Nick Adams, the actor, a good friend of the real James Dean's and Natalie Woods, was a regular at Elvis' parties in the early 1960's. Elvis was interested in Nick because of his connection with James Dean, but he could also relate to the man, who came from humble beginnings in rural Pennsylvania. Nick used to say, "Other men bet on horses, I bet on myself." He was a good actor and he enjoyed some success beginning with his role in "Rebel Without a Cause." Nick tended to get typecaste as a rebel after that, which is reflected in his roles in television as well.
Nick's sense of humor and ability to imitate others fit with Elvis and the entourage. But he was also passionate about a number of issues and could pontificate.
Link above to Video Detective bio to Nick Adams with some film clips - replaced January 12, 2011. CT
Nick Adams and actor John Ashley and Elvis and me played a lot of home pool tournaments together.
Good luck to you, Mr. Bryan.
ReplyDelete