicity designed
to counter Elvis's image as a notorious rock 'n' roller. Specifically, he
Chapter 1: Introducing Elvis Presley
15
Released photos of Elvis participating in charities
Encouraged interviews in which Elvis talked about his love for his
parents
Negotiated a movie contract with producer Hal Wallis
However, nothing generated acceptance by the mainstream audience like
Elvis's service in the army. In the following sections, I look more closely at
Elvis's first Hollywood movies and his service in the army, which did more
than anything else to change his image.
Shooting his first films
Negotiating a movie contract for Elvis served Parker's long-term goal of
reaching as broad an audience as possible. As a movie star, Elvis could
attract regular moviegoers, including those outside the teen demographic, in
addition to popular music fans. Producer Hal Wallis was an expert at recog-
nizing star power and constructing screen images for his actors. His handling
of Elvis's film career, including developing his film projects and fine-tuning
his characters, led to a softening of Elvis's controversial image.
Wallis placed Elvis under personal contract, but the Colonel negotiated for a
nonexclusive contract, so Presley was free to make films for other producers
and studios.
Elvis made four movies between 1956 and 1958: Love Me Tender, Loving You,
Jailhouse Rock, and King Creole. The first, a Civil Warera western, featured
Elvis as the youngest son of a family of homesteaders. The other three films
starred Elvis in dramatic stories about young singers with new sounds who
are misunderstood by the press and public.
Clearly echoing Elvis's own career and life story, these films helped reshape
the singer's image in the eyes of the public, softening the criticism aimed
against him and presenting him as just another show business success story.
Wallis produced Loving You and King Creole, while Pandro S. Berman pro-
duced Jailhouse Rock. (For a detailed account of Elvis's pre-army movies, flip
to Chapter 6.)
Serving in the army
Elvis was drafted in late 1957 at the age of 22, but he managed to postpone
his service in the army until March 1958 because of his contractual obliga-
tions to finish King Creole. When Elvis finally reported to his draft board,
Colonel Parker made sure the press was on hand to document every step.
16 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Parker repeated to the press time and again how Elvis could have joined spe-
cial services in the army or the navy so he could serve his time by perform-
ing on bases around the world. However, Parker made it quite clear that Elvis
opted to join the regular army and do his duty to serve his country -- just
like every other young man his age. Elvis spent the bulk of his two years serv-
ing in a tank division in Germany.
Instead of killing his career, serving in the army expanded it by attracting the
attention of the mainstream audience, which is important to remaining at
the forefront of show business. When Elvis was mustered out of the army in
March 1960, the Colonel and others who helped manage Presley's career took
advantage of his time away from the public eye to recast his image, maturing
it to appeal to older audiences while retaining his original fan base. (For more
information on the impact of Elvis's army service, see Chapter 5.)
While Elvis was in the army, two events in his personal life occurred that
made a permanent impact on his life. In August 1958, near the beginning of his
tour of duty, Elvis's mother, Gladys, died unexpectedly. With her death, he
lost his biggest supporter. Then in early 1960, near the end of his tour of duty,
Elvis met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, whose stepfather was also a soldier
in the service. The two began a relationship that would continue in the 1960s
when Priscilla moved to Memphis at Elvis's suggestion, eventually leading to
marriage in 1967.
Becoming a Leading Man in Hollywood
While Elvis was in the service, critics speculated that the two years away
from the public eye would seriously damage his career. They proclaimed
that his position at the forefront of rock 'n' roll would likely be lost. To some
extent, they were right. Elvis didn't return to the forefront of rock music
when he was discharged from the army in 1960. However, that absence was
deliberate. The Colonel wanted to shift Elvis away from rock 'n' roll, which
had endured more notoriety between 1958 and 1960.
Instead, when Elvis returned home, he gradually pursued a more mellow
pop-influenced style of music and adopted a more conventional look. The
Colonel took advantage of the good publicity over Elvis's tour of duty to
promote a new, more mature Elvis Presley. And, he and Elvis turned their
attention almost exclusively to the movies as the medium to showcase this
new Presley to a mainstream audience. In focusing on movie stardom, Elvis
no longer needed high-profile backup musicians, so the Blue Moon Boys as a
group were out of the picture. The group actually had stopped being called
the Blue Moon Boys after Elvis signed with RCA in order to keep the focus
on Elvis, though the trio continued to tour. During the 1960s, Scotty Moore
and D.J. Fontana occasionally worked in the studio with Elvis as sessions
musicians.
Chapter 1: Introducing Elvis Presley
17
The movies Elvis didn't make
During the years Elvis was in Hollywood, he was
For example, in 1956, Parker turned down an
offered opportunities to star in films that were
offer for Elvis to appear as one of the rock 'n' roll
not in the Presley formula -- at least according
acts in director Frank Tashlin's spoof of 1950s
to Colonel Parker. Stories about these opportu-
musical crazes, The Girl Can't Help It, star-
nities have been exaggerated over the years by
ring Jayne Mansfield. Apparently, the Colonel
highly critical writers and biographers in order
didn't want Elvis to share the screen with other
discredit the films that he did make. But, there's
notable rock 'n' roll acts, such as Gene Vincent.
no doubt that the Colonel turned down some
In the 1970s, Barbra Streisand wanted Elvis to
interesting proposals.
appear in her remake of A Star Is Born, but the
Colonel refused for reasons unknown.
The Colonel's goal was for Elvis to achieve widespread popularity as a movie
star and therefore greater financial success. Elvis, on the other hand, yearned
for a career as a serious actor. The Colonel attained his goal, but Elvis didn't.
Starting out as an actor
A few weeks after his discharge from the army, an eager Elvis returned to
Hollywood to begin shooting G.I. Blues, a story about a singer who's serving
in the army in Germany. Producer Hal Wallis borrowed details from Presley's
life to flesh out the script just as he had done in the pre-army movies (see the
earlier section "Shooting his first films" for details). However, unlike Elvis's
earlier movies, G.I. Blues is a musical comedy, not a musical drama. Aimed at
a family audience, the film presents the new, more mature Elvis Presley.
G.I. Blues was enormously successful; it ranked 14th in box office sales for
1960. The soundtrack album reached number one, remaining on the charts
longer than any other Presley album. Sadly, Elvis didn't share the fans' enthu-
siasm for G.I. Blues. He felt the movie had too many musical numbers, and he
believed that some of them made little sense in context of the plot. He also
was concerned that the quality of many of the songs fell short of the music
from his earlier films.
The western Flaming Star, released in December 1960, gave Elvis the
chance to prove himself as a serious actor. In this tense western drama,
Elvis held his own with veteran actors John McIntire and Dolores Del Rio.
Unfortunately, the film wasn't the box office success it was expected to be.
18 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Wild in the Country, a contemporary drama, followed Flaming Star. No songs
were included in the original script for Wild in the Country, but after the disap-
pointing showing of Flaming Star, Colonel Parker and some studio executives
asked that several musical numbers be shot for the film. Six were shot, but
only four made the final cut. Wild in the Country didn't lose money at the box
office, but it didn't make much either. Both Elvis and costar Tuesday Weld
were voted the Damp Raincoat Award for Most Disappointing Performers of
1961 by Teen magazine. While this award would hardly ruin anyone's career,
it showed the Colonel exactly what kind of movie Elvis's fans didn't want to
see. (See Part II for more information on Elvis's movies.)
Finishing as a movie star
After the disappointing dramas, Elvis returned to musical comedies with Blue
Hawaii, which was his second most financially successful movie. The movie,
directed by Norman Taurog, featured a huge cast of colorful characters who
could handle comedy. In response to his fans' cries for more songs, Blue
Hawaii also contains 14 musical numbers, including the title song and one of
Elvis's biggest hits "Can't Help Falling in Love." The songs represent a range
of types and styles, from pop-rock ("Rock-a-Hula Baby") to novelty tunes ("Ito
Eats") to ballads ("Can't Help Falling in Love").
Released during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays in 1961, the film
quickly became a box-office hit. The soundtrack album was the fastest-selling
album that year. Unfortunately, the success of Blue Hawaii restricted Elvis to
acting in musical comedy vehicles, because the Colonel, Hal Wallis, and other
members of his management team used the box-office figures to convince
him that this was the only kind of movie his fans wanted to see him in. This
dashed Elvis's dreams of becoming a serious actor.
After Blue Hawaii, Presley made 23 more movies, most following the pattern
established in this breezy musical comedy. Later, Elvis would bitterly refer
to these formulaic films as the Presley Travelogues. Despite his distaste for
them, most of Elvis's films were popular successes and highly profitable. At
one point in the mid-1960s, Elvis became the highest-paid actor in Hollywood.
Even though he failed to become a serious actor, Elvis Presley was an
extremely successful movie star.
By 1964, Colonel Parker had persuaded Elvis to focus almost entirely on the
movie soundtracks. Many of the songs written for these musical comedies
were as formulaic as the films themselves, but some solid pop tunes also were
included. However, because the songs on the soundtrack albums weren't well
organized and because the albums weren't always marketed wisely, many of
the good tunes were lost among the mediocre ones. (See Chapter 7 for more
information on the movie music Elvis produced.)
Chapter 1: Introducing Elvis Presley
19
Evaluating a Hollywood career
Many biographies, rock music histories, and other accounts of Elvis's career
analyze his movie years with the benefit of hindsight. The standard interpre-
tation of this period is that Elvis's musical comedy vehicles were disappoint-
ments in comparison to his earlier film work and that both his acting and
singing talents were squandered by greedy agents and managers, particularly
Colonel Parker. Considering the profundity and influence of Elvis's music from
the 1950s, this negative opinion of his 1960s pop-oriented sound and movie-
star persona almost makes sense. Yet other factors need to be considered.
For example, most of Elvis's movies and albums from the 1960s were finan-
cially successful no matter how hastily they were produced. Financial profit
is a measure of success in pop culture, particularly in Hollywood, so Elvis
and the Colonel had no reason to question -- let alone alter -- their game
plan for Elvis's career. Also, if Elvis had continued singing rock 'n' roll, he
may not have survived the changes to the music scene in the 1960s. After all,
many pioneering rock 'n' rollers didn't. Finally, if Elvis had continued to make
more serious films such as Flaming Star and Wild in the Country, he wouldn't
have been guaranteed success with those either.
Despite the financial success of his films, Elvis became increasingly disap-
pointed and depressed about his Hollywood career. And, there's no escaping
the fact that both his movies and the accompanying soundtracks declined
sharply during the mid- to late-1960s. (See Chapter 8 for more on the decline
of Elvis's film career.)
Personally, Elvis lived an isolated, distorted existence far removed from the
real world. The Colonel protected Elvis from the press and public throughout
the 1960s, so interviews and articles about his life as a movie star were lim-
ited to those orchestrated or controlled by the Colonel himself.
Capitalizing on a Turning Point
The year 1968 marked a turning point for Elvis professionally and personally.
The change began in January when RCA released the single of "Guitar Man."
The song didn't chart very high, but it was a non-soundtrack recording that
signaled Elvis's willingness and perhaps eagerness to cut material that wasn't
related to the movies he was still contractually bound to make.
Colonel Parker then negotiated a deal with NBC for a television Christmas
special. The special turned out to be the spark that reignited Elvis's talent
and creativity. A combination of his old music and new material, the special
reminded Elvis that he had a musical gift and challenged him to use it to
regain his stature in the music industry. Proud of the results, Elvis knew he
20 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
wanted to change the direction of his career. Riding the momentum of the
special, Elvis recorded the acclaimed album From Elvis in Memphis, which
pointed him in a new direction musically.
Elvis's personal life also hit a high point in 1968. Married in the spring of
1967, Elvis and Priscilla became the proud parents of a baby girl, Lisa Marie,
in February 1968. In this section, I talk about the important events that turned
Elvis's career around, which serendipitously occurred during the happiest
time of his personal life.
Making a comeback with the
'68 Comeback Special
In early 1968, the Colonel announced plans for an Elvis Presley television
special that would air on NBC in December. It was Elvis's first TV appearance
in eight years. Parker planned for his boy to sing several Christmas carols
in front of a Yuletide setting, but producer Steve Binder encouraged Elvis to
participate in a daring variety program instead.
The special, originally titled Elvis but later referred to as Elvis -- the '68
Comeback Special or simply the '68 Comeback Special, consisted of a series
of polished production numbers designed to illustrate the roots of Elvis's
music. These production numbers alternated with segments featuring Elvis
singing live before a studio audience with two of his original backup musi-
cians, Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana. For the live segments, Elvis appeared
in a black leather jacket and pants -- a costume that recalled an earlier era
without resorting to nostalgia.
The special revealed a side to Elvis that hadn't been seen since 1961 -- the
part of him that was the rock 'n' roll innovator. It reminded audiences of his
music and its importance to the development of popular American music.
And, the live segments showcased one of his true talents, which was his abil-
ity to excite an audience as a dynamic live performer. (For a detailed account
of the '68 Comeback Special, see Chapter 11.)
Reinventing the music
The '68 Comeback Special aired on December 3, 1968, earning excellent rat-
ings and favorable reviews. Invigorated by the challenge of doing something
different from the movie musicals, he decided to cut a new album that was in
no way related to a movie soundtrack. Elvis opted to record in Memphis for
the first time since he had left Sun Records.
Chapter 1: Introducing Elvis Presley
21
In January and February 1969, he spent several days recording with producer
Chips Moman at the American Sound Studio, resulting in several chart-
topping singles and one of his most critically acclaimed albums, From Elvis
in Memphis. One of the songs from the American Sound Studio sessions was
"Suspicious Minds," his first number-one single in seven years and the last
one of his career.
The material recorded at the American Sound Studio prefigured his musical
style of the 1970s, which was a large-scale sound that revealed the influences
of modern country, pop music, and contemporary rock. (See Chapter 11 for
more information on Elvis's sessions at American Sound Studio.)
Taking time for a personal life
Around the time that Elvis was reinventing himself, he married Priscilla
Beaulieu, who had been more or less living at the Presley home in Memphis
since the early 1960s. A wizard at manipulating the media, the Colonel kept
her presence hidden from the press. Elvis and Priscilla married on May 1,
1967, and nine months later to the day, their only child, Lisa Marie, was born.
(See Chapter 7 for more information on Priscilla Beaulieu Presley.)
To get the best account of Elvis's marriage and family life, read Priscilla
Presley's autobiography Elvis and Me. Autobiographies by former members
of the Memphis Mafia also offer opinions of Elvis's personal life, but their
views of the woman who was competition for their time with Elvis are often
jaundiced or self-serving.
Returning to Live Performances
In the summer of 1969, the opportunity arose for Elvis to play at the newly
opened International Hotel in Las Vegas. Elvis's appearance at the infa-
mous hotel marked a new phase of his career that had begun with the '68
Comeback Special and the album From Elvis in Memphis. At this point, he was
still in the process of reinventing himself, and so he decided to return to con-
cert performances with new material and a new image.
Just as he had deliberately changed his image in 1960 to expand his career
and launch it in a new direction, he again stood ready in 1969 to reevaluate his
goals and alter his musical style to return to live performances. Part of Elvis's
long-term success stemmed from his ability to reinvent himself by moving his
career in new directions.
22 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Attending an Elvis concert:
Teddy bears and underwear
Elvis opened at the International Hotel on July 31, 1969, and the engagement
was so successful that the Colonel inked a deal for Elvis to perform there
twice a year for a month each time. The following year, Elvis began to tour
when he wasn't playing Vegas. During this time, Elvis established a pattern
that he followed for the rest of life: He hit the road two to three times a year
but played Vegas for a month in winter and a month in summer. (For more
information on Elvis's International Hotel engagement, see Chapter 12.)
As Elvis fine-tuned his act on the road, patterns and rituals were established
that defined what a Presley concert was like. In the 1970s, beginning with the
show at the International Hotel, Elvis sometimes mocked his sexually provoca-
tive 1950s image by comically imitating the pelvic thrusts, the snarling lip,
and the other moves associated with Elvis the Pelvis (see Chapter 5). He also
established new interactions with his fans; rather than egging them on with
sexually provocative gyrations, he began "romancing" them with ballads such
as "Love Me Tender." During this song, fans came down to the front of the
stage, and Elvis kissed them, touched their hands, or accepted flowers, teddy
bears, and other trinkets. Sometimes, he threw them back.
Throwing objects back and forth between the stage and the audience became
a common practice with Elvis and his fans. After wiping his brow with a
towel or scarf, he would throw it into the audience. This exchange became
such a standard part of the show that band member Charlie Hodge would
continuously drape towels around Elvis's neck so he could toss them to the
audience.
Another interesting ritual between Elvis and his fans in the audience involved
throwing underwear onstage, especially in Las Vegas. Women would throw
their panties onstage, which Elvis sometimes picked up and made jokes
about. (For more information on Elvis's 1970s concerts, see Chapter 13.)
Dressing a star: The jumpsuits
During the International Hotel engagement, Elvis wore an open-necked black
mohair ensemble with a red scarf. Bill Belew, who had designed Elvis's black
leather outfit for the '68 Comeback Special, put together the mohair suit. After
that Elvis always asked Belew to design costumes for his live performances.
In fact, it was Belew who fabricated the white bejeweled jumpsuit, suppos-
edly based on a suggestion by Priscilla Presley.
Chapter 1: Introducing Elvis Presley
23
As the years passed, the jumpsuit costume grew more and more elaborate
and was often accompanied by waist-length and even knee-length capes.
Because Elvis had new jumpsuits designed for each tour, fans can date photos
or footage of Elvis performing onstage in the 1970s based on the jumpsuit he's
wearing. The jumpsuits are identified by their colorful names, such as the
American Eagle, the Black Conquistador, the Peacock, and the Tiffany. You
can see Elvis performing in one of his signature jumpsuits in Figure 1-1.
More than anything, the jumpsuit has become associated with Elvis during
this phase of his career. Many who know little about Elvis's career and music
can recognize him from this iconic outfit of his Vegas years. (For more infor-
mation on Elvis's jumpsuits, check out Chapter 13.)
Figure 1-1:
Elvis donned
his White
Matador
jumpsuit for
this 1971
concert per-
formance.
Appreciating the World's Greatest
Entertainer: "Vegas Elvis"
The extravagant costumes and complex rituals of Elvis's period in Vegas fit
the scale of the 1970s Presley concert. In Vegas and on the road, Elvis was
joined onstage by a gospel quartet, a female backup trio called the Sweet
Inspirations, a rock band, and a 35-piece orchestra.
Elvis's repertoire of songs varied throughout the 1970s, but his style of music
didn't change. The style wasn't exactly rock 'n' roll, but it wasn't country
music or rhythm and blues either. Elvis's style took something from all these
genres, and yet it still transcended musical categories to form a sound unique
to the singer. Dramatic, potent, and emotional, Elvis's sound -- embodied
in such songs as "Suspicious Minds" and "Burning Love" -- seemed aurally
symbolic of Colonel Parker's favorite billing for Elvis, "the World's Greatest
Entertainer."
Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
24
Elvis enjoyed a number of career highlights during the 1970s, including some
record-making accomplishments. (For more information on the high points of
the 1970s, see Chapter 14.) Among the most memorable are:
In June 1972, a handsome, fit Elvis Presley played four sold-out shows
at Madison Square Garden. He became the first performer to sell out all
of his shows in that venue in advance. Among the attendees were John
Lennon, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and George Harrison.
MGM produced and released two financially successful documentaries
that captured Elvis's live performances, Elvis -- That's the Way It Is
(1970) and Elvis on Tour (1972). The latter won a Golden Globe for the
Best Documentary of 1972.
In January 1973, Elvis starred in the television special Elvis: Aloha from
Hawaii, which was broadcast live via the Intelsat IV telecommunications
satellite to countries in the Far East. Two days later, a taped replay was
broadcast in Europe, and in April, the special was aired in America.
Some estimates claim that 1.5 billion people eventually watched this
performance.
Taking a toll: A personal and
professional decline
After his burst of creativity in the early 1970s, a demanding schedule and
an unhealthy lifestyle took its toll on Elvis. Endless touring and the exhaus-
tion that accompanied it eventually wore away the enthusiasm and inspi-
ration he had felt after the '68 Comeback Special. Repetition and routine
began to define his act as Elvis lost his desire to update or change material.
Eventually, the concerts became standardized.
Elvis's albums also began to decline in quality as he grew restless with
recording. He cut fewer new songs every year; in fact, some years he
recorded no new material at all. Yet RCA still managed about three releases
per year by relying on live albums of various concerts and by repackaging
songs from previously issued albums with what little new material there was.
Some of these albums and singles charted well, especially on the country
charts, but Elvis lost interest in making music and lacked focus and enthu-
siasm when the Colonel or producer Felton Jarvis managed to get him to
record.
Isolated from the real world and secluded at Graceland when not on tour,
Elvis lived a strange life -- sleeping all day and staying up all night. Inclined
toward excess, including overeating, overspending, and prescription drug
abuse, Elvis became increasingly out of shape, unhealthy, and erratic.
Chapter 1: Introducing Elvis Presley
25
Elvis and Priscilla divorced in 1973, which friends and associates claim accel-
erated the star's drug use, health problems, and bizarre behavior. After 1973,
frequent hospitalizations occurred as his health declined. (To read more on
Elvis's personal and professional decline, refer to Chapter 15.)
The End of the Road for the King
On June 26, 1977, Elvis Presley gave his final performance at Market Square
Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. Less than two months later, he was dead
at age 42. His girlfriend, Ginger Alden, found his body slumped over in the
bathroom at Graceland on August 16, 1977. After paramedics failed to revive
him, he was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital where further attempts to
revive him failed. He was pronounced dead by his physician, Dr. George
Nichopoulos, who listed the official cause of death as cardiac arrhythmia.
Within an hour of Elvis's death, fans began to gather in front of Graceland.
Mourners arrived in Memphis from all the over the world to pay their
respects and be with other fans. At the funeral, the speakers included tel-
evangelist Rex Humbard, comedian Jackie Kahane, who had often opened
for Elvis, and a local Memphis minister. Several prominent gospel perform-
ers, including Jake Hess, sang some of Elvis's favorite gospel hymns. After
the service, a motorcade of all-white automobiles carried the body to Forest
Hill Cemetery. A short time later, a threat to steal Elvis's remains was inter-
cepted, prompting his father to have the body moved to Meditation Garden
behind Graceland. His mother's remains were moved there as well. (For more
information on Elvis's death, see Chapter 16.)
Elvis Presley's death generated much media attention, some of it positive
and much of it negative; it also resulted in extended air play of his records on
the radio and prompted rampant sales of his records. And, that was just the
beginning.
Tracing Elvis Presley's Continued
Popularity
Elvis's 23 years in show business constituted an extraordinary career. He pur-
sued and conquered different avenues; his achievements were financially lucra-
tive, which is always a barometer of success in the entertainment industry; and
he made a major impact on the direction of popular music during the 1950s.
26 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
After his death, Elvis's "career" continued to be extraordinary. (See Part IV
for a thorough account of the events, celebrations, accomplishments, and
rumors surrounding the popularity of Elvis since his death.) His fan base has
remained loyal to this day, which isn't surprising, but Elvis's enormous popu-
larity and recognition go well beyond his original fan base. He also has:
Generated new fans
Become the focus of a multimillion-dollar business headed by Elvis
Presley Enterprises
Continued to be referenced often in the media, whether in news stories,
in jokes, or in a measure of the magnitude of his celebrity
Often been named the top-earning celebrity of the year -- despite being
dead for more than 30 years
Simply stated, the reason that Elvis retains such an enormous level of popular-
ity is that he appeals to different groups of people for different reasons. His
career was so diverse, his music so innovative, and the post-death phenom-
enon so strange that everyone finds something interesting or entertaining
about the different phases of his life or career. Consider the following groups
of Elvis fans:
Rock 'n' roll enthusiasts prefer Elvis the Pelvis, who brought rock 'n'
roll to the masses and represented rebellion against mainstream values
and tastes.
Music historians and scholars appreciate the cultural significance of his
integration of regional influences to achieve a wholly new sound.
Country-western fans embrace his music as an important influence on
contemporary country styles.
Original fans remember Vegas Elvis because of his charisma in concert.
Family audiences like the lighthearted wholesomeness of his movies,
which they can watch with their children on DVD.
Pop culture lovers find fun in the way Elvis has become an icon of
kitsch.
With Elvis Presley, there truly is something for everyone. Behind this simple
statement lies a complex set of circumstances accounting for the phenom-
enon, however. Part sociohistorical context, part fan devotion, part merchan-
dising, and part cultural influence, these circumstances combine to make
Elvis Presley the American idol. Continue reading this book for a look at the
unabridged story, a complete portrait of the man who remains The King of
Rock 'n' Roll, and a credible interpretation for the reasons why.
Chapter 2
Walking a Mile in His Shoes:
Examining Elvis's Early Years
In This Chapter
Looking at Elvis's birthplace and its influence
Taking in the influencing sounds of Memphis
Investigating Elvis's first recording at Sun Studio
Reviewing Elvis's radio debut on Red Hot and Blue
Making his first onstage appearance
Considering his first public performance at the Overton Park Shell, much
of Elvis Presley's youth and adolescence have been honed into a tidy
version of the American Dream through the frequent retelling of his life story
in biographies, coffee-table books, music histories, and other writings. The
events of his early life are artfully wedged into a mythic narrative about a
poor boy with talent who eventually grows up to become the most famous
singer in America.
I cast that cliché aside to show that Elvis's early life contains important
threads that offer insight into his music, his career path, and his personal
choices. His love of family, his Southern identity, and his poverty-stricken
childhood, along with the influence of Memphis as a musical center, are all
keys to understanding who Elvis Presley was, how his sound developed, and
why his career took the path that it did.
In this chapter, I examine Elvis's early life, with a special emphasis on those
key threads. I also detail the making of Elvis's first record at Sun Studio,
which featured the songs "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky." As
I detail the story of Elvis's first record, I analyze the cultural significance of
the fusion of musical influences in his revolutionary sound.
28 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Growing Up in Tupelo
In the early morning hours of January 8, 1935, Elvis Aron Presley was born in
rural Tupelo, Mississippi, a small town nestled among the corn and cotton
fields in the northern part of the state.
The birth of Elvis was both a happy and sad moment for his parents, Vernon
and Gladys Presley. Roughly a half hour before he was born, his twin brother,
Jessie Garon, had arrived into the world. However, Jessie was stillborn and
that cast a pall over the occasion. Jessie's death had a lasting impact on the
Presley family. Elvis was at times haunted by the loss of his twin, who was
his only sibling, and Gladys kept her remaining son close to her. Elvis and his
mother would maintain an unusually tight bond throughout her short life.
Other tragedies and hardships would befall the close-knit Presleys over the
years, keeping the trio in poverty and at times dependent on their extended
family. Eventually, the Presleys moved to Memphis, looking for a chance
at a better life. (See the upcoming section "Walking in Memphis: Elvis the
Teenager" for details about the move and their life in the big city.)
Despite the poverty and hardships, Elvis spoke fondly of life in Tupelo. After
all, his interest in music had been sparked in the small town when he was a
little boy singing gospel music in church and listening to his first musical influ-
ence, Mississippi Slim, on his hometown radio station.
The following sections take a close look at Elvis's parents, his life in Tupelo,
and the reasons behind the family's relocation to Memphis. My snapshot of
Elvis's childhood reveals some of the reasons Tupelo held good memories
for him.
Introducing Elvis's parents
The daughter of a sharecropper, Gladys Love Smith was born in the farmland
of Pontotoc County near Tupelo in 1912. Gladys shared what little the family
had with seven siblings and was forced to go to work at a young age because
her father had died and her mother was sick with tuberculosis.
Born in Fulton, Mississippi, in 1916, Vernon Elvis Presley grew up in the poor-
est part of Tupelo. Vernon didn't get along with his father, J.D. Presley, who
kicked him out of the house to go work when he was 15. Vernon and J.D.
tolerated each other, but J.D. was a hard-drinking hothead who wasn't cut
out to be a husband and father. Eventually, he left his wife and children and
moved north.
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes: Examining Elvis's Early Years
29
Aron versus Aaron
Elvis Presley's middle name causes an undue
after a family friend, Aaron Kennedy, but that
amount of confusion for fans and historians doesn't mean that Gladys couldn't take creative
alike. The traditional spelling of the name is license with the name. When Presley was an
"Aaron," but Dr. William Hunt, the old country
adult, he thought seriously about legally chang-
doctor who attended the Presley births wrote
ing the spelling to Aaron, partly because that's
"Aron" on the birth certificate. No one can say
the biblical spelling of the name. In the process,
for sure whether Dr. Hunt accidentally mis-
however, he learned that state records already
spelled Elvis's middle name, or whether Mrs.
listed it as Aaron. When Elvis died, his father
Presley had chosen "Aron" to match the middle
chose "Aaron" for the tombstone, because he
name of twin Jessie Garon. Elvis was named
knew his son would want it that way.
Gladys, a tall, dark-haired beauty, met handsome Vernon Presley in 1933
when she moved to East Tupelo to work at the local garment factory. He
was 17, and she was 21; the smitten couple married two months after they
met and brought Elvis into the world two years later. (Figure 2-1 shows the
Presley family during the Tupelo years.) In those early days, Gladys was
an outgoing woman who loved to socialize, and the pair regularly attended
the East Tupelo Assembly of God Church. With family and friends from
the church, they sang gospel music, often harmonizing together on one of
their favorites "The Old Rugged Cross." Gladys and Vernon were part of the
church choir, and Elvis followed in their footsteps when he was old enough.
The Presleys lived in a two-room house on Old Saltillo Road, which was in the
poorest section of this small, rural town. The tiny home was a type of dwell-
ing known as a "shotgun shack," because it was so small and simply designed
that someone could fire a shotgun into the front door and the bullet would fly
out the back without hitting anything. Vernon Presley worked as a laborer in
Tupelo, which meant he did anything from driving delivery trucks to share-
cropping. Gladys worked at the garment factory until about the time that
Elvis was born. After he was born, she picked cotton with her son perched on
top of her cotton sack.
Like most rural Southerners during the Depression, Vernon and Gladys had
quit school as soon as they were old enough to work or help with their fami-
lies. They took whatever jobs they could find, which wasn't unusual for resi-
dents of poor rural communities at that time. In some biographies of Elvis,
Vernon is painted as something of a n'er-do-well, because he didn't hold
down one job, and he moved his family around a lot. But, these biographers
lack a full understanding of what it was like to be poor in the South, and their
depictions of Vernon seem more judgmental than accurate.
30 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Elvis and his family may have been poor, but he had a secure childhood in
terms of love and support. He was close not only to his mother and father but
also to his large extended family of aunts and uncles who helped each other in
troubled times. His mother was devoted to his care and safety, watching him
carefully to keep him out of trouble and harm's way. Stories abound about
how she walked him to school every day and wasn't comfortable allowing him
out of her sight. These tales were exaggerated after Elvis's death, but family
members and friends have since come forward to offer more accurate por-
traits of her as a devoted mother, not an obsessive one. As a child, Elvis told
his mother that he would always take care of her and his father. True to his
word, Elvis took care of his parents financially as soon as he became success-
ful. He also gave money to extended family members or hired them to work for
him after he became famous.
Figure 2-1:
Two-year-
old Elvis
poses with
his mother
and father,
Gladys and
Vernon,
not too
long before
Vernon
was sent to
Parchman
Prison.
Examining the family's greatest misfortune
Times were difficult for the small family early on, but they became worse in
November 1937, when Vernon and two other men were arrested and charged
with check forgery. The trio had forged a check to Vernon's landlord, Orville
Bean. The forged amount wasn't very much, but the three men were given
a harsh three-year sentence at Parchman Prison, a prison farm where the
inmates worked the land in chain gangs while serving out their time.
Vernon's prison sentence proved extremely difficult on his tiny family.
Gladys was unable to keep up the payments on their house by herself, and so
she lost possession of it. She and her son stayed with various relatives until
Vernon was released from prison early in February 1939.
After his release, Vernon returned to working odd jobs. Sometimes he landed
jobs in other parts of the state, but the family always had a difficult time making
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes: Examining Elvis's Early Years
31
enough money. As he moved from one job to another, Vernon moved his
family around Tupelo from one rented home to another. The Presleys spoke
of these hard times only in very general terms, but Vernon once recalled that
after he came home from prison, Elvis didn't want to let him out of his sight.
Considering Elvis's earliest musical
influences and experiences
Elvis expressed an interest in music before he was old enough to go to
school, belting out gospel tunes at church. Later, when he was in grade
school, he learned to play the guitar from his uncles and neighbors, particu-
larly his Uncle Vester Presley. Vester knew how to play more than just gospel
music, because he occasionally sang in Tupelo's honky-tonks, which were
small, rough-and-tumble bars that hired local talent to attract customers.
Elvis also showed his talent at the local fair. Each year on Children's Day, the
Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show sponsored an amateur talent con-
test, which was broadcast over Tupelo radio station WELO. When Elvis was
around 10 years old, the boy entered the talent contest at the county fair at
the insistence of a teacher who had heard him sing in class. Elvis's experience
in this talent show has been exaggerated over the years. Some insist that he
won second place, but various Tupelo residents have come forward to dispute
this claim. Whatever the case, the boy was quite young when he sang -- with
no musical accompaniment -- the ballad "Old Shep" for the talent show. In
fact, he was so small that he had to stand on a chair to reach the microphone.
Not long after his fair experience, Elvis became a fan of local country-western
singer Mississippi Slim, who hosted a couple of radio programs on WELO.
Slim's real name was Carvel Lee Ausborn, and he was the brother of one of
Elvis's friends, James Ausborn. Through James, Elvis had easy access to the
entertainer, and he soaked up Slim's tales of being on the road and singing
professionally.
Slim taught the eager Elvis more chords on the guitar and may have provided
him with an opportunity to play before an audience on the WELO Jamboree,
which was an amateur hour hosted by Slim every Saturday afternoon. Like
the fair story, however, accounts of Elvis's participation on the Jamboree are
contradictory and can't be trusted. Historians are sure that he visited the
radio station regularly, however.
Mississippi Slim sang pure country music, complete with the twanging guitar
and the catch in his voice. So the first major influence on Elvis Presley wasn't
the rhythm-and-blues artists of Memphis. Instead, his first influence was from
a bona fide "hillbilly singer."
32 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Walking in Memphis: Elvis the Teenager
During Elvis's day, Memphis, which is nicknamed the River City, was a cross-
roads of influences from up and down the Mississippi River as well as from
the mountains in the eastern part of the state. Blacks, whites, rural folk, city
residents, and even Yankees mingled in Memphis. The city's teeming popula-
tion of different people and cultures was reflected in the diversity of music
that thrived there. For more than a century, the city was a virtual breeding
ground for new musical trends and sounds.
From the moment the Presleys set foot in the city, Elvis was exposed to the
many sounds and styles that later served as influences on his own music. In
a way, he received a "musical education" by embracing the sounds of the city
while growing up in Memphis. This informal education proved to be more
helpful and influential than his official, sanctioned education at L.C. Humes
High School.
In this section, I discuss the family's move to the big city, provide an over-
view of the types of music that inspired the teenage Elvis, and offer a snap-
shot of his high-school years.
Roughly one of every four inductees into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame hails
from Memphis or its surrounding areas.
Making the move
By the fall of 1948, Tupelo had become a dead end for the Presleys. Work
for Vernon was scarce, so the family decided to move to the city -- to
Memphis -- for better job opportunities. Their move was much like those
of rural families who left their farms and small towns for the big cities
after World War II.
In a rare candid moment during an interview, Elvis recalled about the family's
move to Memphis, "We were broke, man, broke. Dad packed all our belongings
in boxes and put them in the trunk and on top of a 1939 Plymouth [actually a
1937 Plymouth]. We just headed for Memphis. Things had to be better."
The family's situation did improve in Memphis, especially after Vernon
landed a job at a paint factory. In the fall of 1950, the Presleys moved into a
housing project called the Lauderdale Courts, and Elvis attended L.C. Humes
High School. While the Courts were designed for families living at the poverty
level, they weren't slums. A thriving, bustling atmosphere defined the Courts,
and most of the residents worked hard to improve their lives. At one point,
when Vernon and Gladys were both working, the family's income exceeded
the amount allowed by the Memphis Housing Authority for public housing
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes: Examining Elvis's Early Years
33
recipients. The family had to move, but they chose to remain in the same
neighborhood as the Lauderdale Courts.
After a time, Elvis's grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley, came from Tupelo to
live with her son Vernon, and she remained a fixture in the Presley house-
hold for the rest of Elvis's life. She cooked for the family when Gladys was
lucky enough to find work, she stepped in to take care of Vernon and Elvis
when Gladys died in 1958, and she provided a link to extended family mem-
bers. Sadly, Minnie Mae, whom Elvis affectionately called Dodger, outlived
both her son and grandson.
Getting through high school
Elvis attended high school and endured adolescence like any other working-
class teenager. Though he occasionally got good grades in some subjects,
Elvis was largely a "C" student at L.C. Humes High School, also called Humes
High. Elvis graduated on June 3, 1953, which was an accomplishment that
many in his extended family hadn't achieved. In this section, I offer a brief
look at these tender years.
Hanging with his buddies from the Courts
Elvis hung out with several boys who also lived in Lauderdale Courts
and attended Humes High, including Buzzy Forbess, Farley Guy, and Paul
Dougher. The group liked to go to the movies together at the Suzore #2 and
Rialto Theatres, which were close to the Courts. Sometimes they also rode
bikes, played sports, or walked around Memphis. To earn money, the four
mowed lawns around the neighborhood with old push mowers. When the
boys became old enough, they got part-time jobs. Elvis worked as an usher at
the Loew's State Theater for a while.
Sometimes the teens from the Courts held record parties, and witnesses
from the era recall Elvis bringing his guitar to these informal get-togethers.
He would generally sing one or two songs, so the people in the neighborhood
were aware that he could sing.
Some of Elvis's later friends and bodyguards, including George Klein and Red
West, attended Humes at the same time, but they didn't know each other
very well during high school.
Adopting a style
In high school, Elvis didn't really stand out and wasn't part of the popular
crowd. He tried out for the football team, but he didn't last much past a few
weeks of practice. However, by his junior year, he had begun to grow his
hair long and dress like the R&B musicians from Beale Street. Elvis never
had much to say about high school, but students who remember him recall
34 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
that he dressed flamboyantly and wore his hair long. Despite being shy, he
entered the Minstrel Show (the Humes High talent show) and sang one song,
accompanying himself on the guitar.
Absorbing a medley of musical influences
As he made his way through high school in Memphis, Elvis discovered the
different genres of music that were part of the city's music scene. He col-
lected records of diverse artists, listened to a variety of radio stations, and
attended live performances to soak up the different performing styles and
sounds. Though Elvis may have had the most eclectic interests of any teen-
ager in Memphis, the indigenous sounds and styles of the South -- gospel,
R&B, and country -- made the deepest impression. In this section, I explain
the types of music Elvis was exposed to in Memphis and the different outlets
that provided it.
Collecting records
While he was soaking up the musical styles of his adopted hometown, Elvis
began collecting records. His tastes were eclectic, revealing a curiosity and
passion for all types of music. This curiosity was impressive for someone
so young. Like the diversity of music that surrounded him in Memphis, his
eclectic record collection could be considered an influence on the way he
combined styles and genres in his own sound. Most of Elvis's record collec-
tion is still housed at Graceland.
Looking through Elvis's record collection offers an understanding of how
music offered him an outlet to express his personal tastes, which were dif-
ferent from teens his age or from other members of his family. How many
teenagers of the time would have owned a copy of "Malaguena," which was
flamenco dance music arranged by Russian musician Andre Kostelanetz,
famous as the "father" of easy-listening music. Most of Elvis's family lacked his
interest in pop music, as found in his single of "Witchcraft" by the Spiders, or
in blues records such as "Shake a Hand" by Faye Adams. Elvis's copy of the
Prisonaires' "Just Walking in the Rain," which was produced by Sam Phillips,
suggests that he knew of Phillips's reputation for recording local talent.
Listening to the radio in Memphis
The River City boasted a multitude of innovative radio stations whose disc
jockeys were not only great judges of local talent but also daring in their play-
lists. Unlike radio today, stations during the 1950s reflected and influenced
the tastes and popular culture of the regions they serviced. In a city like
Memphis, which was rich with the musical sounds of many groups and cul-
tures, the radio stations disseminated different types of music to all peoples.
Disc jockeys, who were experts on the latest music, were free to "spin the
platters" of artists they believed in. Thus, some radio deejays yielded a lot of
influence on public tastes. The Memphis radio stations made up one of the
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes: Examining Elvis's Early Years
35
key outlets for Elvis to experience and learn to appreciate different genres of
music.
Country western
At home, the Presleys listened to country western, and Elvis was known to
occasionally attend broadcasts of live entertainment at country-western sta-
tion WMPS. Country music underwent many changes during the 1940s, and
those changes had permanently altered its sound and styles. For example,
Ernest Tubb had introduced the electric guitar to the Grand Ole Opry, coun-
try music's most famous radio program and a favorite in the Presley house-
hold. Also, western swing music had combined boogie-woogie with country
to form a contemporary sound that appealed to young listeners like Elvis.
Elvis enjoyed country music his entire life, and it played a major role in the
development of his music not only in the 1950s but also in the 1970s. (See the
later section "Cutting `That's All Right'" and Chapter 11 for specific informa-
tion on the influence of country on his music.)
Gospel
In the 1950s, Memphis became the headquarters of harmony-style gospel
music. The top white gospel groups of the era performed at the "All-Night
Gospel Singings" at Ellis Auditorium. These sings, which were held about
once a month, featured one gospel group after another and lasted into the
wee hours of the morning.
Elvis attended these sings whenever possible. The shows featured a variety
of gospel styles, but it was the tight harmonies of the gospel quartets that
attracted Elvis the most. He was personally acquainted with the Blackwood
Brothers, a gospel quartet consisting of four brothers who attended the
same Assembly of God church as the Presleys. His favorite group was the
Statesmen, whose lead singer, Jake Hess, combined aspects of black gospel
music with the harmony style that Elvis grew up with. The Statesmen, headed
by the colorful Hovie Lister, dressed flamboyantly for a gospel quartet, their
singing style was highly emotional, and their performing style was exciting
and energetic. They weren't afraid to move with the music. All these stylistic
trademarks proved influential on Elvis.
Elvis performed gospel music for the rest of his life. He enjoyed singing it
with family and friends to relax and pass the time. He also recorded several
award-winning gospel albums. After he signed with RCA in 1956, he insisted
that a gospel group sing backup for him on stage and on recordings. Gospel
kept him connected to his Southern roots, which in turn provided him with
comfort in times of tension and strife.
Blues and R&B
Besides "River City," Memphis's other nickname was "Home of the Blues."
And Beale Street was indeed home to the seedy clubs and rough joints where
African American blues musicians ruled the roost. The joints on Beale Street
36 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
also gave birth to rhythm and blues, or R&B, which combined the heavy beat
of blues with a faster rhythm and more sophisticated melodies.
Given Elvis's young age, it's unlikely that he spent a lot of time in the clubs
on Beale Street -- partly because his church-going mother wouldn't have
allowed it and also because Memphis was part of the South, which was still
socially segregated. But, he listened to blues and R&B at record shops, such
as Poplar Tunes and Charlie's, and he added many R&B singles to his record
collection. When Elvis began recording, R&B proved to be a prominent influ-
ence on his rockabilly sound. (See "Cutting `That's All Right'" later in this
chapter for more information.) Also, like many R&B musicians of the times,
Elvis bought his flashy shirts and slacks at Lansky Brothers clothing store
on Beale Street. (Chapter 3 provides more information on Elvis's clothing
preferences.)
Poplar Tunes, founded by Joe Cuoghi, epitomized the 1950s record shop.
Located near Lauderdale Courts, the shop served as a hangout for teenagers,
who could try out new records in the store before buying them. Poplar Tunes
sold the records of local artists, including Elvis when he began recording. The
shop, which looks much the same as it did in the early 1950s, is still open and
still sells Elvis's records.
Understanding Southern musical genres
Even though Elvis became a fan of singers as varied as pop crooner Dean
Martin and operatic singer Mario Lanza, the indigenous musical genres of the
South had the strongest influence on his early sound. The South wasn't merely
Elvis's geographical birthplace. Elvis's Southern heritage defined him person-
ally and musically. The types of music that inspired him -- rhythm and blues,
country western, blues, and gospel -- are steeped in the unique history and
cultures specific to the South.
For example, African Americans and rural white Southerners coexisted in a
racially segregated world with a tense atmosphere, but their cultures shared
common key values and beliefs, such as strong family ties, religions that
focused on earthly suffering and heavenly rewards, and the fervent belief
in sin and redemption. These themes, images, and values were naturally
reflected in the music and arts of both African Americans and rural white
Southerners. Given this common thematic ground, it isn't surprising that the
various musical styles and genres were influenced by each other. Elvis's com-
bination of Southern genres and styles in his music extended the influence
into integration.
The regionally based musical styles and genres spoke to the peoples of the
South in a personal way not characteristic of mainstream audiences and
pop music. In other words, a blues lament about working the fields all day at
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes: Examining Elvis's Early Years
37
Parchman Prison farm ("Parchman Farm Blues" by Bukka White) reflects the
beaten-down spirit of the victims of the South's harsh penal system. Often,
inmates worked from sunup till sundown no matter the weather conditions,
and African Americans were subject to the most brutal treatment. African
American listeners had firsthand knowledge and experience of their brutal
treatment at the hands of the Southern "justice" system and could relate to
the song.
Similarly, a country song glorifying trains ("Train Whistle Blues" by Jimmie
Rodgers) reveals a reverence for a mode of transportation that provided
escape from the poverty, the backbreaking work, and the limited opportuni-
ties for poor Southerners. Those rural white Southerners who had escaped
the country for the city knew the necessity of leaving such an environment
(like the Presleys did), but they still ached for the comfort of "back home."
Elvis strongly identified with the themes, styles, and lyrics of Southern-
based music, which had meaning to him that few outside the South ever
understood.
Making Music and History at Sun Studio
If Elvis had plans for a singing career when he graduated, he didn't confide
in anyone at that time. But, a few months after graduation, he cut an acetate
disc at the Memphis Recording Service, where he was noticed by Marion
Keisker, assistant to local record producer and owner of Sun Records and
Studio Sam Phillips. A few months later, Elvis returned to cut another disc
and caught the attention of Phillips himself, who jotted down his name and
information. A few months later, in July 1954, Phillips called him to come
to Sun Studio and record a song. And, thus began the most groundbreaking
singing career of the 20th century.
In this section, I chronicle the steps leading up to Elvis's first recording at
Sun Studio and the pioneering nature of that first single. I also list the other
singles Elvis recorded for Sun and detail the start of his career.
Taking that first step: Elvis, Marion,
and the Memphis Recording Service
Shortly after he graduated from L.C. Humes High School in 1953, Elvis, who
was working in the small-engine repair department at M.B. Parker Co., walked
into the Memphis Recording Service and told the woman behind the desk,
Marion Keisker, that he wanted to cut an acetate disc.
38 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
In the days before tape recorders were readily available to the mainstream
public, recording services existed so the general public could record anything
on an acetate disc for a small fee. As a matter of fact, the motto of the
Memphis Recording Service was "We record anything, anywhere, anytime,"
and owner Sam Phillips meant it. Anyone could cut an acetate disc -- people
who wanted to record greetings for loved ones in the service, those who
wanted to get down their personal histories for posterity, or folks who wanted
to hear what their singing voices sounded like.
The day that Elvis dropped by, he cut the song "My Happiness," a 1948 ballad
that had been made famous by the Ink Spots, on a disc for a fee of $4. Elvis
recorded another Ink Spots song, "That's When Your Heartaches Begin," for
the other side of the disc. Elvis accompanied himself on his childhood guitar.
The decision to record his voice at the Memphis Recording Service that hot
summer day represented Elvis's first step toward a career, though he didn't
realize it himself at the time, and it's unlikely that he was following any kind of
master plan.
Sam Phillips, the owner of both the Memphis Recording Service and Sun
Records (see the upcoming section for details on Phillips), was always look-
ing for new talent. The Memphis newspapers had written about Phillips and
the local artists he had recorded several times. More than likely, Elvis was
hoping to catch Sam's attention when he walked into the building to record
his disc. The Memphis Recording Service, which was open to anyone, and
Sun Records, which was for professional musicians, shared the same studio
and office space.
Unfortunately, Phillips wasn't there at the time -- Ms. Keisker was running
the service alone. She noticed Elvis's long, slicked-back hair and sideburns
and asked him what kind of music he sang and whom he sounded like. He
answered, "I don't sound like nobody," which made her curious. So she taped
the young singer on the studio's new master tape recorder while he made his
disc.
Phillips had once told Keisker that R&B could become popular with the gen-
eral public if he could find a white performer who could sing with the sound
and feel of a black man. Sam made the same statement to several parties
around town. Because Elvis chose two songs made famous by the Ink Spots
(a popular African American vocal group), Keisker thought that Phillips
might be interested in the polite young man. But, when the producer finally
listened to the two recordings, he wasn't impressed.
Presley returned to the Memphis Recording Service in January 1954 to record
two more songs: the ballad "Casual Love Affair" and the country-western
song "I'll Never Stand in Your Way." This time Phillips worked the controls.
The producer took down the young singer's name and address, but he didn't
offer Elvis much encouragement.
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes: Examining Elvis's Early Years
39
After Elvis became famous, his first encounters with the Memphis Recording
Service were molded into a story that was told and retold until it became a
legend that simply isn't accurate. When Elvis showed up at the Memphis
Recording Service for the second time, he was working for Crown Electric
delivering supplies. In the legend, however, Elvis was a truck driver when he
happened to stroll into the recording service for the first time to cut a record
as a gift for his mother's birthday. But, Elvis was working for a machinist when
he made his first disc in the summer of 1953. And, even though he was deliver-
ing supplies with a truck when he cut the second disc, he wasn't driving an
18-wheel tractor-trailer, which is what most people think of when they hear
the term "truck driver." His mother's birthday was in April, so that part of
legend is also untrue.
Meeting Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips owned and operated both the Memphis Recording Service and
Sun Studio. He also owned Sun Records, an independent record label that
had been recording R&B artists for a couple of years. Phillips enjoyed a
national reputation for discovering talented R&B singers. He paid the musi-
cians, financed the sessions, and recorded the artists himself in his little
studio on Union Avenue. He generally leased the master recordings to vari-
ous small record companies across the country, who then released the songs
on their own labels.
Phillips had been exposed to gospel and blues music growing up in Alabama,
and he, like Elvis, experienced the hard life and poverty common to rural
Southerners. When he began Sun Records in 1952, he recorded the blues music
of African American artists who wanted to cut singles but couldn't find studios
willing to record them. He also recorded country groups, including the Starlite
Wranglers. As a record producer, he drew on his life experiences to shape a
purely Southern sound that combined R&B, blues, and country-western music
with a hardscrabble philosophy born of bad times. The music that he culti-
vated -- that Dixie-fried sound called rockabilly -- emanated from Sun Studio
throughout the 1950s and became a core sound of rock 'n' roll.
Sam Phillips said this of his desire to record the music of poor Southerners:
"I just knew this [music] was culture, and it was so embedded in these people
because of hardship . . . Generation after generation, these people have been
overlooked -- black and white!"
Finally, in June 1954, Phillips called Elvis. The producer thought the kid might
be the singer to handle a ballad titled "Without You" that had the potential to
be a good record.
40 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Presley rushed down to Sun Studio and gave the song his best effort.
However, Elvis couldn't seem to capture whatever it was that Phillips wanted
for the ballad, so the producer had him run through every tune that he knew.
When nothing panned out, Phillips figured that Elvis needed practice and
seasoning. Sam knew everyone in the music business in Memphis, so he
contacted Scotty Moore, a guitar player with the Starlite Wranglers, and sug-
gested that he meet with Presley and a local bass player named Bill Black for
some practice.
Cutting "That's All Right"
In early July 1954, the unlikely trio of Elvis, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black
decided they were ready to begin work in Sun's tiny recording studio. One
evening, after trying a few ballads unsuccessfully, the group finally hit
on something while fooling around during a break. Presley started sing-
ing Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's old blues song "That's All Right" with a fast
rhythm and a casual style. Moore and Black quickly picked up their instru-
ments and jumped in. Phillips, who was excited by the trio's fresh sound,
asked them to start over and refine their playing a bit. Then he eagerly
recorded what he thought was surely lightning in a bottle. A few nights later,
they recorded their version of Bill Monroe's country bluegrass hit "Blue
Moon of Kentucky." Refer to Figure 2-2 to see Phillips and the trio in the
studio.
These two songs became the group's first single release. That first record --
with a blues tune on one side and a country classic on the other -- clearly
shows where Elvis's music was coming from. In the following sections, I
describe in detail the musical sound of Elvis's first single and then explain its
cultural significance.
The label on the single listed "Elvis Presley" beneath the song title and below
that in smaller letters the names "Scotty and Bill." From the billing, it was clear
that Elvis was the star attraction, but the contributions of the other two musi-
cians were noted.
Rocking the rhythm
Elvis's versions of "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" sounded
nothing like the originals. His approach was more easygoing, giving his inter-
pretations an air of spontaneity. He replaced the hard vocal delivery and
slow rhythm of Crudup's version of "That's All Right" with a relaxed vocal
style and fast pace. Likewise for "Blue Moon of Kentucky," the tempo was
sped up, and two elements were added that would make Presley famous: syn-
copation and reverberation. Elvis's syncopation of certain lyrics gave them
a hiccuplike effect as he sang, and the reverberation engineered by Phillips
during recording created a slight echo.
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes: Examining Elvis's Early Years
41
Figure 2-2:
Elvis, Bill
Black,
Scotty
Moore, and
Sam Phillips
pose in Sun
Studio.
Presley's style became known as rockabilly, which referred to the mix of coun-
try music, commonly called "hillbilly," with R&B that has been relaxed and
sped up, or "rocked."
Achieving musical integration
Elvis's early style as finessed by Phillips was truly an innovative fusion of
African American and rural white Southern genres. The blues or R&B part of
Elvis's music was infused with a driving rhythm that derived from country-
western music or mountain music, and the country part was given a hard
beat that came from the blues. The combination grew out of Presley's eclec-
tic personal tastes and his understanding of these regionally based sounds.
In combining country western, the music of the rural white South, with blues
and R&B, the music of African Americans, Elvis and Phillips achieved a musi-
cal integration the same year that Brown v. the Board of Education (1954)
forced the integration of schools in the South. This case would go on to
spearhead the civil rights movement and the drive toward social integration.
Elvis's first record is an example of cultural integration, which prefigured the
social integration that became a big part of our sociopolitical history in the
1950s and early 1960s. And, it suggests the importance of popular culture in
paralleling, reflecting, or influencing social change. It also suggests that in
any study of an era's history or society, an assessment of popular culture is
vital for fleshing out additional insights and nuances of the period.
Phillips and the group were excited about the single they cut and the innova-
tive sound they produced, but they also were aware of the racial restrictions
of their society. In an era when the city's white blue-collar workers were
coerced into joining all-white unions, and Phillips received threats and put-
downs for fostering the music of black artists, the four knew their efforts
would be considered provocative.
42 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Releasing additional Sun Studio
recordings
After Elvis's first record was such a local success (see the next section for
more info on that success), Phillips began cutting additional single releases
with his latest discovery in the fall of 1954. Like Elvis's first record, the other
four Sun singles featured an R&B-flavored tune on one side and a country or
pop song on the flip side, though Elvis rendered both tunes in his rockabilly
style. As with "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky," Moore and
Black backed Elvis on his other recordings.
Music historians with a purist view claim these recordings to be the high
point of Elvis Presley's career, because they best reflect the raw rockabilly
sound that proved so innovative and influential in the history of rock 'n'
roll. Even though not everyone agrees with this assessment, the records are
significant enough to be given their due. So in this section, I outline each of
Elvis's follow-up Sun Studio recordings.
"Good Rockin' Tonight" / "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine"
The second single disc that Elvis recorded with Phillips was released in
September 1954. The disc included the songs "Good Rockin' Tonight" and "I
Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine," and it sold 4,000 copies in the Memphis
area in two-and-a-half weeks.
Though written and released by Roy Brown in 1947, "Good Rockin' Tonight"
became better known the following year when R&B artist Wynonie Harris
recorded the definitive version. Harris had speeded up the tempo compared
to Brown's version, and Elvis speeded up Harris's interpretation even further.
Scotty Moore's driving guitar rhythms emphasized the speed, and Bill Black's
frenzied bass slapping drove home the beat to underscore the two distinctive
features of rockabilly.
The song's first line, "Have you heard the news?" was originally derived from
a phrase used during World War II to denote good news about the war: "Good
evening, America, there's good news tonight." But, it has since been consid-
ered a metaphor to represent the shock of the news that surrounded Elvis's
innovative sound.
Even though it had originally been written as a pop song for the animated
Disney feature Cinderella, Elvis gave the flip side to his second single, "I Don't
Care if the Sun Don't Shine," a rockabilly treatment as well. Still, it wasn't
enough to overcome the bland pop lyrics, which lack the hipness of "Good
Rockin' Tonight." Small wonder "Rockin'" has completely overshadowed it.
The tune was more suited to the styles of pop singers Patti Page and Dean
Martin, who recorded it in the early 1950s.
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes: Examining Elvis's Early Years
43
"Milkcow Blues Boogie" / "You're a Heartbreaker"
The next single that Elvis recorded was released around the first week
of January in 1955 and included "Milkcow Blues Boogie" and "You're a
Heartbreaker." The single sold well locally, and both sides of the record
received a lot of airplay on local radio. "You're a Heartbreaker" edges
"Milkcow" out in terms of significance, because it became the first Elvis song
for which sheet music was issued.
"Milkcow Blues Boogie" offers a good example of the way blues and coun-
try music exchanged influences. Blues singer Kokomo Arnold wrote and
recorded the song in 1934, and then legendary bluesman Robert Johnson
cut it in the mid-1930s. Texas swing singer Bob Wills, who may have heard
Johnson's version because the bluesman recorded for a while in Dallas,
released it a few years later in the country market. Elvis's version starts out
slow like Johnson's interpretation, but then he rocks the rhythm and turns
it into a rockabilly hit. As you can see, the historical lineage of the song tells
the story here -- from blues (Arnold and Johnson) to country (Wills) to rock-
abilly or rock 'n' roll (Elvis).
On the flip side of the disc is "You're a Heartbreaker," which could be clas-
sified as a sort-of retro-sounding country song. It has been dubbed the most
country of all the songs Elvis recorded for Sun. Sam Phillips purchased the
tune from amateur songwriter Jack Sallee, and it became the first Elvis song
for which Phillips owned the publishing rights. This brought in more money
for Phillips, because as publisher he got an additional cut for each disc sold.
And, if another singer recorded it, he got a cut of that version, too.
"I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone"/ "Baby Let's Play House"
In April 1955, Elvis released a disc with the songs "I'm Left, You're Right,
She's Gone" and "Baby Let's Play House."
The single's B side, "Baby Let's Play House," did so well that it became the
first Elvis single to appear on a national chart. It climbed to number ten on
the Billboard list of top-selling country songs. Many music historians cite this
song as the epitome of the Sun Studio sound, partly because of the edgy syn-
copation of the word "Baby" at the beginning of the song and also because
of the pure rockabilly rhythm. The provocative lyrics in which the singer
declares to a girl that he "wants to play house" reveal the sexual overtones of
the tune.
Elvis personalized the song by changing "religion" to "pink Cadillac" in the
line, "You may get religion but don't you be nobody's fool." Elvis loved big
cars, especially Cadillacs and Lincolns, and he was fond of having them
custom colored. About a year after this song was released, Elvis bought his
mother a brand-new pink Cadillac.
44 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Bluesman Arthur Gunter wrote and originally recorded "Baby Let's Play
House" in 1954, borrowing the title from the Eddy Arnold country song "I
Want to Play House with You." Again, the origin of the tune reveals the back-
and-forth influences between the different genres of Southern-based music.
Elvis attacked this song with enthusiasm, humor, and a rush of adrenaline,
making it his own.
Despite the witty title, "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" features lyrics
that are as banal as "Baby's" are provocative. Songwriters Stanley Kesler and
Bill Taylor wrote the tune the year before based on an old Campbell's soup
jingle. Country songs are notorious for using puns, twisting familiar phrases,
and playing off common clichés, and this tune is a good example of that. The
rockabilly treatment of this country song, as well as Elvis's enthusiastic per-
formance, elevates the song above the content. But the song paled in com-
parison to "Baby Let's Play House." In fact, it didn't even chart.
"Mystery Train"/ "I Forgot to Remember to Forget"
Elvis's single of "Mystery Train" and "I Forgot to Remember to Forget"
was released in August 1955 and was his last single disc for Sun Records.
"Mystery Train reached number 11 on the Billboard Country Disc Jockey
chart, and "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" did even better, reaching
number one on the Billboard jukebox chart and number one on its list of best-
selling country songs.
"Mystery Train" has become one of Elvis's most emblematic songs, because
the phrase "mystery train" has been appropriated by writers in referring to
his music or career. The song previously had been recorded by another Sun
Studio artist, Little Junior Parker, in 1953. Parker's version was inspired by
the Carter Family's "Worried Man Blues." The song is a lament, but Elvis's
pared-down, fast-paced interpretation is more haunting than mournful. The
shuffling rhythm, which is the result of Scotty Moore's excellent guitar play-
ing, is reminiscent of a train's locomotion.
According to Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards in an oft-repeated quote,
"Everyone else wanted to be Elvis. After hearing ["Mystery Train"], I wanted to
be Scotty Moore."
The flip side of the disc, "I Forgot to Remember to Forget," was more popular
at the time of release. As a matter of fact, it remained on the country charts
for 39 weeks, longer than any other Elvis single release on any Billboard
chart. The song was written by Stanley Kesler and Charlie Feathers, with the
latter singer-songwriter also under contract to Sun Records. One reason for
the song's popularity may have been because it was recorded by several Sun
artists. It was adaptable to any singer's style. In addition to Elvis, Johnny
Cash released a version with piano accompaniment by Feathers in 1958.
Jerry Lee Lewis cut it in 1961. Ironically, in retrospect, it has been forgotten,
perhaps because of the elevation of "Mystery Train," because of its symbolic
value in describing Elvis's life.
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes: Examining Elvis's Early Years
45
Making His Radio Debut with
Deejay Dewey Phillips
Producer Sam Phillips knew he had something special in "That's All Right."
So on July 7, 1954, he personally delivered a copy of the song to the hottest
disc jockey in Memphis -- Dewey Phillips (who was no relation to Sam).
Dewey was an extremely colorful character, whose uninhibited personality
was perfectly suited to his radio program in which he played the records of
whatever singers he wanted to hear, including African American blues artists
and R&B performers. Dewey did everything his own way. In fact, when he was
reading a commercial over the airways, he often ad-libbed part of the copy,
much to the chagrin of the sponsor, and usually concluded with, "Tell `em
Phillips sent ya."
Listeners knew Dewey was his own man, and they trusted his tastes and were
influenced by his program. Phillips had known Dewey for several years, and
they shared an interest in blues and R&B. For all those reasons, Dewey was
the obvious choice to launch "That's All Right." (You can read more about
Dewey in the nearby sidebar "Deejay Daddy-O-Dewey.")
Because he trusted Phillips, Dewey decided to spin "That's All Right" on his
WHBQ program Red Hot and Blue. After listening to the record, he truly liked
what he heard. When he introduced the single on his program the same night
he received it, telephone requests poured in for the deejay to play it again.
Dewey played the song over and over until he decided to put the unknown
singer on his program that very night.
While his record was making its radio debut, Elvis was trying to relax at
the movies. After Dewey phoned the Presley residence and asked for Elvis,
Vernon and Gladys dashed to the Suzore #2 to retrieve him. They went up
and down the aisles of the theater until they found him, and then the three
raced to the station. Daddy-O-Dewey, as he called himself on the air, told
the nervous young singer not to worry, because he would tell him when the
on-air interview started. He asked Elvis several questions about his life and
interests, trying to put him at ease. When Dewey thanked his guest for his
time, Elvis asked whether he was going to be interviewed or not. The crafty
deejay told him that he already had, because the mike had been open the
entire time. According to Phillips, Elvis broke out into a panic sweat.
One of the questions that Dewey asked the novice singer was what high
school he had attended, and Elvis replied, "Humes High." Though a harmless
question on the surface, it revealed to listeners that Elvis was white, because
Memphis was a segregated city and Humes was a white school. Because Elvis
had recorded a blues tune written and previously released by a black man
(Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup), and because Dewey often played the music of
African American musicians, audiences could have assumed the singer was
black without the deejay's polite revelation of Elvis's race.
46 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Deejay Daddy-O-Dewey
Born in the small town of Adamsville, the Taystee Bread Bakery because he talked
Tennessee, Dewey Mills Phillips was just a the bakers into stopping production in order to
small-town country boy until he came into his
make little bread people. And as an employee at
own on the airwaves of WHBQ in Memphis. Grant's dime store, he got into trouble for talk-
Almost everything he did on his radio pro-
ing like jive over the store's intercom. However,
gram was completely off the cuff. Part of the
he eventually talked his way onto the staff of
appeal of his program, Red Hot and Blue, was
WHBQ, which was broadcast from the Hotel
the music, but entertainment also came from
Chisca. Phillips took control of Red Hot and
his spontaneity, hip slang, and outrageous Blue, and despite having no formal training in
antics. He often referred to himself as Daddy-
radio, made the program a local hit.
O-Dewey. Consideration of his career offers By the late 1950s, however, hard times befell
a window into the individualism that defined Dewey Phillips. Top-40 programming had
the 1950s deejays, who often had a significant
become the mainstay of popular radio, and real
impact on the music scene via their support of
personalities like Phillips were shoved aside.
certain performers and genres of music.
In and out of work for the next dozen years,
Prior to landing his job as a radio deejay, Phillips never regained the stature he enjoyed
Phillips tried to hold regular jobs, but the same
in the mid-1950s. In 1968, he died of pneumonia,
characteristics that made him a star on the and Elvis attended the service, never forgetting
radio made him virtually unemployable in the
the first deejay to play one of his records.
regular world. For example, he was fired from
After the buzz created by the Red Hot and Blue program, Sam Phillips sent
"That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" to the factory to be pressed
as both a 78 rpm single and a 45 rpm single. At this point, the phenomenal
career of Elvis Presley was launched.
Thanks in part to Dewey Phillips's enthusiasm for Elvis Presley, "That's All
Right" created a stir in Memphis, selling 6,300 copies in three weeks. The
record climbed to number three on the local country-western charts, eventu-
ally selling 30,000 copies across the South.
Performing in Public for the First Time
On July 30, 1954, Presley made his first public appearance at the Overton
Park Shell. Accompanied by guitar player Scotty Moore and bass player
Bill Black, Elvis sang his two new hits "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of
Kentucky."
Chapter 2: Walking a Mile in His Shoes: Examining Elvis's Early Years
47
Elvis was just one of several acts on the program at the Overton Park Shell
that evening. The headliner was country yodeler Slim Whitman. Elvis was so
new to the music scene that he was billed as "Ellis Presley" in ads for the
event.
Like a tightly wound spring, the young singer moved all over the stage as
he performed his two songs, partly because he had a case of stage fright.
But stage fright aside, the young man was always full of nervous energy.
Performing live gave him an outlet to release that pent-up energy. During the
performance, he continually shook his leg while he sang, which caused some
of the teenagers in the audience to scream. Backstage during a break, he
asked Moore what the audience had been screaming at. Somewhat surprised
at the audience reaction himself, Moore remarked that it was the way Elvis
was shaking his leg.
Exactly where or from whom Elvis derived his kinetic performing style has
been hotly debated in biographies and music histories. The truth is that,
like his musical sound, his performing style was an integration of influences,
including singers and black and white gospel performers. It's a hybrid of vari-
ous influences and is something unique to Elvis as an entertainer. In fact, it's
something that differentiated him from later rockabilly singers. The following
influences have been cited by various biographers as inspiring the performing
style that forever branded "gyrating" a dirty word, but his live act is decep-
tively difficult to dissect, so I would caution drawing cause-and-effect
conclusions:
Lead singer Jake Hess of the colorfully dressed Statesmen was an
expressive singer, while bass singer Jim Wetherington liked to wear
wide-legged pants. When Wetherington shook his leg, his pants leg quiv-
ered. Elvis not only adopted an expressive singing style but he also had
a fondness for wide-legged pants.
Flamboyant Pentecostal preachers knew how to rile their congregations
to emotional high points via their preachings. Elvis learned to drive his
audiences to a sort of controlled hysteria.
Blues musician Ukelele Ike, who played at the Gray Mule on Beale
Street moved provocatively onstage as Elvis would do as his career
progressed.
Rhythm-and-blues singer Wynonie Harris also dressed colorfully.
Much later, Elvis's onstage movements, twitches, and gyrations would
become controversial, making the singer notorious as well as famous. (See
Chapter 5 for more information on the controversy over his performing
style.)
48 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Chapter 3
Touring As the Hillbilly Cat
and the Blue Moon Boys
In This Chapter
Looking at life on the road with Elvis and his band
Taking a closer look at Elvis's clothing preferences
Understanding the importance of touring
After Elvis's first public appearance at the Overton Park Shell in 1954
(see Chapter 2 for more information on this performance), the inex-
perienced singer began performing at local Memphis clubs and venues with
guitar player Scotty Moore and bass player Bill Black. After a few weeks, the
bookings expanded to clubs and halls outside the city, including appearances
at two of the most important venues in the South -- The Grand Ole Opry and
the Louisiana Hayride. The group was met with mixed results, but by 1955,
Elvis and his band, who were dubbed the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon
Boys, began touring with established country performers.
For the next year and a half, Elvis and his band sharpened their skills and
seasoned their act on the road, touring with some of the biggest names in
country music. However their music didn't sound like the other acts on the
bill. During that time, Elvis honed his singing style; adopted his trademark
look of flashy clothes, long sideburns, and long ducktail haircut for his act;
and developed his performing style from a series of tics, spontaneous bursts
of energy, and jumpy steps to a deliberate set of moves calculated to elicit
screams and excitement from the audience.
Most importantly, Elvis gained a following that included country fans, R&B
fans, and African Americans. Eventually, his largest following became a vocal
fan base of teenagers and young adults who responded to his expressive
singing and sensual performing style with an enthusiasm that seemed like
hysteria. Interestingly, throughout 1954 and 1955, when he toured in the
South and was labeled a country singer, he received little complaint about
his frenetic onstage movements or his atypical clothing and hair styles. The
biggest complaints came from other country singers who disliked following
Elvis and his high-powered act. He and his group whipped the young girls
into a frenzy, leaving the traditional country acts in the dust.
50 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Elvis was heavily condemned for his music and performing style only after he
became a nationally based recording artist in 1956 and his sound was called
rock 'n' roll.
In this chapter, I turn back the clock to take a look at Elvis in the beginning,
when he was a fresh talent with a new sound touring the back roads and the
country venues of the South. I discuss his appearances on the Grand Ole Opry
and the Louisiana Hayride radio program and examine how touring impacted
his career. Finally, I point out the differences between Elvis and the other
country acts that he toured with as well as the unique response of his audi-
ences to his high-powered performances.
Introducing the Blue Moon Boys
Elvis and his band toured as the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys. The
name was inspired by the trio's first recording, "That's All Right," which was
an old R&B tune by black musician Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. At the time,
local music aficionados and record buyers called R&B music "cat music," and
Elvis was a rural white Southerner, or a "hillbilly" singer. Just like his music,
Elvis's stage name integrated two styles of music. The name "Blue Moon
Boys" was a nod to the flip side of the single disc "That's All Right," which
was "Blue Moon of Kentucky."
Producer Sam Phillips's secretary, Marion Keisker, may have been the person
who coined Elvis's nickname, "the Hillbilly Cat" -- at least according to a 1955
Memphis Press-Scimitar article.
Fellow Blue Moon Boys, Moore and Black, had initially been tapped by
Phillips in 1954 to help whip Elvis into shape musically for recording. Phillips
knew Moore as a local guitarist who was trying to single-handedly push his
country group, the Starlite Wranglers, up the ladder of success. And Black,
who also was an occasional member of the Wranglers, lived two doors down
from Moore, so it was convenient for them both to show Elvis the ropes. Elvis
also knew Black's younger brother, Johnny, because the family had lived in
Lauderdale Courts at the same time as Elvis and his family.
According to Elvis biographer Peter Guralnik in Last Train to Memphis, Moore's
impression of Elvis upon their first meeting was a humorous one: "He was as
green as a gourd," Moore said. And here's Black's impression from the same
meeting: "Well, he didn't impress me much. Snotty-nosed kid coming in here
with those wild clothes and everything."
Moore, a respected guitar player around the Memphis music scene, gave
Elvis's sound the driving rhythm that was its strength. Black played doghouse
bass, which was the large, upright instrument popular in musical combos
before the electric bass guitar took hold. With his bass, Black was in charge of
the beat, often slapping the instrument so hard and fast that it looked painful.
Chapter 3: Touring As the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys
51
Attempting to describe Elvis's sound
When "That's All Right" was introduced, and
The November 6 issue of Billboard identi-
Elvis was nervously stepping in front of an
fied Elvis's style as "both country and R&B,
audience for the first time, the terms rocka-
and he can appeal to pop."
billy and rock 'n' roll weren't commonly used.
In a February 1955 article for the Memphis
Descriptions of his music in ads and posters,
Press-Scimitar, reporter Robert Johnson
trade magazines, newspapers, and country-
described Elvis as "a white man's voice
western song books varied widely, indicating
singing negro rhythms with a rural flavor."
the problems that the industry had in categoriz-
He referred to "That's All Right" as "the
ing it. The odd phrasings and unique terms that
R&B idiom of negro field jazz."
industry writers and music reviewers penned
revealed the diverse regional genres that made
In the summer of 1955, the American-
up Elvis's music. The inability to pinpoint Elvis's
Statesman of Austin, Texas, speculated that
music specifically suggests that no one realized
Elvis had a "boppish approach to hillbilly
that he had combined various regional sounds
music" -- that is "half-bop, half-Western."
into an explosive new genre.
The Cowboy Sings songbook (No. 44)
Writers groped for the right combination of
offered this perceptive opinion: "The
familiar musical terms to convey what they
young artist has made both sides of the
heard. Many of them are downright amusing.
record ["That's All Right"/"Blue Moon of
Consider the following:
Kentucky"] acceptable to a much wider
audience than the usual song which must
On October 20, 1954, the Memphis Press-
be put into just one category."
Scimitar referred to Elvis as a "promising
young rural rhythm talent."
Though Elvis would get all the glory because of his vocals, the contributions
of Moore and Black to the rockabilly sound can't be underestimated.
After the trio recorded "That's All Right" and began appearing around
Memphis night spots, Moore dropped out of the Starlite Wranglers, and he
and Black hitched themselves to Elvis's star.
Dressing As the Hillbilly Cat
When looking at photos of Elvis with the Blue Moon Boys, you immediately
notice that the Hillbilly Cat stands out. Moore and Black often wore their
western-style Starlite Wranglers costumes or white shirts with ties. Elvis, on
the other hand, preferred the style of clothing that black rhythm-and-blues
artists often wore. (See Figure 3-1.) Flashy, hip, bold, and urban, this type of
clothing could be purchased on Beale Street, where the black night clubs and
hot spots were located. Among the most respected shops on Beale Street was
Lansky Brothers, which was operated by Guy and Bernard Lansky.
52 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Figure 3-1:
The Hillbilly
Cat and
the Blue
Moon Boys
dressed in
opposing
styles, but
they had
a love of
music in
common.
Elvis favored pleated pants with wide legs. These pants virtually vibrated
when Elvis bounced on the balls of his feet while performing. He seemed to
like trousers with stripes down the sides, because years later several people
recalled seeing him in pink-striped and white-striped pants. Big baggy suit
coats in white or black draped his thin body, while brightly colored ties in
gaudy patterns rounded out the ensemble. However, sometimes he preferred
tight, high-collared shirts in bright colors with the sleeves rolled up. Pink and
black were his favorite colors, so, of course, he wore a pink and black suit for
his first appearance on the Louisiana Hayride. But, he also was fond of his sea
green bolero jacket, which he wore with a mariner's cap.
Elvis's wardrobe was certainly atypical of the western-style costumes associ-
ated with both male and female country artists at the time, which featured
kerchiefs around the neck, Stetson hats, and shirts embroidered with pat-
terns and trimmed with piping. However, some of these western costumes,
such as those worn by Porter Wagoner and Hank Thompson, were actually
quite gaudy with colored rhinestones and brightly colored patterns sewn
onto the fronts, sleeves, and backs. So Elvis's Beale Street clothing wasn't any
gaudier than that of typical country artists. Instead, he stood out because he
dressed like African American R&B artists. Elvis dressed in his Beale Street
attire both on stage and off, but he was fond of capping his look onstage with
eye makeup and a carefully sculpted ducktail haircut.
Elvis's ducktail hairstyle took a long time to perfect and required three differ-
ent hair products. He used a thick pomade to slick back the hair high on his
head (though one carefully chosen strand always fell over his eyes while he
performed). Another product slicked back the sides, and a third was used to
form the central part that ran from the crown of the head to the nape of his
neck. The effect resembled the rear end of a duck, so a less-polite name for
this hairstyle developed: the duckass, or d.a.
Chapter 3: Touring As the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys
53
Hitting the Road on the
Country-Western Circuit
After the Overton Park Shell performance, Presley, Moore, and Black began
to sing at tiny clubs around Memphis, such as the Eagles Nest, the Bel Air,
and the Airport Inn. They also performed at the openings of shopping cen-
ters, using the back of a flatbed truck as a stage. Their public appearances
were limited to high school auditoriums, small night clubs, and roadhouses
in and around the Memphis area because all three musicians worked day
jobs and couldn't afford to take time off from work in order to drive long dis-
tances to shows farther away. Elvis still worked for Crown Electric driving a
delivery truck, Moore worked at his brother's dry cleaning service, and Black
worked for a tire company. Because Moore had the most experience as a
working musician, he served as the combo's manager and arranged the local
bookings.
The concert at the Overton Park Shell was Elvis's first public appearance as
a professional singer, but he had sung onstage for the first time about two
weeks prior to that performance. On July 17, 1954, he sang two songs with
the Starlite Wranglers at the Bon Air nightclub in east Memphis. Moore, who
played guitar for the Wranglers, set up the appearance to allow Elvis some
much-needed practice in front of an audience.
As the owner-operator of a recording studio, producer Sam Phillips knew
many promoters, deejays, and other members of the music industry, and
he moved mountains to get Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys on the Grand Ole
Opry and the Louisiana Hayride. The trio's infamous appearance on the Opry
turned out to be a disaster, but their debut on the Hayride was a hit. After
the success of the Hayride, Elvis and his band began touring in Arkansas,
Louisiana, Texas, and other states where the Hayride broadcast reached. By
late fall of 1954, all three band members had quit their day jobs. For better or
worse, they were now professional musicians, and the road beckoned them.
In this section, I talk about the musical adventures and real-life exploits of the
trio at the earliest point in their career together -- a period often celebrated
by biographers for the purity of the music and the anonymity of Elvis as a
performer. From late 1954 to the end of 1955, the trio tore up the country-
western circuit as the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys.
Failing at the Opry
Overjoyed at the local success of "That's All Right," Phillips approached Jim
Denny, the manager of the Grand Ole Opry, about booking the trio for the
show. His argument was based solely on the strength of that first single and
the idea that Elvis represented new blood, which heralded success among
54 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
youth. Denny finally agreed to let the group sing one song for one perfor-
mance on October 2, 1954, provided it was the country side to their single,
"Blue Moon of Kentucky."
On the night of the show, Phillips drove the trio to Ryman Auditorium, home
of the Opry radio show, in his four-door Cadillac, with Black's doghouse bass
strapped to the roof. The Grand Ole Opry as an institution was -- and still
is -- devoted to the most traditional style of country music. Popular per-
formers sang live in front of a large audience, and the performance was then
broadcast across the South every Saturday night by Nashville radio station
WSM on a program called The Grand Ole Opry. The show was divided into
segments, each with a different sponsor and headlining star. The perform-
ers who filled out the segments tended to vary from week to week based on
whether they could fit an appearance in their schedules.
For the October 2 performance, Elvis was assigned to Hank Snow's segment
sponsored by Royal Crown Cola. It probably wasn't a good sign when Opry
regulars began to mumble about Elvis's eye makeup as he mingled backstage.
As the Blue Moon Boys began the song, Elvis bounded onto the stage where
many a country music legend had been born, but the reception by the audi-
ence and some of the personnel was cool. Given the traditional nature of the
Opry, Elvis and his revved-up music just weren't suited for the show.
After the trio's one song was over, Denny told Phillips that Elvis wasn't a
good fit for The Grand Ole Opry. The young singer was personally devas-
tated by the negative reaction, because he and his family, like most rural
Southerners, had been fans of the program much of their lives. Scotty and Bill
also felt low, but Phillips felt he had scored a victory by simply getting one of
his R&B-influenced rockabilly singers on the show.
Hopping aboard the Louisiana Hayride
The Monday after the Grand Ole Opry appearance, Phillips booked the
Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys on the Louisiana Hayride, which was
another live show broadcast over the radio. However, the Hayride was dedi-
cated to showcasing new styles of country music and attracted a younger
audience than the Opry. In its six years on the air, the program had fea-
tured Hank Williams when the folks behind the Grand Ole Opry had turned
him away. The Hayride organization had also discovered Slim Whitman,
Webb Pierce, Jim Reeves, and Faron Young. The new trio fit right in on
the Louisiana Hayride, which was broadcast on KWKH from the Municipal
Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana.
On October 16, Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys appeared on two segments of
the Louisiana Hayride radio program. Each time, they performed both songs
from their first single. Response to his first appearance was tepid, perhaps
because the singer was still reeling from his Grand Ole Opry failure. By the
second segment, however, a large group of college students had shown up,
Chapter 3: Touring As the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys
55
and the reception was entirely different. The enthusiasm of the students
lit up the room, making Elvis a bona fide hit on the program. The Louisiana
Hayride organization contracted Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys to make 50
appearances, which they fulfilled more or less over the next year.
They began touring with the Louisiana Hayride road show, which featured
a diverse bill of some of the program's most popular acts. The Louisiana
Hayride live show paid Elvis only $18 for each Saturday appearance, with
Moore and Black receiving only $12. However, hooking up with the organiza-
tion meant that their act was broadcast over a network of 190 radio stations,
which gave them exposure for their recordings and promotion for their con-
certs. More importantly, the Hayride tours across the South maximized their
exposure for their latest records. In 1955, the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon
Boys made $430,000 in royalties for their Sun recordings. (You can read more
about the group's Sun recordings in Chapter 2.)
Adding a drummer: D.J. Fontana
Between the three of them, the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys made a
ruckus onstage at the Louisiana Hayride. However, when they were backed by
the house band during their performances, they saw the benefits of adding
drums to their live sound. D.J. Fontana played as the regular house drum-
mer for the program and whenever the trio performed on the Hayride radio
program he backed them up. When the Hayride began booking the Hillbilly
Cat and the Blue Moon Boys on tours with big-name country acts, Fontana
went along as their drummer. Going on the road with specific acts wasn't
uncommon for members of the Hayride house band, but by 1955, he was on
board as a permanent Blue Moon Boy. When Elvis's contract was up with the
Hayride, D.J. went with him.
Fontana's impression of Elvis was a positive one from the beginning. He
recalled in an interview: "Elvis had this charisma about him. I don't think any-
body could ever put their finger on what he did or how he did it . . . . Onstage
he could feel the audience out in about five or ten minutes. He knew the songs
they wanted to hear for some reason, and he could work that crowd to his
benefit. He was really good."
Acquiring a manager: Bob Neal
In November 1954, Presley, Moore, and Black took another important step
toward establishing professional careers when they hired Bob Neal to be
their official manager. Moore had been serving as their manager for small,
local gigs, and Phillips had stepped in to secure the important Grand Ole
Opry and Louisiana Hayride bookings. But, neither one could provide the
service of a full-time manager who was dedicated to tracking down bookings,
promoting the appearances, and placing print ads.
56 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Neal, who had put together the Overton Park Shell show in July, was a
disc jockey for country radio station WMPS and had a lot of connections
in the local music business. Excited by Elvis's effect on his audiences and
impressed with the young man's drive and ambition, Neal took on the role
of manager, thinking he was getting in on the ground floor of something
special. Sadly, any plans for helping Elvis make it to the national level didn't
come to fruition for Neal. (See Chapter 4 for information on Neal and Colonel
Tom Parker, Elvis's legendary manager.) For the time being, Neal pushed the
group's records, booked tours across the South with big-name country acts,
and handled all their business arrangements.
Becoming a hard act to follow
By November, Elvis felt secure enough to quit his job at Crown Electric, and
Moore and Black soon followed suit by leaving their day jobs. The following
January, manager Neal began booking them on a series of tours that kept
them on the road most of the month.
Throughout 1955, Elvis grew more popular with young audiences, who could
be loud, disruptive, and demonstrative during the shows. His shows were so
high energy that he riled the audience up, provoking them to want more of
the same. Traditional country acts who followed Elvis on the bill seemed so
tame in comparison that most dreaded going on after him. In fact, sometimes
promoters had difficulty placing Elvis on the bill. If he closed the show, his
young fans grew restless waiting for him. But, if he performed earlier in the
program, the young crowds, who were ramped up by his act, were often rude
to the remaining performers, or they simply left. As the year wore on, Elvis's
high-energy shows caused complaints from the other performers and refus-
als to play on the same bill as the Hillbilly Cat.
However, not all country artists felt this way. Some, including younger sing-
ers such as Faron Young, Johnny Cash, Wanda Jackson, and the Carter
Sisters, considered Elvis a kindred spirit, despite his crazy performing style
and his tendency to dress in pink slacks, green bolero jackets, and fluffy
shirts. When they toured on the same bill, Cash sometimes lampooned Elvis's
act a bit by mimicking his moves. It was all in the spirit of fun, and the young
performers enjoyed their time together on the road.
Recognizing the Importance of Touring
Recording "That's All Right" may have made Elvis a professional singer, but
touring made him a success. The way to create interest in a recording artist
during the early 1950s was to introduce him or her through radio airplay and
then create a live stage act to generate record sales (which in turn generated
even more interest in the stage act).
Chapter 3: Touring As the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys
57
Touring with a who's who of country artists
Many overviews of Elvis's career make the mis-
and contemporary country acts like Sonny
take of downplaying his country music roots and
James and Marty Robbins. All these perform-
overlooking the caliber of performer he toured
ers became country music's biggest artists of
with on the country circuits. Much of the Elvis
the 1950s and 1960s and influenced the genre.
lore and literature reveals a lack of interest and
Elvis was even on the same bill as comedian
understanding of country music, preferring to
Andy Griffith, who became one of television's
overemphasize the R&B roots to "prove" that
most beloved actors. Touring with these impor-
Elvis was the true social rebel he was painted
tant figures suggests that Elvis was considered
to be. But, it's essential to recognize the country
a hot act on the country-western circuit and
music context to understand the impact of his
underscores his Southern roots despite his dif-
Southern background on his entire career.
ferent look and sound. Elvis had a lifelong love
and respect for country music, which comes
Presley, Moore, and Black toured with tra-
into play during the last phase of his career.
ditionalists like Hank Thompson, the Wilburn
Having watched these legendary artists per-
Brothers, Webb Pierce, Hank Snow, and Jim
form close up surely made an impact on him,
Edward & Maxine Brown; crooners such as even if it wasn't immediate.
Carl Smith and Ferlin Huskey (later Husky);
The two years that Elvis toured across the South with the Blue Moon Boys
helped him accomplish several objectives that prepared him for national
exposure. For one, touring with other country acts helped differentiate him
from the pack, establishing him as a unique presence on the music scene. It
also created a loyal following consisting of several age groups and types, who
were eventually overshadowed by teenagers and young adults. Finally, it
allowed him, and the Blue Moon Boys, to season the act, making it more delib-
erately provocative and exciting. During those two years, Elvis honed his per-
forming style from a random set of tics and moves into a sophisticated
"dance" in which a series of calculated movements -- hip swiveling, leg shak-
ing, finger pointing, chest heaving -- elicited screams and squeals from his
raucous audiences. This section details the impact of those two years on
Elvis's career and act.
One in a million: Standing out
from the crowd
Elvis toured across the South with the biggest names in country-western music,
from the legendary Mother Maybelle Carter, who was one of the first com-
mercial performers in the genre, to yodeler Slim Whitman and country
crooner Faron Young. He also shared bills with other prominent and diverse
country entertainers who sang in a variety of styles; some were very tradi-
tional and others were more contemporary.
58 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Country music is much more versatile and "elastic" than the mainstream
media gives it credit for; the genre stretches to include many styles, forms,
and specific regional sounds. While embracing traditional values, ideals, and
sounds, country habitually absorbs influences from other popular genres,
including pop, blues, and Tin Pan Alley.
Even though Elvis was easily accepted into the fold of country music, his full
integration of regional musical styles made him sound quite different from
the average act. Rockabilly, which fused the heavy beat of blues and rhythm
and blues with a rocket-fueled country rhythm, was more than a new trend in
country music; it was a forerunner to rock 'n' roll. The singer's limitless well
of energy and his kinetic performing style also singled him out as different
from standard country acts. And, if his sound and stage act weren't different
enough, his Beale Street wardrobe closed the deal.
Touring on the country-western circuit served to contrast Elvis with the
other acts on the bill. Elvis's unique qualities as an entertainer -- particularly
his singing and performing styles -- were readily apparent to audiences,
the press, record execs, and others in the music industry, because he stood
out in comparison. His differences prepared audiences and industry folk to
accept him outside the framework of the country-western scene when he
took his career to the national level in 1956. (See Chapter 4 for more informa-
tion on Elvis's breakthrough on the national music scene.)
Establishing a diverse following
Elvis's fan base began to develop as soon as his first two recordings, "That's
All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky," hit the airwaves in Memphis. During
his early career, Elvis's popularity spread among diverse groups, including
African Americans, country fans, and young audiences. I discuss these fan
bases in the following sections.
Appealing to African Americans
Some of Elvis's early audience consisted of African American listeners,
because "That's All Right" was played on black radio stations and on Dewey
Phillips's program Red Hot and Blue. (Flip to Chapter 2 to find out more about
the flamboyant Dewey Phillips.)
Stories abound that deejays didn't know whether Elvis was black or white
when his career took off in the summer of 1954. Many of the stories were
exaggerated and even romanticized by rock music historians, who tend
to propagate Elvis's image as a rebel and focus on his ties to R&B music,
but some of the stories are true. A deejay named Early Wright, for exam-
ple, recalled that he regularly played Elvis's records at his Clarksdale,
Mississippi, radio station. When he invited Elvis to make an appearance on
Chapter 3: Touring As the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys
59
his radio program, Wright was surprised when a young white man showed
up. Likewise some country stations refused to play his first single, because
they thought Elvis was black.
Many African Americans remained fans after Elvis's race was widely known.
In 1955, Sun Records repeatedly filled and refilled orders for Elvis's singles
with R&B distributors across the South. The singer retained a following
among R&B fans long after he signed with RCA in 1956. In a poll taken by
Cashbox magazine of artists who dominated the R&B charts between 1949
and 1971, Elvis was ranked 19th. He was the only white performer on the list.
After Elvis died in 1977, his status among members of the mainstream enter-
tainment press was at a low point. Outside of bona fide music historians and
rock 'n' roll writers, few discussed his significance as a musical force in their
musings over his death. In fact, when attempting to put his career into per-
spective, many claimed that he had stolen the music of black performers and
watered it down in order to cash in on the burgeoning popularity of R&B with
young white audiences. They speculated that black audiences and performers
must have resented him; surely he was no "King" to them. These biased crit-
ics and cultural pundits didn't know of (or simply ignored) Elvis's popularity
with black audiences during the 1950s, which has been well documented by
Michael T. Bertrand in his book Race, Rock, and Elvis (University of Illinois
Press).
Attracting country fans and young audiences
After his appearances on the Louisiana Hayride, when he began touring the
country circuits across the Deep South, Elvis was introduced to pure country
audiences. He generally attracted the loyalty of country music fans who pre-
ferred the less traditional acts heard on the Hayride, but conservative coun-
try fans who turned out to see the other performers on the bill were often
sufficiently amused by his raucous stage act.
As Elvis crisscrossed the South throughout 1955 on one tour after another,
his fan base grew and became dominated by young audiences. He attracted
teenage boys and girls and young adults for several reasons:
The music, especially the beat
Elvis's age, which was obvious from his hair and clothing style
The excitement of his performing style, which was revealed only
through touring
As the year went on, the young fans, who were sometimes loud and more rau-
cous than typical country audiences, came only to see Elvis. However, that
doesn't mean that others in his fan base who weren't as demonstrative, such
as country fans or African Americans, stopped buying his records or listening
to his music.
60 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Shakin' and gyratin': Honing
a performing style
The young female fans became unglued when Elvis shook his legs and swiv-
eled his hips. What started out as natural nervous movements to the beat of
the music became a more calculated performing style as Elvis turned into a
more seasoned performer. In this section, I offer some insights into Elvis's
trademark gyrations.
Refining his influential moves
By 1955, Elvis had begun to fine-tune his performing style, in which he moved
his hips, shook his legs, and sometimes collapsed totally on the floor. He
remembered the flamboyant movements of the gospel quartets he watched
as a kid, the deep feeling of the blues performers, and the rhythm behind the
R&B singers. He gradually combined all of these into a unique performing
style, which, over the course of time, he used to work the audiences into a
frenzy.
Bill Black also added entertainment to the show. He liked to dance and roll
around on the floor with his huge bass fiddle. The group's performances
were sometimes considered too wild in small towns, and a few country sing-
ers didn't like to perform after Elvis, because the crowd was too worked up
after his act. (Flip to the earlier section "Becoming a hard act to follow" for
more information.) However, in larger towns, they were a hit.
Traditional country singer Porter Wagoner, who also was a star on the
Louisiana Hayride, recalled Black's contribution to the onstage shenanigans
in an interview for the book Elvis Up Close. "[Bill Black] got as much applause
as Elvis did because he done this mimickin' thing. Elvis would shake his leg
and then Bill would just go crazy and shake his leg, ass, and everything else --
really wild . . . Elvis would throw his guitar around his shoulder, and then Bill
Black would try and do that with his big stand-up bass. It was real entertainin'.
People would just tear the house down!"
According to Moore, Elvis's trademark stage moves began the night he played
at the Overton Park Shell on July 30, 1954. And, those who write about Elvis
can't help but emphasize his performing style at this time, detailing its effect
on girls in the audience. In describing his stage act, most biographers and
authors depend on the personal reminiscences of those who performed with
Elvis, or those lucky enough to have seen him in 1954 or 1955. Some valu-
able sources of primary research are available, but you have to be careful of
personal accounts, because they can be exaggerated, colored by emotion, or
tainted by film footage and kinescopes of Elvis performing much later.
Chapter 3: Touring As the Hillbilly Cat and the Blue Moon Boys
61
On the edge of hysteria: One night in Jacksonville
On May 13, 1955, Elvis performed in a concert
ripping his clothes off. They pulled off his suit
that has since become part of his legend. His
jacket and ripped a ruffled pink shirt to pieces.
performance is legendary not because of Fearful of injury, Elvis began climbing a shower
what happened onstage but because of what
stall, only to have the girls pull his shoes and
happened after it was over. Elvis was singing
socks off. They were tugging at his pants when
in Jacksonville, Florida, at the stadium where
help arrived to rescue the stunned star.
the Gator Bowl was played. Over 14,000 people
The next day, the newspapers were filled with
attended, many of them teenagers and young
stories about girls ripping the clothes off the
fans who were there only to see Elvis.
latest singing sensation. This story illustrates
That night someone accidentally left a back-
the effect Elvis had on the female fans in the
stage gate open and unlocked, and no one audience. It also reveals what real hysteria
noticed that it was open enough for people to
was like. It was common at the time to refer to
slip under. Elvis and the audience had really
Elvis's screaming fans as "hysterical" and the
clicked during the performance, and so after he
atmosphere at his concerts as "hysteria," but
sang his last song, he jokingly remarked, "I'll see
most of the time Elvis controlled the reaction of
all you girls backstage." Moments later, when
the fans to a large extent. However, this inci-
he was in the area marked off as his dressing
dent revealed what could happen when fans
room, about 50 screaming girls got in and began
crossed the line into true hysteria.
The impression left by these exaggerated accounts is that Elvis's performing
style was so instinctive that it blossomed almost immediately. And, inevita-
bly some variation of the word "hysteria" is used to describe the audiences,
painting a picture of them as out of control. Elvis moved around onstage
from the beginning, because he was naturally full of nervous energy and just
plain anxious about performing before the public. However, it's doubtful that
Elvis's performing style fully developed the moment he stepped onstage at
Overton Park.
Instead, he most likely realized that his spontaneous tics and moves had an
effect on the audience, and so he began to hone those moves in an effort to
tease the audience and ramp up their reactions. Some of the onstage antics
did turn raucous, and audiences did get out of control occasionally, but most
likely the "hysteria" was more or less controlled by Elvis. Eventually, the inter-
action between audience and performer became part of the act -- and part of
the attraction of seeing Presley perform live.
62 Part I: Getting in the Groove: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Using rare new footage to reevaluate Elvis's performing style
Recently, rare film footage of Elvis from 1955 surfaced, and it clearly supports
the idea that his performing style evolved during the year and a half that he
toured. It also showed that a Presley concert wasn't always defined by hys-
terical girls. The 8mm color footage is silent, but it shows a 20-year-old Elvis
singing on an outdoor stage at Magnolia Gardens in Houston on April 24,
1955. The footage was shot by a pair of newlyweds who were eager to try out
their new camera. The pair was close to the elevated stage and to the left of
Elvis, so the angle clearly captures the singer as he moves about the stage.
Those familiar with Elvis's performing style will recognize some of his trade-
mark moves in this footage: He continually bounces on the balls of his feet as
he sings, and on occasion he stands back to swivel his hips. But, these move-
ments lack the drama of his later television performances after he becomes
a national sensation. Here, on this sunny day in Houston, Elvis spends most
of his performance pacing from the back of the stage, where Moore is play-
ing the guitar, to the front to sing into the microphone. While not much of
the audience is visible, a couple of girls can be seen calmly sitting on the
end of the stage looking out into the crowd; others stroll leisurely in front of
the camera. The scene stands in marked contrast to his later concerts in the
same way that his stage act lacks the calculation and interaction between
performer and audience of his later shows. Available as an extra on the DVD
collection Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Shows from Image Entertainment, the footage
adds a new perspective on the development of Elvis's performing style.
This recently found footage makes another point: Elvis may be one of the
most written about celebrities in the history of entertainment, but that doesn't
mean that there isn't anything new to discover about him. New evidence can
shed light on his music, his performing style, or his career; new perspectives
can change the critical perception of him and his impact on American culture.
With a cultural figure as significant as Elvis, the book is never closed.
Chapter 4
Shocking America: Elvis Becomes
a National Sensation
In This Chapter
Meeting Colonel Tom Parker
Recording for RCA
Examining Elvis's appearances on television
As Elvis rocked his way across the South in 1955, touring with big-name
country stars, he attracted the attention of major record labels. Buzz
about the crazy Hillbilly Cat and his very vocal fans suggested to many in the
music industry that he was capable of breaking out of the regional market to
become a national success.
Country-western promoter and ex-carnival operator Colonel Tom Parker
began watching the young singer in the late winter, and before the year was
out, he had become a part of Presley's team. He negotiated a contract with
nationally based RCA Victor that included a buyout of Elvis's existing con-
tract with Sun Records. Some execs at RCA didn't know what to make of the
strangely dressed singer with the organic approach to recording, but his first
singles for the company were instant hits. Part of the plan to launch their
new property was to gain national exposure on the many television variety
shows that dominated programming during the 1950s. To that end, they suc-
ceeded in ways that they could never have foreseen.
After debuting on Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's Stage Show, Elvis created a
national scandal when he performed on The Milton Berle Show, setting off a
controversy that heated up throughout 1956 and culminated with his infa-
mous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in which he was filmed only from
the waist up. The controversy dogged him throughout the 1950s.
In this chapter, I chronicle the biggest year in Elvis Presley's life -- 1956 -- the
year he launched his career on a national stage. Elvis was propelled into a level
of fame that he would never escape, and American culture was changed forever.
64 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Meeting Colonel Tom Parker
Biographies of Elvis Presley penned by both professionals and personal
acquaintances often paint Colonel Tom Parker as the villain in the story.
Parker's background as a carnival barker when he was a young man in
Florida made him easy to underestimate. Elitist writers often looked down on
his persona as an old-time carny hustler who relied on unsophisticated pro-
motional stunts, exploitation tactics, and the merchandising of cheap prod-
ucts to build his client's career. After Elvis died, the Colonel revealed his true
identity, which showed that his exaggerated stories about himself and his
outrageous persona allowed him to deflect attention from his real past.
Parker was the force behind Elvis's evolution from a regionally based country
performer to a nationally known rock 'n' roll star. Parker first saw Presley in
early 1955 and watched as he grew into a unique performer whose charisma
attracted the most rabid fans. Parker eventually stepped in to become a part
of the action.
The Colonel realized a recording contract from a major company was neces-
sary to reach a mainstream audience, which meant the highest level of popu-
larity and financial success. He had contacts at RCA Victor and connections
with the William Morris Agency to facilitate Elvis's introduction to that level
of show business. This section tells the story of how Parker became Elvis's
manager and how he maneuvered his one and only client into the big time.
The "Colonel" in Parker's name doesn't refer to an official military rank. It
comes from an old Southern custom of honoring a gentleman by bestowing
the title of Colonel on him. The practice originated in colonial times when men
of landed gentry were honored for financing the local militia, but eventually
the title became a more generic tradition or custom. Usually the honor is spe-
cific to a particular state; in Parker's case, he was named Colonel by Governor
Jimmie Davis of Louisiana in 1948.
Uncovering the Colonel's true background
From the beginning of his career in the music industry -- long before he met
Elvis -- Parker played the old carnival huckster to the hilt, especially for the
press, Hollywood studio executives, or any others he felt were underestimat-
ing him. He delighted in telling his old carny stories, making impossible deals,
haggling over the tiniest detail in a contract, and complicating standard con-
tracts with unusual clauses and requirements. All these tactics were designed
to give him an advantage in deal making, and they generally worked.
In truth, Parker's exaggerated carny image helped deflect any serious
inquiries into his past. Parker always told reporters that he hailed from
Chapter 4: Shocking America: Elvis Becomes a National Sensation
65
Huntington, West Virginia, which was a difficult fact to verify because the
West Virginia state courthouse burned down decades earlier, destroying
all the records housed there. It turns out, however, that the Colonel wasn't
Tom Parker at all. Instead, he was born in 1909 as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk
of Breda, Holland. Parker entered America illegally around 1929, perhaps
by jumping from a Dutch ship docked in Florida. During the 1930s, he criss-
crossed the American South on the carnival circuit, doing everything from
selling cotton candy to working as a barker (the person who lures customers
to entertainment acts by shouting out their attractions). Parker began two
carnivals himself before giving up the carny life to become a dogcatcher and
later a promoter of country-western acts. As a successful promoter and man-
ager, he made important contacts in the music business that served him well
when managing Elvis.
Parker's real identity didn't surface until 1981, four years after Elvis's death,
when the Presley estate investigated the former manager for mismanaging
Elvis during the last few years of his life. When the estate decided to sue the
Colonel, he revealed his true identity. Ever the slippery carny, he tried to
claim that he wasn't a U.S. citizen but a man without a country, which meant
that he couldn't be sued. The case was eventually settled out of court, but
the news about Parker's true past shocked the Elvis community.
Waiting in the wings to sign Elvis
In 1954, Parker was working as a promoter under the name Jamboree
Attractions when he signed a talent and booking partnership with country
singer Hank Snow. Parker would be in charge of booking acts for his road
shows and handling Hank Snow Enterprises, which included radio, TV, film,
and recording commitments.
In early 1955, Elvis's manager Bob Neal signed Presley and his band to one of
Snow's tours. He and the band shared the bill with Snow, Mother Maybelle
and the Carter Sisters, the comedian known as the Duke of Paducah, and
Jimmie Rodgers Snow (Hank's son). The Colonel took notice of Elvis, particu-
larly his energetic and intense singing and performing styles. Parker then
decided to keep a close eye on the kid with the high-powered act.
In May 1955, when Elvis was mobbed by girls backstage in Jacksonville,
Florida, the Colonel saw the near riot as proof of the boy's star power. (See
Chapter 3 for more information on this incident.) So Parker adopted a pro-
prietary attitude toward Elvis but said nothing to anyone about managing
him. Part of his interest, which others on the tour began to notice, took the
form of introducing Elvis to RCA scouts and promotion experts and persuad-
ing them to send the boy's Sun singles to the executives in Nashville. He also
began filling Elvis's head with promises about his future career.
66 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Making Elvis his sole client
In the summer of 1955, Sam Phillips of Sun Records leaked word to those in
the business that he might be willing to sell Elvis's contract if the price was
right. This led Bob Neal to begin fielding inquiries from independent and
major labels who wanted to buy out Elvis's contract.
Selling Sun's hottest property may have seemed crazy, but Sam had good rea-
sons for wanting to make a deal. Sun Records was too small to handle demand
outside of the South, because it didn't have a distribution network capable
of meeting the orders that a nationally based singer would generate. Plus the
company was already strapped for cash in trying to meet the manufacturing
demands of their success thus far. Sam knew he would have to sell sooner or
later.
At this point, the Colonel stepped in, first as a special adviser to Elvis and
later as his manager. Parker would be instrumental in working out a deal
between RCA and Sam Phillips -- the deal resulted in Elvis becoming a
national recording artist.
Becoming Elvis's special adviser
On August 2, Elvis's parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley, met with the
Colonel about signing a contract naming him "special adviser" to Elvis and
Bob Neal. Elvis's parents had to sign the contract because he was under 21
years of age. (You can read more about the Presleys in Chapter 2.) A second
near riot in which fans ripped the clothes off Elvis's back had occurred in
Jacksonville that month, and Gladys feared for the safety of her son. The
Colonel reassured her that he didn't want a repeat of this type of behavior,
but Gladys was still leery of Parker, so she and Vernon didn't sign. At about
the same time, the Colonel was talking up an RCA deal with Phillips, and he,
too, was put off by the former carny and didn't agree to the deal even though
he knew it was inevitable.
By August 15, Elvis and the Colonel had worn down Gladys with the help of
Hank Snow, whom Mrs. Presley admired. She, Vernon, and Elvis signed the
contract naming Col. Thomas A. Parker as "special adviser to Elvis Presley
[`artist'] and Bob Neal [`manager'] . . . to negotiate and assist in any way pos-
sible the build-up of Elvis Presley as an artist. . . ."
The Colonel began to edge out Neal almost immediately, and the country
music deejay realized that his role had been diminished. One of the few tasks
Neal did manage during this time was to put Elvis's fellow band members,
Scotty Moore and Bill Black, on salary instead of giving them a percent-
age of the take, which had been the arrangement thus far. Moore and Black
wouldn't necessarily make less money than they had up to that point, but
they wouldn't get a chunk of the big money that would come in after Elvis
broke big either. Though both musicians balked at this change in status,
Chapter 4: Shocking America: Elvis Becomes a National Sensation
67
it was clear that the crowds were coming to see Elvis, not them. Plus, the
Colonel was making noises about not using the two musicians at all. In the
end, they accepted the deal, but the addition of Parker to the business deal-
ings changed the dynamic of the group. Parker's lack of interest in the Blue
Moon Boys was apparent from the start, and this drove a wedge between
the musicians and Elvis. Black in particular disliked the situation -- and the
Colonel.
Using the deal with RCA to become Elvis's manager
Parker spent most of the fall of 1955 working on landing a record deal with
a nationally based recording company. He had connections at RCA, but he
played them against executives from other companies in his efforts to get the
best deal. Parker didn't formally ask Sam Phillips's permission to negotiate
Elvis's contract, which angered Phillips to the extreme. Phillips finally con-
fronted Parker and told him he would agree to sell for the outrageous asking
price of $35,000, plus $5,000 for back royalties that he owed Elvis. The price
was more than any company had ever paid for a recording star, and Phillips
thought this would be more than Parker could handle.
By mid-November, the Colonel persuaded RCA to agree to this price because
some of the execs knew Elvis was a hot property, and they were nervous
about Parker's threats to go with another company. On November 21, the
deal was signed in the little studio at Sun. In addition, the Colonel had
brought in Hill and Range music publishers on a side deal in which Elvis and
the music publisher shared the profits on all Hill and Rangeowned songs
that he recorded (see the later section "Considering the role of Hill and
Range" for more details). Figure 4-1 shows Elvis, the Colonel, and the RCA
execs after their deal was signed.
Parker's flamboyant personality comes through in many of the widely quoted
remarks he made to the press, including this one: "When I first knew Elvis, he
had a million dollars' worth of talent. Now he has a million dollars."
As part of his participation in the profits from the RCA deal, Neal agreed
not to renew his contract with Elvis when it ran out in March 1956. Despite
Gladys Presley's suspicions and Sam Phillips's reservations, the RCA coup, in
effect, made Elvis Presley Parker's sole client.
Neal wasn't the only person edged out of Presley's career. Parker also left
Hank Snow behind in the dust as well. The exact details of this maneuver
aren't known, but many rumors, speculations, and half-truths exist. However
it happened, in early 1956, Parker told Snow that he was concluding their
business relationship, except for booking him for a few more dates. Snow was
furious partly because he and Parker were partners in Jamboree Attractions
and partly because the country music star felt he had helped land Presley a
contract with RCA. Snow brought legal action against the Colonel, and the
case dragged on for five years before it was settled in Parker's favor.
68 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Figure 4-1:
(From left)
Steve
Sholes of
RCA, Sam
Phillips
of Sun,
Coleman
Tily of RCA,
Elvis, and
Colonel
Parker make
the deal for
RCA Victor
in late 1955.
Finding a Home at RCA
In 1956, as Elvis began his new relationship with RCA thanks to the wheel-
ing and dealing of Colonel Tom Parker (see the preceding section for more),
changes were on the horizon. The Colonel and the execs at RCA decided to
stop promoting Elvis Presley as only a country-western performer. Instead,
they released his songs as pop music and promoted him on all three national
charts -- country western, pop, and R&B.
As odd as it may seem now, Parker and RCA didn't even consider promoting
Elvis as a rock 'n' roll singer. Though rock 'n' roll music had been around for
a couple of years, it wasn't considered a major genre of music. There were
no rock 'n' roll charts -- at least not for a couple more years. As the year
progressed, Elvis and his music started to be associated with the rock 'n' roll
phenomenon in the press until he and his raw, raucous sound epitomized the
controversial new genre.
Elvis's first recordings for RCA extended the sound he had developed at Sun
Records, but the executives also tweaked it enough to push his music away
from raw rockabilly toward a fuller rock 'n' roll sound. In this section, I reveal
Elvis's initial experiences with RCA and analyze his first recordings. Finally, I
discuss Hill and Range's involvement in Elvis's recording contract.
Working with Steve Sholes
Signing with a major label meant that a number of executives in RCA's front
office became involved in handling aspects of Elvis's musical career. One of
the most important in the early years was Steve Sholes, RCA's premier A&R
Chapter 4: Shocking America: Elvis Becomes a National Sensation
69
(artist and repertoire) man. Sholes oversaw the recording and promotion of
the company's specialty singles, which included country western, gospel, and
R&B, so he was closely involved with the details of Elvis's first RCA singles.
Sholes, who was in agreement with the Colonel, wanted to release Elvis's sin-
gles in the pop, country, and R&B markets. The idea was to promote Elvis as a
pop singer -- exposing him to audiences in the north, Midwest, and west -- to
increase his teenage fan base, while still releasing his records in the country
and R&B markets in order to retain his existing audience.
Executives in RCA's New York office didn't always share the enthusiasm for
Elvis that Sholes felt, and many were waiting for the veteran A&R man and his
newest talent to fail. But Sholes and his battery of assistants and coordina-
tors went to work promoting their new artist in the entertainment press and
rereleasing Elvis's Sun singles on the RCA label. Hill and Range music publish-
ers also released a songbook of his hits.
Recording for RCA for the first time
Sholes assigned Chet Atkins, RCA's music coordinator in Nashville, to orga-
nize Elvis's recording sessions, which started on January 10, 1956 -- two
days after Elvis's 21st birthday. Atkins not only worked as a producer and
coordinator for RCA, but he also was a talented guitarist who released award-
winning instrumental records. Revered in the country music industry, Atkins
knew a lot of talented sessions musicians. For Elvis's first recording session,
he arranged this solid group of musicians and backup vocalists:
Scotty Moore and Bill Black: The Blue Moon Boys (see Chapter 3), who
had worked with Elvis since his first single record, were hired to offer
consistency from the old days at Sun to his new home at RCA. Moore,
who admired Atkins as a guitarist and musician, was both thrilled and
nervous to be there.
D.J. Fontana: Fontana, who had toured with Elvis on the road but had
never recorded with him, checked in on drums.
Chet Atkins: The big man himself played rhythm guitar.
Floyd Cramer: Cramer, a talented pianist who had backed Elvis on the
Louisiana Hayride, moved to Nashville to work on Elvis's RCA sessions.
(Refer to Chapter 3 for more on Elvis's involvement in the Louisiana
Hayride.) He became one of the city's most respected sessions musi-
cians and went on to record his own instrumental albums.
Ben and Brock Speer: The Speer Family gospel quartet had just been
signed by RCA, and Atkins invited two of the members, Ben and Brock,
to provide backup vocals on any ballads that Elvis might record.
70 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Gordon Stoker: Even though he was a member of the Jordanaires, a
highly popular gospel quartet, Stoker provided vocal backup without
the other members (RCA had just signed the Speer Family, and Atkins
wanted to make use of all or any of them wherever possible). However,
Elvis took to Stoker right away, and it would be the Jordanaires who
became his regular backup vocalists.
Session one: Nashville
A quick summary of the first RCA recording session in Nashville may be
"Everybody's nervous, except Elvis." RCA's Nashville studios were huge and
the atmosphere was highly professional. Plus an uncertain Steve Sholes was
in the booth riding shotgun on the engineers, and renowned musicians were
on hand to provide support. If Elvis was intimidated at this complete change
of pace from Sun Records, he didn't show it -- perhaps because he had
sought Sam Phillips's advice before coming to Nashville.
In Peter Guralnik's Last Train to Memphis, Phillips recalled years later that he
offered this advice to a nervous but excited Elvis after he signed with RCA:
"Look, you know how to do it now, you go over there and don't let anybody
tell you -- they believe enough in you that they've laid some cold cash down,
so you let them know what you feel what you want to do."
Elvis attacked his first song, Ray Charles's "I've Got a Woman," with every-
thing he had. In effect, Elvis performed the song while he recorded it, which
impressed the cool, calm Atkins so much that he called his wife to come
down to the studio to see the exciting Elvis. Most singers with training hold
back during recording and focus on capturing a technically well-crafted ver-
sion of the song. Elvis, who wasn't a trained singer, sank his heart and soul
into each recording, giving his records an extra dash of vitality and intensity.
Elvis cut "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Money Honey" the same day as "I've Got a
Woman." The following day, Elvis recorded two ballads that Sholes had found
for him -- "I'm Counting on You" and "I Was the One." Despite Elvis's relaxed
attitude and Atkins's excitement over his recording style, Sholes and the RCA
executives in New York weren't entirely happy with the Nashville session.
They were concerned about the following:
At first, Sholes was disconcerted by Elvis's organic, instinctual
approach to recording. He didn't like Elvis's approach because it
could potentially take up time (and time is money in show business),
and because the level of emotion with each take was unusual. Elvis's
approach was to sing a take, play it back, discard it, and then sing
another, repeating the process until he felt he had captured the tune.
Elvis didn't read music, nor did he have any professional experience at
arranging it. He just instinctively knew what he wanted to do and when.
And, each time he sang a song for recording, he performed it, giving it
Chapter 4: Shocking America: Elvis Becomes a National Sensation
71
the same level of emotion and expression as if he were singing it before
an audience.
Sholes and other executives disliked the way Elvis warmed up before
each session. His warm-up consisted of singing a few gospel tunes with
the Jordanaires or with other musicians who were there. The RCA execs
thought it a waste of time, but the practice soothed Elvis's nerves and
focused his attention.
RCA executives in New York were troubled with the sound of the
Nashville session. They wanted Elvis to sound just like he had on his
Sun recordings, and between the larger scale sound produced by the
supporting vocalists and musicians and the inclusion of ballads on the
song list, the work from his first session didn't fit that bill.
"Heartbreak Hotel," the biggest hit to come out of these first sessions, was pre-
sented to Elvis in November 1955 at a disc jockeys' convention by songwriters
Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden. Durden came up with the idea for the
song after reading a newspaper article about the suicide of a young man who
had left behind a bitter note that read: "I walk a lonely street." As recorded at
RCA, the song exaggerates the echo effect that was associated with his Sun
sound, creating an eerie, downright ghostly effect as Elvis sings the opening
lines to each verse. His voice is penetrating and the sound is despondent, per-
fectly capturing the alienation of disaffected youth.
Session two: New York
After recording for the first time in Nashville, a second recording session
was arranged in New York for January 30 and February 3, because Elvis was
in town to appear on television (see the later section "Taking Television by
Storm"). During this session, Elvis covered Carl Perkins's "Blue Suede Shoes"
and Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti." He also cut Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's
blues tune "My Baby Left Me," among other songs.
This time, instead of having a huge clan of accompanying musicians, Sholes
lined up only piano player Shortly Long in addition to Moore, Black, and
Fontana. Long was a good boogie-woogie piano player, and Sholes thought
Long's style would work well with Elvis's music. The focus during this ses-
sion was on explosive, fast-paced songs, because Sholes and RCA seemed to
want something new and spectacular out of their latest singing sensation.
Exactly what RCA expected from Elvis during these first sessions isn't known,
probably because Sholes and the execs didn't really know either. Sholes called
Sam Phillips after the New York session and sought his advice about how to
handle Elvis. Phillips basically told Sholes to leave Elvis alone and to respect
the young singer's instincts for selecting songs and cutting them. And so
Sholes did.
72 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Releasing an album: Elvis Presley
Eventually seven tracks from the Nashville and New York sessions were
chosen for Elvis's first long-playing album, Elvis Presley. These tracks were
combined with five songs that were previously recorded at Sun Records
but never released. The album, which was released on March 13, 1956, sold
more than 360,000 copies by the end of April. At $3.98 per copy, Elvis Presley
became RCA's first million-dollar album by a single artist. It reached number
one on the Billboard Top LPs chart, remaining there for ten weeks.
"Heartbreak Hotel" wasn't included on this first full-length album. Released
as a single on January 27, 1956, "Heartbreak Hotel" became Elvis's first gold
record and climbed to number one on the Billboard singles chart, where it
stayed for eight weeks. The song also reached number one on the Billboard
country chart and number three on the R&B chart. Given its quick success,
the song might seem a natural to be included on the album. But, during
this era, singles were much more important in advancing a singer's career
than albums, because they received extensive exposure on the radio and
jukeboxes in addition to selling in record stores. Often, a singer's strongest
recordings were released to stand alone from an album.
RCA pushed Elvis hard the first year he was under contract. Later in 1956,
RCA released a second long-playing album, Elvis, and an extended-play
album, Love Me Tender, featuring music from Elvis's first film. (For more on
Elvis's movies, check out the chapters in Part II.)
An extended-play album or, EP, is a multitrack record with approximately four
to seven songs. Once a common tool in the music industry, EPs fell out of
favor during the 1960s.
Tweaking Elvis's sound
As Elvis recorded more material at RCA in New York and Nashville through-
out 1956, he moved farther away from the pure rockabilly style of music that
he played at Sun Records. He selected more ballads to record, and his up-
tempo songs became fuller because of the number of musicians and vocalists
backing him. The echo effect and reverberation, which were his trademarks
at Sun, were discarded.
After Sam Phillips's advice to Steve Sholes was borne out by the financial
success of the singles and first album, the execs at RCA stepped back and let
Elvis select his songs and record them his way. Sholes and others made sug-
gestions to Elvis about which tunes to cut, but he made the final selections --
at least during this first year.
Chapter 4: Shocking America: Elvis Becomes a National Sensation
73
By July 1956, when he stepped back into the RCA studios, Elvis seemed to be
seeking a bigger, more explosive rock 'n' roll sound. During this session, he
recorded two of his signature songs, "Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel." The
latter became one of his most successful singles. In fact, as of today, it boasts
triple platinum status by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA).
"Hound Dog"
In 1952, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote "Hound Dog" -- a song about a
gigolo -- for blues singer Willa Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, who growled the
saucy lyrics to a hard-driving blues beat.
Other singers covered the infamous song shortly after Thornton, including
country artists Tommy Duncan, Betsy Gay, Jack Turner, Billy Starr, and lounge
act Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. Bell enlivened the tempo and tampered with
the lyrics to add humor. He added the line of the chorus about the Hound
Dog's inability to catch rabbits.
After Elvis performed a scandalous version of "Hound Dog" on The Milton
Berle Show and a notorious interpretation on The Steve Allen Show (see the
later section "Taking Television by Storm" for details), Sholes pressured the
young singer to record the novelty tune. After more than 30 takes, Elvis even-
tually captured a rousing rock 'n' roll interpretation of the song, which he
patterned after Bell's but made more aggressive.
"Don't Be Cruel"
R&B singer-songwriter Otis Blackwell wrote "Don't Be Cruel" the previous
year around Christmastime. The tune, which Elvis selected from a stack of
demos, became the flip side of Elvis's hit single "Hound Dog." A relatively
new tune, "Don't Be Cruel" hadn't been recorded by any singer prior to Elvis.
Because the song wasn't associated with any singer's specific style, Elvis
could make it entirely his own. The recording's easygoing but fast-paced
rhythm, light tone, and harmonious backup vocals by the Jordanaires indi-
cate how far Elvis had moved from his Sun sound.
Blackwell sold "Don't Be Cruel" to music publisher Shalimar Music for $25 on
Christmas Eve in 1955. Elvis's parent publisher, Hill and Range (see the next
section for details), acquired the tune, and the demo for the song was placed
in the stack of potential material for Elvis to record. When Elvis wanted to
record the song, Hill and Range told Blackwell that he would have to cut a
deal and share the writer's credit with Elvis even though Elvis didn't contrib-
ute anything to the writing of the song. Blackwell was uneasy about the deal,
but the talented yet down-on-his-luck songwriter realized he stood to make
a lot of money from royalties -- even at half credit -- if Elvis recorded the
song. He took the deal and later wrote additional songs for Elvis to record,
including "All Shook Up," "Paralyzed," and "Return to Sender" (co-written
with Winfield Scott).
74 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Assigning half of the credit to Elvis smacks of unfairness to those who know
little of the popular music industry, especially because Blackwell was African
American. Many African Americans were cheated by record publishers and
companies during this era, and Blackwell's deal with Hill and Range seems to
be an example of this. However, this particular situation is more complicated
than it seems on the surface. While not every popular singer took credit for
writing the songs they recorded, the practice certainly wasn't invented by
Colonel Tom Parker, Hill and Range, or RCA. It goes back to the 1920s when
pop singer Al Jolson introduced it.
The practice derives from the fact that songs become hits because famous
performers record them. After the song becomes a hit, other entertainers
want to perform or record it, but the original singer responsible for its popu-
larity gets nothing unless he or she was the songwriter. Elvis may not have
written "Don't Be Cruel," but if he hadn't recorded, Blackwell wouldn't have
made the money on it that he did. Blackwell understood this, and when inter-
viewers later asked him about it, he wasn't critical of the practice.
Elvis never revealed what he thought of this practice. However, in a couple
of interviews from the time, reporters asked him about his songwriting skills.
Elvis always noted that he had never written a line in his life, and that his
songwriting credit was only a business practice. Eventually, this practice of
assigning partial credit to performers became passé in the recording indus-
try, and Hill and Range abandoned it for Elvis.
Considering the role of Hill and Range
The Colonel insisted that Elvis form two songwriting companies shortly after
inking his deal with RCA. The singer called his companies Elvis Presley Music
and Gladys Music (after his mother, Gladys Love Presley). Both of these
companies were under the umbrella of Hill and Range, which was affiliated
with RCA through connections among personnel for the two companies. Hill
and Range received half the income generated by these two publishing com-
panies, which were responsible for obtaining the rights to all the songs that
Elvis recorded. The singer formed Elvis Presley Music and Gladys Music to
handle only his songs so he could receive publishing royalties. No other sing-
ers were involved with these companies.
This setup with the two publishing companies was financially advantageous
for Elvis because he received a publisher's royalty and a performer's royalty
each time a song he recorded was broadcast. If he claimed partial songwriting
credit for tunes he recorded, he could receive a songwriter's royalty as well.
This setup represents how well Colonel Parker understood the music industry
at this time and how he liked to finesse his deals to wring out every last advan-
tage for his client. With these publishing companies, he arranged for his "boy"
to get the maximum profit for each recording.
Chapter 4: Shocking America: Elvis Becomes a National Sensation
75
Hill and Range employed songwriters to regularly write tunes for the com-
pany, which it kept on hand for the recording artists it had publishing deals
with. Most of these artists were country singers, including Hank Snow, Lefty
Frizzell, Ernest Tubb, and Eddie Arnold. The songwriters gave up most of
their rights to these songs, which were published through the companies
associated with Hill and Range, such as Elvis's two companies. The role of
Hill and Range was to provide the songs for these subsidiary publishing com-
panies and to administrate the rights and royalties. The songs were either
written by the Hill and Range house songwriters, or they were obtained from
freelance writers who recorded their tunes on demo discs in the hopes that
Hill and Range would buy them.
Obviously, it was best for all parties financially if Elvis recorded only those
songs published by his own companies. However, he wasn't prevented from
recording other songs. Eventually this arrangement with Hill and Range
would stifle Elvis's career, because the Colonel, RCA, and Hill and Range
didn't want him to record the music of outside songwriters. See Chapter 8 for
more information about Hill and Range later in Elvis's career.
Taking Television by Storm
The Colonel's strategy for making Elvis a national star involved showcasing
him on television, which became the most explosive part of his plan. It could
be said that Elvis's career and the popularity of TV took off at about the
same time. However, even the Colonel couldn't have anticipated what would
happen to Elvis as a result of his television exposure over the next year.
Commercial television hadn't been widely developed until after World War II,
and it didn't become popular with the public until the early 1950s, when coast-
to-coast broadcasting became possible. By coast-to-coast broadcasting I mean
that a program airing on the East Coast could be picked up and viewed on the
West Coast at the same time. Throughout the 1950s, TV became increasingly
popular, until it surpassed the movies as America's number-one form of enter-
tainment.
In this section, I examine Elvis's television appearances throughout 1956,
offering details of each performance and contrasting his act with typical
television fare of the period. I also focus on the increased media attention he
gained with each small-screen performance and the way Elvis was used as
ratings pawn among the major television shows. I discuss the controversy
created by his television performances in Chapter 5.
76 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Appearing on Stage Show
Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis signed a contract for the singer and his band
to appear four times on a CBS television program called Stage Show, a variety
show in which a selection of popular singers, dancers, and comedians per-
formed each week in front of a live studio audience. The show was hosted
by two musicians who had been popular in the 1940s, Tommy and Jimmy
Dorsey. On January 28, 1956, Elvis made his national television debut on
Stage Show. The reaction of the in-studio audience to Elvis's performance was
strong enough for him to be signed to two additional appearances.
Elvis stood out like a sore thumb during his first Stage Show program,
because the rest of the performers seemed tame in comparison. Ella
Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, who were well-known jazz singers, performed
in evening gowns and sang in their established styles. Two comedians in
nice suits did stand-up routines, while a troupe of acrobats, a young boy who
played the organ, and other family-style performers appeared in other seg-
ments.
When it was Elvis's turn, he raced on stage like he was shot out of a cannon.
As he sang "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" and "I Got a Woman," he constantly
moved his body. During the instrumental break in each song, he stood back
and shook his entire body to the beat of the music. A few girls in the audi-
ence screamed, which made the singer smile. In addition, his long, slicked-
back hair came tumbling down over his face when he moved, and the eye
shadow around his eyes gave him a sleepy, sexy look. And clearly his Beale
Street clothes were simply too hip for the house. Compared to the smooth,
polished performances of the other guests, Elvis seemed wild, raw, and alien.
Elvis improved his performances each time he appeared on Stage Show.
By the last two shows in March, he was an old hand at getting the studio
audience worked up when he sang. For his last appearance on March 24,
he waltzed out on stage, dramatically strummed the opening chords to
"Heartbreak Hotel," and then paused, waiting for the girls to scream. As he
broke into song, he moved across the stage, shaking his shoulders and swing-
ing his legs. Certain moves were obviously designed to elicit screams and
yelps from the girls in the audience, and Elvis's smiles proved that he was
delighted at this explosive effect on his female fans. He moved freely and
loosely throughout the performance, making eye contact with the camera
and the studio audience. He teased the women with his provocative moves;
they screamed for more; he promised to go farther; sometimes he did. With
each Presley appearance, Stage Show received higher ratings, but the show
never surpassed its competition on other networks.
Chapter 4: Shocking America: Elvis Becomes a National Sensation
77
"Corn liquor at a champagne party":
A flop in Vegas
Colonel Tom Parker didn't make many mis-
emcee. Newsweek magazine seemed thrilled
takes in guiding Presley's career. However, that Elvis flopped, describing his act as "some-
he did make an error in judgment in April 1956
what like a jug of corn liquor at a champagne
when he booked his young singer into the New
party" (May 14, 1956).
Frontier, a big Las Vegas hotel and nightclub. At
Some good did come out of the Vegas trip,
that time, Las Vegas was an adult vacation spot,
however. While there, Elvis went to see other
and the clubs preferred to book the big pop and
shows at the clubs and hotels, including a show
jazz performers of the period, such as Frank
by dramatic pop singer Johnnie Ray. He saw a
Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, and Louis Prima.
rock 'n' roll group called "Freddy Bell and the
The adult audiences at the New Frontier didn't
Bellboys" in a small club. The group did an up-
understand Elvis's Southern-based rockabilly.
tempo version of Big Mama Thornton's blues
After a few performances, he was bumped to
tune "Hound Dog." Elvis liked their version of
being the second act, and comedian Shecky
the song so much that he decided to add it to
Greene took over as the top-billed act, with his repertoire.
house-band leader Freddy Martin remaining as
Tearing up The Milton Berle Show
In the spring of 1956, Elvis appeared on The Milton Berle Show for the first
time. The show was broadcast from the USS Hancock, which was docked
at the San Diego Naval Station. Despite the novel location, this television
appearance is barely mentioned in biographies or other accounts of Elvis's
career. That's because his second appearance on Berle's program completely
overshadowed it.
All the rumors, criticism, and bad publicity surrounding Elvis and rock 'n' roll
snowballed into a full-blown controversy on June 5, 1956, when he performed
for the second time on The Milton Berle Show. The Berle program was a vari-
ety show similar to Stage Show in that it featured a number of entertainers
who performed their latest songs, dances, or comedy routines in individual
segments. But, The Milton Berle Show was one of the most popular programs
of the 1950s, and it had a higher profile among the viewers and the media. In
other words, more people paid attention to who was on it and what they did.
That evening, Presley sang "Hound Dog" for the first time on television. He
had heard the song during his disastrous Las Vegas engagement (see the
nearby sidebar "`Corn liquor at a champagne party': A flop in Vegas" for
details) and decided to include a version of it in his act. Because he hadn't
78 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
recorded it yet, no one knew what to expect. Elvis appeared without his
customary guitar, so his hip movements, pelvic thrusts, and leg shakes were
more obvious than usual. As he sang the first verses and moved freely about
the stage, the live studio audience of girls and women responded appropri-
ately with screams and yelps. This reaction encouraged Elvis to push his per-
formance farther. He slowed down the final chorus to a blues tempo, grabbed
the microphone stand, balanced on the balls of his feet, and then thrust his
hips forward toward the mike stand. The effect was highly sensual, if not
sexual. The studio audience screamed with excitement. Figure 4-2 illustrates
Elvis's sensual performing style on the show that night.
Figure 4-2:
Elvis
performs
provoca-
tively on The
Milton Berle
Show.
Despite the positive reaction of the teens in the audience the previous night,
the next day, newspaper articles expressed outrage over Elvis's sexy per-
formance. Reviewers felt that he had gone too far. In fact, many compared
his performing style to a striptease. John Crosby, a reviewer for the New
York Herald Tribune, summed up what many believed when he called Elvis
"unspeakably untalented and vulgar."
Elvis's performance on The Milton Berle Show gave the people who were
critical of rock 'n' roll a specific example to rally around. Parents, the media,
religious groups, and even the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) expressed
concern about the negative influence of this type of music.
Clowning around on The Steve Allen Show
Despite the criticism that Elvis received from his appearance on The Milton
Berle Show, other television hosts were eager to have Presley on their shows.
The controversy that Elvis created attracted viewers and increased ratings.
Chapter 4: Shocking America: Elvis Becomes a National Sensation
79
A month after The Milton Berle Show, Elvis appeared on The Steve Allen Show,
a variety series that focused on comedy skits. Steve Allen's program had just
premiered in June, and it was on at the same time as The Ed Sullivan Show.
Sullivan's program was considered the high point of variety programs, and
Allen was determined to give Sullivan a run for his money. In the days before
cable and syndicated television stations, competition for viewers among the
networks was fierce. Allen knew that Elvis was a good choice to lure viewers
away from Sullivan's program.
Allen was a clever man. He wanted Elvis on his show, but he didn't want the
criticism. NBC-TV didn't want the headaches either, so they issued a press
release stating, "Elvis Presley will not be allowed to bump and grind." Allen
diffused the controversy over Presley by using comedy. Instead of having the
hot, young entertainer perform in his usual provocative style, he asked Elvis
to sing "Hound Dog" to a real basset hound. The dog sat on a pedestal while
Elvis stood next to him in a tuxedo. The singer held the dog's long face in his
hands, and then belted out the song. The studio audience giggled, the viewers
at home got a glimpse of Elvis's sense of humor, and the TV critics had less to
complain about. Elvis the Pelvis had been tamed -- at least temporarily.
Later in the program, Elvis joined Allen, comedienne Imogene Coca, and
fellow Southerner Andy Griffith in a comedy sketch that satirized country-
western radio programs like the Grand Ole Opry and the Louisiana Hayride.
Many of the jokes were condescending toward Southern culture. Elvis said
little about the Allen show at the time, but his friends claimed that later he
revealed how angry and humiliated he felt by Allen's manipulation of his act.
Fans were furious that their idol had been tamed, and they picketed NBC-TV
studios the next morning with placards reading "We want the gyratin' Elvis."
Elvis also was upset because he had been made to look ridiculous. Clearly
Allen became the real winner that night, because his show beat The Ed
Sullivan Show in the ratings, which was a major feat in the 1950s television
wars. After those ratings were reported in the newspapers, Sullivan became
the last variety-show host to ask Elvis to appear on his program.
From the waist up: Tackling
The Ed Sullivan Show
Ed Sullivan, who had established his reputation as a savvy showbiz colum-
nist for a major New York newspaper, was a powerful figure in the television
industry. An appearance on his show meant an act or entertainer had made
the big time. It was like getting a seal of approval in mainstream show
business.
80 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
The Colonel had tried to get Elvis on The Ed Sullivan Show earlier that year,
but the showbiz legend didn't want to pay Parker's asking price of $5,000 for
his client. Sullivan then publicly declared that he wouldn't allow Presley on
his show, because he wasn't his "cup of tea." This comment was an obvious
reference to and criticism of Elvis's sexy, hip-swiveling performing style, but
ratings speak louder than personal taste.
After seeing the success that Elvis brought to The Steve Allen Show, Sullivan
changed his mind. He wanted the good ratings that booking Elvis would
bring, but Sullivan also knew that if he didn't have Presley on his show, his
program's reputation as a showcase for the latest talent might suffer. So the
Colonel signed Elvis to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show for an unprecedented
fee of $50,000 for three performances. Elvis received a much higher fee than if
Sullivan had signed him earlier.
Elvis appeared on the The Ed Sullivan Show on September 9 and October 28,
1956, and on January 8, 1957. For the first two performances, he sang and per-
formed in his usual style, which went over very well with the audience, but
the third performance became one of the most infamous in Elvis's history. I
offer the lowdown on each performance in the following sections.
The first two appearances
Sullivan himself wasn't there for Elvis's first appearance on September 9,
because he was recuperating from a car accident. In Sullivan's place, actor
Charles Laughton hosted the show. Elvis appeared via network hookup from
California, where he was shooting his first film, Love Me Tender. (See Chapter
6 for more information on Elvis's first film.)
For his first set on the Sullivan show, Elvis sang "Don't Be Cruel," "Ready
Teddy," and a shortened version of "Hound Dog." He bounced on the balls of
his feet as he sang, and, as usual, the girls in the studio audience screamed.
In his second set, he introduced the title song from Love Me Tender by
declaring it to be "different from anything we've ever done." The audience
screamed before and after the performance, but the sad nature of the ballad
wasn't conducive to the game he and the audience played in which Elvis
twitched and the girls screamed.
For the October appearance, Sullivan was on hand to introduce Elvis for
his three sets. Elvis sang the same songs as in his first performance, except
that he replaced "Ready Teddy" with the ballad "Love Me." As he always did
during his songs, Elvis bounced on his feet, twitched his chest, pointed his
finger, stretched out his arms, and generally teased the studio audience with
his performing style. He smiled into the camera every time he made the girls
shriek.
However, compared to his appearances on the Stage Show and The Milton
Berle Show, this performance was relatively tame. It wasn't until his third
set, in which he sang "Hound Dog," that he cut loose by swiveling his legs,
Chapter 4: Shocking America: Elvis Becomes a National Sensation
81
bouncing on the balls of his feet, twitching his shoulders, walking with a jerky
gate, and gyrating his hips. But, he did cut loose, causing the girls in the audi-
ence to scream throughout the entire performance. Elvis also let his sense of
humor come through, lampooning his own performance by rolling his eyes
during "Love Me Tender" and introducing "Hound Dog" as "one of the sad-
dest songs we've ever heard."
The infamous appearance
For his last appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1957, Elvis sang
a medley of his biggest hits of the moment: "Don't Be Cruel," "When My Blue
Moon Turns to Gold Again," and "Too Much." For his third and last set that
evening, he and the Jordanaires concluded with an a cappella rendition of the
gospel classic, "Peace in the Valley," which he dedicated to earthquake vic-
tims in Hungary. After the performance, Sullivan declared on camera to the
whole television viewing audience that Elvis Presley was "a real decent, fine
boy" and "a nice person." The statement was considered a validation of Elvis
by Sullivan, and the singer appreciated the gesture.
Comedienne Carol Burnett made her national television debut the night Elvis
made his third and final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Oddly, few, if
any, have asked Burnett her impressions of this infamous night in television
history.
Of course, what was infamous about Elvis's final appearance, which has since
gone down in pop culture history as a symbol of the clash between genera-
tions, was the censorship of the singer's performing style. Sullivan and the
network censors at CBS decided that the cameras should film Presley only
from the waist up so that his provocative hip movements couldn't be seen.
In effect, however, the edict only served to focus attention on Elvis's move-
ments. Dressed in one of his Beale Street specials, Elvis stepped in front of the
camera, complete with eye makeup and proceeded to give the live audience
his full array of trademark tics, moves, and gyrations, causing the audience
to be even more vocal than usual. The audience at home could only imagine
what he was doing with those hips; and their imagination was more effective
than if they had actually seen him.
Much speculation exists on why Sullivan and CBS decided to censor Elvis's
third appearance but not his first and second. Of course, the exact reason
will never be known. The simplest explanations maintain that Sullivan was
merely succumbing to the heated controversy that had swirled around Elvis
for several months. However, quite possibly, the waist-up order was moti-
vated by the provocative performance during the third set of Elvis's previous
appearance. In looking back over the three Sullivan appearances, the legend-
ary host and the censors most likely noticed that during his third set on the
October 28 show, he swiveled and gyrated much more than he previously
had. The eruptions from the audience were more vocal, and the performance
was closer to his appearance on The Milton Berle Show, which was the light-
ning rod for the storm of controversy that year.
82 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Other explanations for the censorship are much more colorful. In a taped
interview on the DVD release Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Shows, Marlo Lewis, who
was a producer on the Sullivan show from 1948 to 1959, claims that many on
the Sullivan show heard a rumor that Elvis had placed a Coke bottle down
his pants for that last set of his October 28 appearance. When he bounced
and moved around, the Coke bottle gave an obscene impression through
his pants. Based on that rumor Sullivan gave the waist-up order for the final
appearance, but this story is little more than an urban legend. Other versions
of the story insist that Elvis had placed an empty toilet paper roll down his
pants to produce a similar impression.
Whatever the reasons for the decision, the incident has become part of the
Elvis Presley legend. It's often used to illustrate how controversial the singer
was in 1956. Some writers have exaggerated the incident by claiming he
was censored on television on several occasions. But, the waist-up rule was
applied to the singer only this one time.
Chapter 5
What's the Ruckus About:
The Impact of Elvis the Pelvis
In This Chapter
Dissecting the red-hot controversy created over Elvis
Understanding how the Colonel, Elvis, and Uncle Sam cooled the controversy
Considering the two most important women in Elvis's life
In comparison to the music scene of our contemporary era, which has
brought us Madonna, wardrobe malfunctions, and rappers with "unique"
vocabularies, the controversy created by Elvis Presley and his hip-swiveling
performing style seems tame. Yet, during the 1950s, the controversy gener-
ated a firestorm of criticism aimed at rock 'n' roll, teenagers and their tastes,
Southern culture, and Elvis himself. Virtually every popular magazine, major
newspaper, high-powered deejay, and self-righteous reporter in America
weighed in on the trouble with Elvis Presley as though the moral fiber of the
country depended on it. However, the intensity of the criticism -- and the
sheer mean-spiritedness of some of the comments -- suggests that there was
more behind the controversy than meets the eye.
In the 1950s, Elvis definitely had the country "all shook up," and this chapter
tells you all about the controversy, its deeper significance, and the path that
Elvis and his manager took to deflect it.
Anatomy of a Controversy
Many attribute the controversy surrounding Elvis to a generation gap; in
other words, teenagers fought with their parents over the adoration of their
idol that the older generation didn't approve of. A clash of tastes between
generations was indeed part of the reason for the hullabaloo, but other, more
complex reasons were part of it as well, revealing deep-rooted issues in our
society and culture.
84 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
The controversy focused on Elvis's raucous musical sound and his unique per-
forming style. It wasn't only the provocative gyrations and sensual movements
that were controversial, however. The impact these movements had on the
girls in the audience was a concern as well. The controversy was ignited by
Elvis's television appearances in 1956 (see Chapter 4 for details about these
TV appearances) and fueled by the increasing criticism aimed at rock 'n' roll.
As the controversy swirled around him, Elvis continued to tour around the
country. Negative comments, false accusations, and rumors dogged him even
in the South, where he had been touring since 1954.
In August 1956, Judge Marion Gooding in Jacksonville, Florida, ordered Elvis
not to shake his legs and swivel his hips during a performance at the Florida
Theater. He obliged, but when he wiggled his little finger on stage during
"Hound Dog," the girls in the audience shrieked anyway. Elvis had appeared
in Jacksonville in 1955 shaking his legs and swinging his hips in his usual
style, but nothing was made of it. But he had been billed as a country singer
back then. In 1956, when he was called a rock 'n' roller, that same perfor-
mance style was suddenly considered too sexy and dangerous. Clearly the
reputation that rock 'n' roll and Elvis Presley had earned by 1956 was much
worse than the actual music or performances.
Obviously, there was more behind the backlash against Elvis than his sen-
sual moves. In this section, I dissect the controversy to uncover why young
girls and other teenagers gravitated toward Elvis's music to the dismay and
disgust of older generations, how Elvis's music upset the conventions of the
music industry, and how the mainstream public and press revealed their
prejudices toward indigenous Southern cultures through their criticisms of
Elvis.
The backlash against Elvis revealed a chasm in America between different
groups and cultures: young versus old; black versus white; working class versus
middle class; and Southern culture versus mainstream culture. The success
of Elvis Presley and the popularity of his music proved that regionally based
entertainers who appealed to specific groups and subcultures could challenge
established entertainment institutions and undermine mainstream tastes. On a
deeper level, Elvis and his success showed that beneath the complacency that
was generally associated with the 1950s, certain groups -- blacks, poor whites,
teenagers -- were dissatisfied with the norms represented by the status quo.
Fearful of the challenge to the mainstream tastes and norms that Elvis, his music,
and his in-your-face performing style represented, the status quo criticized,
ridiculed, and attacked Elvis, his Southern culture, his ties to black rhythm and
blues, and his youthful fans.
Chapter 5: What's the Ruckus About: The Impact of Elvis the Pelvis
85
Weighing the backlash: Generational
conflict and sex
Rock 'n' roll had been in the public eye for about two years when Elvis signed
his contract with RCA in 1955, and during that time, this new musical genre
attracted the attention of young audiences. So-called authorities in music,
psychology, education, and parenting feared that the raw sounds and "jungle
beat" of rock 'n' roll led to juvenile delinquency and an increased desire to
engage in sex. From April through October 1956, a wave of articles discussing
the link between rock 'n' roll, sex, and juvenile crime was published in popu-
lar magazines, including Time, Newsweek, Life, Look, Collier's, and America.
During this same time frame, Elvis also was targeted by these magazines for
his music, hair and sideburns, clothing style, and most of all, the effect of his
performing style on teenage girls. It didn't take a great leap of imagination for
journalists, reviewers, and other critics to relate Presley's personal appear-
ance and performing style to the decadency of rock 'n' roll and the horrors of
juvenile delinquency. The connection to Elvis's music was made even though
the singer, his manager Colonel Tom Parker, and RCA exec Steve Sholes took
pains never to specifically label his music. They did this because they wanted
to avoid the connection with rock 'n' roll as much as possible and to promote
his music in all markets.
Elvis's appearance and performing style, which were exposed on national
television, were at the heart of the controversy and led to the singer's nick-
name "Elvis the Pelvis." In retrospect, this aspect of the controversy has
received the most attention; in fact, most now attribute the uproar strictly to
generational conflict. Given American society's prudishness regarding women
and sex, seeing teenage girls act with complete abandon at Elvis's concerts
became more than parents and authority figures could bear. Interestingly, no
one seemed concerned that young boys were adversely affected by the hip-
swinging walks of Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and the other sex symbols
who were dominating the entertainment magazines of the time.
The following sections examine the way Elvis and rock 'n' roll were depicted
in the press and how this depiction exaggerated the perception of Elvis as
profane and vulgar.
Linking Elvis with rock 'n' roll . . . and sex
A pattern emerged in the newspaper accounts and magazine articles of the
mid-1950s in which the writers depicted Elvis as a threat to established
norms of behavior and appearance. These writers continually harped about
the following:
The tastelessness of Elvis's hair and clothing
The similarities of his performing style to a striptease or burlesque act
86 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
His Southern accent
The destructive or hysterical antics of his fans
Comparing Elvis's performing style to a striptease in mainstream magazines
and newspapers gave it a lewd sexual connotation that alarmed the parents
of teenage girls. Elvis's appearances on television in 1956, which showed
close-up shots of his hip gyrations and exposed the way he deliberately
incited the enthusiastic squeals of the girls, only reinforced the comments of
the press.
A sampling of the type of comments made about Elvis reveals how he was
painted as a threat to the purity of young girls. Consider the following quotes:
Look magazine (August 7, 1956) warned America that Elvis "wiggles like
a peep show dancer" and that "Onstage, his gyrations, his nose wiping,
his leers are vulgar."
Illustrated (September 7, 1957) noted that "his body, gangling and loose-
jointed, contorts from the hips down as if a whole empire of ants had
invaded his pants."
Life (August 27, 1956) claimed that "He uses a bump and grind routine
usually seen only in burlesque."
TV Scandals (as quoted in Elvis World by Jane and Michael Stern) must
have really frightened parents with the comment, "What's most appall-
ing is the fans' unbridled obscenity, their gleeful wallowing in smut."
The sexual connotations of his performing style weren't the only accusations
made against Elvis. Parents of teenage boys had cause to be just as nervous.
Between April and August of 1956, these stories about the antics of teenage
Elvis fans appeared in the media:
An article in Life magazine titled "A Howling Hillbilly Success" (April 30,
1956) claimed that fans in Texas were compelled to kick through a plate-
glass door to get to Elvis. The door was indeed broken, but there's no
way to know whether fans did it intentionally.
The Newsweek article titled "Hillbilly on a Pedestal" (May 5, 1956)
repeated several outrageous rumors told to reporters by teenage fans
who were enamored by their idol's rebel notoriety; they claimed that
Elvis sold dope, had been in jail, and was dying of cancer.
A report from Jacksonville, Florida, repeated in Life magazine (August
27, 1956), claimed that teens were soaking their Presley records in water
to make his trademark hiccups and syncopated lyrics more pronounced.
Identifying the youth culture
Few writers were perceptive enough to realize that the clash between par-
ents and teenagers over Elvis and rock 'n' roll was mostly the result of a
Chapter 5: What's the Ruckus About: The Impact of Elvis the Pelvis
87
burgeoning youth culture. During the 1950s, America experienced an era of
prosperity, and the benefits of the boom trickled down to teenagers. Many
teens worked part-time jobs and others received allowances, giving them a
disposable income. In the past, teens worked to contribute to their family's
survival or well-being, but during the 1950s, middle-class teens were relieved
of this responsibility by the economic prosperity. (Flip to Chapter 20 for a
more detailed look at this burgeoning youth culture and Elvis's effect on it.)
One author from the era proved to be more perceptive than most. John
Sharnik of House and Garden magazine wrote that Presley and rock 'n' roll
shouldn't be feared because neither was more than "background music in the
war between the generations." He rightly reasoned that adults were angered
"that a distinctive [teen] audience exists at all, that within our own society
there is a large, well-defined group whose standards of taste and conduct we
find baffling and even terrifying." He summed up by noting, "Youth is almost
a national cult." Little did he realize he was acknowledging what would be an
American obsession for the next 50 years -- youth.
During the 1950s, teens became a recognizable subculture, with their own
clothing style, slang, social activities, and favorite movie and recording stars.
The more their tastes were catered to by manufacturers, the entertainment
industry, automobile companies, and others, the more they clashed with
adults who represented the mainstream tastes of the status quo.
America's teens weren't the only young people to go crazy over Elvis Presley.
In the Soviet Union, Russian teenagers who loved rock 'n' roll were called
stilyagis, and they faced far more than angry parents for being Elvis fans.
Communist authorities banned rock 'n' roll, forbade the sale of rock records,
and condemned Elvis as a capitalist pawn. However, Elvis's music was avail-
able on bootleg records that were sold underground. The records were cut on
discarded hospital X-ray plates and sold for about $12.50 each.
Weighing the criticism: Rock 'n' Roll
versus Tin Pan Alley
Part of the problem that the music industry had with Elvis's musical style
was that it was based in regional sounds indigenous to the South. In addi-
tion, Elvis had broken through with a record produced by a regionally based
company. His sound and music weren't like those associated with the main-
stream pop music industry. The musical establishment resented the success
of Elvis and those who followed in his wake, and the controversy surrounding
Elvis the Pelvis in 1956 was undoubtedly exacerbated by this. This section
explores the clash between Elvis's music and the smooth sounds and conven-
tional styles of Tin Pan Alley.
88 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Touring Tin Pan Alley
The songs and sounds of Tin Pan Alley dominated the music industry from
the late 19th century to the 1950s. Located along 28th Street between Fifth
Avenue and Broadway in Manhattan, the original Tin Pan Alley consisted
of several buildings and offices that housed the major music publishers of
America. Music publishers, who had songwriters and promoters on their
payrolls, kept their offices along this stretch of Broadway, and the sound of
songwriters pounding out their tunes on worn-out pianos made for a noisy,
cacophonous neighborhood -- inspiring the name Tin Pan Alley.
Musicians, song writers, and song promoters (called pluggers) hurried in and
out of these buildings, hustling the latest pop tunes to publishers who hoped
the hottest band or pop singer would make everyone rich with a recording.
Many of these publishers later moved and newer companies were established
elsewhere, but the name "Tin Pan Alley" to represent the music publishing
business stuck. Broadway and vaudeville theaters, nightclubs, and musical
comedy venues thrived nearby, making New York a performing arts mecca.
So, the state easily became the home of the mainstream music industry.
Many of the mainstream songwriters, composers, arrangers, and others asso-
ciated with Tin Pan Alley were European immigrants or the offspring of immi-
grants, so a direct connection to European styles was part of mainstream
music. Other influences on mainstream songwriters and singers included
Broadway musicals, vaudeville and music hall entertainment, and later
Hollywood composers and songwriters. Music publishers, songwriters, and
arrangers absorbed influences of various genres and styles, such as ragtime,
jazz, and even Hawaiian music, but the pop ballad remained the dominant
song type associated with Tin Pan Alley and mainstream music.
Clashing with Tin Pan Alley's style and traditions
Under the direction of Sam Phillips, Elvis's natural musical style fused R&B,
blues, and country western. He was inspired by pop music and truly appreci-
ated all styles, but those three genres represented the main threads of his
sound. Not only were these genres indigenous to the South, but they also
were hard sounding, beat driven, and emotionally raw -- the opposite of the
smooth-sounding pop ballad. (See Chapter 2 for more information on Elvis's
unique style.)
Elvis first recorded at Phillips's tiny Sun Studio, where blues, R&B, and some
country acts cut discs, hoping to develop a career in music. Elvis's singles
were released through Sun Records, Phillips's small label that distributed
throughout the South. In other words, every aspect of Elvis Presley and his
music prior to signing with RCA was outside the perimeters of the main-
stream music industry.
Chapter 5: What's the Ruckus About: The Impact of Elvis the Pelvis
89
As soon as Elvis was signed to RCA Victor, a nationally based record label,
in 1955, industry insiders began to snipe, revealing the prejudices against
regional music and its makers. At a music industry convention in November
1955, rumors swirled over the signing of Elvis and what it meant to the
industry. A Tin Pan Alley insider was overheard remarking that Sam Phillips
recorded his artists in a closet, which was a snide comment referring to the
tiny size of Sun Studio and Phillips's irregular methods of capturing unique
sounds. The person surmised that RCA would never be able to duplicate that
sound again, so he thought Elvis was sure to fail at his bid to become a big-
time recording artist. This Tin Pan Alley insider must have surely eaten his
words. As it turned out, Elvis became the most significant recording artist of
the 20th century -- and Tin Pan Alley disappeared by the early 1960s.
Considering the demise of Tin Pan Alley
Elvis can be considered the vanguard of rock 'n' roll, and his large-scale suc-
cess in changing the course of popular music spelled the beginning of the
end for Tin Pan Alley.
Adding insult to injury, rock 'n' roll records were charted as pop music
during the mid-1950s, because no chart existed specifically for rock 'n' roll.
So rock records competed with mainstream pop recordings for space on the
same charts. As Elvis's records consistently topped the pop charts in 1956,
music industry veterans became more critical of this new genre and of Elvis
himself.
Elvis's music wasn't the only music that bypassed Tin Pan Alley conven-
tions and the dominance of the mainstream music industry. Other rockabilly
performers, rock 'n' roll singers, and R&B artists, including Carl Perkins,
Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley, received national exposure through Northern-
based disc jockeys who worked for huge radio stations in major cities. These
deejays not only began playing regionally produced records, but they also
organized rock 'n' roll shows in big-time venues to showcase nonmainstream
styles of music. Elvis didn't invent rock 'n' roll, but his national exposure
occurred at the same time that rock 'n' roll was gaining popularity and
notoriety.
If Tin Pan Alley resented the financial success and growing popularity of Elvis
and rock 'n' roll, then the entertainment press and mainstream reviewers, who
were accustomed to the smooth tones of pop music, were openly hostile to it.
Their comments were often cruel and demeaning, repeatedly referring to Elvis
as a "hillbilly" in the most pejorative sense of the word, though they labeled
his music rock 'n' roll. A good example is the comment made about Elvis and
rock 'n' roll in Newsweek in an article titled "Hillbilly on a Pedestal" (May 5,
1956): "Alleged to be a new kind of music . . . rock 'n' roll is actually a coars-
ened version of what a "jump" band like Count Basie does with refinement."
90 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Weighing the subtext: It's the
Civil War all over again
Generally, the war of generations between teens and their parents overshad-
ows any other interpretation of the backlash against Elvis and his music.
However, sometimes a music historian makes a case for racism as the reason
behind the controversy. This argument claims that Elvis brought the music,
culture, and uninhibited expression of African American R&B artists into
the living rooms of mainstream America via national television. This pushed
many folks of Middle America out of their collective comfort zones. Based on
a few newspaper and magazine articles, this theory seems to be true in some
parts of the South, but an extensive search of mainstream magazines and
articles from the period discovers yet another cause for the ruckus.
The press and public were indeed "all shook up" over Elvis, but it had more to
do with the singer's background as a poor working-class Southerner than his
predilection for singing R&B music. The subtext -- or deep-rooted meaning --
beneath the surface of the controversy suggests that Elvis's "hillbilly" heritage
was the basis for his alienation from the mainstream, and therefore part of
the cause of the backlash. His "strange" accent, attire, music, and performing
style, which were painted as "Southern," made him popular and appealing to
teenagers. However, this popularity threatened the tastes and cultural values
of the mainstream culture. Insulted that their values were being undermined
and threatened by Elvis's and rock 'n' roll music's increasing appeal to young
people, arbiters of middle-class tastes and values lashed out at Elvis with
prejudiced comments and unfounded opinions.
In the following sections, I offer a provocative perspective on the role that
Elvis's Southern heritage played in the attacks against him and his music by
major publications that were located mostly in the North.
Homing in on the word "hillbilly"
When nationally based magazines used the word "hillbilly" to describe Elvis
Presley in 1956, they didn't intend it as a suggestion of quaint nostalgia.
The word was -- and still is -- used to refer to rural white working-class
Southerners. While rural Southerners may refer to themselves as hillbillies,
it's most often used as a derogatory term outside the South, with connota-
tions of ignorance, backwardness, and gullibility. In most instances, the arti-
cles directly or indirectly implied that Elvis's Southern background caused
him to be outside the mainstream and therefore undesirable and even a
threat. To the writers of these articles, Elvis's Southern "hillbilly" background
indicated a lack of taste and sophistication.
Article titles, such as "A Howling Hillbilly Success" (Life) or "Hillbilly on a
Pedestal" (Newsweek), insinuated an insult as did certain descriptions of his
music, such as "a moronic lyric in a hillbilly idiom" (Time).
Chapter 5: What's the Ruckus About: The Impact of Elvis the Pelvis
91
As far back as the 1920s, when the first country tunes were recorded by
Northern-based companies for radio airplay, the term "hillbilly music" has
been considered pejorative by singers who perform it. Music pioneer Ralph
Peer, who first recorded authentic hill-country tunes and later became part of
the recording industry, dubbed an early country act "Al Hopkins and the Hill
Billies." When Hopkins protested because of the name's association with the
negative stereotype of rural Southerners, Peer, who was from the North and
didn't understand how often the term was used as a put-down, insisted they
keep it. By the 1950s, Billboard magazine discontinued the use of the term
"hillbilly music" because of its negative connotation, opting instead for "folk'
and then later "country western."
Insulting the singer's accent
Northern writers and reviewers seemed preoccupied with Elvis's accent and
used it to ridicule his singing style by phonetically spelling out his pronun-
ciation of lyrics to imply that he was an alien "other" (or, at the very least,
an unworldly outsider). Throughout 1956, phonetically spelling out Elvis's
accented speech became a norm for newspapers and magazines. The follow-
ing are just three of the many examples that offer an idea of this demeaning
inclination:
A short article in Time (May 14, 1956) referenced Elvis's accent three
times. A caption over a photo of Elvis in the recording studio read "Elvis
Presley: `Hi luh-huh-huh-huv yew-hew,'" to ridicule the singer's accent.
The author also declared Elvis's diction to be poor and attempted to
prove it by again spelling out how he pronounced lyrics, thereby equat-
ing poor diction with a Southern accent.
An article in Look magazine (August 7, 1956) quoted Elvis responding
to allegations that his music was vulgar. Every time Elvis said "I," the
article spelled it "Ah" to refer to his Southern accent. Focusing on his
accent in this way completely undermined Elvis's point.
Life (August 27, 1956) got in on the joke when they also phonetically
spelled out the way Elvis sang a ballad as "Ah wa-ha-hunt yew-who, Ah
ne-eed yew-who, Ah luh-huv yew-who. . . ."
Much was made of Elvis's preference for sideburns, ducktail haircuts, and
gaudy clothes. Because these criticisms of his personal appearance were
made in the same space as the insults to his Southern accent, readers could
infer that his lack of taste had to do with his background as a poor, working-
class Southerner. These criticisms all were part of creating the impression
that he was a "Rube from Rubeville," as the Spokane Review dubbed him on
August 31, 1957. As a matter of fact, the media rarely mentioned Elvis without
referencing that he was from the South, from Memphis, or from Tennessee.
92 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Rooting out the real meaning (and it's not pretty)
What were all the pundits really worried about? Well, the truth is that Elvis
threatened the status quo, and the danger he really represented was the
sexual threat embodied in his performing style. In the dark corners of the
controversy over Elvis Presley lies the negative stereotype involving the
"hillbilly" male full of animal magnetism who courts adolescent girls and
takes one as his bride. In other words, the sight of a greasy-haired, strangely
dressed Southern-born singer thrusting his pelvis into the television cameras
while he sang "Baby, I wanna play house with you" to the willing teenage girls
of Middle America was considered out of bounds by the status quo. And, the
mainstream press and public reacted accordingly.
Cooling the Controversy
Colonel Tom Parker realized relatively quickly that the bad publicity over
Elvis's notorious rock 'n' roll image was driving away the very audience that
he hoped to attract. So he embarked on a strategy designed to counter the
accusations in the press that Elvis was a threat to American society or a dan-
gerous influence on his fans.
This section offers an overview of the Colonel's strategy, which included
charity work, a merchandising deal, and a Hollywood makeover. Other events
not orchestrated by the Colonel also helped generate positive, or at least
neutral, press, including Elvis's purchase of the mansion called Graceland
located on the outskirts of Memphis. However, the event that really turned
the tide in favor of Elvis was his induction into the army, which Parker
exploited to "his boy's" advantage. All these maneuvers and strategies served
to cool the red-hot controversy so Elvis and the Colonel could successfully
court a mainstream audience.
Countering the bad publicity
The Colonel fought Elvis's negative image and reputation with his own
tactics. On July 1, 1956, shortly after Elvis's notorious performance on
The Milton Berle Show (see Chapter 4 for more details), the young singer
appeared on a TV interview program called Hy Gardner Calling. Each week,
Gardner, a syndicated columnist, interviewed celebrities via telephone. The
audiences saw the interviews via split screen.
Elvis's appearance on Hy Gardner Calling gave him an opportunity to dispel
some of the outrageous rumors swirling around him, including one that
claimed he smoked marijuana to reach the frenetic state necessary for his
performing style and another that claimed he once shot his mother. Viewers
Chapter 5: What's the Ruckus About: The Impact of Elvis the Pelvis
93
saw a gentler, more vulnerable side to Elvis, who admitted confusion over
the enormity of his success and expressed disbelief that critics could find his
music to be a negative influence on anyone.
Parker also made sure that Elvis was photographed while donating to chari-
ties, such as the March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society. Part
of this charity effort involved Elvis's dedication of the song "Peace in the
Valley" to a Hungarian relief organization during his last appearance on
The Ed Sullivan Show. (Check out Chapter 4 for more information on Elvis's
Sullivan Show appearances.) In addition, Parker allowed local high-school
kids access to Elvis so they could interview him for their school newspapers.
He would have professional reporters and photographers on hand to record
Elvis's generous gesture toward his young fans. Finally, stories about Elvis's
close relationship with his parents began to appear in print. And, the singer
was careful to include in interviews that he neither smoked cigarettes nor
drank alcohol. And, at this time, Elvis neither smoked nor drank.
Merchandizing Elvis like
other pop culture figures
In September 1956, the Colonel signed a deal with merchandiser extraordi-
naire Hank Saperstein to put Elvis's image on a line of products. Saperstein
had merchandised other trendy figures of the 1950s with much success,
including Wyatt Earp, the Lone Ranger, Ding Dong School, and Lassie. All
these figures were connected to popular television shows of the 1950s. Kids
across the country could find these all-American heroes pictured on every-
thing from lunch boxes to T-shirts. While most of Saperstein's Elvis-related
products were aimed at teenagers, Parker wanted Elvis's likeness to be
plastered on some kid-related items as well. He believed this merchandizing
would not only generate a tidy income but also serve to connect his client
with these other family-friendly characters.
If you were a teenager in 1956 who had just dropped by your local five-and-
dime store, you may have found the following Elvis products to your liking:
Elvis Presley lipstick in Hound Dog Orange, Tutti Frutti Red, and
Heartbreak Hotel Pink at $1 per tube
A faux white-marble bust of Elvis for $2
A silver-plated charm bracelet and necklace with a heart-shaped pen-
dant at $1 each
Perfume with Elvis's picture on the label, which was priced according to
the bottle size
94 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Elvis Presley clothing, including green-stitched black jeans, hats, sneak-
ers, bobby socks, scarves, underwear, and T-shirts emblazoned with the
titles of his biggest hits
An Elvis Presley record player, record box, photo album, and autograph
book in soft-pink faux leather
Going Hollywood
On a much larger scale than merchandising, the one aspect of Elvis Presley's
career that truly aided in overcoming his image as a dangerous rock 'n' roller
was his starring roles in several Hollywood films. Between 1956 and 1958,
Elvis appeared in four films. Three of those films were loosely based on
Elvis's life and career, but they told fictional stories. While Elvis's fans loved
seeing their idol on the big screen, the films also encouraged older audiences
to accept him and his music. Flip to Chapters 6 and 7 for a full account of the
way movies helped soften his image during the 1950s and then change it com-
pletely during the 1960s.
Buying Graceland
By the end of 1956, Elvis had become so famous that he was forced to move
from the small ranch-style house in Memphis that he had bought for himself
and his family earlier that year. Fans had taken to hanging around the house,
hoping to catch him at home. Any number of them could be found linger-
ing in the driveway, picking blades of grass from the lawn, or even listening
outside the walls in hopes of catching a word or two from their idol. The
Presleys were extremely grateful to fans for Elvis's success, so they were
tolerant of this behavior. However, neighbors weren't so welcoming and
brought a lawsuit against the family for creating a public nuisance.
In the spring of 1957, at the age of 22, Elvis purchased a small mansion on the
outskirts of Memphis. The house had been named Graceland by the previous
owners, and so Elvis and his family kept the name. Gladys Presley had seen
the house first, and because she liked it so much, Elvis bought it. You can see
photos of Graceland in the color photo section of this book.
The mansion was christened Graceland by the original owners, Dr. Thomas
and Ruth Moore. Mrs. Moore named the estate after her aunt, Grace Toof.
Not long after Elvis completed the purchase, the famous Music Gates were
added to the front to keep out fans and visitors. The wrought-iron gates fea-
ture two stylized figures of a guitar player with musical notes bridging the
space between them. Supposedly, the notes represent the opening bars of
"Love Me Tender." Graceland would be Elvis's primary home for the rest of
Chapter 5: What's the Ruckus About: The Impact of Elvis the Pelvis
95
his life. Unlike other celebrities and movie stars, he didn't permanently relo-
cate to Hollywood or New York. He preferred to stay in Memphis, the city
he called his hometown. You can read more about Graceland and its many
rooms in Chapter 19.
Newspaper articles about Elvis's decision to live in the town where he grew
up and the publicity surrounding his purchase of a big house for his family
helped balance the bad press over his notorious rock image and the strange
rumors about shooting his mother or taking drugs before his performances.
Serving in the army now
Elvis didn't get to enjoy his new house for very long. At the end of 1957, he
was drafted by the army. However, he was able to get a deferment for three
months so he could finish making the movie King Creole (1958) before he was
called up. (See Chapter 6 for more information about King Creole.)
On March 28, 1958, Elvis Aron Presley was inducted into the army. As an
entertainer, Elvis could have joined special services, meaning he would have
traveled around the world to entertain American soldiers wherever they were
stationed. This tour of duty would have been much easier than what the aver-
age soldier went through. However, Elvis turned down the army's offer to join
special services, choosing to serve his country just like any other American
soldier -- which, of course, is how the Colonel played it to the press.
The Colonel made sure that the press had access to almost every stage of
the induction process, from the time Elvis showed up at the Memphis draft
board until he was carried away by bus to Fort Chafee, Arkansas, where he
was indoctrinated. Elvis was photographed in his underwear being weighed
by army doctors, picking out his fatigues, climbing on the bus bound for Fort
Chaffee, and most famously, sitting patiently while an army barber cut his
hair into an army buzz and shaved off those sideburns. No photos could have
been more significant to improving his image than those of a wistful Elvis in
the barber's chair as the clippers peeled off inches of his hair. For two years,
he had been dogged by constant criticism and mean-spirited attacks about
his hair and sideburns. Not only did he willingly give up his personal look
to serve his country in the army, but now he also looked like everyone else!
Check out the color photo section to see Elvis in uniform.
Nothing the Colonel or Elvis did to improve the singer's image came close
to generating the level of positive publicity that joining the army did. And
the proof was in the immediate change in attitude by the mainstream press.
Life magazine, which had been highly critical of Elvis in 1956, featured three
major articles from April through October 1958 about Presley's army service.
Similarly, Look magazine, which also had been highly critical of Elvis in 1956,
gave the army story a great deal of positive attention.
96 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Controlling the media's access to Elvis
From 1956 to 1958, Elvis freely and honestly answered any question asked of
him by the press with no interference from the Colonel. Reading only a few of
the interviews and articles offers a nice portrait of a naive kid having the time
of his life on a wild ride.
However, Elvis did make some offhand remarks and candid admissions that
inadvertently added to his bad press. For instance, Elvis was often asked
whether he was going to marry any time soon, and the singer was fond of
answering, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" And
during an interview with a female reporter in Texas, Elvis played with her
hair and called her "Baby" throughout, which the reporter used against him
in her critical article. These comments clearly didn't help his image at the
time, but Parker was soon going to rein him in by maintaining stricter media
access.
After Elvis's discharge from the army in 1960, Colonel Parker used the posi-
tive publicity over the singer's army service to spearhead a campaign to com-
pletely obliterate the Elvis the Pelvis image. Elvis would change his personal
appearance, give up touring to focus on becoming a Hollywood actor, and
alter his musical style to lean more toward pop than rock 'n' roll. Parker also
would limit the media's access to Elvis to avoid putting the singer in a situ-
ation where he'd make comments that could damage his newly formed image.
Access to the press was limited to whatever publicity and promotion the
Colonel and others in charge of Elvis's career wanted released. So, of course,
this information didn't dwell on rock 'n' roll, his Southern background, or his
candid comments. Parker preferred short-term press conferences in which
several reporters were privy to the same information in an open forum rather
than lengthy one-on-one interviews alone with Elvis. (You can read more infor-
mation in Chapter 7 on the transformation of Elvis after the army.)
Noting Two Touchstones
in Elvis's Personal Life
As the saying goes, when one door shuts, another one opens. In Elvis's case,
this adage applied to two major events that occurred while he was in the
army. In 1958, his beloved mother, Gladys Love Presley, died, and toward the
end of his tour of duty, he met Priscilla Beaulieu, who would later become his
wife. This section offers a brief account of both life-altering experiences.
Chapter 5: What's the Ruckus About: The Impact of Elvis the Pelvis
97
Just as his service in the army did, both of these personal experiences -- the
death of his mother and his meeting Priscilla -- matured Elvis. An older, more
confident Presley emerged in 1960 ready to tackle the next phase of his career.
Suffering a terrible loss: The death
of Gladys Presley
On August 14, 1958, just five months after Elvis went into the army, Gladys
Presley died, possibly from heart complications due to hepatitis. Elvis, who
had always been close to his mother, was devastated by her death. He broke
down many times in front of reporters, friends, and family in the days before
her funeral. Gladys had loved her son very much, and she had been his big-
gest supporter. Her death was the worst event in his life up to that point, and
in many ways, he never got over the loss.
At the funeral, the Blackwood Brothers, the gospel quartet that had attended
the Presleys' church in Memphis before Elvis became famous, sang Gladys's
favorite hymns. Gladys was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, but
after Elvis died, her remains were moved to rest beside those of her son in
Meditation Garden behind Graceland.
After his mother's funeral, Elvis was sent to Bad Nauheim, West Germany,
to serve out his two years of military service in the 3rd Armored Division.
The only concession the army made to Elvis's celebrity was to allow him to
live off-base with his family so he could have a bit of privacy. Elvis was well
known in Europe, so living separately was necessary to keep him from fans
and reporters. His father, Vernon, and his grandmother, Minnie Mae, joined
him shortly after he arrived in Germany. They were later joined by various
friends and cousins, because Elvis wanted to be surrounded by family and
friends. With the recent loss of his mother, who had been his major support
system, Elvis needed the support of his family and friends as well as the dis-
traction of a lot of company. As a matter of fact, he would rarely live without
a houseful of friends and family again.
Meeting Priscilla
Toward the end of his tour of duty, Elvis met a 14-year-old girl who impressed
him very much. Priscilla Ann Beaulieu was the stepdaughter of Air Force
Captain Joseph Paul Beaulieu, who also was stationed in Germany. Elvis had
been stationed in Germany for quite some time before the Beaulieus arrived,
and Priscilla remarked to her stepfather that she hoped she would run into
the famous singer while they were there. Captain Beaulieu was none too keen
on the idea, remarking that he wouldn't let her walk across the street to see
Presley!
98 Part I: From Rockabilly to Rock `n' Roll
Elvis and Captain Beaulieu knew someone in common, U.S. Airman Currie
Grant, who thought that Priscilla and Elvis would hit it off. He arranged the
meeting between the famous singer and the pretty teen. He also vouched
for Elvis with Priscilla's father, who was worried about his daughter becom-
ing mixed up with a famous rock 'n' roller. Despite her young age, Elvis and
Priscilla dated frequently during the last few weeks that he was stationed in
Germany. However, they were seldom alone, partly because Elvis preferred
not to leave his house (and his house was always full of people) and partly
because promises were made to the Beaulieus that Priscilla would be well
tended. However, Elvis and Priscilla did manage a few stolen hours together
in his room.
Priscilla went to the airport to say goodbye when Elvis's tour of duty was
over, and she was photographed by major magazines such as Life as she
waved to him and cried. When he returned to the States, reporters asked him
about her, but he downplayed their relationship, probably to protect her and
her family from the press. Little did these reporters know that seven years
later, Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu would marry. (See Chapter 7 for an
account of Elvis and Priscilla's marriage.)
Part II
From Hot-Headed
Rebel to
Hollywood
Leading Man
In this part . . .
As far back as 1956, movies were used to make Elvis
Presley more palatable to the mainstream public.
Playing a version of himself in three of his first four mov-
ies appealed to his fans but also presented him as a sym-
pathetic figure to the general audience, which helped
temper the controversy surrounding his music and per-
forming style.
After Elvis was discharged from the army, he and his man-
agement team made the deliberate decision to turn him
into a mature, conventional-looking leading man to attract
the broadest audience possible. He stopped performing in
public and turned his attention entirely to the movies.
Elvis supported this decision because he wanted to be an
actor, but sadly his career in Hollywood didn't turn out
the way he wanted.
As his movies became formulaic, Elvis grew increasingly
disappointed with his Hollywood career. This is one of the
reasons his films have such a horrible reputation that in
many ways isn't deserved. In this part, I examine how
Elvis's image and music were changed as a result of his
film career. I also talk about his films -- the formulaic
musical comedies as well as those that don't follow the
formula.
Chapter 6
Taming the Rebel: Elvis
Goes to Hollywood
In This Chapter
Revealing Elvis's path to movie stardom
Referencing Elvis's real-life experiences in the movies
Reshaping Elvis's notorious rebel image through his movies
Elvis's career as a movie star began in 1956 during the heat of the contro-
versy over his singing and provocative performing style. In fact, Elvis's
entrance into Hollywood became a deliberate and important step in dealing
with the controversy and expanding his audience beyond his teenage base.
Elvis's management team launched a film career for the singer in order to
keep the fans happy while broadening his appeal and diluting the contro-
versy swirling around "Elvis the Pelvis" in the press. Elvis, on the other hand,
had a loftier ambition: He intended to become a legitimate actor like so many
singers before him. (See Chapter 5 to understand the significance of "Elvis
the Pelvis.")
Many biographers and rock 'n' roll historians regret the impact that Elvis's
film career had on his raw rockabilly sound and his uninhibited, sexually pro-
vocative performing style. They bemoan the way the movies instigated the
process of taming Elvis. In this context, his films are presented in a negative
light. Yet, you must remember that conforming for a mainstream audience
was the desired goal of Elvis's management team. And, to some extent, that
was Elvis's goal, too. The fact that his movies brought Elvis Presley into main-
stream culture doesn't mean that all the films are without interest or merit. It's
time to reevaluate his film career with more objectivity.
In this chapter, I discuss Elvis's movie contract with producer Hal Wallis. I
also take you through the first four movies Elvis made, explaining how and
why these films incorporated aspects of the singer's real life into the plots.
Specifically, casting Elvis in Loving You, Jailhouse Rock, and King Creole
served to create a mainstream figure out of a controversial star. This strategy
became a model for later generations of rock 'n' roll stars and rap artists to
follow. Finally, I tell you how Elvis's early movies helped reshape his contro-
versial image and set the stage for his career as a leading man.
102 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Embarking upon a Movie Career
In 1956, Elvis was fortunate enough to attract the attention of Hal Wallis, one
of Hollywood's most successful and talented producers. Wallis had a reputa-
tion for spotting talented new entertainers and turning them into stars. Elvis,
a lifelong fan of the movies, embraced the idea of becoming an actor, and so
he eagerly put himself in Wallis's hands. This section covers how Wallis came
to sign Elvis to a contract and why the singer was so keen to shift gears in
his career. It also details the importance of Elvis's first film, Love Me Tender,
which wasn't produced by Wallis. The filmmaker lent his new star to another
studio to make this Civil War drama, which in many ways is quite different
from his other movies.
Signing with Hal Wallis
While looking for something to watch on television one evening in the spring
of 1956, Hal Wallis stumbled across Elvis Presley on Tommy and Jimmy
Dorsey's Stage Show (see Chapter 4 for more information about Stage Show).
Not only did Wallis find this hot new singer with the odd name "electrifying,"
but he also realized that the effect Elvis had on the audience spelled movie
magic. He recognized Elvis's charisma as a performer, and he knew that Elvis
could transfer that appeal to the big screen.
The next morning Wallis called Elvis's manager, Colonel Tom Parker (often
referred to as simply "the Colonel"), and arranged a screen test. When the day
for the screen test finally came, a nervous Elvis performed a scene from The
Rainmaker, which Wallis was in the process of adapting from the Broadway
stage to the big screen. Elvis's screen test was impressive enough for Wallis
to offer him a three-film deal, with the option to renew. The contract wasn't
exclusive, so Elvis was free to make films for other producers or studios.
Wallis was a veteran of old Hollywood. He had worked his way up through
the ranks of Warner Bros. from the publicity department to producer, begin-
ning in the 1920s. During the Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s, Wallis pro-
duced some of the studio's best films, including Casablanca, Sergeant York,
King's Row, and Now, Voyager. He formed his own production company in
1944, releasing his films through Paramount and later through Universal.
Over the years, he signed several prominent entertainers to personal con-
tracts (a contract with Wallis, not a studio), including the team of Jerry Lewis
and Dean Martin, Shirley MacLaine, and Charlton Heston.
Wallis's talents as a producer included his ability to match a performer to
material that would showcase the newcomer's unique qualities. To Wallis,
this strategy was the sure path to stardom. His reputation reached back
to his days at Warner Bros., when he cast stars such as Humphrey Bogart,
Ingrid Bergman, and Bette Davis in their best roles. Not surprisingly, Wallis
titled his autobiography Starmaker.
Chapter 6: Taming the Rebel: Elvis Goes to Hollywood
103
With the approval of the Colonel and Elvis's William Morris agent, Abe
Lastfogel, Wallis devised a series of films that attracted Elvis's fans but also
appealed to other factions of moviegoers. The Colonel signed Elvis with
William Morris, one of the largest talent agencies in America, in 1955 to
help with bookings and mapping out his client's future. In general, Lastfogel
proved particularly useful in negotiations with studios and producers.
Following in the footsteps of Sinatra
Elvis loved the movies, but the key reason he embraced a movie contract
at this explosive point in his recording career was because he personally
believed that the most successful entertainers parlayed their recording
triumphs into movie careers. He held singers such as Bing Crosby, Frank
Sinatra, and Mario Lanza in high regard as role models because he admired
the way they shifted from recording to acting. In interviews at the time, Elvis
talked enthusiastically about how becoming an actor was a good career
move. He noted that singers peaked quickly and then faded away, but good
actors had long careers. He even speculated that he would make some films
in which he didn't sing, much like Sinatra and Crosby had done.
Elvis's vision for his film career was to become a bona fide actor; his manage-
ment team's goal was to eliminate the controversy surrounding the singer and
broaden his audience. At first, Elvis's goal for his movie career didn't contra-
dict the Colonel and Wallis's plan, but as time passed, his goal grew increas-
ingly at odds with theirs. This difference in perception between Elvis and his
management team helps to explain his utter disillusionment with Hollywood
later on and why he turned his back on his movies, even his good ones. Flip to
Chapter 8 to find out more about the clash.
Evaluating Love Me Tender
Elvis signed his contract with Wallis in the spring of 1956, but the producer
felt that he didn't have the right material at the time to showcase the singer
to his best advantage. So Wallis allowed Presley to co-star in a film for
another studio while he developed a property (a story or script owned by
Wallis) especially for his new star. Elvis's first film became Love Me Tender.
Originally titled The Reno Brothers, Love Me Tender was produced by 20th
Century Fox, with Elvis co-starring in a secondary role. The story involves
four brothers whose lives are changed tragically by the Civil War. Elvis plays
the youngest brother, Clint Reno, who stays home during the war to work
on the family farm. Clint marries his older brother's sweetheart, because the
family thinks that the brother (Vance) has been killed in battle. However,
when Vance returns home unexpectedly, the family is torn apart by the mar-
riage. After a series of bad decisions and mistakes in judgment, Clint is shot
and killed.
104 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
The first film versus the typical film
In some ways, Elvis's first film, Love Me Tender, released in the fall of 1956, is
an anomaly in his career, because it doesn't follow the characteristics of any
of his other films. Love Me Tender differs from most of Elvis's other films in the
following ways:
Elvis doesn't play the main male character.
It's a period picture, taking place in the postCivil War era.
Elvis doesn't play a character written especially for him.
It doesn't make use of Elvis's iconography (see the later section "Telling
Elvis's Life Story: How His Movies Act As Autobiography" for more on
how many of Elvis's first movies echoed his life).
Elvis's character dies in the end.
Despite these differences, Love Me Tender set in motion a pattern that would
typify the Elvis Presley picture. That pattern included the addition of songs
to appeal to his fans and to exploit his participation. This pattern seems
to make sense because Elvis was a singer, but it can be distracting in some
genres. In Love Me Tender, for example, Elvis's contemporary singing style
is at odds with the period in which the story is set and detracts from the
drama. When his character cuts loose on the Reno front porch with a rous-
ing rendition of "We're Gonna Move," it interrupts the story line instead of
enhancing it.
Of the four songs added to the film, the ballad "Love Me Tender" is best suited
to the story line. Songwriter Ken Darby reworked the Civil War song "Aura
Lee" as "Love Me Tender," adding new lyrics but retaining the melody. The
ballad was released with slightly different lyrics as a single, and it sold a mil-
lion copies in advance, reaching the top of the Billboard Top 100 chart. The
song's success persuaded the studio to change the title of the movie from The
Reno Brothers to Love Me Tender.
Elvis and his costars
The major stars of Love Me Tender included leading man Richard Egan and
leading lady Debra Paget. Pairing Elvis with established actors helped him
learn the ropes of film acting and masked his inexperience on screen. Egan
mentored Elvis, who was working hard to construct a credible character.
With leading lady Debra Paget, Elvis established another type of "pattern"
that would be consistent throughout his film career: He developed a crush
on Paget, and he tried his best to win her affections. Elvis and Paget got along
well on the set, but she didn't return his romantic feelings, largely because her
mother had bigger plans for her daughter's career. Elvis would go on to make
30 more feature films, and during the production of many of them, he found
someone in the cast to date, often his leading lady.
Chapter 6: Taming the Rebel: Elvis Goes to Hollywood
105
Telling Elvis's Life Story: How His Movies
Act As Autobiography
By the time Elvis had completed Love Me Tender, Hal Wallis had developed
a suitable vehicle for Elvis to star in. A vehicle is a movie built specifically
around a star's image. For example, a producer may tailor a script to show-
case a performer's talents, or he may shape a character to suit a star's screen
persona. Some vehicles are loosely adapted to the star's special character-
istics; others are worked tightly around them. The star's appearance in the
vehicle is the guiding force in the film, deliberately overshadowing plot and
character development. Elvis's next three films, produced before he went
into the army in 1958, were vehicles tightly shaped to his public persona.
Wallis ordered the scriptwriters to tailor Loving You and King Creole to Elvis's
image and talents, and producer Pandro Berman of MGM developed Jailhouse
Rock especially for the hot new star. The films' story lines borrowed heavily
from the details of Elvis's life and career. The strategy behind featuring Elvis
in such deliberate vehicles was to ensure the support of his built-in fan base.
Fans would attend the movies because Elvis was the star, but after recogniz-
ing that certain elements in the films were parts of Presley's own story, they
would return to watch the movies again as Elvis-related experiences.
A way to turn the scripts into vehicles for Elvis Presley was to make use of
"the Elvis Presley iconography." This iconography is a set of personal charac-
teristics and career events associated with the singer that fans were familiar
with because of photographs, newspaper and magazine articles, fan maga-
zines, interviews, and public performances. While these characteristics and
events derived from Elvis's real life, they were simplified and codified into a
blueprint for the scripts for his movies. When fans saw these characteristics,
actions, or people in the films, they drew a connection between the fictional
leading character and the real Elvis Presley. The Elvis Presley iconography
included the following:
Hair and sideburns: Elvis's long sideburns and ducktail haircut, which
he kept in place with three different pomades, was ridiculed in the
press, emulated by teenage boys, and beloved by adolescent girls. (See
Chapter 4 for more information on the criticism of Elvis's personal
appearance.)
Clothing: Elvis's colorful Beale Street wardrobe was distinctive and
unconventional. Plus, there was one consistent style feature associated
with his clothing that others adopted, too -- the turned-up collar. (See
Chapter 3 for more information on Elvis's clothing style.)
A taste for Cadillacs: As soon as Elvis began to earn some real money,
he hit the local car dealer to buy Cadillacs and Lincolns, often in offbeat
colors. The first Cadillac, which he bought for his mother, was pink;
others were cream, baby blue, and purple.
106 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
On more than one occasion, fans discovered Elvis's car in a parking lot
after a concert and destroyed the finish by writing their names and
phone numbers in lipstick or etching them in with nail files.
Band members: Elvis's backup musicians included Scotty Moore, D.J.
Fontana, and Bill Black, and fans recognized their faces from Presley's
TV appearances. The Jordanaires also often provided background
vocals, and they were known to the fans as well.
Performing style: Elvis's distinctive performing style, in which he
gyrated his hips, shook all over, pointed his finger, and rocked on the
balls of his feet, was the high point of a Presley performance.
The roles that echo Elvis's life events also fit an archetypal story line that
moviegoers of all ages would recognize -- the show business success tale
(see the later section "Explaining the success myth" for more information).
In this type of story, a talented performer with a new style battles personal
demons in his struggle to make it to the top. By repeatedly casting Elvis
in this type of story, the films effectively suggested to audiences that the
singer's real-life career was no different than that of countless other singers.
These films implied that even though Elvis's music was different and outra-
geous by some standards, there was really nothing new -- or dangerous --
about Elvis Presley the performer.
The films were intended to imply that Elvis Presley was neither new nor dan-
gerous. Elvis's management team sought to change public perception of the
singer, but in real life, Presley was a threat because he changed the status
quo. He influenced the tastes of a new generation, changed the direction
of popular music, and brought the music of rural Southerners and African
Americans into the mainstream.
The following sections discuss how each of these three films appropriated
aspects of Elvis's real life and career and fit them into the mold of a show
business success tale. The films are discussed in order of release.
Looking at Loving You
Of all the Presley vehicles, the musical drama Loving You corresponds clos-
est to Elvis's own life story. It wasn't intended to be a biography, however.
Released in July 1957, Loving You tells the tale of Deke Rivers, a young,
working-class Southerner with a "boogie-woogie" singing style that drives
the girls wild. Music manager and public relations expert Glenda Markle,
played by Lizabeth Scott, realizes that Deke can tap into the youth market
that her country band, the Rough Ridin' Ramblers, can't. Deke is a naive kid
who doesn't understand his effect on girls, but Glenda exploits his sensation
and sensuality in publicity stunts that sometimes backfire. The press saddles
Deke with a reputation as a troublemaker who incites teenagers to act out.
Chapter 6: Taming the Rebel: Elvis Goes to Hollywood
107
Deke becomes depressed and confesses to Glenda that his real name is
Jimmy Tompkins and that he stole his name to cover up a tragic past. Glenda
lands Deke a one-man show on television to prove that he's a legitimate
talent who isn't just a bad influence on young people.
Behind the scenes
To ensure that Loving You captured the flavor of Elvis's life as an entertainer
and showed the excitement surrounding his performances, Wallis sent direc-
tor/cowriter Hal Kanter to observe Elvis in his hometown of Memphis and
as he made his final appearance on the Louisiana Hayride on December 16,
1956. (See Chapter 3 for more information on the Hayride.) Kanter was both
shocked and amazed by this new singing sensation. He was amazed at what
he called the "electric excitement" generated by Presley onstage, and he
was shocked at the way the crowds forced the singer to live a sequestered,
protected existence. Because of this firsthand experience, Kanter effectively
captured both sides of Elvis's fame in the script for Loving You.
Elvis as Deke Rivers
In Loving You, Deke's rise to fame as a young Southern-based singer with a new
sound parallels the beginning of Elvis's own career, particularly the impact
he had on the girls in his audience and the accusations that he incited acts
of juvenile delinquency. The film also references Elvis's country music con-
nection by showing Deke touring with a country band. (Refer to Chapter 3 for
more information on Elvis's early career on the country-western circuit.) The
movie even hints at Elvis's R&B connection when Deke belts out a wicked ren-
dition of "Mean Woman Blues."
Loving You offers many obvious references to the Elvis iconography, which
fans would have easily recognized. The following examples represent some of
the most obvious:
Hair and sideburns: A local troublemaker taunts Deke Rivers in a diner
by calling him "Sideburns," echoing the criticism Elvis received for his
own side whiskers. Several scenes draw the viewer's attention to Deke's
hair as well. In one instance, he combs it while looking in a mirror. The
scene is similar to a famous photo of Elvis by Albert Wertheimer; in
another scene, Glenda runs her hands through Deke's hair.
A taste for Cadillacs: Glenda buys Deke a white and red convertible as a
publicity stunt. Near the end of the film, a shot of the car parked behind
the theater shows fans writing messages on the car with lipstick. The
shot is extraneous to the film's plot; no comment is made about this
defacement and the incident is never referred to in the film. Thus, the
shot isn't really part of Deke Rivers's fictional story; it's a depiction of
an actual moment from Elvis's life used to manipulate the audience into
seeing the two as one.
108 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Band members: Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and D.J. Fontana, who were
Elvis's real-life band members, make up the band that back up Deke
Rivers. While Moore and Fontana don't have character names in the film,
Bill Black is listed as "Eddie" in the cast list. Most of their screen time
finds the three of them playing onstage, but in one scene, they're sitting
around backstage with Deke joined in a brief conversation.
Performing style: Deke's sensual performing style, which is the same
as Elvis's own personal performing style, stirs up the local girls in the
scene that introduces Deke to Glenda and the viewing audience. During
the musical numbers, the fictional character of Deke slides away almost
completely because he's singing and performing exactly like Elvis
Presley. At this point, viewers become aware that they're watching Elvis,
not Deke. Indeed, that's the reason for seeing the film.
In the last sequence of the movie, Deke performs a concert that's broadcast
on television. This concert is reminiscent of the TV variety programs so pop-
ular during the 1950s. Deke is presented singing before an enthusiastic live
studio audience. Elvis's real-life parents, Gladys and Vernon Presley, are part
of the audience and are clearly visible during a close-up.
During the production of Loving You, Elvis didn't date costar Dolores Hart, but
he did date one of the actresses who had a bit part, Yvonne Lime.
Exploring Jailhouse Rock
If Loving You exploits the well-mannered Southern boy that the Colonel
touted as the real Elvis, Jailhouse Rock plays off the part of the singer's image
that's associated with the tough rebel. Released in 1957, the film stars Elvis
as Vince Everett, a working-class stiff sent to prison for manslaughter. Rude
and ill-tempered, Vince learns to play the guitar from cellmate and former
country-western star Hunk Houghton, played by Mickey Shaughnessy. After
Vince is released from jail, he begins a career as a recording artist with the
help of record industry veteran Peggy Van Alden, played by Judy Tyler.
Peggy helps Vince develop a new sound, which begins to attract the attention
of teenagers. Peggy and Vince fall in love, but Vince's hardened attitude and
cynicism cause the two to split personally and professionally. A tragic acci-
dent results in Vince's change of heart, and the two are reunited.
Behind the scenes
Jailhouse Rock was produced by Pandro Berman and released through MGM --
not by Wallis through Paramount Pictures. Wallis's deal with Elvis wasn't exclu-
sive, so the Colonel was able to make deals with other studios.
Chapter 6: Taming the Rebel: Elvis Goes to Hollywood
109
Berman followed Wallis's lead in rounding out the script by echoing parts
of Elvis's real life so that Jailhouse Rock would qualify as a Presley vehicle.
However, Berman didn't have a master plan in regard to Elvis's career,
because he wasn't invested in it. Presley was tied to Wallis by a personal
contract, whereas Berman was merely assigned to Jailhouse Rock by MGM.
Berman never worked with Elvis again.
Elvis as Vince Everett
Vince Everett's personal life had little to do with the real Elvis Presley, but
the character's rise to fame from country-western singer to rock 'n' roll star
to movie actor parallels Elvis's own career path. Plus, Vince's surly attitude
and lack of respect for authority and convention posit him as a rebel, which
was part of Elvis's image as a rock 'n' roll star. More importantly, Vince
Everett radiates a sexuality that's instinctual, animalistic, and dangerous --
much like Elvis did when he performed. You can see a photo of Elvis perform-
ing as Vince Everett in the color photo section of this book.
In one of the most famous scenes in any of Elvis's films, Vince grabs Peggy and
kisses her hard on the mouth, but she's offended by his "cheap tactics." Vince,
well aware of his effect on women, growls, "Them ain't tactics, honey. It's just
the beast in me."
As you might imagine, Jailhouse Rock is far less sentimental than Loving You,
and Vince Everett is a tougher character than Deke Rivers. However, both
films include many of the same references to the Elvis iconography. The fol-
lowing list includes iconographic references from Jailhouse Rock:
Hair and sideburns: The film refers to the importance of Presley's hair
by using an ironic approach. Instead of giving the fans what they expect,
the film offers a scene in which Vince's hair is cut short while in prison.
Elvis, as Vince, is framed in a medium close-up as the clippers plow
through the long, thick hair. This scene must have been shocking to
fans.
Even though fans didn't know it at the time, the hair that was being
butchered so unceremoniously on Elvis's head was actually a wig.
A taste for Cadillacs: When Vince brags about making his first million,
he asks Peggy what color Cadillac he should buy. Later, after Vince's
first hit record, Vince's lawyer reveals while dictating a contract to a dic-
tating machine that the color is white.
Clothing style: Like Elvis's trademark turned-up collars, Vince wears his
collars straight up throughout most of the film. Also, Vince's liking for
oversized pants, plaid or print shirts with rolled-up sleeves, and sports
jackets that don't quite complement the printed fabric of his shirts is
very close to Elvis's personal tastes in clothing.
110 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Band members: Elvis's real-life band mates Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and
D.J. Fontana play three of the musicians who back up Vince when he
records "Don't Leave Me Now." None of them have character names, but
they're Elvis's musicians playing Vince's musicians.
Performing style: In some of the film's musical numbers, including
"Baby, I Don't Care," the fictional character of Vince Everett virtually
disappears because the singing and performing styles are that of Elvis
Presley. Again, the purpose is to collapse the character into Elvis's star
image to satisfy the audience's desire to see Presley.
Turning King Creole into an Elvis vehicle
King Creole, a musical melodrama released in 1958, is set in New Orleans.
Elvis stars as 19-year-old Danny Fisher, who lives in a poor neighborhood
with his sister and weak-willed father. Danny works in the clubs in the French
Quarter as a busboy to earn money for the family, but his father is repeatedly
disappointed in him, especially after Danny is prevented from graduating
high school because of his bad attitude. When a club owner hears him sing,
Danny lands a job as a regular performer at the King Creole nightclub. The
singer's life is complicated by his father's disapproval of his profession of
choice and by his involvement with local racketeer Maxie Fields, played by
Walter Matthau, and Maxie's girlfriend, played by Carolyn Jones.
Behind the scenes
King Creole was based on the novel A Stone for Danny Fisher by Harold
Robbins. In the novel, Danny lives in New York and is an aspiring boxer. The
original script followed the novel more closely, and at that time, newcomer
Ben Gazzara was tapped to play Danny Fisher. When that deal fell through,
Hal Wallis had the script rewritten as a vehicle for Elvis. The locale was
changed to musical New Orleans, and Danny's desired profession became
singing. Veteran director Michael Curtiz helmed the musical drama, render-
ing a tightly crafted narrative in expressive black-and-white cinematography.
Curtiz's craftsmanship is why this film is often touted as Elvis's best.
Dolores Hart, who played opposite Elvis in Loving You, co-starred as the love
interest in King Creole. Rumors to the contrary, Hart and Elvis didn't date
during the production of this film. Hart, who was another of Hal Wallis's dis-
coveries, enjoyed a successful career as an ingénue actress. Later she turned
her back on Hollywood to become a nun. She's currently the Prioress at the
Benedictine Regina Laudis Abbey in Connecticut.
Elvis as Danny Fisher
King Creole may be the most far removed from Elvis's personal life and career
path, but it still uses the Presley iconography so fans can make the connec-
tion between Danny and Elvis. Consider the included elements:
Chapter 6: Taming the Rebel: Elvis Goes to Hollywood
111
Hair and sideburns: Danny's long hair comes tumbling over his face
in two types of scenes: when he fights and when he sings, giving his
coiffure a dangerous and threatening connotation. When Elvis sang in
concert, he used a certain pomade for the front of his hair to make it fall
down in front of his eyes, which often made the girls scream.
A taste for Cadillacs: During an argument between Danny and his father
over Danny's decision to sing at the King Creole nightclub, a frustrated
Mr. Fisher asks him what it is that he wants out of life. Danny sharply
retorts, "A pink Cadillac," which is a reference to the legendary pink
automobile that Elvis purchased for his mother.
Band members: Elvis's favorite backup vocal group -- the Jordanaires --
and his regular musicians -- Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana, Bill Black -- back
Danny at the King Creole nightclub. Again, they're Elvis's musicians play-
ing Danny's musicians.
Performing style: As expected, Danny's performing style doesn't differ
at all from Elvis's. In fact, Danny's sensuality is alluded to comically by
one of the strippers at the King Creole. A colorful character named Forty
Nina complains that no one needs to come see her act anymore, imply-
ing that Danny's onstage performance is hotter. The joke recalls the
many times that columnists and TV reviewers compared Elvis's act to a
striptease or burlesque.
Using Elvis's Movies to Spin His Image
Each of the three Elvis Presley vehicles released in 1957 and 1958 (Loving
You, Jailhouse Rock, and King Creole) follow a similar plotline: A talented
entertainer faces outside obstacles and inner demons on his way to show
business success. The story is an archetypal tale in the entertainment indus-
try that's often dubbed the show business success myth. This tale has been
used throughout movie history.
This section explains the importance of this archetypal tale in Elvis Presley's
movie career, and shows how his association with it was used to reshape his
image. The purpose was to make Elvis Presley seem less threatening, more
familiar, and therefore more acceptable to a mainstream audience.
Explaining the success myth
The Hollywood industry embraces the show business success myth -- a sub-
genre of the biographical drama or biopic -- because it touts the star system
as a fundamental part of the entertainment industry. The show business
success story involves a talented performer who overcomes personal and
professional obstacles to become a star embraced by audiences. Achieving
112 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
stardom is a personal and professional triumph. The subgenre is at least as
old as the 1927 film The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson and as recent as the
2002 rap musical 8 Mile with Eminem.
This archetypal tale not only supplies the plots to Loving You, Jailhouse Rock,
and King Creole, but after the release of these films, it could be seen as the
paradigm to Elvis's real-life career.
Because fans and audiences recognized that these three films borrowed
extensively from Elvis's own life in the story lines and characterizations, his
life story became intertwined with the elements of the show business success
myth. After these three films and the publicity and promotion surrounding
them, it would be difficult not to see Elvis himself as the embodiment of the
show business success story. Remarkably, these films effectively recast Elvis
Presley's life story and star image from that of an unrepentant, Southern-
based rebel who seemed threatening to the norms of society to a paradigm of
the show business success myth, which was much more familiar and accept-
able to mainstream audiences. Though nothing about Elvis or his life had
changed, the movies reshaped his image and the story of his life in an effort to
change public perception.
Seeing the characters of Deke, Vince,
and Danny as Elvis and vice versa
In their respective films, Deke Rivers, Vince Everett, and Danny Fisher are
socially alienated youths who have problems with authority. They fulfill the
roles of the rebel, strutting and stomping their way through scenes of angst
and alienation while fighting their inner demons. The story lines eventually
explain the sources of their discontent; in doing so, the story lines offer a
reason for the youths' rebellious behaviors. In other words, Deke, Vince,
and Danny are really just misunderstood. After they deal with the underlying
trauma of their personal issues, they're presented as understood and, more
importantly, accepted back into mainstream society, usually through the love
of the leading lady.
If so much of Elvis Presley can be found in Deke, Vince, and Danny, he, too,
must be alienated and misunderstood and, therefore, capable of redemption
by mainstream society. By recasting Elvis's real life into the fictional stories
of these three characters, the films undermined the controversy over Elvis
Presley's hip-gyrating performing style and countered accusations that it
leads to juvenile delinquency.
The controversy surrounding Elvis didn't completely die away until he went
into the army in 1958. (See Chapters 5 and 7 for more about the effect of army
service on his career.) The controversy tended to heat up whenever he toured
the country in a series of live performances, which resulted in bad publicity
from newspapers. However, the box office success of his films, his association
Chapter 6: Taming the Rebel: Elvis Goes to Hollywood
113
with such Hollywood veterans as Wallis, and the positive publicity generated
in some movie fanzines (movie-fan magazines) offered an alternative view
of Elvis as a success story. This countered or at least complicated the effect
of the bad publicity. The films had an impact on the depiction of Elvis in the
press, and thus his public perception, but it's impossible to measure the suc-
cess of the efforts to mainstream Elvis's image.
Shaping Elvis's music and performing style
into Hollywood production numbers
Loving You, Jailhouse Rock, and King Creole served to redefine the music
of Elvis Presley, or at least put it in a context that made it less threatening
and less alien to mainstream society. The singing styles of Deke, Vince, and
Danny are described in the films as new, modern, and targeted toward the
kids or teenagers, but they never have the connotation of being threaten-
ing or lurid. Issues of influence and inappropriate behavior are addressed in
Loving You, but adults eventually come to the conclusion that rock 'n' roll
music is simply a new sound for a new era, much like jazz or big-band music
had been in other times.
Even more effective in handling the controversy was the way Elvis is
depicted when performing in the films. The depiction contains or controls his
movements. In other words, each film normalizes Elvis's music or performing
style, but it's still recognizable as his. Consider how Elvis's performances are
depicted in each of his vehicles:
In Loving You, Elvis is part of a country-western show; in King Creole,
he performs in the nightclubs of Bourbon Street. Both venues would be
familiar to adult audiences. Also, the conventional way that the musi-
cal numbers are filmed in these movies (with Elvis center frame while
the musicians perform in the background) standardizes the presenta-
tion. Elvis gyrates, snaps his fingers, shakes all over, and moves in the
manner to which he's accustomed, but his mobility is limited by the
range of the camera. The familiar venues and the limited movements
contain his performances, making them less wild and threatening. Thus,
he also seems less threatening.
The title song of Jailhouse Rock offers the most interesting example of
how producers contained Elvis's explosive performing style. For this
legendary production number, featuring Elvis as a jailbird dancing
alongside his fellow inmates, his trademark moves were reworked into a
controlled choreography, robbing them of spontaneity, unpredictability,
and sensuality. The idea of uncontrolled sexuality was removed from his
performance, making it suitable for a mainstream audience.
114 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
For decades, biographers stated that choreographer Alex Romero
allowed Elvis to choreograph the "Jailhouse Rock" number himself, but
that's untrue. Romero tried to teach Elvis some traditional dance steps
and moves for the occasion, but the singer couldn't conquer them. So,
instead, Romero ditched the original plan and based the number's
moves and steps on Elvis's established performing style.
Co-starring with some well-known actors
The producers cast recognizable adult actors and stars alongside the young
singer in order to attract a broad range of ages to the singer's films, which
was typical of the era. Here are some of the costars that Elvis worked with in
his first three vehicles:
Loving You co-starred Hal Wallis's discovery Lizabeth Scott as music
manager Glenda Markle. Popular character actor Wendell Corey acted as
the bandleader of the country-western group.
Jailhouse Rock featured Mickey Shaughnessy as Hunk Houghton who
teaches Vince about music and life, and Judy Tyler of The Howdy Doody
Show played love-interest Peggy.
King Creole featured the best cast of any of Elvis's films, with Walter
Matthau as gangster Maxie Fields, Carolyn Jones as the troubled Ronnie,
Vic Morrow as local troublemaker Shark, and veteran actor Dean Jagger
as Danny's father.
Chapter 7
Reinventing His Image: Elvis
Becomes the Leading Man
In This Chapter
Understanding Elvis's service in the army as a turning point
Establishing the formula for the typical Elvis Presley movie
Looking at Elvis's transformation into a Hollywood leading man
Exploring the pop sounds of Elvis's movie music
Examining Elvis's marriage to Priscilla Beaulieu
Elvis's tour of duty in the army, which lasted from 1958 to 1960, marked
the most obvious and profound turning point of his career, because it
signaled the end of the controversy generated by his regionally tinged rock
'n' roll music and his provocative performing style. Elvis emerged from the
army a confident and mature entertainer, with a new look, a changed sound,
and a different direction for his career. This new direction led Elvis straight
back to Hollywood, where his transformation into a smooth, pop-singing lead-
ing man was complete by the early 1960s.
Elvis devoted himself to his movie career, which successfully matured his
image in the eyes of the public. He starred as a handsome yet conventional
leading man in so many lighthearted musical comedies that Elvis the Pelvis
(the nickname he earned from his sensual hip-swiveling performing style and
notorious rock 'n' roll image) was obliterated in the minds of the press and
public. Also helpful was the fact that the soundtracks to these movies fea-
tured a vocally confident Elvis singing in a smooth pop-rock style that bore
only a passing resemblance to the raw Southern-based rockabilly music that
began his career in the 1950s.
In this chapter, I examine the steps Elvis's management team took in order
to reinvent him in a way that would encourage the mainstream public to
embrace the former hip-gyrating sensation. Because much of Elvis's new
image was manufactured through his musical comedies, I break down the
formula behind those vehicles, detailing each characteristic. I also mark the
116 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
changes in his musical style, particularly in the soundtrack music. Finally,
nothing matures a pop idol like marriage, and no discussion of Elvis's matura-
tion would be complete without a consideration of his marriage to Priscilla
Beaulieu.
Returning to Hollywood
to Rebuild a Career
The folks who handled Elvis's career, including his manager Colonel Tom
Parker (also known as simply "the Colonel"), film producer Hal Wallis, and to
a minor extent his William Morris agent Abe Lastfogel, capitalized on the posi-
tive publicity generated throughout the singer's army service. Doing so suc-
cessfully disassociated Elvis from the notoriety of rock 'n' roll. This strategy
was a big step in constructing a new image for Elvis as a Hollywood leading
man with broad appeal to all audiences.
The reconstruction process started with interviews and press conferences
reiterating that Elvis served in the army without the benefit of special
privileges. Photos of Elvis wearing his uniform flooded newspapers and
magazines. Within a few weeks of his discharge, Elvis even co-starred in a
television special with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., which aligned him
with entertainers who epitomized mainstream show business.
Next, Wallis cast Elvis in his first post-army film, G.I. Blues, which is a musi-
cal comedy that became the prototype for the Presley movie of the 1960s. As
with Elvis's pre-army films (see Chapter 6), Wallis constructed a vehicle that
not only showcased Presley's singing talent but also referenced his real life
as a way to shape public perception.
In this section, I detail the steps that the Colonel, Elvis, and Wallis took just
after the singer's discharge to take advantage of the goodwill generated over
his army service. I show you exactly how these steps charted the course for
the next stage of Elvis's career.
Using the army as a turning point
Cooling of the controversy over Elvis the Pelvis actually began in 1956, when
Presley signed a movie contract with Hal Wallis. The series of semiautobio-
graphical films he made with Wallis prior to joining the army in 1958 went
some distance in taming Elvis's rebellious image, but nothing changed the
hearts and minds of his critics like serving his country. (Flip to Chapters 5
and 6 for a complete discussion of the controversy and how his pre-army
films helped tone it down.)
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image: Elvis Becomes the Leading Man
117
He's in the army now
According to The Elvis Encyclopedia by Adam
other soldiers lived in barracks on base. This
Victor, Elvis noted this about his impending prevented him from bonding with the rest of his
army service in 1958: "The army can do any-
unit, though he did make a few close friends,
thing it wants with me. Millions of other guys
including Joe Esposito and Charlie Hodge
have been drafted, and I don't want to be differ-
(see the appendix for more on these two men).
ent from anyone else." In many ways, Elvis was
Whenever he got a pass or leave, Elvis stayed
like everyone else in the army. He performed his
at his house surrounded by family and friends.
regular duties in Company D of the 3rd Armored
He did very little sightseeing for the same rea-
Tank Division, which included driving a jeep,
sons he didn't go out much at home: He always
went on maneuvers, and participated in war
seemed to draw an unwanted crowd. The
games just like all the other soldiers. But, his
exception was a trip to Paris in 1959. Because
fame also set him apart from the other men. To
Elvis kept to himself, and because army service
protect his privacy, Elvis was permitted to live
is repetitive by nature, not a lot of meaningful
in a house with his family off base, while the
information is available about his army stint.
Back on March 24, 1958, when Elvis reported to his draft board, took his
physical, and moved on to Fort Chaffee, the Colonel made sure photogra-
phers recorded every stage of the process. He reiterated to the press that
Elvis was going into the regular army and wouldn't take advantage of the
military's offer of serving his time in Special Services. For the next two years,
any time Elvis was on the cover of a fanzine, he was decked out in uniform,
reminding the public he was doing his duty for the country. (Check out the
color photo section to see Elvis in uniform.)
On the day Elvis returned home after his tour of duty, photographers and
reporters were on hand in both Germany, where he was stationed, and the
United States. At the press conference at McGuire Air Force base near Fort
Dix, New Jersey, where Elvis landed on March 2, 1960, his commanding
officer awarded him a 3rd Armored Division Certificate of Achievement for
faithful and efficient performance of duty. The Colonel, Nancy Sinatra, and
executives from RCA were on hand to welcome him home as well. Nancy was
there representing her father, Frank Sinatra, who would soon host Elvis on
one of his television specials.
The newspapers were flooded with stories about Elvis's return home, his
commendations, his new sense of maturity, and his willingness to serve his
country. Newspapers sought out comments and quotes from the men who
served alongside him, his sergeant, and even notable celebrities. Politicians,
columnists, and others who condemned Elvis in 1956 did an about-face, prais-
ing his patriotism, humility, and sense of duty. Elvis's two-year stint in the
army granted him a clean slate, wiping away his previous negative public
opinion and replacing it with a fresh, positive perspective.
118 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
In March 1960, Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee was quoted in papers
throughout the country as saying, "To his great credit this young American
became just another G.I. Joe . . . I for one would like to say to him yours was a
job well done, Soldier."
The King meets the Voice
On March 26, 1960, Elvis taped a guest appearance on Frank Sinatra's televi-
sion special, The Timex Special (also known as The Frank Sinatra Show, Elvis
Is Back, and Frank Sinatra's Welcome Home Party for Elvis). Colonel Tom
Parker made the deal with the show's producers months before Elvis was
released from active duty. He thought that appearing with Sinatra would
showcase Elvis to a wide audience made up of adults and pop-music enthusi-
asts as well as to his original fan base.
Never one to take chances, the Colonel made sure that during the taping at the
Grand Ballroom at the Fontainebleau Hotel Elvis would receive an enthusiastic
response from the studio audience. He guaranteed this response by packing in
400 members of one of Elvis's biggest fan clubs.
The show was subtitled "Welcome Home Elvis," and in the opening segment,
Elvis walked out in his army uniform. Later in the show, he performed both
sides of his latest single: "Stuck on You" and "Fame and Fortune." Sinatra
then joined him onstage for a short duet. Presley sang Sinatra's "Witchcraft,"
while Sinatra crooned Elvis's "Love Me Tender."
The setup for Elvis's segment looked very different from his last TV appear-
ances on The Ed Sullivan Show. (Head to Chapter 4 for more information
about these appearances.) This time around:
Elvis snapped his fingers and swayed in time to the smooth-sounding
orchestrations, suggesting fluid movement without "gyrating" his hips.
He performed without his guitar to strum, thump, or use as a prop.
His look was much different. He wore a stylish, conservative tuxedo; his
hair was shorter on the sides and back; and his sideburns were gone.
Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop appeared on the television
special as well as Sinatra's daughter, Nancy. Davis, Lawford, and Bishop were
members of Sinatra's famed "Rat Pack," the name given to the singer's long-
time cronies who represented the elite of show business, especially in Las
Vegas.
Elvis's conservative clothing, short hair, subdued performing style, and
appearance alongside the Rat Pack clearly signaled that Elvis was courting
a mainstream, adult audience. Sinatra, known as "the Voice," had been the
idol of teenage girls during the 1940s. He matured to expand his audience,
eventually becoming the biggest name in show business. Similarly, Elvis, who
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image: Elvis Becomes the Leading Man
119
was called "the King," had been the idol of teenage girls during the 1950s.
Appearing with Sinatra suggested that Elvis was following the same career
path and was therefore the natural heir to the Voice.
While Elvis was in the army, his original fan base also had matured, which
perhaps helped them accept his new direction. But, most likely, they simply
were excited to see him perform after a two-year absence from the scene.
Singing the G.I. Blues
G.I. Blues, which was released in 1960, was the third and final film under
Elvis's original contract with Hal Wallis. So as soon as Elvis and the Colonel
set foot in Hollywood in the spring of 1960, Parker negotiated another three-
picture deal with the producer.
Seeing success from fans and critics alike
G.I. Blues was enormously successful; it ranked 14th in box-office receipts for
1960. The soundtrack album, which included the rousing title song and the
gentle ballad "Wooden Heart," remained on the charts longer than any other
Elvis Presley album. Film reviewers applauded the new Elvis. They were glad
his sideburns were gone, and they thought he would find plenty of new fans
among adult audiences.
Sadly, Elvis didn't appear to share critics' enthusiasm for G.I. Blues. He felt
that the film had too many musical numbers, and he believed that some of the
numbers made no sense within the plot. He also was concerned that the qual-
ity of many of these songs wasn't as good as the music from his earlier films.
In addition, he was eager to attempt more demanding and serious roles.
Weaving Elvis's life into the plot
The movie's story line revolves around singer Tulsa McLean who's finishing
his tour of duty in the army. Just as he had done with Loving You and King
Creole, Wallis instructed the scriptwriters to take details from Elvis's own life
to flesh out the script. (See Chapter 6 for more information on Wallis and his
strategies.) As a result, in G.I. Blues Tulsa is not only stationed in Germany,
but he's also a member of a tank division just as Elvis had been.
Using details of Elvis's life to flesh out the character suggested to audiences
that the character was more Elvis than Tulsa; and because fans hadn't seen
their idol in two years, they were eager to watch Elvis on the big screen.
Wallis's strategy guaranteed fan support at the box office. Also, by building
Elvis's recent military service into the character description, the producer
capitalized on the positive publicity flooding the newspapers and magazines.
Elvis had never been more popular, and he was getting massive amounts of
free publicity; if this popularity and attention didn't attract a wide audience to
his movies, then Wallis couldn't imagine what would.
120 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Setting the movie apart
G.I. Blues may have been autobiographical like most of Elvis's pre-army films,
but it exhibited little else in common with his previous movies. Here are
some of the differences:
G.I. Blues is a musical comedy rather than a musical drama.
The plot line revolves around the complications of love, with Elvis's
character reluctant to settle down, and the leading lady adamant about
it. Love Me Tender aside, Elvis's pre-army films were examples of the
show business success tale.
During the musical numbers, Elvis no longer gyrates in a provocative,
sensual way. He still moves freely when he sings, but a troupe of long-
legged female dancers placed in the background does most of the hip
swiveling.
Elvis's character is a mature, cool, confident ladies' man who isn't a
threat to the status quo like his characters were in the pre-army films.
He's decidedly clean cut, with short hair and no sideburns.
To further show that Elvis's character offers no threat, he's shown sing-
ing a Bavarian-style folk tune to children at a puppet show, and then he
baby-sits an adorable infant.
Many of the songs in G.I. Blues are fast paced, but they don't have the
hard-driving sound, gritty vocal delivery, and regional flavor of Elvis's
1950s music.
These characteristics helped mainstream Elvis by eliminating the controver-
sial elements -- the music, the sensual performing style, the youthful angst,
and even the hair and sideburns. (See Chapter 5 for a rundown of character-
istics that created the controversy surrounding Elvis.)
Elvis's hair is not only short and in a conventional style in G.I. Blues; it's also
a different color. After Loving You was released in 1957, Elvis started to dye
his hair jet-black, which was the color of his mother's hair. Elvis' natural hair
color was dark blond or light brown, but it usually looked darker because of
the pomade that Elvis used to slick down his flamboyant ducktail haircut. The
two films that Elvis made after Loving You are black and white, so the change
in his hair color wasn't obvious. G.I. Blues and most of his other films during
the 1960s were shot in color, and so the rich tones of Elvis's blue-black hair
were more noticeable. No one knows exactly why Elvis chose to change his
hair color. Some speculate that it was because his mother dyed her hair black;
others suggest it was inspired by one of his favorite actors, Tony Curtis.
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image: Elvis Becomes the Leading Man
121
Calculating a Successful Movie Formula
After G.I. Blues, Elvis appeared in two serious films for 20th Century Fox
that challenged him as an actor -- Flaming Star and Wild in the Country.
Unfortunately, neither film matched the box-office success of G.I. Blues. The
Colonel attributed the disappointment to their lack of songs. (See Chapter 9
for more information about Flaming Star and Wild in the Country.)
When Elvis returned to star in his next film for Hal Wallis, the Colonel and
Wallis were determined to make it a financial success. To that end, Wallis
developed Blue Hawaii as another musical comedy vehicle for Elvis. This way
he could take full advantage of Presley's singing talent.
In this section, I examine the characteristics of Blue Hawaii that were consid-
ered instrumental in its success. These characteristics would be repeated in
subsequent Presley films, establishing the formula for the musical comedy
that dominated his film career. (See Chapter 9 for a thorough discussion of
those films that didn't follow the formula.)
Establishing the Presley formula
Wallis and the production team loaded Blue Hawaii (1961) with 14 songs --
the most of any Presley picture. With a running time of approximately 102
minutes, the film averages a musical interlude every 7 to 8 minutes. Wallis
didn't use many biographical details from Elvis's life for this film -- save for
the fact that his character, Chad Gates, is just out of the army. Instead, he
relied on the many musical numbers to pull in the Presley audience, which
was beginning to expand beyond the teenage demographic.
Blue Hawaii provided Elvis with one of his signature songs, "Can't Help Falling
in Love." During the 1970s, Elvis closed his concerts with this song -- one of
the few movie tunes that he deemed worthy of singing in concert.
Chad Gates, the son of a wealthy pineapple-plantation owner, is nothing like
the angst-ridden working-class characters Elvis had played in his pre-army
films. Instead, the plot involves Chad's reluctance to trade in his Hawaiian
shirt for a business suit. Even though he's being pressured by his parents to
join his father in running the plantation, Chad prefers playing music on the
beach with his Hawaiian friends. To his parents' dismay, he lands a dream
job as a tour guide for the agency that his girlfriend, Maile, works for, allow-
ing him to enjoy the beautiful Hawaiian landscape and perfect weather. Maile
hopes for something permanent with Chad, but he prefers being chased by
female tourists of all ages.
122 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Elvis's favorite director
Norman Taurog directed 9 of Elvis's 31 features,
working with many major stars in more than 70
partly because Elvis favored the veteran direc-
films across six decades. He won an Academy
tor, who was good-hearted and without the ego
Award in 1931 for Skippy, a vehicle for child
often found in Hollywood. After particularly dif-
star Jackie Cooper. He was nominated again in
ficult scenes, the fatherly director liked to pass
1938 for the Spencer Tracy classic Boys Town.
out candy bars to cast and crew.
In an oft-quoted statement, Taurog, who died
in 1981, said of Elvis: "I was always proud of
Taurog was known primarily for directing light-
his work, even if I wasn't proud of the scripts.
hearted star vehicles and comedies, a spe-
I always felt he never reached his peak" (The
cialty that dated back to the silent era when
Elvis Encyclopedia by Adam Victor).
he worked with silent comedian Larry Semon.
He was the consummate studio craftsman,
Blue Hawaii was shot on location in America's newest state, which had joined
the union in 1959. Scenes were filmed at Waikiki Beach, Hanauma Bay, and
Ala Moana Park. The exotic location became a principal element in the pro-
motion of the film. The tropical landscape was not only beautiful, but it also
made the perfect backdrop for romance. Promotion for Blue Hawaii prom-
ised "Exciting Romance . . . Music in the World's Lushest Paradise of Song!"
Another slogan for the film was "Elvis Presley Guides You Through a Paradise
of Song."
The promotion for and publicity surrounding Blue Hawaii reduced the film to
the following four elements:
Music
An exotic paradise
Romance
Elvis
These four elements, which were pushed in publicity and promotion, became
the essence of the formula for the Presley vehicle.
Blue Hawaii was released during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays
in 1961. It quickly grossed almost $5 million, and the soundtrack album was
the fastest selling album of that year. Unfortunately for Elvis, however, the
success of Blue Hawaii restricted him to acting in musical comedies. The
Colonel, Wallis, and some of the execs at RCA used the tremendous box-office
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image: Elvis Becomes the Leading Man
123
figures to convince a disappointed Elvis that this was exactly the kind of
movie his fan base -- which had expanded to include all age groups, families,
and fans of movie musicals -- wanted to see.
After Blue Hawaii, Elvis made 23 more fictional features, many of which were
financial and popular successes. Even though Elvis failed to become the seri-
ous actor that he desired to be, he did become a successful movie star for
much of the 1960s. And, while none of his films were award contenders, sev-
eral were highly entertaining and well crafted.
Crediting Hal Wallis as the
father of the Elvis musical
Hal Wallis's strategy as a producer was to tailor film projects to the talents of
his stars. He had a nose for discovering entertainers or actors who had star
quality and then building scripts around their strengths. (See Chapter 6 for
more information on Wallis.) From his first film with Elvis, Wallis preferred to
develop specific vehicles exploiting his star's singing talent and public image.
Wallis's strategy was based on his experiences from working at Warner
Bros. during the Golden Age of Hollywood, when stars were under exclusive
contracts to studios that cast them according to their images and strengths.
Later as an independent producer releasing through Paramount, Wallis
honed this strategy to a special skill.
With his eye for talent, Wallis discovered Elvis and began making tons of
films with him. In fact, Elvis made more films with the veteran producer
than with any other industry executive or studio. Wallis, more than anyone,
shaped Elvis's film career by continually casting him in musical vehicles.
Elvis wasn't exclusively under contract with Wallis, so he was free to sign
with other studios and producers as long as he fulfilled his obligations. Some
studios and producers, such as MGM and Sam Katzman, followed Wallis's
lead and cast Elvis in formulaic musical comedies, while others, such as 20th
Century Fox and United Artists, tried another strategy. (Flip to Chapter 9 for
insight into his films for Fox and United Artists.)
Often, in Presley biographies and career overviews, the Colonel gets the blame
for the formulaic musical comedies. However, that accusation is inaccurate,
because the Colonel had little experience in the creative side of the film
industry. He could no more develop a film vehicle than Presley's pet chimp,
Scatter. However, the films certainly suited the Colonel's preference for
fan-targeted movies jammed full of songs. Instead, the father of the Presley
vehicle was Hal Wallis.
124 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Making an Elvis film: Add these
ingredients and stir
There's no denying that many of Elvis Presley's films had lots of similar-
ities -- even those with excellent production values, good directors, and
charming costars. According to Wallis, to make an Elvis musical comedy,
you followed this set of characteristics:
Exciting or stimulating jobs: Elvis's characters always worked at pro-
fessions that most people only dream of. They were never trapped in
the workaday world of businessmen or other professionals. They never
went to an office and never sat behind a desk. Instead, his characters
held stimulating jobs that allowed him to work outdoors or that were
dangerous and adventurous. For example, he played
· A race car driver in Viva Las Vegas, Spinout, and Speedway
· A small-aircraft pilot in It Happened at the World's Fair and
Paradise, Hawaiian Style
· A boat skipper in Clambake and Girls, Girls, Girls
· A rodeo performer in Stay Away, Joe and Tickle Me
· A carnival worker in Roustabout
· A trapeze artist turned lifeguard in Fun in Acapulco
· A Navy frogman in Easy Come, Easy Go
· An entertainer in Harum Scarum and Girl Happy
Lots of music: No matter what job Elvis's character held, he could also
sing. Presley's characters averaged nine musical numbers per film.
Exotic locations or well-known vacation spots: The settings for Viva,
Las Vegas and It Happened at the World's Fair are self-explanatory. Hawaii
provided the setting for Blue Hawaii; Girls, Girls, Girls; and Paradise,
Hawaiian Style. Easy Come, Easy Go and Clambake were set in Florida.
Fun in Acapulco was set in Mexico, while Tickle Me had Elvis taking up
refuge at a dude ranch. Double Trouble landed the singer in London and
Antwerp. Transitory settings include the carnival backdrop of Roustabout;
the Indian reservation in Stay Away, Joe; a turn-of-the-century riverboat in
Frankie and Johnny; and the racing milieu of Speedway and Spinout.
Romance: The plots of Elvis's films continually focused on the rocky
road of romance between his lady-killer character, who was loathe to
settle down, and the leading lady, who had her heart set on landing Elvis.
A touch of heart: Elvis's characters may have been ladies' men, but in
each film, he sang at least one song to a child or someone's mother to
soften his character and prove he was good husband material under-
neath his cocky exterior.
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image: Elvis Becomes the Leading Man
125
Casts of colorful characters: Elvis musicals always boasted a supporting
cast of colorful characters. These characters, played by veteran actors,
provided most of the comedy.
After the success of Blue Hawaii at the box office, the Colonel convinced
Elvis that his fans didn't want to see him as part of an ensemble cast in seri-
ous films with little music. Elvis agreed to star in the formulaic musicals,
though he personally didn't care for the genre. He began to derisively refer to
them as the Presley Travelogues, because of the way his carefree characters
drifted from one vacation locale to another.
Listing the best of the Travelogues
The Presley Travelogues never won any awards, but many of them are well-
crafted Hollywood musical comedies with good casts, colorful characters,
and solid production values. (See Chapter 10 for a detailed discussion of the
major directors, famous stars, and solid character actors that graced Elvis's
films.) Besides G.I. Blues and Blue Hawaii, which I discuss earlier in this chap-
ter, the best of the Travelogues include those in the following sections.
Viva Las Vegas (1964)
The chemistry between Ann-Margret and Elvis highlights Viva Las Vegas. This
dynamic musical is filled with excellent songs such as the title tune by Doc
Pomus and Mort Shuman, a well-respected rock 'n' roll songwriting team.
Because Ann-Margret and Elvis were famous for their moves, the production
numbers by rock 'n' roll choreographer David Winters accentuate dance,
energy, and movement. You can see Elvis and Ann-Margret dancing in
Figure 7-1.
Viva Las Vegas became Elvis's highest-grossing film at the box office.
Figure 7-1:
In Viva Las
Vegas, Ann-
Margret
matched
Elvis's
energy and
charisma.
126 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Doin' the Clam and Slicin' Sand
David Winters, a hip, young choreographer who
The Clam wasn't the only dance to be spot-
worked well with rock 'n' roll music, designed
lighted in an Elvis Presley film. The Forte Four
the production numbers for several Elvis films.
sing the song "The Climb" in Viva Las Vegas,
In 1965, the producers of Girl Happy asked him
with Elvis, Ann-Margret, and a group of teens
to invent a dance for the film. Winters came up
performing the dance steps (also choreo-
with the Clam, which was introduced with the
graphed by Winters) that went with the song.
song "Do the Clam." Unfortunately, the Clam
In Blue Hawaii, Elvis introduced a dance called
didn't catch on like other 1960s dance crazes
Slicin' Sand with a song by the same name, but
such as the Pony, the Monkey, or the Jerk.
like the Clam, the dance didn't catch on.
Roustabout (1964)
Legendary star Barbara Stanwyck, a good friend of Wallis, co-stars with Elvis
in this colorful story with a carnival backdrop. Elvis plays sullen, selfish
Charlie Rogers who finds his calling as a carny and in the process learns com-
passion, humility, and how to care about others. Stanwyck's participation
seemed to raise the level of acting across the board.
Girl Happy (1965)
A version of the Ft. Lauderdale Spring Break story, this film exudes the youth-
ful spirit that the Lauderdale experience thrived on. Much of the appeal is
the cast of costars, cohorts, and comrades. Pert, affable Shelley Fabares, who
appeared in three Presley Travelogues, exhibits a nice chemistry with Elvis.
Similarly, Gary Crosby, Joby Baker, and Jimmy Hawkins make great comic
sidekicks for the star.
Speedway (1968)
This race car romance lacks the spark of the other films I mention, but it co-
stars Nancy Sinatra, a long-time friend of Elvis's. Sinatra was on a roll after a
series of popular singles, including her signature "These Boots Are Made for
Walking." She gives this film a '60s vibe that's charming in retrospect. The mov-
ie's highlight is the set design for the local club called the Hangout. Customers
sit in brightly colored car bodies, which stand in for tables and chairs.
The set design from Speedway was undoubtedly part of the inspiration for the
club Jack Rabbit Slim's in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994).
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image: Elvis Becomes the Leading Man
127
Playing a Leading Man Off-Screen
By the time Blue Hawaii was cleaning up at the box office from 1961 to 1962,
Elvis's image had altered into the mature Hollywood leading man -- handsome,
confident, conventional looking, and part of the mainstream of show business.
No hint existed of his pre-army image as a rebellious and misunderstood boy
who was notorious for his controversial music and provocative performing
style that appealed to the teenage demographic.
In this section, I talk about the off-screen Elvis Presley during the time of his
transformation into a mature leading man. I not only analyze the Elvis that
was presented to the press and public, but I also consider what was going on
with Presley behind the scenes. I let you in on information that no one out-
side his inner circle knew about.
Handling the press
Constructing and maintaining Elvis's new image required more than just
starring in roles as older, mature characters. To show that Elvis himself had
changed off-screen as well, the Colonel controlled the publicity and promo-
tion surrounding the personal life of his one and only client. The publicity
departments for the studios for which Elvis made movies also generated
press that underscored the changes.
This controlled publicity had been standard practice for the star system
during the Golden Age of Hollywood when the studios had stars under long-
term contracts and deliberately guided their careers to control them. Elvis,
who was under contract to Wallis, was experiencing the tail end of that star
system.
To a large extent, the publicity and promotion that was generated for Elvis
countered those characteristics about his image that seemed to set critics off
during the 1950s. Much care was taken to show that the new Elvis
Looked and dressed like other Hollywood leading men
Was as much a man of Hollywood as he was of the South
Was a responsible member of society
Elvis's exposure to the media was limited to press conferences, group inter-
views, and the occasional one-on-one with journalists who had always been
Presley friendly, such as Lloyd Shearer of Parade magazine. Luckily, Elvis
had become media savvy since his pre-army days, when he used to blurt out
128 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
comments that were then taken out of context. Now, his responses were pat
answers to questions that reporters asked frequently. Interviews were never
conducted at any of Elvis's residences; instead they almost always took place
on the sets of his movies between takes. Often the studios or the Colonel
simply issued press releases peppered with a lot of "quotes" by Elvis, and
these were used as the basis of articles by the media.
Dressing like a movie star
So much space was devoted to Elvis's coiffure, sideburns, eye makeup, and
flashy clothing from 1956 to 1958 that it must have amounted to a national
obsession. (See Chapters 4 and 5 for a thorough account of Elvis's personal
appearance and how it was treated in the press.) When he returned from
the army, it wasn't an accident that Elvis showed up for press conferences
and interviews in his uniform and then later in conventional street clothes.
Reporters, columnists, reviewers, and fanzine writers duly noted the change
in appearance.
The epitome of the publicity over Elvis's manner of dress occurred in late
1963 during the production of It Happened at the World's Fair. MGM issued
press releases detailing the extensive wardrobe of suits and sports jackets
designed for Elvis for the movie, which were duly noted in columns and
articles around the world: 10 suits, 4 sports coats, 30 specially designed
shirts, 15 pairs of slacks, and 6 dozen ties. Considering that Elvis played a
self-employed airline pilot trying to earn money to fix his plane, the wardrobe
obviously wasn't intended to match his on-screen character. Instead, the
details about his wardrobe for the film highlighted the fact that he was now
a leading man of taste and distinction. To see a photo of Elvis donning a suit
from his new wardrobe, check out Figure 7-2.
Figure 7-2:
Elvis looks
downright
dapper in It
Happened
at the
World's Fair.
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image: Elvis Becomes the Leading Man
129
The strategy to eliminate any vestiges of the old hip-swiveling kid with a
unique wardrobe is obvious in an interview printed in Australasian Post. In the
interview, Elvis supposedly claimed, "I could hardly believe that I had actually
ever worn some of the gaudy shirts and sports jackets . . . They're kid stuff.
Fine for a schoolboy. But I'm not a schoolboy anymore. I'm 28 years old, and
I've met enough well dressed people in the past few years to know that I
looked like a hick for too long a time." Even though the quote is attributed to
Elvis in the article, it reeks of press-agent speak, in which writers for studio
publicity departments provided stock interviews to fanzines and newspapers
upon the release of each film. The movie stars were rarely involved in these
tactics; instead, their interviews usually were ghostwritten for them.
Taking the South out of the boy
The quote that was attributed to Elvis in the Australasian Post (see the pre-
ceding section) reflects another characteristic of the post-army publicity
campaign -- subtly eliminating his Southern identity from his image.
During the 1950s, critics of Elvis's music, performing style, and personal
appearance often attributed his so-called lack of taste and inhibition to his
rural Southern background, perpetuating an unflattering stereotype of the
ignorant hillbilly. (Check out Chapter 5 for more information on the anti-
Southern prejudice against him.) However, in the studio-controlled publicity
of the 1960s, efforts were made to "bury" his roots so deep that the public
and the press would forget them.
With the exception of Blue Hawaii and Kissin' Cousins, in which his charac-
ters or his family were from the South, Elvis's film alter egos no longer hailed
from the South after his transformation as they had in his pre-army musical
dramas. As a matter of fact, his characters' hometowns are rarely mentioned
at all, because many of them are footloose wanderers who breeze into resort
towns looking for love and adventure.
Hanging with the Memphis Mafia
The entourage of close friends, bodyguards, relatives, and employees that
accompanied Elvis everywhere he went was dubbed the "Memphis Mafia"
by the entertainment press during the 1960s. Traveling with his friends had
become a habit during the 1950s when Elvis was touring, but after his dis-
charge from the service, the singer gathered his own "army" of cohorts to
help him with daily chores, vehicle maintenance, scheduling, and security.
Most of all, however, the Memphis Mafia provided Elvis with round-the-clock
company, entertainment, and even girls. As the years sailed by and Elvis
grew older, having an entourage of buddies who had little ambition of their
130 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
own seemed to keep the singer in a state of arrested development. Members
of the Memphis Mafia came and went, but long-time members included Red
West, Sonny West, Joe Esposito, George Klein, Charlie Hodge, Marty Lacker,
Alan Fortas, and Lamar Fike. (See the appendix for more information on each
of these individuals.)
Considering that the entourage consisted of at least a half dozen young men at
any given time, it would have been odd if the press hadn't noticed them. They
accompanied Elvis to the set, on location, and to the recording studio. Most
of the time his companions remained in the background, but the boredom of
downtime between scenes often resulted in on-set high jinks, games, and prac-
tical jokes. Directors often resented the intrusion of the Memphis Mafia on the
set, but nothing was ever reported in the press, because the press accepted
Elvis's explanation for the group's presence -- they were friends and family
members who helped him out with the daily grind of fame and fans.
Dating his leading ladies
From the beginning of his Hollywood career, Elvis developed a reputation for
dating his costars while a movie was in production. And if Elvis didn't date
his leading lady, he often found someone in the cast or behind the scenes to
bond with romantically for the duration of the shoot. Rumors about Elvis's
crushes on actresses were circulated in fanzines, columns, and newspaper
articles. Much of what was said was manufactured for its publicity value, but
some of the rumors were true.
While on-set romances between costars aren't unheard of in Hollywood, the
fact that Elvis did this on virtually every film is a bit unusual. The reasons
behind his hot pursuit of his costars can only be guessed at, but Elvis had
always loved the girls, and they loved him back -- it was part of his
personality.
Of all his relationships with costars, his romance with Ann-Margret turned
out to be the most serious. During the production of Viva Las Vegas, Elvis and
the red-headed dynamo set the publicity mill grinding when they showed up
at restaurants and clubs around Las Vegas. The romance was a dream come
true for the MGM publicity department, who made the most of it in their pro-
motion. Even though their relationship didn't last for the long term, the two
remained friends for the rest of Elvis's life.
Elvis also enjoyed the company of these beautiful and talented actresses:
Yvonne Lime during the production of Loving You
Anne Neyland during Jailhouse Rock
Juliet Prowse shortly after G.I. Blues
Tuesday Weld during Wild in the Country
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image: Elvis Becomes the Leading Man
131
Joan Blackman who co-starred in both Blue Hawaii and Kid Galahad
Yvonne Craig during Kissin' Cousins
Deborah Walley during Spinout
Mary Ann Mobley who appeared in both Girl Happy and Harum Scarum
Donna Douglas, who enjoyed fame as Elly May Clampett on The Beverly
Hillbillies, is one costar who didn't have a fling with Elvis. The deeply religious
Douglas recalled that she and Elvis spent hours on the set of Frankie and
Johnny talking about spirituality and religion.
Trading Rock 'n' Roll for Pop
To accompany his new image as a mainstream leading man, Elvis shifted his
musical style from rock 'n' roll to a pop-influenced sound. Smooth, polished,
and refined compared to the raw rockabilly or the R&B-influenced music
of the 1950s, Elvis's new style was suited to the soundtrack recordings that
dominated the 1960s. In the following sections, I offer an overview of Elvis's
music during his movie era.
Living in a pop-music world
Elvis's 1960s music can be described as a rocking pop style. It was often fast
paced and rhythmic, like rock 'n' roll, but it was smooth, effortless, and easy
to listen to, like pop. It wasn't revolutionary like his 1950s rockabilly sound,
nor was it dramatic and intense like his 1970s music.
Elvis changed his style of music for several reasons, including the following:
Personal taste: Elvis liked many styles and genres of music, and he
didn't think it unusual to include pop and rock 'n' roll on the same
album. However, he didn't think it odd to break into a gospel classic at a
concert where his fans were expecting rock 'n' roll either.
Elvis admired several pop singers just as he admired singers in all
genres of music. Among the pop stylists that he respected and listened
to were Dean Martin, Mario Lanza, the Ink Spots, and Herb Alpert.
Current trends: Because a smoother style of music made a comeback
among new young singers during the early 1960s, Elvis's style and song
selection became more pop oriented. The hard-driving rhythms of
Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard -- who had become
popular in the wake of early Elvis -- were no longer as big as they had
been. Instead, clean-cut, well-dressed male singers, such as Bobby Darin,
Fabian, and Frankie Avalon, crooned snappy love songs or slow ballads
in an easygoing, melodic style.
132 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Changing image: The new direction of Elvis's music was intended to help
audiences forget the controversy of his earlier music and hip-swiveling
performing style and to expand his fan base to older audiences.
Recording in the studio again
Just days after his discharge from the army in March 1960, Elvis drove to the
RCA studio in Nashville for his first recording session in almost two years.
During the first few days of recording, Elvis cut the rock 'n' roll tune "Stuck
on You," which became his first post-army single. A couple weeks later, Elvis
returned to Nashville to record the tracks needed to make an entire album.
By the end of April, Elvis Is Back was released. In less than two months, RCA
had cut and pressed a new Presley album, and it was playing on the radio.
The songs selected for the album were a mix of the familiar and the new.
They included his usual mix of rock 'n' roll, country, and R&B tunes, but
a few of the numbers were mellow and smooth like pop music, including
"Fever," which Peggy Lee had made famous two years earlier.
Not all the songs that Elvis recorded in April were included on the album. Two
songs from the pop genre were held back for later release, and they became
two of the biggest hits of his career. I discuss these songs in the following
sections.
"Are You Lonesome Tonight?"
Al Jolson had introduced this sad ballad in the 1920s, but Elvis was probably
more familiar with a 1959 version of the song that had been recorded by pop
singer Jaye P. Morgan. Despite its history as a pop song, "Are You Lonesome
Tonight?" released in November 1960, did well on the country music charts
for Elvis. However, he wouldn't record another song that hit the country
charts until 1968 -- a signal that his music was taking a different direction.
A unique feature of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is the talking bridge. Well
into the song, Elvis stops singing and begins to speak as though he's the
person that the song is about. He tells the story of his broken heart and the
girl who left him behind before launching into the final chorus. Songs with
talking bridges were quite popular in the 1920s, when "Lonesome" was intro-
duced. And, in general, they weren't uncommon in country-western music.
But, talking bridges weren't associated with rock 'n' roll or R&B.
"It's Now or Never"
"It's Now or Never," one of Elvis's shortest pop tunes, was based on a well-
known Italian song titled "O Sole Mio," which pop singer Tony Martin had
recorded in 1949. Elvis liked the Martin rendition, but he wanted new lyrics
and a new arrangement before he was willing to record it. Elvis's version of
the Martin tune became one of his signature songs when it was released in
July 1960.
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image: Elvis Becomes the Leading Man
133
Elvis's music is never out of style
In recent years, Elvis's movie music was given a
Likewise, some of his movie music was
second life after several songs ended up as part
reworked by contemporary performers, who
of the soundtracks for contemporary movies.
updated it and gave it a different spin. "A Little
For example, "Devil in Disguise" became the
Less Conversation" from Live a Little, Love a
closing song for a 1989 comedy called She-
Little was remixed by a Dutch deejay act called
Devil. And, the entire soundtrack for the 1992
Junkie XL in 2002. After the song played behind
comedy Honeymoon in Vegas consisted of Elvis
a Nike World Cup commercial, it was released
Presley tunes recorded by a variety of modern-
as a dance-mix single. Thus, almost 25 years
day singers.
after his death, Elvis had a single in the top ten
again.
The song's basis in "O Sole Mio" pleased Elvis because the old Italian tune
had been associated with both Enrico Caruso and Mario Lanza, who were two
opera singers that he admired. Lanza had died about the time that Elvis com-
missioned the new lyrics, and it's likely that he was influenced to record the
song because of his appreciation of Lanza.
"It's Now or Never" was Elvis's biggest selling single during his lifetime.
Estimates claim that the tune sold around 30 million copies. After its long
run as a single, the song was released on the extended-play album Elvis by
Request in 1961.
Savoring the soundtrack tunes
Most of the films that Elvis starred in during the 1960s were musicals, and
soundtrack albums were released for each of them. After 1964, the Colonel
suggested that Elvis record only soundtracks. The Colonel considered Elvis's
movies to be promotion for the accompanying soundtrack albums, and the
albums were reminders to fans that they should see the movies again. In
Parker's scheme, a film without a soundtrack, or album without an accompa-
nying film, was a wasted opportunity.
Elvis recorded dozens of songs for the soundtrack albums throughout the
1960s, so they represent a considerable percentage of his musical output.
Sheer volume aside, the soundtrack music is difficult to assess because it's
so erratic in quality. Doing a thorough investigation requires wading through
a lot of mediocre and poor-quality music. However, buried among the lower-
quality songs are a surprising number of high-quality Elvis tunes from the
1960s.
134 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
For example, many of the tunes from Viva, Las Vegas are in the hard-driving
style of his pre-army music, including "C'mon Everybody" and "What'd I Say."
Other excellent songs from this period include the following:
"Return to Sender" from Girls! Girls! Girls!
"Little Egypt" from Roustabout
"Rubberneckin'" from Change of Habit
"Wolf Call" from Girl Happy
"Can't Help Falling in Love" from Blue Hawaii
Saying goodbye to live performances
On March 25, 1961, Elvis performed live at the Bloch Arena in Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, as a benefit for the U.S.S. Arizona memorial fund. After this concert,
Elvis didn't give another live performance until 1969, and he made no tele-
vision appearances from 1960 to December 1968. Throughout most of the
1960s, anyone who wanted to see Elvis Presley had to go to the movies.
The U.S.S. Arizona was a battleship that had been sunk on Pearl Harbor Day
on December 7, 1941. The fund was trying to raise money to build a memorial
to the sailors of the Arizona who had been killed in battle. Ticket prices for
Elvis's performance ranged from $3 to $10, with 100 ringside seats reserved
for people who donated $100. Elvis and the Colonel bought 50 special seats
and donated them to patients from Tripler Hospital in Hawaii. Elvis's benefit
raised more than $62,000 for the memorial fund. On March 30, the House of
Representatives of the Hawaiian legislature passed special resolution #105 to
thank Elvis and the Colonel. The memorial was completed the following year
and officially opened on Memorial Day in 1962.
There's no doubt that getting involved in the benefit for the U.S.S. Arizona
memorial made Elvis seem more acceptable to the adult audience that
shunned him when he was a rock 'n' roll rebel. But his career wasn't the
only reason that Elvis wanted to help. He had a sensitive, generous nature,
and throughout his entire life, Elvis gave freely to charities and other worthy
causes, whether he received publicity for it or not.
Marrying Priscilla and Settling Down . . .
At Least for a While
On May 1, 1967, Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu, surprising the press
and public because so little was known about the petite brunette who had
won the affections of the King of Rock 'n' Roll.
Chapter 7: Reinventing His Image: Elvis Becomes the Leading Man
135
The lack of a press profile for Priscilla is a testament to the Colonel's talent
for controlling the information about Elvis that was released to the media.
Elvis had met Priscilla while he was in the army, and then she moved to
Memphis to finish high school during the early 1960s, when she was barely
16 years old and Elvis was in his mid-20s. Though the plan had been for her
to live with Elvis's father and stepmother, the truth was that she lived at
Graceland in Memphis, where she attended a private high school. If the press
had uncovered this information, the scandal would have destroyed the main-
stream image that the Colonel, Wallis, and Elvis had so carefully constructed.
All the stories about Elvis's on-set romances helped deflect attention from
the home front in Memphis, where Priscilla spent most of her time. She
patiently waited for Elvis to return home between films, enduring the rumors
about flings with his costars. While Elvis denied the rumors, many of them
were based on truth. Priscilla was determined to outlast the rumors and the
flings, because Elvis had always talked about marriage to her.
Priscilla became Elvis's best-kept secret -- she was someone outside the
film industry who devoted her entire life to him. For Elvis, coming home to
Priscilla was a respite from the Hollywood movies that he hated, and her
innocence was an antidote to the scheming of Hollywood insiders. Elvis
groomed her to be his biggest support and the woman he wanted as a wife,
but she was never really an influence on his career or a partner in his deci-
sion making.
Elvis and Priscilla were married at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas and honey-
mooned in Palm Springs, California. The ceremony lasted just eight minutes,
and only a few of Elvis's buddy-bodyguards were asked to witness the event.
It was a surprisingly private affair for such a public figure. (To see Elvis and
Priscilla on their wedding day, flip to the color photo section.) On February 1,
1968 -- exactly nine months from the day they were married -- the couple's
only child, Lisa Marie Presley, was born in Memphis.
Elvis never expressed his views about his marriage to the press or public.
He always kept his private opinions and personal feelings about Priscilla to
himself. However, several friends and costars recalled that Elvis was content
and happy after his marriage. He was thinner than he had been in years and
seemed to have settled down. The years of Elvis's marriage (19671972) were
also the years of his last extended period of creativity.
136 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Chapter 8
Sinking to a Low Point
in Hollywood
In This Chapter
Taking a look at the Presley Travelogues
Seeing how the Colonel's wheeling and dealing affected the quality of Elvis's movies
Working with producer Sam Katzman
Considering the worst of Elvis's movie music
Factoring in the fans
Although Elvis made some dismal movies during the mid- to late-1960s,
this stage of his career is often negatively exaggerated by biographers
and film historians who lack an understanding of film history and production
practices from that time period. Too often, this part of Elvis's movie career
unfairly overshadows his entire filmography. Some biographers and writers
even propagate inaccuracies and misrepresentations.
In this chapter, I chronicle the decline of Elvis's movies during the middle of
the 1960s by discussing his manager's handling of the movie deals and the
effect of the low budgets on the films themselves. I also talk about the accom-
panying soundtrack albums, the reasons for their mediocre quality, why
Elvis continued to make both low-budget vehicles and poor-quality albums,
and the fans' reactions. (You can read more about vehicles, or movies built
around a star's image, in Chapter 6.) Professionally, the films and soundtrack
albums made money until the very end of the decade. Personally, however,
Elvis found himself in a rut that left him depressed and alienated.
138 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Examining the Change in Approach
to Making an Elvis Movie
In 1964, the moviegoing public was treated to two Presley Travelogues (the
term Elvis coined to describe his movies; see Chapter 7) that mark a defini-
tive point in Elvis's career -- Viva Las Vegas and Kissin' Cousins. The former
represents the best of the Presley Travelogues, while the latter has been
called one of the worst.
Viva Las Vegas co-stars the dynamic Ann-Margret, who at the time was about
to break big as a major star of the 1960s. The film also benefits from location
shooting in Las Vegas, contains some of Elvis's best movie music, and was
directed by a veteran of musical comedies, George Sidney. Kissin' Cousins, on
the other hand, lacks a dynamic female costar, was shot mainly on one set at
California's Big Bear Lake, and suffers from a soundtrack of mostly lackluster,
if not ludicrous, songs.
Impressed with Viva Las Vegas, reviewers praised Ann-Margret for what she
brought to the film and were pleased with the producers for not showcasing
Elvis in every sequence. Viva Las Vegas made a good showing at the box
office, grossing almost $5,000,000. Unfortunately it had cost at least half that
amount -- maybe even more, because it went over budget. Kissin' Cousins,
however, cost a flat $800,000, and not only was Elvis in every scene, but he
was playing two characters (see the later section "Kissin' Cousins" for more
on Elvis's dual roles in this film). The two films represented two approaches to
the Presley Travelogues: allotting a decent budget to ensure good production
values versus cutting costs to maximize profits no matter the consequences.
Elvis's manager, Colonel Tom Parker (also known as "the Colonel"), assessed
the productions of both films and decided that the better value had been
Kissin' Cousins. So, after that, he actively sought out multiple-film deals in
which production costs were kept to a minimum, soundtrack costs were
slashed, and shooting schedules were short. The king of cost cutters was
producer Sam Katzman, who produced two of Elvis's worst films -- Kissin'
Cousins and Harum Scarum. You can read more about these movies in the
later section "Introducing Sam Katzman: King of the Quickies."
The Colonel's decision to lower budgets didn't cause a definitive clean break
between big-scale Elvis films and low-budget ones. Luckily, Elvis was still
under contract to people like Hal Wallis, who didn't low-ball production values
on the order of someone like Katzman. (Flip to Chapter 6 to read more about
Elvis's relationship with Wallis.) But, the Colonel's decision resulted in several
poorly crafted films that affected the perception of the Presley Travelogues
as a whole. It also meant that Elvis was forced to record quickie soundtrack
albums with dozens of mediocre songs. These albums left Elvis a forgotten
presence in the music industry.
Chapter 8: Sinking to a Low Point in Hollywood
139
Dealing with the Devil: Considering
the Colonel's New Movie Deals
Because the Colonel thrived on making deals, throughout the mid-1960s
he complicated Elvis's film career with an ever-expanding array of negotia-
tion ploys, promotions, and side projects. Parker spent his time, energies,
and expertise on negotiating deals, caring little about the worthiness of the
scripts, the level of production values, the caliber of the acting, or the quality
of the soundtracks.
After the frustration he felt over the big budget and long shooting schedule
of Viva Las Vegas (see the preceding section for details), the Colonel jumped
into a frenzy of deal making that engaged Elvis in simultaneous movie con-
tracts with a variety of studios until 1968. It was an exhausting schedule
of three films per year for Elvis, but it made him the highest-paid actor in
Hollywood in the mid-1960s.
Hal Wallis's widely quoted comment on the Colonel is only a slightly exagger-
ated one: "I'd rather try and close a deal with the Devil."
If the devil is in the details, then in this section, I detail the Colonel's deals,
offering insight into the impact of his strategies on the quality of Elvis's
movies from the mid-1960s onward.
Let's make a deal
The Colonel's standard deal called for a big salary for Elvis upfront, along
with a percentage of the profits, which generally kicked in after the film
recouped its initial budget. The Colonel received 25 percent of Elvis's monies.
The cheaper the production costs, the smaller the budget, and the faster
Elvis's profit participation kicked in. So it's no small wonder that Parker
pushed for smaller budgets, faster shooting schedules, and lower produc-
tion costs. Beginning with Kissin' Cousins, he even pursued deals with hotels,
motels, transportation companies, and resorts to reduce production costs
whenever Elvis's films were shot on location.
Parker prided himself on wearing down the other party in a negotiation
until he got what he wanted for "his boy." One of his primary tactics was to
negotiate improved conditions for his client at every opportunity, not just at
the conclusion of contracts. Much to everyone's frustration, the Colonel re-
signed new multifilm deals with Wallis and the execs at MGM before the old
deals were close to being up, creating hard feelings among the participating
parties. He also repeatedly asked for bonuses, clothing fees, consulting fees
for either him or Elvis, promotion expenses, and any other costs he could
think of. Often he was successful in obtaining these added incomes, because
producers and studio execs grew exhausted from his constant harassment.
140 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Parker also took charge of the films' major promotion schemes and publicity
campaigns, for which he used the old-fashioned carny term "exploitation."
He liked to boast about the many marketing ploys he came up with to bring
in audiences. For this service, he made side deals with the studios in which
they paid Parker an additional fee for his marketing ideas. For example, upon
a film's release, Parker offered fan club members free promotional merchan-
dise related to the movie to ensure their loyalty. He also suggested publicity
stunts to major theater chains that were showing an Elvis movie, such as
hosting dance contests to promote Viva Las Vegas. Parker was an old hand at
luring audiences to a show. And while some of his marketing schemes were
effective, others weren't. He proved most effective at keeping Elvis's fans
loyal by offering them freebies, publicity photos, and other incentives.
Let's make a movie -- fast and cheap
Throughout the mid-1960s, Parker pushed to shorten shooting schedules,
because shorter time frames lowered production costs and therefore bud-
gets. He even talked Hal Wallis into shaving off two weeks from the shooting
schedules for his movies with Elvis, beginning with Roustabout in 1964.
When not working with Wallis or MGM, Parker sought out small production
companies, because they proved more willing to offer big upfront salaries for
Elvis while keeping the shooting schedules short.
The short shooting schedules, in addition to the other cost-cutting measures,
began to cause a decline in the production values of the Presley Travelogues.
Cost-cutting tactics caused the following negative effects:
The acting in the movies suffered because the schedule left little time for
rehearsal and limited time for retakes.
Shooting on actual locations was abandoned in favor of shooting in the
studio, on preexisting outdoor sets, and via rear-screen projection. The
Presley Travelogues were set in exotic or unusual locales and would
have benefited from location shooting to underscore the beauty or exot-
icism of the setting and the feeling of escapism that was central to the
films' sense of fun and adventure.
Shot selection was kept to a minimum, because fewer shot setups can
shorten the shooting schedule. However, minimum shot selection can
adversely affect a film. Scenes are routinely divided into long shots,
medium shots, and close-ups. The variety of shots makes the film more
visually interesting to the viewer, directing his gaze and sustaining his
attention. More shots also keep the pace of the film lively. Unless the
film is in the hands of a stylish director, limiting the shot selection can
be less stimulating for the viewer and result in lackluster pacing.
Little time and care were spent on the soundtrack albums. In fact, the
musicians would record the instrumentals one day and Elvis would
record his vocals on another, depending on his mood. (Read more about
Chapter 8: Sinking to a Low Point in Hollywood
141
the poor quality of the soundtrack albums in the upcoming section,
"Considering the Movie Music.")
Some of the Presley Travelogues suffered more than others. Those from the
small studios without the veteran crews and talented producers fared much
worse, including Tickle Me, Frankie and Johnny, and Clambake. The musicals
made for Wallis, such as Roustabout, tended to exhibit bigger costars and
higher production values. Most of the production companies and studios
followed the formula for the Presley Travelogue until the tail end of Elvis's
career. (See Chapter 7 for an explanation of the formula for the Presley
Travelogue; see Chapter 9 for more information on Elvis's last four films,
which don't follow the Travelogue formula.)
Despite these conditions, Elvis's films continued to make money at the box
office, and the studios were still eager to make deals with "the Devil." One of
Parker's most successful deals -- for all parties -- was with the small produc-
tion company Allied Artists for the movie Tickle Me, which was released in
1965. Elvis was paid $750,000 upfront, which was more than half of the film's
budget, and he was set to receive 50 percent in profit participation. Allied
Artists was in financial difficulties when it made the deal, but it was counting
on Presley's popularity to pull the company out of the red. To see Elvis in
Tickle Me, check out Figure 8-1.
Figure 8-1:
Costar
Jocelyn
Lane ropes
Elvis on-
screen
literally and
figuratively
in Tickle Me.
To cut costs down to the bone, the Colonel suggested that the soundtrack
album for Tickle Me consist of no new recordings. Instead, Parker dug up
over 20 songs that Elvis had recorded previously for other albums or occa-
sions. He asked Elvis to select 10 or 12 to be worked into the film's script.
Because the songs had been previously arranged and recorded, Allied Artists
saved on the cost of recording a soundtrack. In the end, Elvis came through
for the production company, because Tickle Me turned out to be the third
highest-grossing film in its history.
142 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Saying goodbye to Hal Wallis
In 1967, after a ten-year relationship with Elvis,
the veteran producer. Plus, Elvis was irritated
producer Hal Wallis opted not to renew his con-
because Wallis ordered director John Rich
tract with the singer. Diminishing profits and
to accelerate production on Easy Come, Easy
the Colonel's continued harassment for more
Go (1967), relegating it to the same lackluster
money and renegotiations convinced Wallis treatment as other studios were giving Elvis's
that the Presley pictures were no longer worth
movies. You can read more about Hal Wallis
it. Elvis resented Wallis for saddling him with the
and his relationship with Elvis in Chapter 6.
Presley Travelogue, so he wasn't sorry to leave
Introducing Sam Katzman:
King of the Quickies
In the mid-1960s, Parker signed a deal with producer Sam Katzman to make
two films, Harum Scarum and Kissin' Cousins. Katzman had earned the nick-
name "King of the Quickies," because he made films quickly and for little
money by cutting corners. During the 1950s, most of Katzman's movies were
low-budget rock 'n' roll flicks aimed at teenagers. Many of them retain an
innocent charm and are notable for starring up-and-coming actors such as
John Savage. However, by the 1960s, Katzman's films were a mixed bag of
badly crafted biker movies and silly sci-fi features.
Parker and Katzman shared similar views on cutting costs to maximize
profits. In that way, they were a match made in heaven. For tough-talking
Katzman, the two most important factors in making a movie were keeping to
the short schedule and staying on budget. Unfortunately, he had little talent
for storytelling, and no interest in visual style. In this section, I describe
Katzman's approach to making movies, and I discuss what may arguably be
Elvis's two worst films.
Katzman once produced a film with an eight-and-a-half-day shooting schedule.
As a point of comparison, Elvis's film King Creole took about two months to
shoot, which was about average during the 1950s and early 1960s.
Kissin' Cousins
When Katzman was producing Kissin' Cousins (1964) he gave it a meager
15-day shooting schedule. When director Gene Nelson ran two days over
that schedule, tensions escalated on the set between him and the producer.
Elvis found it difficult to work under the stress, so he offered to call in sick to
Chapter 8: Sinking to a Low Point in Hollywood
143
give Nelson a break. The experience was nerve racking for everyone, and the
resulting film was a wreck.
The story in Kissin' Cousins features Elvis in a dual role -- two Elvises for the
price of one, which delighted the Colonel. His first role is as an Air Force offi-
cer who tries to persuade the Tatums, a Tennessee mountain family, to allow
a missile base to be built on their land. He also plays the backwoods son of
the Tatum clan. As Officer Josh Morgan, Elvis appears with black hair; as
Jodie Tatum, he wears a dark-blonde wig, which was closer to his natural hair
color. Refer to Figure 8-2 to see Elvis in his dual role.
Figure 8-2:
Elvis played
both Josh
Morgan and
Jodie Tatum
in the 1964
film Kissin'
Cousins.
The other characters in the film are stereotypical Southerners, including
barefoot hillbillies, moonshiners, lazy hound dogs, man-chasing mountain
girls, and pipe-smoking mountain mamas. Considering Elvis's Southern heri-
tage, the story line and character depiction are downright insulting. For that
reason, Kissin' Cousins is often considered Elvis's career low point.
Harum Scarum
In Harum Scarum (1965), the second Katzman-produced musical, Elvis stars
as movie star Johnny Tyrone, who's kidnapped while making a public appear-
ance in the Middle East. He escapes and joins a troupe of pickpockets and
rogues, which provides ample opportunity for Elvis to sing.
Harum Scarum had an 18-day shooting schedule, but the extra time in com-
parison to Kissin' Cousins did little to improve it. Poorly plotted, the film
was a confusing hodgepodge of characters who all seemed to be acting in a
different movie. Even the Colonel knew the film was a complete disaster; he
advised MGM to release it quickly and quietly.
144 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
In an attempt to "fix" the movie, the Colonel suggested to MGM that they
record a voice-over from the perspective of a talking camel. The movie was so
far-fetched that Parker thought a talking camel might make it seem like an
intentional spoof. Needless to say, MGM declined the suggestion.
After viewing Harum Scarum, the Colonel may have realized that Katzman's
tactics were too extreme, because they never worked together again. The
Colonel still pushed studios to decrease shooting schedules, but they were
never again as short as Katzman's.
Considering the Movie Music
The lack of care in the production of the Presley Travelogues even trickled
down to Elvis's soundtrack albums. During the production of the G.I. Blues
and Blue Hawaii soundtracks in the early 1960s, Elvis had worried that the
songs weren't of the same quality as those he recorded in his pre-army
movies. (See Chapter 6 for more on these soundtracks.) A couple of years
later, he knew for sure that his soundtrack albums had deteriorated, and he
grew bored with them.
By the time of Kissin' Cousins in 1964, he was so disgusted with the sound-
track situation that he no longer recorded his vocals with the musicians who
played the instrumental tracks. The musicians recorded in the studio on the
assigned booking date, and Elvis recorded his vocals when he felt like it.
Not all of Elvis's movie music was poor, but because he had recorded dozens
and dozens of soundtrack tunes, the good songs are lost among the mediocre
ones. The result is that any good music is overshadowed by the plethora of
lackluster material. (Check out Chapter 7 for more information on the movie
music that stands the test of time.)
As listening albums, the soundtracks seemed repetitive, unmemorable, and
lackluster. However, the songs were designed to work within the context of a
narrative movie. So they advanced the story, helped build the characters, and
successfully expressed the emotion of a scene. In fact, within the context of
the films, many of the songs did benefit the material.
Still, there's no escaping the fact that Elvis recorded some forgettable songs
during his Hollywood career. His music all but disappeared from the charts
from 1963 to 1968. Consider the following:
Between 1960 and 1968, Elvis didn't score a song on the country charts.
After 1963, his music never appeared on the R&B charts again.
In 1965, he had only one top-ten single, "Crying in the Chapel," which he
had actually recorded in 1960.
Chapter 8: Sinking to a Low Point in Hollywood
145
In 1966, only one of his songs, "Love Letters," made it into the top 20.
Surprisingly, many of his albums -- even the forgettable ones -- made
the top-ten album charts in the mid-1960s, but just barely. By 1967, none
of his music charted anywhere near the top 20.
Considering the role of the songwriters
Many of the songs for Elvis's films were written by songwriters who were
associated with RCA's publishing house, Hill and Range. These writers
churned out tune after tune, with little interest in expressing themselves or
penning original-sounding material. Plus, they were willing to give up royal-
ties to Elvis's publishing companies set up through Hill and Range, a sure
sign that they considered songwriting a day job, not a form of artistic expres-
sion. (See Chapter 4 for more information on Elvis's publishing companies.)
These writers were capable of stringing together tunes for movies, but their
work wasn't the same caliber as those writers who composed songs for
Elvis's non-soundtrack albums.
Even though most of the songwriters for the soundtrack albums worked
for Hill and Range, some songwriters seemed to come out of nowhere. This
latter group included Dolores Fuller, who penned "Rock-a-Hula Baby" for Blue
Hawaii, "Do the Clam" for Girl Happy, and "Barefoot Ballad" for Kissin' Cousins.
Fuller was the girlfriend of Ed Wood, who's a cult director of such notoriously
bad movies as Plan 9 from Outer Space. She appeared in a couple of Wood's
movies before making a career change into the popular music industry.
Factoring in poor marketing practices
In addition to the lackluster material from mediocre writers, RCA didn't
market or package Elvis's albums wisely. His soundtrack albums were a
hodgepodge of songs that lacked unity and consistency. And to top it off,
the Colonel and the execs at RCA were determined to saturate the market by
releasing material at an extremely rapid rate. RCA often released one Presley
soundtrack while an earlier one was still on the charts. The standard practice
was for a performer to get as much mileage as possible from an album before
releasing the next one.
RCA and the Colonel released the albums this way in part because they were
soundtrack albums, which had to follow the release dates of the movies. The
Colonel in particular preferred this strategy, because he felt the soundtrack
album advertised the film, which in turn reminded fans to buy the album.
How effective this strategy was in selling Elvis's albums is open to debate.
146 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Focusing on the Fans
The question arises as to why Elvis's films and albums from this era contin-
ued to make money. Clearly, some of the audience grew weary of the Presley
Travelogues, because the later films didn't gross on the same level as Blue
Hawaii and Viva Las Vegas. Yet, they still made a substantial return on their
investment.
The key to their success was the core of original fans, whom Parker courted
with his promotional items, premiere privileges, and other gimmicks. Both
Elvis and the Colonel held these fans in high regard and treated them with
respect. Parker correctly estimated the power of this group of fans when he
told a scriptwriter that a quarter of a million die-hard Elvis Presley fans were
willing to see each movie three times. The fans believed Elvis's charisma
transcended any mediocre material. When the lines formed at the box office,
the people in those lines came to see Elvis and nothing else.
Reflecting on Elvis's Movie Career
Despite the dissatisfaction and malaise that Elvis felt by the mid-1960s, he
continued to make movies and record soundtrack albums. He really had no
choice in the matter, considering he was contractually obligated to continue.
In fact, by 1964 the Colonel had Elvis tied up with film deals until 1968. (See
Chapters 9 and 10 for information on the end of Elvis's film career.)
Presley knew that he had lost his edge as a singer -- mostly because the
material was so dull -- but no one was interested in making it more dynamic.
After all, the albums sold well enough on their own, and the material worked
more or less within the context of the films' narratives. Also, the albums
promoted the movies, and the movies served to remind people to buy the
albums. The system worked to everyone's financial advantage. From a busi-
ness standpoint, investing money to change the system was senseless.
Elvis didn't reveal his distaste and profound dissatisfaction for his movies
until he changed the course of his career at the end of the decade and com-
pleted his movie obligations. By that time, the movies had become less
lucrative and a new career direction looked both creatively and financially
promising for him. (You can read more about Elvis's career comeback in
Chapter 11.)
Chapter 9
Looking Beyond the
Presley Travelogue
In This Chapter
Considering the Elvis movies that didn't follow the Presley Travelogue formula
Examining Elvis's movies from the early '60s
Shedding light on the last films of Elvis's Hollywood career
The Presley Travelogue generally gets all the attention in discussions of
Elvis's film career, though much of the commentary is negative. (See
Chapter 7 for a thorough discussion of the Presley Travelogue, the nickname
that Elvis himself bestowed on his formulaic musical comedies.) But a look
at his complete filmography of 31 narrative features reveals that a third of
them don't fit the formula for the typical Presley vehicle. No consideration
of Elvis's Hollywood career can be complete -- or accurate -- without these
films that break out of the mold.
Elvis starred in movies from a variety of genres, including musical dramas,
westerns, melodramas, and farces, yet few Presley biographers examine
these films at length. The glossing over of these films is perhaps because
they complicate the standard view of Elvis's movies as repetitive, formulaic,
and therefore, without merit.
In this chapter, I deviate from the norm to shine a spotlight on Elvis's non-
formulaic films, noting important details about their production, offering
insight into their strengths, and provoking thought about their importance.
Interestingly, these films reflect aspects of American social history, giving
them an interest beyond Elvis's career.
Breaking the Travelogue Mold
If the typical Presley Travelogue film can be summarized as a musical
comedy in an exotic setting that revolves around the romance of Elvis's
cocky, adventure-loving character with the leading lady, then several of his
148 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
films fall short of this description. His first four films released during the
1950s don't follow this formula, and biographers tend to treat these pre-army
films with respect because they star the young Elvis. (Refer to Chapter 6
for a complete discussion of Elvis's musical dramas of the 1950s.) However,
several films from the 1960s also deviate from the norm, yet these films are
brushed over as anomalies, considered casualties of a squandered career, or
simply ignored. In the following sections, I show you how these films differed
from the standard Elvis movie.
Delving into the genres and story lines
Elvis's non-Travelogue movies include westerns, a melodrama, satires/farces,
a period comedy, and musical dramas. Some of these films feature serious
themes that reflect the social issues and problems of the era, a characteristic
generally not associated with Elvis movies. Others were based on best-selling
novels and respectable literary sources. These latter films challenge the pre-
vailing notion that his movies were mindless.
Exploring Elvis's roles
In these non-Travelogue films, Elvis plays characters who live in tough, hard
worlds where they must endure and survive personal and family hardships.
The characters aren't carbon copies of each other, nor are they in keep-
ing with his typical role. The variety of characters he played in these films
exhibit a broader range of emotions than the typical Presley role. This emo-
tional range pushed Elvis to stretch himself as an actor, especially early on.
Clashing over the music
As odd as it may sound, Elvis longed to star in a film in which he didn't sing.
To him, a non-singing role meant that he was an authentic actor, not a singer-
turned-actor. However, Elvis's manager Colonel Tom Parker (also known
as "the Colonel") held the opposite view. In regard to Elvis's films, Parker
was completely uninterested in aesthetics, style, or selecting material that
enhanced his client's acting prowess.
Instead, Parker believed that fans came to see Elvis's films in order to hear
him sing. So, of course, Parker was adamant that songs be included. He also
knew that the addition of songs meant a soundtrack album, which added
more income to the coffers. When initial scripts didn't feature production
numbers or songs, the Colonel persuaded the studios or the producers to
include them.
Chapter 9: Looking Beyond the Presley Travelogue
149
Privately, Elvis was always disappointed when a film project was turned into a
Presley vehicle by the inclusion of songs. However, he rarely questioned
Parker's decisions or authority. (Flip to Chapter 4 for a thorough discussion of
the dynamics between Parker and Presley.) At the time, Elvis realized that his
acting career goals didn't match those of the Colonel or others involved in his
films.
Considering Four Films
from the Early '60s
In this section, I examine four films from the early 1960s as a showcase for
Elvis's acting ambitions. Even though he had high expectations for himself,
he failed to become the accomplished actor he strived to be. However, these
films did feature themes and ideas that spoke to important issues of the era,
giving them an added depth and significance. Elvis made four films for these
two different studios:
20th Century Fox: This studio launched Elvis's career as an actor in
1956 with Love Me Tender. Then in 1960, the Colonel made a two-picture
deal with Fox. Fox chose not to use Presley in the same way as producer
Hal Wallis, who preferred to star Elvis in formulaic musical vehicles that
exploited his existing image and popular singing style. (See Chapters 6
and 7 for a thorough examination of Wallis's strategy regarding Elvis's
film career and his role as the "author" of the Presley Travelogue.)
Instead, the folks at Fox cast Elvis in serious roles in dramatic films
based on acclaimed novels. They placed him in an ensemble cast of
several strong leading actors and venerable character actors, who were
handled by renowned directors and veteran producers.
United Artists: In 1962, Elvis signed a two-picture deal with the Mirisch
brothers, who were producers with their own independent production
company that released through United Artists. For the Mirisches, Elvis
starred in Follow That Dream and Kid Galahad, which were both released
in 1962. The Mirisches didn't strategize on the same level as 20th
Century Fox, but like Fox, they didn't follow the formula for the Presley
Travelogue.
The average Presley Travelogue featured about a dozen songs, while 20th
Century Fox had minimized the number of songs to two for Flaming Star
and four for Wild in the Country. United Artists, on the other hand, offered a
compromise at six for Follow That Dream and six for Kid Galahad, which was
enough to satisfy the Colonel.
In the following sections, I discuss each of Elvis's four early films with Fox
and United Artists, including plot details, differences between these films and
the Travelogues, and a bit about what went on behind the scenes.
150 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Shooting a western: Flaming Star
Flaming Star, which was released in December 1960 by 20th Century Fox, gave
Elvis the chance to prove himself as a serious actor. In this tragic western,
Elvis plays Pacer Burton, the young son of a white settler and a Kiowa Indian.
A Kiowa uprising forces Pacer to choose sides between the white settlers and
his mother's people. The character endures prejudice, feels his first pangs of
love, and suffers an identity crisis -- a set of events that represented a broad
range of emotions for Elvis to play. See Figure 9-1 for a look at Elvis in this role.
Figure 9-1:
Elvis worked
hard to be
a serious
actor in
Flaming Star
(1960).
Flaming Star touts a socially progressive story line that depicts the prejudice
Pacer experiences because of his half-caste status. The plot may take place in
the Old West of the 1870s, but the theme was relevant to race relations in the
1960s as well. The important story line certainly elevates the significance of
Flaming Star.
Feeling the pressure on the set
Unfortunately, Elvis's efforts to give a dynamic performance in Flaming Star
fell short. A sense of unease developed between Elvis and director Don
Siegel. Siegel wasn't thrilled that producer David Weisbart had hired Presley,
but he accepted the situation. However, Elvis still felt the director's dis-
approval on the set.
Later, Siegel claimed that the singer's entourage of friends, assistants, and
bodyguards were constantly on set. Elvis and his gang practiced karate,
played touch football, and chased girls, and the director thought it inter-
fered with communication between him and Elvis. The tension undoubtedly
affected Elvis's performance, which was superficial and erratic compared to
the other actors in the ensemble. He lacked control over his line delivery,
Chapter 9: Looking Beyond the Presley Travelogue
151
especially during emotional scenes when he tended to blurt out his dialogue
too rapidly.
Elvis sang two songs in Flaming Star: the title song and "A Cane and a High-
Starched Collar." A four-song print had been shown to a preview audience,
but it was never released. Siegel may have thought that so many songs would
detract from the movie's serious tone. Siegel may have been correct from
an artistic point of view. After all, the movie received lots of good reviews.
However, it was a box-office disappointment compared to G.I. Blues, and the
Colonel blamed it on the lack of songs.
Recognizing the strength of the cast
Despite any shortcomings in Elvis's performance, Flaming Star remains a well-
crafted, highly watchable western. Its success is due to the efforts of the cast
and crew. Consider some of the high-profile industry personnel Fox gathered
to produce the film:
The ensemble included veteran character actor John McIntire, legendary
Mexican movie star Dolores Del Rio, and respected actors Steve Forrest,
Barbara Eden, and Richard Jaeckel. The advantage of an ensemble cast
is that solid performances by the whole can balance the weaknesses of
the individuals.
Director Siegel, who later won critical acclaim for the original Dirty
Harry, was a master of tightly directed action scenes, and his skills are
evident in Flaming Star.
The script was based on a popular novel by Clair Huffaker. Nunnally
Johnson, a long-time Hollywood producer and screenwriter famous for
scripting The Grapes of Wrath, cowrote the film with Huffaker.
Established composer Cyril Mockridge produced the background music.
Milking the melodrama:
Wild in the Country
After Flaming Star, Elvis got another chance at serious acting in Wild in the
Country, which was released in 1961 by 20th Century Fox. In this Southern
melodrama, he stars as a young hothead named Glenn Tyler, whose anger
and frustration are the result of his underprivileged background. After serving
time in a juvenile hall, he's put under the care of a female psychiatrist, played
by Hope Lange, who wants him to try college and become a writer. Two other
women, played by Tuesday Weld and Millie Perkins, also play important roles
in Glenn's life. He evolves from sullen to sensitive as the story line progresses,
giving Elvis an opportunity to stretch himself as an actor. Elvis's performance
is better in this film than in Flaming Star, and he exhibited some undeniable
chemistry with spitfire Tuesday Weld, but he still has problems with rushing
his line delivery and building a character with depth.
152 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Wild in the Country, which was scripted by the legendary left-wing playwright
Clifford Odets and directed by socially conscious scriptwriter Philip Dunne,
exhibits a class consciousness that points out the disparities between the
advantaged middle classes and the permanent underprivileged. Glenn's lack
of opportunities, such as access to college, are presented as the reason for
his violent tendencies; likewise, the lack of opportunity and class prejudice
that Tuesday Weld's character experiences result in her promiscuous behav-
ior. The characters embody progressive liberal ideas on poverty, class, and
crime. The effort of Odets and Dunne to imbue a conventional melodrama
with important themes makes this film a respectable addition to Elvis's
filmography.
No songs were included in the original script for Wild in the Country, but
when Flaming Star didn't perform to expectations at the box office, six musi-
cal numbers were added. Four made the final cut, including the title song,
"I Slipped, I Stumbled, and I Fell," "In My Way," and "Husky Dusky Day." The
film still failed to meet box-office expectations, and the Colonel again blamed
the lack of songs. But his assessment wasn't necessarily accurate.
Tackling satire: Follow That Dream
Elvis gives one of his most successful performances as Toby Kwimper in the
lighthearted social satire Follow That Dream, which was released in 1962 by
United Artists. In the film, Toby and his backwoods family claim squatters'
rights on an empty stretch of beach in sunny Florida, and then build a home-
stead there out of salvaged materials, much to the chagrin of local officials.
Stuffy bureaucrats try to get rid of the honest, down-home Kwimpers, who
don't care for the complexities of the modern world but whose approach to
life is the essence of true family values.
On the surface Toby appears to be a dumb rube, because he speaks with
an accent, displays no interest in material things, and sees the world in a
simple way. A lustful female psychiatrist and two shady gamblers try to take
advantage of Toby, but he foils them. Elvis's layered performance as Toby
required him to portray a character who the people in the film believe to be
simple and incapable, but who audiences know to be clever and resourceful,
without altering the nature of the performance. The rube who isn't as dumb
as sophisticated urban dwellers believe him to be is a staple character in
Southern culture. So, because of his own Southern roots, Elvis undoubtedly
understood the nature of this character. Elvis also exhibited a flair for real
character comedy in this film, a talent he would rarely have the opportunity
to showcase again.
Follow That Dream featured a half-dozen songs. Most of them were service-
able tunes in that they fleshed out the characters or plot, but the title song
was above average. Like most well-made musical comedies, the solid cast of
Chapter 9: Looking Beyond the Presley Travelogue
153
character actors added a lot of fun and charm to the film. Comedy veterans
Arthur O'Connell, who played the head of the Kwimper clan, and Roland
Winters, who played the judge, were particularly effective.
As based on the acclaimed novel Pioneer, Go Home by Richard Powell, Follow
That Dream is a clever satire on the frustrations of our fast-paced, modern
society, whose members have forgotten the simple pleasures of life.
Making a musical drama: Kid Galahad
Kid Galahad, a remake of a Depression-era Warner Bros. film, tells the story
of a naive boxer, played by Elvis, who's manipulated by a hungry manager
eager to make the big time. The original film from 1937 benefited from the
gritty, low-budget Warner Bros. style, but this United Artist remake produced
by the Mirisch Brothers in 1962 lacks an effective visual style to re-create a
boxing milieu.
In this film, Elvis holds his own in a cast that includes such noteworthy stars
as Gig Young, Charles Bronson, Ed Asner, and Lola Albright. Perhaps he was
improving as an actor through the experience of working in several films of
different genres, or maybe he simply was more relaxed on the United Artists
sets than on the Fox sets, where expectations were greater and the directors
more demanding.
The film featured conventional movie-musical songs, but they didn't help the
film at the box office. The film made a respectable $2 million upon its initial
release, but it paled in comparison to Blue Hawaii.
Factoring in the Final Films
Elvis's last four movies differed from the formulaic Presley Travelogue, but
they were produced from 1967 to 1968, a period of transition for the singer.
During this time, Elvis had become completely disillusioned with Hollywood,
and he was in the process of making some important career changes. He
didn't seem to care that he had finally broken free of the Travelogue formula,
and he also didn't use these roles to turn around his film career.
From all accounts, Elvis simply wanted to finish his existing film contracts
and get them out of the way. By the time his last film, Change of Habit, was in
production, Elvis was experiencing a comeback to the music scene, and his
talents and creative focus were directed toward honing a new musical style
and returning to live performances. (See Chapter 11 for a full discussion of
154 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Elvis's comeback to musical prominence.) Despite his musical comeback,
the tunes in these films don't reflect the new direction of his music. With a
couple of notable exceptions, the songs remain standard movie-musical fare.
Elvis's last four films, made for a variety of studios and producers, recouped
their investment money at the box office. However, even though they didn't
flop, they made very little over their investment costs. In the eyes of the
Colonel and some of Elvis's contracting studios, this meager return signaled
an end to his success in the movies. Studios and producers who had worked
with Elvis for years, including MGM and Hal Wallis, didn't renegotiate con-
tracts after 1967.
In dealing with these final films, biographers, music historians, and other
writers take their cue from Elvis's lack of interest. Most of them barely men-
tion the last four films, often erroneously grouping them with the typical
Presley Travelogues. Like Elvis, they were in a hurry to move on to another
chapter of his life and didn't take these films seriously. The films lack the
craftsmanship and production values of the movies mentioned earlier in the
chapter, but they represent an aspect of Presley's film career that deserves
consideration.
The key difference between Elvis's later films and his earlier musical comedies
is the attempt to adapt to changing times both in the film industry and in the
country in general. A criticism aimed at Elvis's Hollywood is how old fash-
ioned the films had become by the late 1960s. However, in sweeping his later
films under the rug, biographers and historians ignore the ways in which his
movies actually did reflect the changing times.
In the following sections, besides discussing how these films differ from
the Travelogue formula, I also focus on the way Elvis's last films reflect
the changing times in Hollywood and across the country. I put them in the
context of the times to point out some interesting qualities and surprising
strengths. As you read through the sections, consider the following topics:
Sex: Despite the romance that was part and parcel of the Presley
Travelogues, Elvis's characters did little more than kiss the leading
ladies. By the late 1960s, however, attitudes toward the depiction of
romance and sex on the big screen had loosened. Surprisingly, Elvis's
film Live a Little, Love a Little wrestles with the new attitudes toward
sexual mores, making this film more adult in tone.
Violence: The loosening of censorship guidelines in the industry made
graphic violence more common in the new Hollywood, a factor that
becomes relevant to Elvis's western Charro!
Politics: The politics and social consciousness of the 1960s made an
impact on the story lines of Change of Habit and The Trouble with Girls.
Both films include scenes dealing with prejudice, and the former draws
attention to the poverty and lack of opportunity in the nation's inner
cities.
Chapter 9: Looking Beyond the Presley Travelogue
155
Sleeping with the girl (finally):
Live a Little, Love a Little
Live a Little, Love a Little, released in 1968, became the first Presley film to
include premarital sex. In the story line, Elvis's character Greg Nolan, a slick
photographer who works for a Playboy-type magazine called Classic Cat, has
an accident on the beach and recuperates in the beach house of a kooky '60s
girl. In the course of their unconventional relationship, they share a night
of passion, even though the audience doesn't actually see it. In addition to
really getting the girl, Greg enjoys another 1960s-style episode when he expe-
riences a psychedelic dream sequence complete with go-go dancers and a
man dressed in a dog suit.
An offbeat comedy about sex and romance, Live a Little, Love a Little exhibits
a screwball quality that's refreshingly hip compared to the formulaic Presley
Travelogues. Despite its refreshing quality, however, the film's characteriza-
tion and plotting are weak. The movie didn't fare well at the box office, and
the studio felt it too lackluster for a release in the United Kingdom, despite
Elvis's fan base there.
Considering that Elvis's films were targeted to fans, who were now older, and
marketed to mainstream audiences, including families, the addition of pre-
marital sex and nonconformist characters reflect how tastes and social stan-
dards loosened during the course of the swinging '60s. The film also reveals
the industry's attempt to reinvent familiar genres -- like the romantic
comedy -- to stay relevant to the times.
Only four songs made up the soundtrack to this film. Of those, "A Little Less
Conversation" proved to be the best, though at the time, it was cast aside
with the other tunes. It wasn't released until 1973 when it appeared on the
album Almost in Love. However, the lively tune was remixed and revised in
2002, when it topped the charts in the United Kingdom. It was released on the
2002 hit compilation ELV1S 30 #1 Hits.
Reminiscing with a period piece:
The Trouble with Girls
Elvis's 1969 period comedy The Trouble with Girls exhibits no signs of updat-
ing the material with contemporary themes, even though it was released by
MGM, the same studio that produced Live a Little, Love a Little. (Refer to the
preceding section, "Sleeping with the girl (finally): Live a Little, Love a Little,"
for more on this movie.)
156 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
In The Trouble with Girls, Elvis stars as Walter Hale, the manager of a 1920s
Chautauqua, which was a traveling tent show that provided education as
well as entertainment. Walter is relatively new to his job, and he's trying to
prove himself with the former manager. Sometimes he reverts to less-than-
scrupulous methods, but he leads the show to great success in the end.
The film offered a slice of Americana from the past. A few of the subplots
didn't involve Elvis, so he wasn't the focus of every scene. The period setting
and the reduction in screen time for Elvis's character weren't typical of his
movies. By this time, Elvis's films weren't performing to anyone's expecta-
tions; in the case of Trouble, the Colonel was reluctant to gather and report
the box-office statistics.
Six songs were included to round out the story line, but none of them are
memorable. Indeed, a couple of them represent low points even for the
soundtrack recordings, including "The Whiffenpoof Song."
Breaking into the Italian
western genre: Charro!
In 1969, Elvis finally starred in a film in which his character didn't sing even
one song -- the western Charro! Elvis crooned the title song over the credits,
but his character, Jess Wade, never once broke into tuneful reverie. Elvis had
longed for a role that pushed his musician side to the background for some
time. Unfortunately, it was too late, and he was no longer interested in his
film career.
The script for Charro! indicated that this gritty western was to be in the mold
of Clint Eastwood's Italian westerns, which were enormously popular in the
late 1960s. Italian westerns featured violent, scruffy-looking cowboys who
frequently double-crossed each other. Even the good guys weren't heroic in
the traditional sense. Presley's character, Jess Wade, is a former bad guy who
comes up against his old gang, which is terrorizing a small Mexican town.
Jess uses a lot of gun powder and violence to stop them.
At first, Elvis expressed enthusiasm for this film, because the original script
kept closely to the explicit sex and graphic violence associated with the
Italian western. To Elvis, this signified that the film was targeted to a serious
adult audience. Unfortunately, by the time he showed up on the set, the vio-
lent gunfights and seedy brothel scenes had been toned down considerably
and replaced by conventional barroom brawls and unhappy saloon girls.
In addition to the watered-down script, the film's director, Charles Marquis
Warren, lacked the talent or insight to effectively re-create the unique style
of the Italian western. Disillusioned once again, Elvis went through the paces,
anxious to get the film over with.
Chapter 9: Looking Beyond the Presley Travelogue
157
The budget for Charro! was $1.5 million, and the film made little profit. The
Colonel no longer kept or released statistics, perhaps because the films
weren't doing as well, or perhaps because both Elvis and the Colonel's inter-
ests lay elsewhere.
Composer Hugo Montenegro, who had done the music for some Italian west-
erns, wrote and arranged the background music for Charro!
Getting dramatic: Change of Habit
In his final big-screen appearance, Elvis starred as Dr. John Carpenter, a
doctor who practices in an inner-city slum. A social drama with a strong cast,
Change of Habit (1969) co-stars Mary Tyler Moore as one of three nurses who
are sent to help the inner-city doctor. However, Elvis's character doesn't
realize that these nurses are also nuns, and he falls in love with Moore's
character. The story was very loosely based on the real life of a nun who had
worked with children who had speech handicaps.
The film would have benefited from being shot on location in an inner-city
neighborhood, because the Universal back lot where it was shot looks artifi-
cial and less than authentic. Also, the idealistic resolution the film offers to
deep-seated social issues is trite. Nonetheless, the events in the story line
reflect the social turmoil and violent trauma that major cities were facing in
the late 1960s, including the inequalities of healthcare in the ghettos, the dis-
enfranchisement of minorities, and the breakdown of and need for a change
in social institutions, such as law and order and the church.
The director of Change of Habit, a young man named Billy Graham, used
improvisations and other acting exercises to help his actors understand the
motivations of their characters. These tactics became common and accepted
among a new generation of directors and actors. Elvis would have benefited
from them earlier in his career. According to Graham, Elvis did very well in
these exercises when he was interested, but he wasn't always willing to make
the effort. His lack of interest was perhaps due to his disillusionment with
Hollywood.
Only four songs were used in the film. One of them, "Rubberneckin'" is a
decent pop-rock tune, which was recorded in Memphis at American Sound
Studio during Elvis's sessions with talented producer Chips Moman. (See
Chapter 11 for more on these sessions.)
Change of Habit was probably the kind of film Elvis would have preferred
to star in for most of his acting career, but never had the opportunity.
Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. By the time Change of Habit went into
production, Elvis had decided against acting in any more films.
158 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Chapter 10
Defending Elvis's Movies:
They're Not That Bad
In This Chapter
Understanding the criticism of Elvis's movies
Taking a look at the teen musical
Seeing Elvis's career as a model that other singers followed
Finding value, entertainment, and meaning in Elvis's movies is definitely
the minority viewpoint. A look at many of the Presley biographies,
memoirs, and career overviews reveals that the prevailing opinion of Elvis's
movies is a negative one. The low opinion began with Elvis himself, who
became so disillusioned with the direction that his film career took that he
eventually dismissed his entire Hollywood experience. (Glance at Chapter 8
for more on Elvis's perspective on his movies.) The viewpoint was continued
by biographers who looked down on his film career because it changed Elvis
from a notorious rock 'n' roller to a conventional movie star, making him less
exciting and less innovative in their eyes.
However, the reasoning behind the prevailing view doesn't really hold up
under close scrutiny. Elvis had personal reasons for turning his back on his
movies, so he didn't see them in an objective light. And, those writers who
criticize Elvis's movies often fail to put his Hollywood career in context of the
film industry. When considered in context, Elvis's movies actually fit neatly
into a kind of musical comedy that, at the time, was popular with youth
audiences and lucrative at the box office. In these films, young pop singers,
like Elvis, were tapped to star in lighthearted romantic tales with themes,
plotlines, character types, and music relevant to a new generation but still
appealing to a wide range of ages. As a matter of fact, Elvis's contributions to
this subgenre were better crafted and acted than most.
Not only were Elvis's films in this subgenre financially successful, but they
also turned the singer into a movie star, which meant he was accepted and
popular with the mainstream audiences in a way he certainly hadn't been in
the 1950s. Falling into mainstream popularity was his management team's
160 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
objective from the beginning. Elvis's career path from controversial rock 'n'
roller popular with a niche audience to successful pop-singing movie star
accepted by the mainstream serves as a model for contemporary hip-hop,
rap, and other performers hoping for a lengthy career in show business.
In this chapter, I explain the shortcomings of the common critical perception
of Elvis's film career and explain why it has become the prevailing view. I also
offer an alternative understanding of the movies based on the subgenre to
which they belong. In addition, I talk about the movie music in relation to its
specific purpose within the films, which allows you to appreciate it or at least
tolerate it. I round out this chapter by comparing Elvis's career path to those
of contemporary stars seeking mainstream acceptance.
Understanding Why the Movies
Need to Be Defended
Elvis's Hollywood career needs a solid defense, because few writers have
ever considered it within the context of the period or within the frame-
work of the film industry. Therefore, few have discussed it with authority.
Biographers, music historians, and others who criticize Elvis's movies tend
to consider the films in retrospect of his entire career.
In comparing his movie-era work to the innovative sound and cultural sig-
nificance of his 1950s music, the sweet pop sound and clean-cut image don't
measure up. From the perspective of these writers, Hollywood robbed Elvis of
everything that was unique about his music and performing style. This view
not only taints their discussion of the movies but also results in a narrow dis-
course on this entire phase of his career. And, many writers use the fact that
Elvis saw his film career as a failure as further validation of their low opinion.
In this section, I tell you about Elvis's disappointment in his career and the
initial criticism of his films. I also tell you why this criticism is misplaced.
Factoring in Elvis's dissatisfaction
Elvis himself made fun of his movies in his later life, and he often remarked
bitterly that he was disillusioned with his film career. Because Elvis thought
his tenure in Hollywood was a disappointment, it was easy for everyone else
to pick up on his cues and declare his film career a failure. To set the record
straight, I reflect here on some of the reasons behind Elvis's dissatisfaction
with his Hollywood career.
Chapter 10: Defending Elvis's Movies: They're Not That Bad
161
In the August 11, 1969, issue of Newsweek magazine, Elvis announced that his
film career was over, remarking, "I got tired of playing a guy who gets into a
fight, then starts singing to the guy he's just beat up." This declaration is often
quoted in biographies and career overviews to "prove" that Elvis's film career
wasted his talents. After all, even he found his movies to be ridiculous.
Part of Elvis's opinion was based on his profound dislike of the musical
comedy genre. He didn't like the type of movie in which the characters ran-
domly burst into song, because he felt it was unrealistic. This type of musical
is clearly an acquired taste. Some viewers can suspend disbelief and accept
this fanciful convention of the genre; others can't. Elvis fell into the latter
camp, and unfortunately, the musical comedy was the type of movie he was
most associated with.
However, the main reason for his resentment was his failure to be taken seri-
ously as an actor. From his first weeks in Hollywood, Elvis dreamed of becom-
ing a serious actor in dramatic roles, but these desires didn't pan out. He grew
more bitter and disappointed with each movie he made. (See Chapters 6 for a
complete understanding of Elvis's goals in his film career.) His suspicions that
his movie career wouldn't pan out like he had dreamed turned into a bitter
realization with a specific incident involving film producer Hal Wallis.
Here's what happened: In April 1964, during the last days of shooting on
Elvis's film Roustabout (1964), a story appeared in the entertainment press
regarding Wallis's upcoming film Becket (1964), starring two of the most
respected actors of the time, Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton. The article
described how Wallis financed Becket based on the projected revenue for
Roustabout, because Wallis's Presley features always made money. The
article was condescending toward Elvis's movies, suggesting how ironic it
was that such a prestigious film starring "two brilliant Shakespearean-trained
actors" was dependent on "Sir Swivel Hips." Becket went on to win acclaim
and an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay, while Roustabout was
treated as just another fluffy musical comedy.
This article made Elvis realize that Wallis was never going to star him in a
film of the caliber of Becket. He discovered that the producer's plan was to
make money from his musical comedies in order to finance the kind of film
that Elvis had always wanted to act in. Elvis felt used -- and then eventually
used up.
In an oft-quoted statement, Wallis once declared, "A Presley picture is the only
sure thing in Hollywood."
162 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Examining the standard view
of Elvis's movies
As soon as Elvis's last Hollywood feature film was released in 1969, the singer
felt free to express his poor opinion of his movie career. In public, his criti-
cism took the form of the occasional joke about the lightweight nature of
his movies, but in private conversations, his view was considerably more
bitter. After Elvis died, biographers took up his negative viewpoint and even
expanded on it. Unfortunately, the biographers tended to be music critics
or historians, which colored their perspectives and didn't prepare them for
understanding how the film industry worked.
Two main criticisms of Elvis's movie career emerged from the first wave
of biographies published after his death, and these two ideas have been
repeated by subsequent authors until they have become clichés. The first
criticism maintains that Elvis could have been a successful serious actor if he
hadn't been tied down by the formulaic musical comedies. The other criticism
blames the movies for a "decline" in his music as he changed from rock 'n' roll
to the softer pop-rock sound of the movie soundtracks. Upon examination,
neither of these critical assumptions is an accurate assessment of what hap-
pened with Elvis's movie career.
In this section, I take a general look at the first Elvis biographers and why
their specific backgrounds and expertise colored their interpretations of
Presley's film career. Then I examine their criticisms, looking at them from a
film history perspective, to point out their shortcomings.
Considering the biographers
Throughout most of his career, Elvis's manager Colonel Tom Parker (also
often referred to as simply "the Colonel") controlled the access to his client
by the media or other writers. Subsequently, Elvis left behind no definitive
interview or lengthy discussion in which he defended, analyzed, or explained
his music or career choices. So after his death, biographers depended on sec-
ondary sources, such as friends, associates, and family members, for infor-
mation on the private Elvis. Some of these interviewees had faulty memories,
and some had their own agendas, making their remembrances suspect. Also,
these biographers were freer to speculate about the Colonel's handling of
Elvis's career, because neither Elvis nor Parker was on record explaining
their strategies and opinions in detail.
The first serious writers to put Elvis's career and contributions into any
kind of cultural perspective after the singer died were rock-music historians,
including Dave Marsh and Greil Marcus. These two writers had honed their
craft and perspective as writers for Rolling Stone magazine, and it showed in
their assessment of Presley's Hollywood career. Their views were critical
and derisive, because the movies had spelled the end of Elvis the notorious
rock 'n' roller. And, of course, that was the part of Elvis's career these
Chapter 10: Defending Elvis's Movies: They're Not That Bad
163
writers were most interested in. They also believed that Elvis's movie career
weakened his musical output during the 1960s by forcing him to record softer
pop-influenced material, so they disliked most -- if not all -- of the movie
music. Other biographers who approached Elvis's life from a music perspec-
tive wrote similarly of his Hollywood career. The formulaic nature of movie
vehicles added to the criticism heaped on the films by biographers who were
rock 'n' roll reviewers or music historians.
Though wonderful writers and perceptive music critics, writers like Marsh
and Marcus lacked insight into the history and inner workings of Hollywood,
making their opinions about Elvis's movies just that -- opinion. Instead of
understanding the Presley Travelogues as musical vehicles deliberately
constructed by Wallis to show off Elvis's premiere talent -- singing -- they
tended to simplistically blame the Colonel for exploiting Presley and squan-
dering his talents. Later writers simply repeated the perspective of these first
serious biographers, propagating the criticism of the Hollywood movies and
their music. However, these critics tended to praise those pre-army movies in
which a hard-rockin' Elvis sang and looked like . . . well, a hard-rockin' Elvis.
These biographers and music historians tend to regard Elvis's films in isola-
tion, without relating them to other movies that were popular at the time or to
the era that produced them. Like all popular arts, movies reflect the times that
produce them, and they're subject to a variety of influences that surround
them. To consider Elvis's films without a discussion of the era, the influences,
or the industry is to leave out much of the story. (Flip to the later section
"Appreciating Elvis's Movies As Part of the Teen Musical Subgenre" for more
information on how to best compare Elvis's movies to those produced during
the same time period.)
Disputing the claim that Elvis should have been a serious actor
One of the oft-repeated criticisms about Elvis's movie career claims that he
could have been a serious actor if only he had been allowed to appear in big-
budget, high-profile projects. But, there's no guarantee that he would have
been successful. Throughout the history of Hollywood, scores of performers
from other arenas of entertainment have attempted serious acting careers,
and many of them have been successful. But, some have experienced only
limited success in movies. Some even failed completely.
During the 1960s, the film industry was in a period of transition and more
unpredictable than usual. Achieving stardom was even a riskier toss of the
dice. Several pop singers embarked on Hollywood careers during that period
just like Elvis had, and many of them co-starred in serious films by major
directors. Yet, they experienced only limited success as legitimate actors. If
Elvis had abandoned the musical vehicles that his audiences preferred, he
might have fizzled out as a serious actor like pop singers Pat Boone, Tommy
Sands, Ricky Nelson, Fabian, and Frankie Avalon had when they tried to reach
beyond their natural charisma and singing talents.
164 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
A variation on the argument that Elvis could have been a great actor pur-
ports that Elvis should have followed in the acting footsteps of rebels James
Dean and Marlon Brando by appearing in serious dramas in which he played
rebels, outsiders, antiheroes, or mavericks. He had started down that path
with Jailhouse Rock and King Creole, and he returned to that sort of character
in Wild in the Country, but the musical comedies pushed him in a different
direction.
However, both Dean and Brando had seriously studied the Method approach
to acting at the prestigious Actors Studio in New York City. The Method is
an internal approach to acting in which the actor attempts to step into the
emotional and mental shoes of his character. The actor uses personal memo-
ries and experiences to realistically portray intense emotions. The Method
requires study and practice to accomplish well. Elvis, on the other hand, was
never trained. During Elvis's heyday in Hollywood, the new wave of legitimate
actors who were gaining attention in the film industry had studied acting as
a craft in college or in acting schools. How far Elvis's natural charm and cha-
risma would have taken him in serious drama is unknown. Without training,
Elvis had no guarantee that he could have handled complex, serious roles in
the long term.
When looking at the state of the industry during the time frame of Elvis's
career, and considering his lack of formal training, it's clear that his chances
of becoming a James Dean, a Marlon Brando, or any other serious actor
weren't good. The biographers that suggest otherwise fail to consider film
history.
Disputing the criticism that the movies hurt his music
Some say that Elvis's Hollywood career weakened his music and squandered
his musical and creative talents. But, this argument indirectly proposes
several assumptions about his movie career, including the suggestion that
Elvis would have continued to be a rock 'n' roll innovator if not for his "going
Hollywood." Whether Elvis would have continued as a musical innovator if
he hadn't pursued a Hollywood career is speculative at best, but most likely
he would have still abandoned his regionally flavored rock 'n' roll style for
several reasons.
When Elvis returned from the army in 1960, he was faced with a new music
scene. Ballad singers and pop stylists had increased in popularity during the
late 1950s, softening rock 'n' roll as a genre until the mid-1960s. At that point,
the British Invasion spearheaded by The Beatles changed the direction of
rock once again. The early 1960s were dominated by the smooth sounds of
singers such as Frankie Avalon, Pat Boone, Fabian, Paul Anka, Connie Francis,
Bobby Darin, and Tommy Sands. The trend represented a shift from the doo-
wop, rhythm-and-blues, and Southern-flavored rockabilly that rocked the
radio airwaves and shocked the industry pundits in the mid-1950s. So Elvis's
pop-rock music of the 1960s fit nicely into the pop sounds of the era.
Chapter 10: Defending Elvis's Movies: They're Not That Bad
165
Perhaps one of the reasons critics of his pop sound and mature image dismiss
his music during this era is because Elvis set trends during the 1950s, but he
seemed to merely follow them in the 1960s.
One of the most compelling reasons that Elvis wouldn't have continued sing-
ing his regionally flavored rock 'n' roll involved the nasty scandals surround-
ing this style of music. In addition to the accusations that the music incited
juvenile delinquency and riots, several specific rock 'n' roll pioneers got into
trouble while Elvis was in the army.
In 1958, for example, the press discovered that Elvis's fellow Sun Studio
recording artist Jerry Lee Lewis had married his 13-year-old cousin while
still married to his first wife. Lewis was virtually blackballed in the industry.
Radio stations refused to play his records and many of his tour bookings
were cancelled. The year before, flamboyant entertainer Little Richard turned
his back on rock 'n' roll when he found God. The singer walked away from the
music industry during a major tour, causing huge losses for booking agents
and tour promoters. Later, when he wanted to return to show business, his
earlier actions made agents and promoters leery of booking him. In 1960,
"Johnny B. Good" singer Chuck Berry was charged with a Mann Act violation
when he drove an underage girl across state lines. He was convicted and
went to prison for almost three years.
During the 1950s, many in the media felt that Elvis was headed for scandals
such as these because of his provocative performing style. However, his stint
in the army had cooled the controversy and paved the way for a different
career path -- one that wisely steered him away from the notoriety of rocka-
billy and rock 'n' roll. (See Chapter 7 for more information on the effect of
Elvis's army service on his career.)
Appreciating Elvis's Movies As Part
of the Teen Musical Subgenre
Elvis wasn't the only pop or rock 'n' roll singer to star in lighthearted musi-
cal comedies or the occasional youth-oriented melodrama during the 1960s.
From Elvis and Frankie Avalon to Herman's Hermits, many of the decade's
chart-topping singers and bands found themselves in vehicles developed
around their signature sounds or styles. These films share enough character-
istics to be identifiable as a specific subgenre, or subcategory, of the musical
comedy. Elvis's films are part of this subgenre known as teen musicals.
In this section, I describe the characteristics of the teen musical and put the
subgenre in context of the times to show how it reflects the issues, preoccu-
pations, and culture of the young. I also show you how Elvis's films fit neatly
166 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
into this group. When comparing the Presley Travelogues to other films in
the same subgenre, the success of his movies makes sense -- and their fluffi-
ness seems less objectionable.
The typical teen musical
Teen musicals evolved from the low-budget, black-and-white rock 'n' roll
movies pioneered by the King of the Quickies, Sam Katzman, in the 1950s.
(See Chapter 8 for information on how Katzman crossed paths with Elvis.)
Like Katzman's quickies, later teen musicals appealed to a youthful demo-
graphic by showcasing the music of performers that young people idolized as
well as the slang and fashion fads of the day. Unlike Katzman's movies, teen
musicals of the 1960s were shot in Technicolor, making them candy-colored
romantic fantasies for the young -- or the young at heart.
The success of the teen musical, including the Presley Travelogues, began
with the music, which was the bait to draw in the target audience. The teen
musical's appeal also depended on capturing the sense of fun and optimism
that goes with being young, while at the same time underpinning it with the
accepted ideals and values of mainstream culture. So, Elvis's singing, girl-
chasing characters breeze into town looking for the big score, a new adven-
ture, or the next race, but what they find instead is the right girl and the
potential for a happy family.
Consider how the following elements fit into the teen musical:
Music: Teen musicals cram as many songs or musical acts as possible
into running times. During Elvis's era, some of the musicals featured
pop-flavored songs that sounded more like a Hollywood executive's idea
of what rock music should be. Others included performances by actual
rock 'n' roll bands of the era.
Plot: Plots of teen musicals revolve around the romantic complications
of teens and young adults, who are depicted as living in a world of their
own. Adults are outsiders to this world, so they are relegated to comic
relief or uptight authority figures. The audiences' identification with the
troubles, trends, music, and slang of this youth-oriented world is a key
to a teen musical's success.
Setting: Stories for teen musicals are often set in locations popular with
teens. During Elvis's day, these included vacation resorts, Ft. Lauderdale,
and other beachlike spots. The films capture the pleasures of youthful
pastimes, which in Elvis's day included car racing, surfing, playing sports,
nightclub hopping, or meeting at the local hangout.
Chapter 10: Defending Elvis's Movies: They're Not That Bad
167
Conflict: Teen musicals also reflect serious youth-oriented dilemmas,
particularly those involving individuality versus peer pressure; freedom
versus responsibility; romance versus sex; and youth versus maturity.
While the story lines are lighthearted and some of the characters comi-
cal and fun loving, it's the themes that audiences relate to because these
are serious issues that most young people struggle with.
The teen musicals from the 1960s that were set at the beach remain the most
well-known examples, because they have become an icon of American pop cul-
ture. The best-remembered beach movies, which starred Annette Funicello and
Frankie Avalon, were produced quickly by low-budget champions American
International Pictures (AIP). The series started with Beach Party (1963) and
followed with several additional movies using the same formula. In each film,
Funicello played DeeDee, who spent most of the plot trying to keep Frankie,
played by Avalon, in check. As the series continued, the subplots became
zanier, adding bikers, mermaids, and evil twins to the mix.
When the beach began to look too familiar, the party moved to the ski slopes.
A whole new subseries was born after producer Gene Corman at AIP decided
to use a ski resort as the setting for Ski Party. Not to be outdone in the wacky
department, Ski Party featured a talking, skiing polar bear. This sort of zany,
unrealistic detail is not unusual in the teen musical, so the exaggerated char-
acters and plot events of Elvis's Kissin' Cousins and Harum Scarum are in
keeping with the subgenre. (See Chapter 8 for a more information on these
two films.)
Some of the British rock groups that invaded American shores in the mid-
1960s also were packaged into musical vehicles to showcase their mod fash-
ions, long hair, discothèque hangouts, and specific style of rock music. Peter
Noone's band, Herman's Hermits, made a splash with their feature film Hold
On! (1966) while the Dave Clark Five muddled through Catch Us If You Can
(1965).
The Presley Travelogues
Elvis's vehicles make sense when considered within the context of the teen
musical (described in the preceding section). The formulaic plots, endless
songs, and wacky moments that stretch believability aren't so much weak-
nesses in his films, because they're typical of the subgenre. In the following
sections, I compare and contrast Elvis's movies in this subgenre with the
typical teen musical.
168 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
Elvis's best costars
The following list includes some names you Gig Young in Kid Galahad (1962)
probably recognize. Each actor or actress here
Tuesday Weld, Hope Lange, and Millie
is respected within the film industry, and their
Perkins in Wild in the Country (1961)
talents contributed to the production values of
the Presley Travelogues.
Arthur O'Connell in Follow That Dream
(1962) and Kissin' Cousins (1964)
Walter Matthau, Carolyn Jones, and Dean
Jagger in King Creole (1958)
Ann-Margret in Viva Las Vegas (1964)
Juliet Prowse in G.I. Blues (1960)
Barbara Stanwyck and Leif Erickson in
Roustabout (1964)
Dolores Del Rio and John McIntire in
Flaming Star (1960)
Joan Blondell in Stay Away, Joe (1968)
Angela Lansbury in Blue Hawaii (1961)
Mary Tyler Moore and Jane Elliot in Change
of Habit (1969)
Comparing the similarities
In general, the Presley Travelogues adapted many of the conventions of the
teen musical. Consider these characteristics, which mirror the conventions
listed in the preceding section:
Music: The Travelogues averaged 10 to 12 songs per film.
Plot: Like other teen musicals, the plots focused on romance while the
characters worked to achieve a recognizable goal, such as winning a
race, finding a job, or earning money.
Setting: The Travelogues were set in exotic locales or vacation spots,
such as Las Vegas, Acapulco, the World's Fair, Ft. Lauderdale, or simply
the race track or beach.
Conflict: Elvis's character generally matured from a footloose and
fancy-free race car driver, pilot, or charter-boat skipper to responsible
husband material by the end of the movie, reflecting a key theme. Elvis's
movies contrasted the fun of staying young and chasing girls with the
responsibility of being in a mature relationship.
In addition to following the conventions of the teen musical subgenre in gen-
eral, some of Elvis's movies also were directly influenced by specific films.
Here are some examples:
After spring break in Ft. Lauderdale and other resort areas became a
popular subject (with the films Where the Boys Are [1960] and Palm
Springs Weekend [1963]), Elvis starred in his own Lauderdale adventure,
which was titled Girl Happy (1965).
Chapter 10: Defending Elvis's Movies: They're Not That Bad
169
When the mod scene in England and Europe was all the rage, as in Catch
Us If You Can (1965), Elvis appeared in Double Trouble (1967), which fea-
tured the swinging discothèques of London and Amsterdam.
The considerable number of Presley Travelogues set near tropical
beaches, including Blue Hawaii (1961), Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966),
and Clambake (1967), reflected the popularity of the Frankie and Annette
beach movies.
Many of the costars in Elvis's films also appeared in the other teen musicals.
An entire troupe of actors became instantly recognizable for their associa-
tion with this subgenre. Nancy Sinatra, Yvonne Craig, Shelley Fabares, Gary
Crosby, Pam Austin, Joby Baker, and Chris Noel crossed over from one teen
musical to another. And no matter how much they aged, they were always wel-
come at the party.
Contrasting the differences
The Presley Travelogues differ from the teen musicals because they were
intended for a mainstream audience of older adults, children, and families
in addition to the audience of teens and young adults. Unlike the typi-
cal teen musical, Elvis's films include children and senior citizens, and it
wasn't unusual for his character to become attached to a child as part of his
maturing process (as in It Happened at the World's Fair [1963] and Paradise,
Hawaiian Style [1966]). In both instances, Elvis's character is forced into a
situation in which he has to look out for a child's safety, which reveals his
maturity and responsibility. Likewise, Elvis's characters sometimes sang to
older people, such as the leading lady's grandmother, which helped Elvis
appeal to the age group least familiar with teen musicals.
Unlike many of the teen musicals, Elvis's films are surprisingly multicultural.
In Blue Hawaii, his character dates a native Hawaiian against his mother's
wishes, and he easily adopts aspects of her culture, symbolized by his final
musical number, "Hawaiian Wedding Song." In Girls! Girls! Girls! he's close
friends with a Chinese family, and he sings to their young daughters. In
Paradise, Hawaiian Style, his character works with a Japanese partner, played
by Japanese actor James Shigeta.
Elvis's films also stand out from the crowd because many of them boast
high-quality production values, especially those produced by Hal Wallis.
By production values, I mean the craftsmanship of a film and how well basic
filmmaking techniques are used to enhance the material, no matter how
slight that material might be. Wallis employed veteran Hollywood directors,
cinematographers, and editors to ensure that his films had the highest level
of craftsmanship. He took advantage of shooting on location to showcase
the exotic scenery or to capture a sense of authenticity, and he hired some
of Hollywood's best scene-stealing character actors to elevate the level of
acting. Better budgets accounted in part for the high production values but
they also were the result of Wallis's talents and experience. One need only
170 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
compare Blue Hawaii to Beach Party to see the difference between Elvis's
teen musicals and the typical example of the genre. Both are fun to watch,
but the Wallis-produced Blue Hawaii exhibits higher production values.
A review of Easy Come, Easy Go (1967) from Variety commented on the quality
of Elvis's movies: "Anyone who has seen similar films recognizes the superior
quality of Presley's films; the story makes sense; the songs are better, and
better motivated; cast and direction are stronger; production values are first-
rate."
Part of the quality of Elvis's films comes from his fellow actors. He worked
with some of the best in the business, past and present. Some of his col-
leagues were movie stars, some starlets, some character actors, and some vet-
erans from another era, but all of them raised the level of the acting in the
films, causing the films to stand out from the average teen musical. See the
nearby sidebar "Elvis's best costars" for a list of the most notable actors and
actresses he worked with during this period.
Revealing how the movie music works
Those who criticize the movie music in Elvis's vehicles tend to overlook the
songs' critical functions in helping tell the story. This lack of understanding
sheds a different light on the songs, which may work well within the context
of the story but seem silly outside of the movies. To truly evaluate Elvis's
movie music, you have to take into consideration the way movie music
works.
Most of Elvis's films were integrated musicals. In these musicals, the songs
and production numbers were integrated into the story lines. This is the
type of musical in which characters randomly break out into song -- while
they're driving, working, arguing, or going about some other daily activity. In
contrast are backstage musicals, which are nonintegrated. In backstage story
lines, the musical numbers are part of a show that the characters are staging.
Integrated musicals are more fanciful and require a greater suspension of
disbelief, while backstage musicals are more grounded in reality. Most of the
Presley Travelogues and even some of Elvis's other movies, such as Follow
That Dream (1962) and Kid Galahad (1962), are examples of integrated musi-
cals. His pre-army musical dramas, such as Jailhouse Rock and King Creole,
are considered backstage musicals.
In the integrated musicals, the songs play a part in the story line. They
advance the plot, relate something about a character, or create the mood for a
scene. The lyrics and sometimes just a few bars of the melody can take the
place of scripted dialogue to communicate important information. Yet, outside
Chapter 10: Defending Elvis's Movies: They're Not That Bad
171
the film, these songs are often too specific to the story to stand on their own.
Unfortunately, many critics of his movie music do just that -- discuss them
out of context.
The conclusion of Blue Hawaii (1961) provides an excellent example of how
production numbers or songs function in an integrated musical. Like most of
the Presley Travelogues, the plot revolves around a goal or quest that Elvis's
character is hoping to achieve, and the pursuit of the leading lady parallels
that goal or quest. The completion of the goal is indicated by the union of
Elvis with his leading lady, and their union is revealed by the closing produc-
tion number.
Elvis's character's success in the tourist industry in Blue Hawaii isn't
announced through dialogue. Instead, it's revealed by his elaborate wedding
to the woman who helped him get his start as a tour guide. In the movie,
Elvis's character states that he wouldn't marry the leading lady until he
proved himself. So the wedding represents both personal and professional
triumph. The wedding itself isn't a traditional ceremony with spoken vows;
it's depicted as the closing production number titled "Hawaiian Wedding
Song." It is this musical number -- and only this musical number -- that
trumpets the union of Elvis with his leading lady as well as his professional
success.
Following in Elvis's Footsteps
Elvis and his management team of the Colonel, Abe Lastfogel of the William
Morris talent agency, and producer Hal Wallis weren't the first to plot a cli-
ent's career path from one arena of entertainment to another. The strategy
had been around since the silent era, when vaudeville performers success-
fully launched careers in Hollywood by tailoring movies to their specific
talents. But Elvis's career represents one of the most successful examples,
because he conquered so many arenas of entertainment and reinvented him-
self more than once. As such, his career -- all of it -- should be examined
and given its due.
Singers, rap artists, comedians, and even sports figures hoping to build
a long-term career continually break into movies in vehicles constructed
around their talents and star images. For instance, many alumni from
Saturday Night Live -- from John Belushi to Will Ferrell -- have broadened
their appeal by courting a mass audience through the movies. Similarly, con-
troversial rap artists, such as Ice-T and Ice Cube, have become successful
actors in family programs and movies by charting a path similar to Elvis's.
Even rebellious and unpredictable rapper Eminem starred in 8 Mile (2002),
a movie about a talented but troubled rap artist based on events in his own
172 Part II: From Hot-Headed Rebel to Hollywood Leading Man
life. Much like Loving You did for Elvis Presley in 1957, 8 Mile brought main-
stream recognition to Eminem, at least for awhile, resulting in his Academy
Award win for best song.
Academy Award nominee Eddie Murphy, who became a star through his
stint as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, was a King-size Elvis fan when
he was a teenager. Yet, Murphy wasn't influenced by Elvis's singing style.
Instead, he was enamored with Presley's magnitude as a star. The fact that
Elvis conquered more than one arena of show business -- recording, live per-
formance, television, and films -- inspired the young comedian, who wanted
to parlay his own television success into other areas. Murphy became a
stand-up comic in major venues, recorded an album, and then became a
popular movie star in a series of comedy vehicles designed around his talent.
When Murphy proclaimed Elvis to be the greatest entertainer of all time, the
focus was on the word "entertainer," alluding to his well-rounded stardom.
All these examples, especially Murphy's, validate Elvis's career path, including
his much-maligned movie career. The Presley Travelogues may not be inspir-
ing in and of themselves, but the decision by the Colonel and others to change
the course of Elvis's career by broadening his audience has proven to be
influential.
Part III
From the Las
Vegas Stage to the
End of the Road
In this part . . .
Elvis's decision to become a Hollywood leading man
clearly worked too well, because throughout the 1960s
audiences had forgotten his rockabilly roots. Fortunately,
he revitalized his career with The '68 Comeback Special,
which reminded America of his power and charisma as a
performer. The success of the special encouraged Elvis to
return to the stage. In 1969, he opened at the International
Hotel in Las Vegas to sold-out audiences, which jump-
started the last stage of his career. This last phase was
dominated by nonstop concerts and touring.
The rigors of the road, personal disappointments, and
other problems took their toll on Elvis Presley, and his
career began to decline in the mid-1970s. But not before
he accomplished several one-of-a-kind achievements,
including his stint at Madison Square Garden in 1972 and
his Aloha from Hawaii television special in 1973. This part
examines the last stage of Elvis's career, which is the phase
most associated with the singer because of his preferred
costume, the jumpsuit. This part ends with the sad news of
Elvis Presley's death on August 16, 1977.
Chapter 11
Making the Comeback
of a Lifetime
In This Chapter
Finding new collaborators
Making The '68 Comeback Special
Rejuvenating Elvis's career with a new album
Despite being financially lucrative -- and, therefore, a success in the
eyes of his manager Colonel Tom Parker -- Elvis's movie career left
him disappointed, depressed, and downhearted. By the mid-1960s, he was
no longer challenged by the movies he made or the soundtrack albums he
recorded. Changes in the music scene during the 1960s -- particularly after
The Beatles spearheaded the British Invasion -- rendered Elvis Presley old
hat in the eyes of the youth market that he helped create and define.
The dejected Elvis didn't realize his significance to the music scene at the
time, but fortunately others did. In the late 1960s, several people outside
Elvis's immediate circle challenged and influenced him to change the course
of his career. For Elvis to completely remold his image for the public and
then deliver some of the finest music of his career represents a comeback of
mythic proportions. That this phase of his career would come to a tragic end
doesn't detract from the magic of the moment when the King of Rock 'n' Roll
returned from a long respite to reclaim his throne.
In this chapter, I discuss music producer Felton Jarvis, who inspired Elvis
to record something other than movie soundtracks; Steve Binder, who pro-
duced and directed Elvis -- The '68 Comeback Special; and Chips Moman,
who produced From Elvis in Memphis, one of the best albums of the singer's
career. The success of these ventures, especially The Comeback Special, reju-
venated Elvis's career, setting the stage -- literally -- for his return to live
performances.
176 Part III: From the Las Vegas Stage to the End of the Road
Getting Back on Track
with a New Producer
In 1967, Elvis recorded his most well-known gospel album, How Great Thou
Art. The album effectively boosted Elvis's career, because it sold well,
charted significantly, and won awards. Most importantly, cutting the album
improved Elvis's morale and rekindled his passion for recording. Felton
Jarvis not only produced an exceptional album, but he also inspired Elvis to
select material he believed in, which was something the singer had not done
in a while. This section examines Jarvis's working relationship with Elvis,
explores the music they made together, and discusses the role the music
played in the singer's comeback.
Working with producer Felton Jarvis
In May 1966, Felton Jarvis, who was on staff at RCA, agreed to produce Elvis's
next album. Jarvis felt that the quality of Elvis's music had slipped during the
1960s, and he wanted to improve the sound of the recordings and the selec-
tion of the material. Elvis and Jarvis immediately hit it off, with the young
producer grasping right away what Elvis wanted in a sound mix.
Jarvis replaced legendary country guitarist Chet Atkins, who had produced
several of Elvis's non-soundtrack albums. In fact, Atkins suggested that Jarvis
take over producing Elvis's albums, because he thought that Jarvis was more
suited to the singer's working methods, which grew out of Elvis's unconven-
tional lifestyle.
For example, the low-key Atkins wasn't inclined to push Elvis to record, so
few recordings were made in the mid-1960s that weren't related to movie
soundtracks. Atkins also disapproved of the singer's unstructured approach
to cutting an album. Elvis liked to book a few days to record and then cut the
album in long, marathon sessions that often lasted through the night. Elvis
was accustomed to odd hours, and he thought nothing of working until dawn.
But Atkins detested this approach. To Elvis, a song was finished when it felt
right to him. If that meant he had to record the song 40 times to get it to that
place, he stayed until the job was done.
Like Elvis, Jarvis was a man with eclectic musical tastes who was accustomed
to late hours and the unconventional lifestyle of creative people. He also was
a true fan who credited Elvis for inspiring him to pursue a job in the music
industry. Plus Jarvis's enthusiastic personality was infectious and often influ-
enced the atmosphere of recording sessions, which encouraged Elvis to push
himself. With so much in common, Jarvis thought of himself and Elvis as true
musical allies. No wonder they made beautiful music together.
Chapter 11: Making the Comeback of a Lifetime
177
With Jarvis as producer, Elvis cut an award-winning gospel album and
recorded at least two important singles, "Guitar Man" and "U.S. Male," which
foreshadowed his musical rebound. Jarvis remained Elvis's primary producer
until the singer's death in 1977.
Perfecting Elvis's songs and their sound
The music Elvis made with Jarvis was better than a lot of the music he made
in the '60s for two important reasons: Elvis had a better selection of material
to choose from, and Jarvis improved the sound of the recordings themselves.
Together Elvis and Jarvis improved the songs and the sound.
Advancing mediocre material
Jarvis had discovered that Elvis's two music publishing companies -- Gladys
Music and Elvis Presley Music -- required songwriters to fork over partial
publishing credit and a percentage of their royalties in order to have their
songs recorded by Elvis. Most decent songwriters refused to accept this deal.
As a result, Elvis's publishing companies usually had to acquire songs from
mediocre writers. Because the Colonel and RCA executives preferred that
Elvis record tunes only from his publishing companies because of the finan-
cial advantages, it was small wonder that the singer was drowning in bad
material. (See Chapter 4 for more information on Elvis's publishing compa-
nies and how they operated.)
So Jarvis went to work improving Elvis's material. He knew several young, tal-
ented songwriters whose work was perfect for Elvis, and he exposed Presley
to their songs. "Big Boss Man" by Al Smith and Luther Dixon and "Guitar
Man" by up-and-coming country artist Jerry Reed became two recordings
that proved important for Elvis, because they would later be included in The
'68 Comeback Special. It was always a struggle to get the Colonel and RCA
execs to agree to let Elvis record the work of outside talent, and to let those
songwriters keep the publishing rights, but Jarvis was instrumental in chang-
ing hearts and minds enough to allow for the possibility.
Developing a high-quality sound
After collecting a better selection of material for Elvis to choose from, Jarvis
improved the sound quality of Elvis's recordings. He did so by basically
"undoing" what the producers of his soundtrack albums had been doing for
years. Beginning in the early 1960s, Elvis noticed that his albums were mixed
so that the sound of the musicians and the voices of the background sing-
ers were turned way down, which made his voice too prominent. The music,
background vocals, and Elvis's vocals didn't work as an integrated whole,
and the recordings lacked energy and excitement. However, RCA executives,
the Colonel, and the movie studios didn't care, because making good records
178 Part III: From the Las Vegas Stage to the End of the Road
was secondary to exploiting their star. Flip to Chapter 8 for an example of
Elvis being overexposed through the movies and their accompanying sound-
track albums.
Elvis told his new producer that he wanted a big sound, increased levels
on the background vocals, and heartier instrumentation, and Jarvis agreed.
Much of the singer's pop-flavored music of the 1960s had been sent to New
York to be mixed by engineers and producers who knew little of Elvis's
strengths and talents. Jarvis thought their mixing inadequate for someone of
the stature of Elvis Presley. So he improved the sound enormously by per-
sonally supervising the mixing of Elvis's recordings.
Spreading the Gospel
Elvis and Jarvis's musical collaboration paid off on the gospel album How
Great Thou Art, which reveals the producer's efforts to improve the sound
and quality of Presley's work.
As a child of the South, Elvis was steeped in gospel music, and he loved the
four-part harmony style sung by male gospel quartets such as his frequent
backup singers, the Jordanaires. So Elvis was thrilled when Jarvis hired his
long-time favorite quartet, the Imperials, whose lead singer was the colorful
Jake Hess, to back him on How Great Thou Art. In addition, the Jordanaires
were on board as usual, along with a female vocal group that added a wider
range to the sound. A high point of the album, at least for Elvis, occurred when
Elvis and Hess sang a duet on "If the Lord Wasn't Walking by My Side."
On How Great Thou Art, Jarvis brought out certain aspects of Elvis's voice
that were seldom used, including reaching into the falsetto range and using a
vibrato technique. Unaccustomed to pushing himself with these techniques,
Elvis worked hard to perfect them. The new techniques forced him to sing
parts over and over, but with Jarvis's patience and enthusiasm, Elvis suc-
ceeded. Songs such as the title track and "Stand by Me" feature some of
Elvis's most expressive interpretations of any songs he recorded in his entire
career. However, after a few days of recording, Elvis grew weary (which
wasn't unusual behavior for him), and the gospel sessions ended abruptly.
In September 1967, more sessions with Jarvis were arranged because RCA
wanted a follow-up album to How Great Thou Art. During this time, "Guitar
Man" and "U.S. Male" were cut, but tensions over securing material from out-
side songwriters resulted in arguments in the studio, particularly when those
in Elvis's camp pushed Jerry Reed to let go of the publishing rights to "Guitar
Man." Reed refused to cave, and eventually he was able to retain the rights.
Because of these troubles, Elvis again lost his enthusiasm for these record-
ing sessions, and the second album was delayed because the team lacked
material.
Chapter 11: Making the Comeback of a Lifetime
179
Savoring the success of
How Great Thou Art
How Great Thou Art effectively boosted Elvis's career, a fact borne out by the
statistics. The album reaped over $1 million in record sales, earning a gold
record. It reached number 18 on the Billboard list of Top LPs, and it remained
on the charts for 29 weeks. The soundtrack albums Elvis recorded, which
sometimes numbered three a year, hadn't performed this well since the early
1960s.
The album also brought Elvis his first Grammy Award. Elvis won only three
Grammys during his lifetime -- all of them for gospel recordings. How Great
Thou Art won Best Sacred Performance in 1967, the album He Touched Me won
Best Inspirational Performance in 1972, and a live version of the hymn "How
Great Thou Art" won Best Inspirational Performance in 1974.
Elvis felt a kinship with Jarvis and looked forward to working with him again.
It's certainly fitting that Elvis and Jarvis created a gospel album at a time
when the singer was at a creative and spiritual low. He was discouraged by
his movie career and uninterested in the soundtrack music he was forced
to record. In the past, gospel had inspired his interest in music, and it had
calmed his nerves before recording sessions and performances. And then
during 1966 and 1967, it soothed his soul and reminded him of his breadth
and range as a singer, encouraging him to record material that he believed in.
As they say in the South, it called him back home. Recording How Great Thou
Art with Felton Jarvis proved to be a step on the path to a comeback -- not
only because of the quality and success of the album but also because of its
effect on Elvis's morale.
Creating a Hit: The '68
Comeback Special
The '68 Comeback Special, a highly innovative television program, represents
a turning point in Elvis's career because it inspired him to return to live per-
formances. However, if the Colonel would have had his way during the pro-
duction of the special, it may not have turned out so well. This section details
the production of the special -- from its conception by the creative team to
its perception by the public.
The '68 Comeback Special was originally titled Elvis, but Singer Presents Elvis
was printed on some of the promotional materials (because of its affiliation
with Singer Sewing Machines). However, because the program was instru-
mental in revitalizing Elvis's music and career, it has since become known as
180 Part III: From the Las Vegas Stage to the End of the Road
The '68 Comeback Special. The name has become so pervasive that only the
most die-hard of Elvis's fans remember the original title, and many books refer
to the program only as The '68 Comeback Special, or simply The Comeback
Special.
Shaping the special
In early 1968, Colonel Tom Parker closed a deal with NBC and Singer Sewing
Machines for Elvis to appear in his own television Christmas special. The spe-
cial would be broadcast on NBC and sponsored entirely by Singer. The show
eventually aired on December 3, 1968, but it was actually produced during
the summer months.
When Parker made the deal with NBC for a television special starring his one
and only client, Elvis Presley, he wanted a program that could be quickly
produced with the least amount of effort -- and for a rock-bottom price. His
vision for an Elvis Presley Christmas special was to have "his boy" stand in
front of a festive holiday set with a decorated tree, sing familiar carols for an
hour, and then wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Fade out.
The creative personnel behind the special completely disagreed with the
Colonel's idea. They wanted to use the special to capture what they felt was
Elvis's genius -- his music. They wanted to prove that the singer's original
music had been essential to the development of rock 'n' roll and that Elvis
wasn't some relic from the past. And the Colonel's idea had "relic" w