William J Clinton Presidential Library

Included with all that important stuff are some pieces of Elvis memorabilia Clinton accumulated during his two terms in office.  These items were mostly sent in by Clinton admirers who knew he was a lifetime fan of Elvis.  In a 2002 newspaper article, Skip Rutherford, president of the Clinton Library Foundation, said, “Clinton… amassed a collection of several hundred Elvis items.  We have [items] ranging from a dancing Elvis Telephone to CDs to salt and pepper shakers.  You name it, we’ve got it.”  He also said they had the famous Elvis swinging legs clock.

Elvis Phone / Elvis Clock Display

The Elvis factor at the Clinton Library took a big jump in the summer of 2011 when two new exhibits were presented.  The first was the “Elvis at 21,” the outstanding display of iconic photos of Elvis taken in 1956 by Al Wertheimer.

At the same time, the Clinton Library featured “Elvis,” a large exhibit of Elvis memorabilia, much of it on loan from Graceland.

Entrance with Huge Banner Announcing the “Elvis” Exhibit

Bill Clinton in Front of Elvis Memorabilia

Of course, no Elvis exhibit is complete without a jumpsuit or two, but the Clinton Library had at least three.

Cape from American Eagle Jumpsuit

Check out Photo of Jimmy and Roslyn Carter with Elvis next to Jumpsuit on Right

Bill Clinton must have wanted to note the Elvis connection with other presidents.  In addition to Jimmy Carter, the display also featured the famous Elvis and Nixon photo.

Below Photo is the Special DEA Badge Elvis got from Nixon

One of the more fun items on loan from Graceland is the red MG convertible Elvis drove in the movie Blue Hawaii.

Other movie items on display included lobby posters from Love Me Tender and Viva Las Vegas.

Viva Las Vegas was also represented by a red shirt from the movie and one of the original scripts.

Artwork of Elvis was abundant at the Clinton Library exhibit.

Painting Depicting both Elvis and Bill Clinton

Artist Peter Mars in front of his Elvis Silkscreens

A large plaque explains Bill Clinton’s love for Elvis.

In a bit of pay-back, one of the new 2012 exhibits at Graceland will feature a Bill Clinton item.  ICON: The Influence of Elvis Presley opened on March 1, and it contains one of Bill Clinton’s saxophones from the Library display.

©  2012    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

The Official Photo of Elvis and Nixon in National Archives

The variations had replaced either Richard Nixon or Elvis with folks like Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bubba Ho-Tep, and others.  In the four years since that post, talented (and somewhat twisted) people have continued to come up with strange variations on the iconic Elvis Meets Nixon photo.  Here are some I like.

I’m glad they replaced Nixon, not Elvis, with Darth Vader.  However, he wasn’t the only Star Wars character that ended up paired with Elvis.

Darth Vader and Elvis

Jar Jar Binks was such an unpopular Star Wars character, why would anybody want to replace Nixon with him?   Maybe they saw some parallel there.  I had to erase the comments in the bubbles – too X-rated for ElvisBlog.

Jar Jar Binks and Elvis

Elvis got replaced in many of the photos, as well.  Here is Elvis Costello, such an obvious choice, I’m surprised it didn’t show up years ago.  Note, the Photoshop jockey did not use the iconic Nixon/Elvis photo.  He got creative and used one of the other 27 images taken at that famous meeting.

Nixon and Elvis Costello

George W Bush was in the first pictorial as the Elvis substitute.  Here he is replacing Nixon.

Reagan and Bush -- Bush and Elvis

I can’t imagine what prompted this one, but that is Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley replacing Elvis in the shot..

Nixon and Chase Utley

I wish there was some text with these images, but we’ll never know the significance of the robot instead of Nixon.  If it was just to be silly, it was successful. 

Robot and Elvis

Here’s one that uses a person much in the news at the time it was made.  Elvis left his three guns in the limo before entering the White House (true fact).
 

Saddam Hussein

I don’t know who the guy on the left is, but that is Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) wearing Elvis’ clothes.  Dwayne doesn’t actually have that much hair, but the Photoshopper simply cut out along his high forward and pasted his face over Elvis’s, obscuring some of those beautiful locks hanging down.

Nixon and Dwayne Johnson

Next, we see a better job of fitting insomeone’s face in while keeping all of Elvis’ hair.  That someone is disgraced former Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich.  Don’t these two together in one image give a warm feeling about our ethical political leaders?

Nixon and Blago

We shall end with the strangest Nixon/Elvis variation of the lot.  Instead of Nixon, someone replaced him with a giant squirrel standing on his hind legs.  Gaze at this photo it for a while and see if you can glean the secret hidden meaning of it all. 

Giant Squirrel and Elvis

 Only kidding.  There is none.

This blog post won’t be totally without merit.  Here are some facts about the iconic Elvis meets Nixon photo.  It was one of twenty-eight photos taken by the White House photographer on December 21, 1970 when Elvis made his surprise visit (and Elvis wore his trademark sunglasses in the first eleven shots). 

Elvis Wearing Sunglasses in Oval Office

You can see all twenty-eight photographs at the website of George Washington University.  To read an amusing and informative article on this historic meeting, check out the 2011 ElvisBlog post “There’s So Many Funny Things about That Meeting.”

You may already know the iconic photo is the best selling souvenir at the Nixon Presidential Library, and it is the most popular reproduction sold by the National Archives (even more than the Constitution or the Bill of Rights).

And, based on my limited research, it may also be the most Photoshopped picture in the world.

©  2012    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. 

However, Elvis was soon drafted into the Army.  Once he got shipped off to Germany, Dick Clark used his well documented business savvy and set up phone calls to Elvis.  The audio from these calls were rebroadcast on American Bandstand, and they were a good PR move for both the show and Elvis.  Here are the transcripts, with a few minor sentences deleted.

Phone Call # 1 — from Dick Clark to Elvis in Germany – February 1959

Clark: Hello, Elvis.
Elvis: Hello, Dick, How are you?

Clark: Fine, thank you.  Where on earth are you at this minute?
Elvis: The town I’m in is Freidberg, Germany; however, I live in a place called Bad Nauheim, just north of Freidberg.

Clark: Tell me a little bit about your activities.  What did you do, say, today?
Elvis: Mostly classroom work.

Clark: What are you studying?
Elvis: Map reading and then how to grease my Jeep.  Just the regular things.

Clark; Do you have time for music anymore?
Elvis: Only at night.  You see, I get off work at five o’clock in the afternoon, and I have a guitar up here in the room… I don’t want to get out of practice, if I can help it.

Clark: I should hope not.  Let me tell you some good news.  In the annual American Bandstand Popularity Poll you walked away with a couple of honors this year.  The Favorite Male Vocalist Award and the Favorite Record of 1958 Award.  The kids voted you top man all around.
Elvis: Well that’s sure tremendous, Dick.  It’s really great, boy.

Clark: Do you have any idea when you’ll be travelling back home?
Elvis: No, I don’t, Dick.  I wish I really did know.

Clark: How about it, do you miss home?
Elvis: Oh, boy, I can’t hardly talk… I mean, I’m glad that I could come in the Army and do my part, but you’ll never know how happy I’ll be, boy, when I can return to the entertainment world, because once you get a taste of show business, there’s nothing like it.

Clark: You know it.  Elvis, thank you ever so much for talking to us.  We look forward to your return.
Elvis: Well thank you very much.  I’d just like to tell all those wonderful kids that they’ll never know how happy they made me, and I’m longing for the time I can come back out and entertain them again, travel around and make movies, records, and things like that.

Phone Call # 2 — from Elvis in Germany to Dick Clark – August 1959 (2nd Anniversary of American Bandstand)

One of Dick Clark’s questions below makes it sound like Elvis called him, but that seems improbable.  Surely, Elvis didn’t just happen to call on the 2nd anniversary of American Bandstand, so Clark’s staff probably set it up.  Plus, why would Elvis’ gold record for “A Big Hunk of Love” be in Clark’s hands before Col. Parker’s?

Clark: Hello, Elvis.
Elvis: Hello Dick, how are you.

Clark: I would imagine they’ve got you kind of busy these days, don’t they?
Elvis: Oh yeah, well we’re getting’ ready for a big inspection.  A new inspection, so we’ve been workin’ pretty hard for that.

Clark: Elvis, so many of us here are interested in your activities and I think probably the big question on most people’s minds these days are when and if everything goes right, you’re out in February, what will be your plans?
Elvis: Well, as you know, I have a contract with ABC… for some television.  I don’t know what Colonel Parker has arranged… And then I have the three pictures to make; one for Mr (Hal) Wallis, and then the other two for Twentieth Century-Fox

Clark: Elvis, I’ve got some good news.  I imagine by now they’ve passed the word along to you.  With the latest RCA Victor recording out, “A Big Hunk of Love” and “My Wish Came True,” you got yourself another Gold Record to add to the collection.
Elvis: That’s great, Dick.  That sure is nice.  I was surprised to hear it, really.

Clark: I’ll tell you what.  We’re gonna show it to the folks here on American Bandstand, and then I’ll forward it down to Colonel Parker, and he can save it for you when you come back.
Elvis: Okay, that’ll be fine.

Clark: Elvis, do you have any idea of how many Gold Records you have now in your collection?
Elvis: To my knowledge, Dick…this one will make thirty-one, I think.

Clark; Boy, that is a fantastic record.  There’s no getting away from it.
Elvis: I’ll ask my daddy to go down and (laughs) and count them.

Clark: Elvis, one more quick question that might interest the gals in this country.  I know probably you don’t have much time to yourself but when you go out amongst the German people, what is the thing that strikes you as most interesting?  Are they very different than the people back home?
Elvis: The main difference is naturally the language barrier.  It’s kinda hard to talk to most of ‘em, especially older ones because a lot of ‘em don’t speak English at all and I don’t speak any German.

Clark: How do you find the reaction of young people toward you, mainly the girls,,, [Do] they go crazy for you?  Do you get along well with them?
Elvis: Yeah, I get along real well. Every day when I finish work and come in, well there’s always a crowd at the gate from all over Germany… And they bring their families.  Especially on weekends, I have a lot of visitors here from all over Germany, all over Europe in fact.  They come here and bring pictures and take pictures and everything.

Clark: You’re kind of a man torn between two careers, both of which are very, very important.  Elvis, I did want to thank you very much for calling this day.  As you probably know, this is our special anniversary day.
Elvis: Oh, well, congratulations.

Clark: And many, many thanks and we all look forward to your return.
Elvis: Thank you very much… Bye-bye, Dick

Call # 3 – From Dick Clark to Elvis in Germany, January 8, 1960 (Elvis’ 25th birthday)

As the year 1960 began, there was much speculation in the press that Elvis would soon return to the United States.  Dick Clark certainly realized that if he wanted one more phone conversation with Elvis, he’d better hurry up.  What better time than on Elvis’ birthday?

Clark: Hello, Elvis.
Elvis: Hello.

Clark: Hi.  We had no idea we could catch a-hold of you today.
Elvis: Oh, yeah, well I just came in the door, Dick.

Clark: What were you doing?
Elvis: Well, I just came in from the day’s work.  It’s about five-thirty here.

Clark: You know, Elvis, I called Colonel Tom and had words with his assistant and say, gee, do you suppose there’s any chance we could talk to Elvis on his birthday, and they seemed to think you ought to be off on maneuvers.  Have you been pretty busy?
Elvis: Yeah, we’ve been pretty busy.  I don’t go on maneuvers until the twenty-second.

Clark: Oh, I see.  What is the situation regarding your release from the army?  Do you have any word on it?
Elvis: The only thing definite, Dick, as far as the way it stands now, I leave Germany somewhere between the twentieth of February and the second of March.

Clark: When you come back, I understand you’ve got a television show with Frank Sinatra and a few movies to make.  How are you gonna squeeze ‘em all in?
Elvis: Well (laughs), I’m told Colonel Parker will have everything arranged.  I know the first picture is for Mr. Wallis.  It’s called G.I. Blues, I think.  The other two’s at Twentieth Century-Fox, and I don’t know exactly when the television show will be.  In fact, I don’t even know what’s gonna happen, really.

Clark: Elvis, what is your general feeling about doing your first television show upon your return with Frank Sinatra?  You two fellows have sort of different musical stylings.  Do you have any thoughts on that?
Elvis: Well, I really do.  I consider it an honor, really, Dick, because this man…he’s really proven himself.

Clark: He’s somewhat of a legend, I guess.
Elvis: He is, and I admire him very much, and I really am honored.

Clark: Let me ask you about your Christmas and New Year’s.  How did you celebrate the holidays?
Elvis: We had a Christmas party here.  I had a lot guys from all over the post.  I had as many of the boys here as possible at my house…try to make ‘em feel at home around Christmastime.  Then on New year’s night we had another little party.  This one was pretty nice, but it was better last year.

Clark: Elvis, I want to thank you very, very much for taking the time out from your busy schedule, to reassure you once again that we’re all awaiting your arrival back home, and on this day to wish you a happy birthday.
Elvis: Thank you very much, Dick, and I’m kinda lookin’ forward to it.  Yeah, there’s still a lot of stuff in print about my getting out early and all that stuff.

Clark: It’s not true, as far as you know, uh?
Elvis: Well it’s been in print and I had a lot of people ask me about it.  The only time I heard about it is when I read it.

Clark: Elvis, all the best.  We’ll see you on your return.
Elvis: Okay, thanks a lot, Dick, and tell everybody hello from me.

Elvis’ service in Germany officially ended on March 2, 1960.  He resumed his recording and movie careers, and never did appear on American Bandstand.  The photos above are stock images, not the actual shots taken during the Elvis/Dick Clark phone interviews for American Bandstand.

©  2012    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

Dick Clark died of a heart attack Wednesday at age 82.  There have been wall-to-wall retrospectives of his career, and it certainly was a significant one.  Younger readers will remember him best for his Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.  Perhaps you remember his bloopers shows or the $25,000 Pyramid game show.  Old timers like me remember Dick Clark best for American Bandstand.

Dick Clark on American Bandstand 1961

You may know that the show started out as Bandstand, a local afternoon dance show in Philadelphia.  Each weekday afternoon, teenagers from Philly would race from school to the studio to make sure they got there early enough to get in

Philadelphia Kids Waiting to Get In and Dance on Bandstand

Bandstand was all about dancing.  I lived in a Philly suburb and watched most afternoons.  It was how we learned the latest dance steps.

Teenagers Dancing on Bandstand

Dick Clark replaced the original host of Bandstand in July 1956.  The format didn’t change, but Dick Clark’s personality added a new appeal to the show.  In less than a year, he attracted the attention of network TV executives, and in August 1957, ABC picked up the show and renamed it American Bandstand.

Kids Dancing a Few Years Later on American Bandstand

In 1960, when I headed off to college, American Bandstand was a huge national hit.  I spent my freshman year at one of Penn State’s commonwealth campuses in the little town of Mont Alto.  By chance, I ended up with a roommate also named Phil.  He was from Philadelphia, right down in the city, not out in the burbs like me. 

Within walking distance of our campus was a state park with a picnic area featuring a large wooden pavilion.  Every Saturday night, they held dances there, and lots of local girls showed up.  Phil and I both loved to dance, so we never missed a Saturday night dance at the pavilion.

Large Pavilion Used for Dancing

I remember the first night overhearing Phil talking to a pretty girl.  He told her his name and said he was from Philadelphia.  Immediately, the girl’s eyes widened and she said, “Oh, have you been on American Bandstand?”  Phil replied, “Oh, yeah.  Lots of times.”  That did it.  Phil had hooked his girl for the night.

When I got the chance, I asked him if he had really been on Bandstand.  He winked and said, “Nah, but it worked, didn’t it?”

Later, I tried to get something going with a cute little blond.  When I told her I was from Philadelphia, she reacted just like the other girl, “Have you been on American Bandstand?”

You can guess what my answer was.

 
So, thank you, Dick Clark, for your part in making my first social experience in college a success.

©  2012    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

Elvis’ association with Southern Maid Donuts started when he began regular appearances on the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, LA, in October 1954.

Elvis performing at the Louisiana Hayride

Elvis frequented The Southern Maid Donut store in town, getting an early foundation for his well-publicized lifetime affinity for donuts.

Southern Maid Donuts began in Dallas, Texas in 1937, and the total of company-owned or licensed stores now exceeds 100.  The Southern Maid name came about because the founders wanted a name that encompassed humble southern traditions, memories, and feelings. 

The Louisiana Hayride was a perfect venue for marketing their product, and Southern Maid Donuts provided large sponsorship on the show’s radio broadcasts for several years.  The radio spots featured a strange little jingle that deserves some explanation.
 

 
One of Southern Maid Donuts claims to fame is the sign above their stores with giant red neon letters lighting up the night sky  — HOT, HOT, HOT.  The stores sell donuts, éclairs, bear claws, apple fritters and other goodies all day long, starting at 6AM.  But after 4PM, you can order a box of twelve glazed donuts made especially for you and served to you piping hot.  Southern Maid Donuts have no preservatives.  They are made to be eaten HOT, not saved for later.  If you want hot, light-textured donuts that literally melt in your mouth, these are hard to beat.

So, it follows that their radio jingle was:

You can get them piping hot after 4PM,
you can get them piping hot,
Southern Maid Donuts hit the spot,
you can get them piping hot after 4PM.

A number of Louisiana Hayride performers sang the jingle, including Minnie Pearl, Johnny Cash, and Johnny Horton.  Elvis’ version aired on November 6, 1954.

To my knowledge, there is no remaining copy of Elvis singing the Southern Maid Donut jingle.  I wonder what that would be worth if it ever did surface.  A caller on George Klein’s radio show said that he had obtained the commercial in 2009.  If so, why hasn’t it been aired by now?

For some reason, the Johnny Cash version of the jingle was preserved, and it can be heard on the CDs, The Best of the Louisiana Hayride, Volume 4, and Johnny Cash: Hayride Anthology.

©  2012    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net 

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

I like the underplayed love story that develops as the movie unfolds.  While Holly (Anne Helm) obviously pines for him, Elvis sees her as a sister (adopted), not a love interest.  For most of the movie she appears in blue jeans and sneakers, but at the end, when she dresses up and does her hair and make-up, she turns into a beautiful woman.  Elvis takes her in his arms and kisses her as the movie ends. 

Movie Posters:

French Poster Adds a Third Girl that Wasn't in the Movie

Strange Shot from the Movie:

Elvis Lifting Family Truck Over a Log

Historical Marker:  

This Sign is Located in Inglis, Florida

Singing to Costars While Lying on His Back: 

Elvis sings just five songs in Follow That Dream, but does two of them lying on the beach.

Singing "I'm Not the Marrying Kind" to Anne Helm (Holly)

Singing "Follow That Dream" to Joanna Moore

Lobby Cards:

Down Time on the Set:

Elvis Practicing Karate Moves

 

Food Truck?

Kissing the Costars:
 

Holly Gets Her Man at the End

There are differing opinions on which was Elvis’ best dramatic role, with the most frequent mentions going to Jailhouse Rock or King Creole.  However, if you want to see what could be Elvis’ best single dramatic scene, check out his poignant defense in the courtroom scene in Follow That Dream.  And right after that, watch Anne Helm’s touching performance as Holly finally melts Elvis’ defenses and ends in his arms and his heart.  

©  2012    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net
 

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

You probably noticed that ElvisBlog looks a little different.  Over the weekend it completed migration to a different blogware platform.  Hope you readers will like it.  So far, I do.

The big improvement is changing from two-columns to three-columns.  I have lots of interesting content planned for the new right column, and that will be installed over time.  I also like the way captions under photos are done. 

Comments are now so much easier for readers to make.  The old set-up was cumbersome and confusing, so there weren’t a lot of comments made.  I also started with a negative feeling about comments, because I’d seen them devolve into nasty back and forth epithets by commenters on other sites.  Fortunately, that never happened on ElvisBlog.  So, now comments are encouraged, and I will reply to any that warrant it.  Let’s have more comments.

I’m still working on some things.  The banner on the Home Page is justified left, not center, so I have to decipher the CSS style code and figure out how to fix that.  Same with the width of the center column, which I want to increase.  I’m also deluged by something called Pingbacks.  I’m studying about them, and it’s pretty murky, so now I am deleting all of them.  I hope I don’t find out that they are something good.

The last report from the old blog platform showed that the total hits (page views) for ElvisBlog had passed over 3 million since the start in 2005.  Thanks for your support.

Enjoy the new and improved ElvisBlog.

Phil Arnold
Original Elvis Blogmeister

TCB Ring and Pendant

However, do you know the origin of the lightning bolt in Elvis’ TCB jewelry? 

And on the wall decorations in the basement game room at Graceland.

Wall Decorations in Graceland TV Room

And on the tail of his Lisa Marie Airplane.

Lightning Bolt on Tail of Lisa Marie Airplane

I have numerous reference books that say it was inspired by the lightning bolt worn on the chest of Captain Marvel Jr., Elvis’ favorite comic book hero. 

Young Captain Marvel Jr.

 
Even more significantly, these sources say that super-hero Captain Marvel Jr. influenced a great deal of Elvis’ life and appearance. 

One web site asserts that Elvis read Captain Marvel Jr. Comics from September 1949 to January 1953 while living at the Lauderdale Court.  In fact, the Presley’s apartment has been preserved as a historic site, and a copy of Captain Marvel Jr. #51 sits on a desk in Elvis’ old room.

In her book “Elvis Presley: The Man, The Life, The Legend,” author Pamela Clarke Keough states, “Elvis used comics as an escape… Around the age of 12, Elvis discovered Captain Marvel Jr. and quickly became almost obsessed with him.” 

Patriotic Captain Marvel

Billy Smith, Elvis’ cousin and longtime friend, said that Elvis especially admired the dual image of Captain Marvel Jr. and his alter ego — an everyday guy, poor teenager Freddy Freeman.  But, when he said the magic words, Freddie Freeman turned into super crime-fighter Captain Marvel Jr.

The comic book website Dial B for Blog sums it up nicely:  “This is why Elvis idolized Cap Jr. – because the Freddy Freeman/Captain Marvel Jr. character was a perfect mirror image of the once and future Elvis.  Freddy represented Elvis as he was, and Captain Marvel Jr. represented Elvis as he wished to be.”

Captain Marvel Jr. and Freddie Freeman

Pictures of Captain Marvel Jr. in the early fifties do indeed show a hairstyle ultimately affected by Elvis — long, glistening, black, with unruly locks hanging down over his forehead.  Also, there is a distinct similarity between Captain Marvel Jr.’s outfit and the seventies Elvis.  The argument certainly can be made that Elvis copied his one-piece jumpsuit, wide belt, boots, and most of all, the cape from his boyhood hero. 
 
Finally, young Freddy Freeman was often seen wearing white scarves, and we all know how Elvis would go through dozens of them at every concert.

There does not seem to be any connection between Captain Marvel Jr. and Elvis in the use of the Taking Care of Business motto or the letters TCB.  That appears to be a unique personal creation by Elvis.

©  2012     Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister     All Rights Reserved

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

Elvis Books by Greil Marcus

Marcus reported that during the 1992 Presidential campaign, the press corps started comparing Bill Clinton to Elvis, although the candidate never did this himself.  The press even made references to Clinton’s campaign plane as “Air Elvis.”

Clinton and Elvis Stamp from the Republic of Chad in Africa

His opponent, George H W Bush, felt compelled to respond to this linking of Clinton and Elvis, by stating this in a campaign speech:

“Clinton is on all sides of every issue.  He’s been spotted more places than Elvis Presley.  I guess you’d say his plan really is ‘Elvis Economics’.  America will be checking into Heartbreak Hotel.”

Bush didn’t get much traction with these assertions.

Autographed 1973 Photo of Elvis and George H W Bush

In fact, the “Heartbreak Hotel” reference may have worked in Clinton’s favor.  Many believe he turned the race around when he wore dark glasses and played the song on the Arsineo Hall Show. 

Bill Clinton Playing "Heartbreak Hotel" on Arsinio Hall show

Marcus contends that an Elvis reference in any politician’s campaign speech is a guaranteed sound-bite on the evening news, although there is no guarantee what the public’s response will be.  This quote is said to have lost votes for former President Bush in his re-election campaign:

“I finally figured out why Clinton compares himself to Elvis.  The minute he takes a stand on something, he starts wiggling.”

The funniest thing in the Marcus column is this quote from noted dull and stiff politician, Al Gore, as he accepted the 1992 vice-presidential nomination at the convention in New York.

 “I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was a kid – that one day I’d have a chance to come here to Madison Square Garden and be the warm-up act for Elvis.”

Yep, that would really get the fans revved up.  Dream on, Al. 

©  2012   Phillip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister   All Rights Reserved   www.elvisblog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

The message was short:

All:     Time out for a good old fashioned laugh.      A W

And, at that point I realized Al had sent me a joke.  Cool.  Here it is:

Nice little joke.

When I wrote back to Al to thank him, I enclosed a photo I found on the Internet somewhere and asked him if it was one of his.  And, if it was, could I post it as well and comment on it.  Al was not only nice enough to say Yes, he also sent me a better copy of the photo.

Photograph by Alfred Wertheimer -- used by permission

Do you know what Elvis is doing here?  If you are familiar with his 1956 TV show appearances, you might recognize this shot from the from the Steve Allen Show.  It is from the same night when Elvis had to wear a tux and sing to a real hound dog.  Allen had Elvis in a skit about cowboys.  Here we see him shooting a dreaded Tonto bar being pulled along the stage on a wire.  The skit was pretty lame, but I always enjoy watching Elvis doing it.

A couple of observations.  How do you like that wide belt Elvis is wearing?  Maybe a forerunner of things to come?  And, what’s with the white shoes, not cowboy boots?  I asked Alfred, and he said the photo was shot during rehersal.  Elvis wore boots for the live broadcast.

Alfred Wertheimer always has plenty of stuff going on — mostly Elvis related.  I keep asking him if I could do another phone interview, this time about his gig as a film photographer at Woodstock, the 1969 three day festival of love and peace.  Al was on the Woodstock staff.  Talk about being in a situation that gives you amazing opportunities for memorable events.  You know Al has to have some good stories to tell.  I’d be very pleased if I can someday write about them.

For the past two years, Alfred has been involved with the Smithsonian Institution‘s touring exhibition “Elvis At Twenty-One.”

“Elvis At twenty-One” features forty of his famous photographs of Elvis, and it opened in January 2010 et the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.  The exhibition’s three-month run at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond just ended.  Click here for a great review of this exhibit by Troy Yeary at the Mystery Train Elvis Blog.

Alfred Wertheimer Describing One of his Photographs of Elvis Performing in Richmond, VA. July 1956

During April, May and June, “Elvis At Twenty-One” will be presented at the Dwight D Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas.  the exhibition tour ends next year in Columbus Ohio, after stops in Memphis and Nashville.

Alfred Wertheimer Signing Copies of His Book "Elvis at 21"

 ©  2012    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.