Monthly Archives: June 2021

 

There are five Thursdays in July, and cable channel Turner Classic Movies is airing four Elvis movies on each of them.  They are grouped into different categories each night.  For example, this Thursday, July 1, the theme is “Seeing Double.” The films sort of fit:

Kissin’ Cousins – Elvis plays two distant cousins who look alike

Double Trouble – The title says it all

Clambake – Rich Elvis trades places with a poor water-ski instructor

Live A Little, Love a Little – Elvis struggles to keep up with two jobs

 

Here is the complete line-up for all five Thursdays in July on TCM:

My only complaint is that the movies are aired at 8, 10, Midnight, 2am.  If they are going to feature Elvis movies, why not show them at times we fans can actually see them.  I’ll watch the 8pm shows, but after that I’ll be in bed.  And they are not repeating any of them a second time at a friendlier hour.

 

Anyway, if you plan to watch “Kissin’ Cousins” at 8 this Thursday, you might enjoy an Elvis Movies 50th Anniversary Pictorial I posted back in 2014

 

Serious reviews of Kissin’ Cousins lament that it was the start of a bad trend in Elvis movies – low-budget, quickie-filmed, light-weight fluff. Some even call it his worse movie. I don’t care. I like Kissin’ Cousins for one reason: Yvonne Craig.

I don’t think any other actress sizzled on screen with Elvis as hot as she did. Those two radiated lust in Kissin’ Cousins and also in It Happened at The World’s fair.

 

Although Kissin’ Cousins was filmed after Viva Las Vegas, it was released first on March 6, 1964, making it Elvis’ 14th movie. Sources say it was filmed in three weeks at a cost of only $800,000. By comparison, Viva cost $4,000,000 and took two months to film. Guess which one made more profit for the studio, Elvis, and Col. Parker. After Kissin’ Cousins, the dye was cast for future Elvis movies.

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Movie Posters:

 

 

 

Shots from the Movie:

Elvis Presley plays a dual role in Kissin’ Cousins. Dark-haired Elvis plays Air Force officer Josh Morgan, but as blond-haired Jodie Tatum, he appears as a girl-chasin’ mountain Romeo. Josh is assigned the task of persuading the Tatums, his distant relatives on his mother’s side, to sell their Tennessee mountain land for use as a missile site.

 

Jodie’s two cousins are Selena and Azalea Tatum, played by Pam Austin and Yvonne Craig. Both vie for Josh’s attention, but Azalea wins out about halfway through. Josh pulls off a little match-making with one of his Air Force buddies and Selena, getting her out of the competition.

 

Most Elvis movies have pretty girls parading around in scanty bikinis, but they are usually on a beach in Hawaii or Florida. In Kissin’ Cousins we get them in the Smokey Mountain woods and inside the Tatum cabin.

 

Lobby Cards:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Publicity Shots:

 

Oops, there’s those bathing suits again.

 

Hey, this is starting to be a trend.

 

Come on. Is this the only kind of publicity shots they took? (No, just the ones I chose)

Okay, okay. Here a little trick photography of the two characters Elvis played.

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Back Stage Photo:

If you study this photo for a moment, it appears Yvonne might have had some designs on Elvis away from the script, too.

 

Foreign Posters:

 

I used Google Translate to look up the translation of this title to English. They said it is The Wild Broads of Tennessee. Seriously – check it out.

 

This one translated to The Mount of Venus.

 

I don’t know how to type this title into Google Translate, so who knows what it means.

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Kissing the Co-Stars:

 

Both of Elvis’ characters wound up with the girl. Here, Jodie is kissing Army Corporal Midge Riley, played by Cynthia Pepper.

And Josh about to lock lips with Azalea. But you have to go back to It Happened at the World’s Fair for the best kiss between Elvis and Yvonne Craig.

Well, that’s it. Did I mention that I really like Yvonne Craig?

 

© 2014   Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister, All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net

 

I continue to scroll through the ElvisBlog archives in a search for good posts to use again.  Because I acquired several Elvis scrapbooks at Elvis Week fan fairs and at record shows, I did posts about them starting in 2011.  Here is the first.  More will follow, alternating with other topics.

 

Throughout his life, Elvis’ adoring fans expressed their devotion by attending his concerts, buying his records, joining fan clubs, and keeping Elvis scrapbooks.  Look at the teenager below showing off her thick Elvis scrapbook to two friends.  At that point in her life, do you think she had any other possession she considered as valuable and precious as that Elvis book?

Twenty years ago, I bought an Elvis scrapbook at a record show.  One of the vendors had it in a box with a bunch of Elvis albums.  I took it home and studied all the pages.  Then I put it away in a cabinet crammed full of Elvis memorabilia.  

Then, last week a friend of mine showed me a box of old albums he got from his mom.  It was about 2/3 Elvis music, but it also had some old Johnny Cash, and Fabian, and a bunch of worthless stuff.  All the potentially valuable albums had been played to death and were in less than ideal shape.

However, in a bit of déjà vu, there was also an Elvis scrapbook in the box.  My friend let me take it home and photograph all the pages.  So, this week, we will look at the efforts of a true Elvis fan.  She was also a big Priscilla fan, as you will soon see.  Here is her Elvis scrapbook.

 

The cover has a black ink drawing of Elvis.  It was done by Dave Green, but I have been unable to find out anything about him.  I wonder if he was a high school friend with artistic talent who drew it for her. In any case, it’s a pretty good job.

 

Page 1 is all about young Elvis.  There’s the familiar toddler shot of Elvis in a pose with his hat at a rakish angle.  This photo has since been on the cover of an Elvis CD.  And last year, they came out with a T-shirt featuring this little Elvis wearing the famous 70s sunglasses. 

Just below is a non-descript photo of Elvis at a 1956 recording session.

To the right is young boy Elvis, again wearing a hat, but also two six-shooters in holsters.  Something about this picture has intrigued me for years.  Did you notice the two things that foretell aspects of Elvis’ future stage appearance?   Look at that big, wide belt.  It reminds you of the ones Elvis had with his jumpsuits, doesn’t it?   And look at his eyes.  If he’s not wearing eye make-up, what else would make his eyes look like that?  It’s been documented that Elvis wore eyeliner while performing at concerts in the 50s.  This is no casual photo.  It was posed, and I’m betting Elvis decided to dress up his eyes a bit for the shoot.  So, here are two things Elvis preferred as a kid that he carried forward and used as a performer years later.

Next is a rare photo of Elvis being weighed in Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas after he was inducted into the Army.  The photographer lined up the shot perfectly.  But how weird must that moment have been for Elvis?  Maybe it didn’t bother him after being in the spotlight for the previous four years and having a million photographs taken.  However, it does belie the belief that life in the Army for Elvis would be just like any other soldier.

Finally, there is a somewhat familiar photo of Elvis and his mother, Gladys.  I wish somebody that knows Photoshop would give Gladys a little bit of a smile.  She always looks so sad.  If she were happy, this would be such a cool photo.

 

Page 2 has just one photo – Bill Haley and Elvis.  Do you younger readers know anything about Bill Haley?  He was a country singer who slid on over to Rockabilly and Rock and Roll, and he was at the top of the heap until Elvis took over.  One look at this picture shows you why the kids dumped him and flocked to Elvis.  I love Bill Haley’s music, but look at that hair-do and bow-tie.  Then look at Elvis’ hair and outfit.  No contest.

 

 

Page 3 has four mid-fifties photos.  Natalie Wood was Elvis’ first Hollywood girlfriend, and she was a beauty.  She travelled back with Elvis to Memphis after the filming of Love Me Tender, and stayed for a week in Graceland during her visit.   The second photo was taken in Tampa, Florida in July 1955.  EPE has used this photo in various merchandising efforts.

Next is a rare right profile of Elvis showing the slicked back hair of his duck tail style.  The last photo is Elvis in a convertible in 1957.  I think this shot was snapped during the filming of Loving You, and the girl may be his co-star Lizabeth Scott.

 

 

Page 4 features all Army photos.  The small photo at the top is nothing special, but the second larger one is a good color shot of Elvis in uniform.  I like the line under the picture.  It says Elvis fans thought they’d lost him forever once he entered the Army.  Happily, he came back to us.

The other small photo shows Elvis pointing to his new Sergeant strips after getting promoted on February 11, 1960.  For a complete explanation of the ranks Elvis achieved in the Army, click here.  The last shot is Vernon with Elvis in his dress uniform.  The medals on Elvis’ chest are for expert marksmanship – one for rifle and pistol, the other for sharpshooting with a carbine.

 

 

Page 5 contains three pictures that are rather familiar.  The exception would be the first one, which shows Elvis in an Army uniform.  However, this is not from real life.  The large American flag background gives it away as a shot on the set of G I Blues.  The marriage reception photo of Elvis and Priscilla has gotten a lot of mileage over the years, same as that black leather picture from the ’68 Comeback Special.

The last photo shows Lisa and Elvis in a wonderful pose.  The text under the photo says Elvis spent the last night of his life playing with Lisa after giving her a special present.  I wasn’t aware of this, so I looked it up in Elvis: Day By Day by Peter Guralnick and Ernst Jorgensen.  They say Elvis spent his last night watching TV until 10:30, and then going to the dentist to have his teeth cleaned and two small cavities filled.  (Only Elvis would have a dentist appointment at 10:30 at night.)  They report he wore a black DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) sweatsuit with two .45s stuck in his waistband.

It would be nice if the story about Lisa were true, but you’ve got to admit, Elvis spending the last night of his life getting his teeth cleaned while packing heat is just classic Elvis lore.

 

Page 6 is not about Elvis, as you can see.  It is a large color photo of Priscilla, and there are three more later on (plus some newspaper photos in black and white).  Unfortunately, they all show signs of age.  I have never seen any of them before, and they all appear to be glamour photos done by a professional.  Certainly, that’s not everyday apparel Priscilla is wearing.  She looks great in all four photos, but you’ll have to wait for Elvis Scrapbooks – Part 2 to see the others.

 

©  2011    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 had planned to update this Part 3 of my 2013 series on Elvis’ Circle G Ranch before reposting it.  Unfortunately, health issues with my wife have taken precedence.  Here is a bit of additional information sent to me by Lesley Pilling, Director of the Circle G Foundation:

In 2014 a company purchased the ranch.  They contacted us in 2013 and we worked with them confidentially for twelve months educating them on Elvis, the ranch and what the fans wanted to see happen.  They had great plans and we thought all our dreams had come true.

Sadly seven years later all they have done physically is to board up the cottage, cut the grass and paint the cross. 

 

Elvis’ idyllic times at the Circle G Ranch paused in late April 1967 when he returned to Hollywood for the last week of filming on Clambake.  When that wrapped up, Elvis and the gang did not go back to Graceland or Circle G.  Instead, they spent time in Palm Springs as the date for Elvis and Priscilla’s marriage approached.

On May 1, Priscilla and Elvis exchanged their vows at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.  After the reception, they returned to Palm Springs to start their honeymoon.  On May 4, they flew back to Memphis and spent the next two nights at Graceland.  Then, finally on May 6, Elvis and Priscilla returned to Circle G, and for reasons of privacy, they continued their honeymoon at the ranch house.

 

It is unclear how many days passed until Elvis and Priscilla moved back to their mobile home by the lake, but their stay in the ranch house was long enough for it to be nicknamed their “Honeymoon Cottage.”

The various written histories of Elvis’ life have very little to say about what went on in May 1967, but there are hints that Elvis’ fascination with the cowboy life at the ranch started to wane.  The immense bills he had run up since purchasing the Circle G became an increasing strain.  Dr. George Nichopoulas had entered Elvis’ life that spring, and some historians consider that as a changing point in Elvis’ behavior and interests.  The overall good feeling among the Memphis Mafia started to crumble as jealousy about the trailers and trucks Elvis gave out caused bad feelings. At the end of May and early June, the Elvis biographers mention a number of activities that all indicate he was living at Graceland:  a second larger wedding reception, a bowling night party at Whitehaven Plaza, an all-night outing at the Memphis Fairgrounds.

 

On June 9, Priscilla learned she was pregnant, and the next day, Elvis and friends and wives took off in a Greyhound bus and a caravan of cars for a road trip to California, including stops at Flagstaff, Arizona and the Grand Canyon.  On June 19, Elvis reported to MGM for the preproduction of his next movie Speedway.  A week later, filming began, and it lasted until August 18.  There were some breaks, but Elvis spent the time either in Las Vegas or Palm Springs, not back at Circle G.

It is evident that about this time, Colonel Parker’s earlier prophecy came true.  Elvis simply lost interest in his new toy and moved on.  According to the excellent reference Elvis—Day by Day, written by Peter Guralnick and Ernst Jorgensen, “With Elvis’ interest in the Circle G having waned almost to the point of nonexistence, Vernon begins to sell off pickup trucks, mobile homes and cattle.”

Elvis did spend some time at the ranch in August and September, but instead of riding horses, his new hobby was target shooting.  However, by the end of September, Elvis decided to put the ranch up for sale.

On November 4, 1967, two thousand fans and collectors came to Circle G for a public auction. The sale of tractors, trailers, TV sets, equipment, and miscellaneous items raised over $108,000.

 

During the 1967 Christmas season, Elvis and the gang said an extended farewell to the Circle G Ranch.  They continued to ride the horses not already shipped back to Graceland.  The house trailers were all gone, but the ranch still provided an excellent location for hayrides and snowball fights.  Finally, on May 20, 1968, Elvis sold the Circle G Ranch for $440,100 ($2,900,000 in today’s dollars).

 

There are some people who say the Circle G Ranch was not that important in Elvis’ history because of the short time he owned it, and the even shorter time he spent there.  They say it does not belong in sphere of reverence fans show for other places in Elvis’ life that are preserved and open to the public:  Graceland, the Tupelo home, Sun Studios.

 

I never had an opinion one way or another about Circle G until I started research for this ElvisBlog series.  But, you can’t read all the things Priscilla and Elvis’ buddies said about the ranch in their books or interviews without realizing that the short Circle G period in 1967 was arguably the happiest time in Elvis’ life.

How wonderful would it be if this gorgeous property could be restored and shared with his legions of fans?   Who could resist the opportunity to walk around the grounds and check out the ranch house, the stable location, the lake, the woods, the riding trails, the bridge, the cross, and especially the house trailer area by the lake?  I think it would be impossible share this special world and not feel the same peace and serenity it gave Elvis.  It would be a rare fan who could leave the Circle G Ranch without understanding how Elvis’ time there must have been incredibly happy.

Unfortunately, nothing was ever done to make this dream a reality for the first forty-plus years after Elvis’ time at the Circle G.  And abuse and inattention have taken their toll.

 

 

Fortunately, a dedicated English fan named Lesley Pilling stepped forward in 2010 to spearhead an effort to save the Circle G Ranch.  The Circle G Foundation’s vision for ranch is to see it open as an attraction for Elvis fans.  Their objective is to tastefully restore the site to how it was when Elvis knew and loved it; enabling visitors to enjoy the tranquility of the site, just as Elvis did.  They envision walking trails, horse riding and other outdoor activities, plus a Visitors’ Center, museum and gift shop in the old ranch house.  There is also a longer-term plan to provide a small amount of short-term accommodation, perhaps in the form of log cabins around the lake.

However, the Circle G Foundation’s ambitions run much deeper than just creating another Elvis ‘site’ for fans to visit.  The Foundation aims to create on-site facilities at the ranch catering to the disabled and disadvantaged as well as service veterans and others in need. They feel it is very important for Elvis fans to do what we can to continue Elvis’ charitable and humanitarian legacy and create something Elvis would be proud of — and the ranch is the perfect place.

The Circle G Foundation is truly international in scope.  They have Ambassadors in the USA, UK, South Africa, Australia, France, Germany, Italy and Canada and have received support from Elvis fans on every continent.   The Foundation believes Elvis fans are the best, and saving the Circle G would be a wonderful tribute to him.

 

The Circle G Foundation’s website contains a huge amount of information, so rather than reproduce it all here, I strongly success you visit it.

As you check out all the sections of the site, you will grasp how critical the situation is with the structures on the ranch.  We are in real danger of losing them, and time is not on our side.

Be sure to click on the link “Our Vision For The Ranch,” which goes into considerable detail.

The Vision is still a work in progress and I have suggested to the Foundation that more emphasis needs to be given to the area where the house trailers and the BBQ grill were located.  The concrete foundations are still there in the ground, and Lesley Pilling advises she has information on who was in each trailer.

Another thing you can do is visit the Circle G Foundation Facebook page and ‘Like’ it.  There are now over 4,200 Likes and the next goal is 5,000.

 

 

Another place to visit on the site is the “Store.”  You can help the cause by purchasing Circle G merchandise.  For now, the prices are listed in Pounds (remember, it’s an English site), but when you pay by credit card or PayPal, everything is converted to dollars.

Of course, the most important thing you can do is donate to the Circle G Foundation.  There are details on the site about how the money will be used and what will happen if it can’t be spent on the Circle G.  Please click on “How You Can Help…” and give serious thought to donating generously.

Here’s a long shot, but if you happen to have $3,900,000, you can purchase the Circle G Ranch and work with the Foundation to bring this dream to a reality.

 

We’ll end with one last photo.  Imagine if you could walk out of the Visitors Center and take in the view that Elvis had in 1967.  Imagine if you could walk around the 163 beautiful acres and enjoy the things that made Elvis so happy.

Or, imagine that the old ranch house and cross had rotted and crumbled to the ground.  Man, I sure hope we can save the Circle G.

 

©  2013    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.