1950s

How To Spend An Extra Day [The Film Frontier blog]

/ TY

“The only thing worse than watching a bad movie is being in one.”
–Elvis Presley

Finally, February is over and spring is almost here.

Though I’m no fan of February, it does have one redeeming factor: Leap Day. I spent part of 2008’s extra day watching Superman Returns. February 29 is Superman’s kinda-sorta birthday, after all. It has been nearly a year since I last watched this movie, and I continue to be impressed by it. I hope that both Bryan Singer and Brandon Routh will return for a sequel within the next two or three years. I have seen rumors on both sides, but no confirmation either way.

I also watched some Star Trek episodes on Leap Day. No real connection there, I just felt like watching. I watched the original versions of “The Apple,” “Mirror, Mirror,” and “The Deadly Years.” Turns out that “The Apple” is also this weekend’s episode of Star Trek: Remastered. This is not an episode I could watch twice in the same weekend, though.

No Star Wars on Friday, but I did sneak in an Elvis movie – Harum Scarum. Definitely not one of his best, but interesting to me as an Elvis fan since I  had not watched it in a long time.

When I was a kid, the local UHF syndicated station seemed to show Elvis movie marathons nearly every Saturday afternoon. Coming from a family of Elvis fans, I spent a lot of time watching them. I will not lie to you and tell you that Elvis made the best movies, but most of them do have a quirky fun about them. He had a real gift for comedy that a lot of the mainstream really does not know about. Check out Viva Las Vegas, for instance.

Elvis made 31 scripted movies, but some of them seemed to turn up on those Saturday afternoons more often than others. Harum Scarum and Easy Come, Easy Go, for instance received a lot more airplay back then than, say, Jailhouse Rock or Change of Habit.

When the UHF station was not playing Elvis movies, it filled Saturday afternoons with Godzilla and other monster movies instead. I watched a lot of those, too. My favorite of these was Godzilla vs. King Kong-mostly because of the epic nature of such a bout. Elvis never made any monster movies, but it sure would have been cool to see him take down Godzilla with a karate chop and then nurse the beast’s wounds with a song in Elvis vs. Godzilla. You know, maybe I watched too much TV as a kid.

Hey, I wonder if Quantum Leap fans use Leap Day to celebrate their franchise? There’s even an Elvis connection to Quantum Leap. The last episode before the series finale featured Sam leaping into the body of none other than Elvis Presley, on the brink of being discovered. Though filled with inaccuracies regarding Elvis, it is still a fun episode.

One neat bit of trivia is that when Sam looks in the mirror to see the face of the body into which he has leaped, Elvis is portrayed by Michael St. Gerard – who had also played him on the short-lived ABC television series Elvis. He also appeared as Elvis in the Jerry Lee Lewis biopic Great Balls of Fire. St. Gerard actually looks enough like Elvis that my local paper once accidentally put a small picture of him next to an article about the real Elvis, with the caption: “Presley.”

Due to an unforeseen circumstance, I had the day off on Leap Day this year, though I probably would have requested it off anyway. It only seems fair that Leap Day should be a worldwide holiday for everyone.

Does your employer or school really deserve an extra day of your life? It is the perfect day to catch up on time, life, and movies.

We will start the Leap Day Holiday movement right here on The Film Frontier. We will all work really hard on it – every four years or so.

General comments on SUNRISE [Elvis reflections]

/ TY

I was 24 when I wrote this item back in 1999. This is part of a series of archival Elvis writings — informal pieces originally written for family, friends, other purposes, or just me. They reflect how I was engaging with Elvis’ music in the years between The Elvis Beat and my blog writing.

Sunrise (1999)

  • I haven’t had time to compare Sunrise with The Complete 50s Masters to see if the quality is the same, better, or worse. My initial reaction when I played it for the first time a few months ago, though, was that the tracks sounded slightly better than the ones on The Complete 50s Masters. I could’ve been fooling myself, though. I’ve done that before.
  • The first four songs on Disc 2 are, of course, Elvis’ historic first acetate recordings. The first three had been released before, but “It Wouldn’t Be The Same Without You” was included for the first time here. That’s actually one of the main reasons I bought the set, because I wanted to have the remaining pre-professional recording. I believe that’s the last of them.
  • Track 10 on Disc 2 starts mid-song. No explanation was given in RCA’s liner notes. It is, after all, an alternate, so it may be that the beginning of the song did not survive or was unusable. Although I’m not sure RCA considers anything “unusable” anymore, as you’ll find later on Disc 2.
  • Tracks 12 and 13 on Disc 2 are acetate recordings of moderate sound quality.
  • Tracks 14-19 on Disc 2 are all live acetate recordings. The sound quality is, to say the least, horrible. I’m not sure why RCA chose to release these particular tracks, other than an excuse to slap a “previously unreleased” star beside more songs. The horrendous sound quality makes them of little real value. Clearer live versions of nearly all of the tracks from the same time period were already available. Oh well.

Tracklist

Disc 1

  1. That’s All Right
  2. Blue Moon Of Kentucky
  3. Good Rockin’ Tonight
  4. I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine
  5. Milkcow Blues Boogie
  6. You’re A Heartbreaker
  7. Baby, Let’s Play House
  8. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone
  9. I Forgot To Remember To Forget
  10. Mystery Train
  11. I Love You Because
  12. Harbor Lights
  13. Blue Moon
  14. Tomorrow Night
  15. I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’)
  16. Just Because
  17. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version)
  18. Trying To Get To You
  19. When It Rains, It Really Pours

Disc 2

  1. My Happiness
  2. That’s When Your Heartaches Begin
  3. I’ll Never Stand In Your Way
  4. It Wouldn’t Be The Same Without You*
  5. I Love You Because (alternate take)
  6. That’s All Right (alternate take)
  7. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (alternate take)
  8. Blue Moon* (alternate take)
  9. I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’) (alternate take)
  10. I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine (alternate take)
  11. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version) (alternate take)
  12. Fool, Fool, Fool
  13. Shake, Rattle & Roll
  14. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone* (live)
  15. That’s All Right* (live)
  16. Money Honey* (live)
  17. Tweedlee Dee* (live)
  18. I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine* (live)
  19. Hearts Of Stone* (live)

*Previously unreleased

10 favorite Elvis albums & songs [Elvis reflections]

/ TY

I was 23 when I wrote this item back in 1999. This is part of a series of archival Elvis writings — informal pieces originally written for family, friends, other purposes, or just me. They reflect how I was engaging with Elvis’ music in the years between The Elvis Beat and my blog writing.

What are your 10 favorite Elvis albums and why?

  1. That’s The Way It Is
    Elvis at his musical best. Songs such as “Just Pretend” and “I’ve Lost You” could easily be hits today if RCA took the proper marketing steps.
  2. The Memphis Record
    The best compilation of Elvis’ incredible 1969 Memphis Sessions, and many tracks are mixed better than their counterparts on ELVIS: From Nashville to Memphis – The Essential 60’s Masters I.
  3. Elvis In Person At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
    This is his best live album, containing definitive versions of some of his classic hits as well as some terrific new songs.
  4. Elvis On Stage – February 1970
    Another impressive live album. Unfortunately, only a handful of Elvis’ live recordings from this year have been released by RCA so far.
  5. ELVIS – NBC TV Special
    Most notable for containing his finest song, “If I Can Dream”, and also includes some stirring live performances.
  6. Elvis Country – I’m 10,000 Years Old
    Although the “I Was Born About 10,000 Years Ago” interludes between each song are somewhat annoying, this one has some great recordings such as “Tomorrow Never Comes” – one of the best songs of his career that is unfortunately often overlooked.
  7. From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee
    This album is certainly one of his finest when considered as a whole. It has a definite theme to it, unlike many of his other albums. Gems such as “Solitaire” and “Never Again” can only be found here.
  8. Today
    A remarkable album that is notable for being 15 years ahead of its time, since many of the songs sound like 90s country music. “Bringing It Back” and “Fairytale” are not to be missed.
  9. ELVIS: Walk A Mile In My Shoes – The Essential 70’s Masters
    Overall, the 1970s is a severely underrated musical era for Elvis, so I felt this compilation should be included to represent that. Unfortunately, the collection was assembled in an uneven fashion. A 10 or 15 disc “Complete 70s Masters” would have been much better, even if split across multiple releases.
  10. Elvis’ Golden Records
    A good overview of his 1950’s hits with RCA.

10 favorite Elvis songs

  1. “If I Can Dream” (1968)
  2. “Mystery Train” (1955)
  3. “Always On My Mind” (1972)
  4. “Baby, What You Want Me To Do” (1968)
  5. “One Night” (1957)
  6. “Baby, Let’s Play House” (1955)
  7. “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” (1960)
  8. “Jailhouse Rock” (1957)
  9. “Trying To Get To You” (1955)
  10. “Just Pretend” (1970)

Disney goes Elvis [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

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.

TRAIN still in station [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

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.

MGM videos re-released [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

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.

“Colonel” Parker dies at age 87 [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

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.

“Colonel” Tom Parker, Elvis’ manager for over 20 years, died on January 21. He was 87 and lived in Las Vegas with his wife, Loanne.

Although not yet his manager, Parker began guiding Elvis’ career in mid-1955 while the singer was still on Memphis’ Sun Records label and slowly rising in popularity. He helped secure a contract for Elvis with RCA Records later that year.

Parker officially became Elvis’ manager in early 1956 for a 25 percent fee. Elvis would remain Parker’s sole client until Elvis’ death in 1977.

Parker’s innovative management style helped to transform Elvis from a relative unknown at the beginning of 1956 to an international celebrity with six number one hits, several million-sellers, and a starring role in a successful movie by the end of that same year.

Parker was often blamed for allowing Elvis’ movies to deteriorate into Grade C formula films in the 1960s. Parker once admitted that he didn’t even bother to read the scripts. “Anybody who’ll pay my boy a million dollars can make any kind of picture he wants,” Parker said. Despite the low quality of many of them, nearly all 33 of Elvis’ movies were box office successes.

In 1967, Parker renegotiated his contract with Elvis, increasing his own share to 50 percent with the argument that Elvis was his only client. [. . . .]

Parker negotiated lucrative deals for Elvis to appear in Las Vegas for extended engagements beginning in 1969. In the 1970s, Parker staged multi-city concert tours across the US for Elvis, who played 150 shows a year.

Parker orchestrated the 1973 Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii television special, which used satellite technology and drew millions of viewers.

Parker was born Andreas Cornelius van Kuijk in Holland on June 26, 1909. He immigrated to the US illegally in 1929, claiming West Virginia as his birthplace. He served in the US Army with the 64th Coast Artillery from 1929 to 1932. He married his first wife, Marie Ross, in 1932. A state governor made him an honorary Colonel in 1953.

In the 1950s, Parker became the promoter of singer Gene Austin and manager of country singers Eddy Arnold, from 1942 to 1951, and Hank Snow, from 1954 to 1956, before becoming Elvis’ manager.

In recent years, he was associated with country singer George Strait, negotiating for him to star in the movie Pure Country.

Joe Esposito, one of Elvis’ friends, said, “The bottom line is that Elvis would never have been so popular as he was without the Colonel’s brilliant management. Nor would the Colonel have had so much success with anyone else.”