(478) ELVIS! ELVIS! ELVIS! AND THE MOVIES!

Elvis Week is a celebration at Graceland TM and though it takes place at this time because Elvis died on this day, it has become a celebration of the man's life and his music.

The mid-1960's were ones of intense movie making for Elvis and his music was recorded on albums which were soundtracks of those movies.  I visited Elvis on a few different sets over time but because of my own career commitments I wasn't free to travel with him, so I missed out on a lot of fun.  But since his home during these years was still Los Angeles, I was able to keep up with him between films. He would make 31 films in his lifetime, other wise known as "film career."

In 1965, "Tickle Me " for Allied Artists and also in 1965, "Harum Scarum" for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

In 1966, "Frankie And Johnny" for United Artists and also in 1966, "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" for Paramount (and Produced by Hal B. Wallis who Elvis had worked with before on films including "Blue Hawaii," and who has been quoted as saying, "An Elvis Presley picture is the only sure thing in Hollywood."  Deborah Walley, one of the actresses in this film was a friend married to a friend.)

Like most Elvis movies - musicals, the script was written so that Elvis could sing and further the plot that way.

Elvis' management by Colonel Parker has come under scrutiny and criticism over the years, and I know that looking back Elvis wished he'd had more dramatic roles, that he'd done more with his talent, but the Colonel was satisfied with the income Elvis and he made making the movies and sound track albums.  Colonel was making about 25%.

Over time Elvis made movies for Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, United Artists (the company that once signed me for both acting and record making), Allied Artists,  National General, and Universal, spanning the years 1956 - 1969.