I was 22 when I wrote this piece back in 1997 for The Elvis Beat #16, which turned out to be the final issue of my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.
To be released later this year, the new MGM/Walt Disney movie All Shook Up will feature a child who wants to be like Elvis when he grows up. “All Shook Up” was a number one hit for Elvis in 1957.
I was 22 when I wrote this piece back in 1997 for The Elvis Beat #16, which turned out to be the final issue of my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.
Last Train To Memphis, the movie version of Peter Guralnick’s definitive Elvis biography, has been put on hold, according to Elvis World magazine.
I was 22 when I wrote this article back in 1997 for The Elvis Beat #16, which turned out to be the final issue of my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.
MGM is re-releasing 18 Elvis videos on July 8 in “The Elvis Commemorative Collection.” All of the videos are digitally remastered and include their original theatrical preview trailers. Jailhouse Rock, Viva Las Vegas, Elvis: That’s The Way It Is, Elvis On Tour, and Elvis: The Lost Performances are among the titles.
Unfortunately, despite the effort to digitally remaster the films, the videos will only be available in the standard “pan & scan” format rather than widescreen/letterbox. Over one-third of the theatrical picture is lost when movies are adapted for viewing on television sets unless the widescreen format is used.
I was 21 when I wrote this article back in 1996 for The Elvis Beat #14, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.
In March, RCA released a new compilation album, Elvis 56. As the title indicates, the CD features Elvis songs from the year 1956, including a previously unreleased alternate take of “Heartbreak Hotel.” [. . . .]
A movie version of Peter Guralnick’s book Last Train To Memphis: The Rise Of Elvis Presley is in pre-production stages, according to Elvis World magazine. Last Train To Memphis is the definitive book about Elvis’ early life and career, spanning 1935-1958. Guralnick is now at work on the second volume, covering 1959-1977.
The movie will be released in theaters, with filming to begin in Memphis as early as 1997. [. . . .] Jerry Schilling, long-time Elvis friend and associate of Elvis Presley Enterprises, has been hired as a consultant to the film. Schilling was co-producer of the excellent 1990 ABC television series Elvis, which also covered his early years. [. . . .]
Elvis World also reports that the movie will include the first release of “I’ll Never Stand In Your Way.” This is one of two songs performed by Elvis in 1954 on his second amateur record, which he paid to record at the Memphis Recording Service prior to being discovered.
I was 18 when I wrote this review back in 1993 for The Elvis Beat #4, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.
Elvis And The Colonel: The Untold Story (NBC), starring Beau Bridges, directed by William A. Graham, aired January 10, 1993.
Elvis And The Colonel: The Untold Story is a story that should have remained untold. Not only is this the worst movie ever made about Elvis, but this is also probably the worst movie ever.
The initial concept behind this television movie was actually a good idea – an examination of the well-documented mismanagement of Elvis’ career by Colonel Tom Parker. But the end result is an absolute failure.
Elvis And The Colonel is one big mistake after another. A listing of some of the many factual errors contained in this movie appears on page 5 of this newsletter.
The biggest mistake of all occurred in the casting department when Robb Youngblood was chosen to play “Elvis.” Youngblood does not bear the slightest resemblance to Elvis, so one can only assume that he was selected for his acting ability. The problem with that theory is that [. . .] at no time during the entire two-hour movie is he convincing as “Elvis.” [. . . .]
It is also obvious that no effort was made to make Youngblood look like Elvis. Throughout the 22 years of “Elvis”‘ life that this movie portrays, Youngblood wears basically the same hairstyle–even while in the Army. It looks awful and resembles none of the many different styles Elvis wore his hair in over the years.
Youngblood’s clothes in the movie look so cheap that even the local [discount store] would be embarrassed to sell them. Once again, they resemble nothing the real Elvis ever wore. The styles may have changed since his time, but Elvis never looked cheap the way Youngblood does.
All of these cosmetic problems could have been overlooked had Elvis And The Colonel been a good story but, as mentioned before, it is filled with errors. And even beyond those errors, the script is poorly written and the entire movie is poorly made. [. . . .]
Beau Bridges, who was obviously chosen only to draw more viewers, stars as “Colonel Parker” and does a poor job also, but in a different way than Youngblood. Bridges makes the Colonel appear too likable and too nice, defeating the purpose of the movie.
Youngblood seems to have accidentally studied Gomer Pyle videos instead of Elvis ones for his part, for he plays Elvis as an extremely stupid fool – which could not be further from the truth.
Appropriately, even the house that is supposed to be Graceland looks nothing like the real thing.
The ELVIS television special, or the ’68 Comeback Special as it has come to be known, featured Elvis in top form. Of course, this movie slaughters this as well. One of the most ludicrous moments in the movie, and there are many, occurs when Youngblood is shown standing in front of a series of waist-high letters that spell “ELVIS” in red lights. The real version was over two stories tall and looked much better.
One of the many myths that Elvis And The Colonel perpetuates is everyone’s old favorite: “Elvis” appears overweight throughout the 1970s in this movie while the real Elvis did not begin to experience significant weight problems until about two years before his death. Youngblood is shown obese by 1971, while the real Elvis at the time was in shape and would remain so for a few more years. Of course, in such an inaccurate movie, such mistakes are not surprising.
Half of the “Elvis” songs used in the movie were apparently taken from Ronnie McDowell’s work for the 1979 television movie Elvis, starring Kurt Russell, and not surprisingly, Youngblood does a poor job lip-synching to them. The rest of the songs were performed by Youngblood himself and are awful. One particularly bad scene uses a combination of McDowell’s and Youngblood’s vocal tracks.
The most surprising thing about this movie is that Dick Clark was its executive producer. Clark also executive produced the Kurt Russell Elvis movie, directed by John Carpenter, which is one of the better movies based on Elvis’ life.
With this new movie, Clark has gone wrong. He has stated his respect for Elvis in the past and his disdain for the Colonel, but this movie serves only to slam Elvis instead of its intended target.
Incidentally, Elvis And The Colonel was directed by William A. Graham, who directed the real Elvis in Change Of Habit, which was one of Elvis’ better films.
It is apparent that no one connected with this movie bothered to do any significant research about its topic. It is also apparent that the movie’s production was rushed, probably to have it ready in time to cash in on the free publicity of the Elvis stamp release two days prior to this movie airing. They need not have bothered, for The Carol Burnett Show: A Reunion special beat it soundly in the ratings.
The worst part about Elvis And The Colonel: The Untold Story is that some people, who knew nothing about Elvis, probably watched this irresponsible movie and now think that this is what Elvis was really like.
Songs include:
Rating: 1 out of 10
I was 18 when I wrote this article back in 1993 for The Elvis Beat #4, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.
Coming Soon. . .
Elvis In Hollywood: A documentary to be released on television and home video later this year. It will examine Elvis’ first four films and highlight his underrated acting talent. “With rare photographs, truly never-before-seen private film footage, and interviews with surviving crew members and co-stars, Elvis In Hollywood will take you on a wonderful, insightful journey behind the scenes of Love Me Tender, Loving You, Jailhouse Rock, and King Creole,” states Graceland Express. The documentary, produced by Jerry Schilling, will also include some previously unreleased Jailhouse Rock outtakes.
ELVIS: The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll – The 60s Sessions: A new CD boxed set to be released in August. This is the follow-up to last year’s ELVIS: The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Complete 50s Masters, which went platinum and received three Grammy nominations.
America Comes To Graceland: A syndicated documentary to be aired on television August 15. Although it will be hosted live from Graceland, the broadcast will primarily consist of footage shot during Elvis Week ’92.
The Life And Times Of Elvis Presley: A companion piece to America Comes To Graceland that is to air in syndication the same week. This is an updated version of a 1987 BBC documentary which aired in two parts as Cut Me And I Bleed and I Don’t Sing Like Nobody.
I was 18 when I wrote this article back in 1993 for The Elvis Beat #4, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.
Dick Clark, executive producer of the NBC television movie Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story, launched an attack against Colonel Tom Parker during a January press tour promoting the American Music Awards.
“I’ve held that story for 20 years,” he said. “I wanted it told so badly because it’s the classic example of horrendous mismanagement. Elvis was a great talent, a national treasure.”
He went on to state some facts about Colonel Parker’s mismanagement of Elvis’ career. The comments were out of character for Clark, who almost never comments negatively on anyone. He has been inside the music industry for over 40 years, launching the careers of countless performers, and his influence is a contributing factor in the continued popularity of rock music.
Clark is a genuine rock ‘n’ roll legend and must have many more horror stories to tell, yet this is the first time he has truly opened up.
“It’s my contention that had Elvis been handled properly and had loved ones around him who really cared, who weren’t just sucking his blood dry, he might be alive today,” he said.
These comments lead one to wonder how Clark could have possibly been satisfied by Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story, a poorly-made movie which did little to bring down the Colonel and instead made Elvis a villain. [Perhaps] this movie somehow got away from Clark, and, before he knew it, his original idea had been transformed into the fiasco which aired on NBC in January.
“(Parker) kept (Elvis) in a cage like an animal. He trotted him out like a trained bear,” Clark said. “Oopsy daisy. Stop. Time. I can’t say these things. You draw your own conclusions.”
