(98) ELVIS and FLAMING STAR : MY FIRST PARTY AT ELVIS' LOS ANGELES

The first party I attended at Elvis' he was in the process of making the film "Flaming Star" at Twentieth Century Fox. The film also stared Barbara Eden who would become famous for her long runing TV series "I Dream of Jeannie." The script was about a "half breed" Indian (Native American) and was originally written with Marlon Brando in mind.

Elvis came home wearing the heavy makeup that the studio artists had put on him to give this "half breed" effect. He welcomed me into his home and went off to remove the makeup which must have taken a couple hours.

Link above to the IMBd datebase information on "Flaming Star." The makeup looks heavy and fake to me now.

(8) WINSTON-SALEM DAYS - THE CREW CUTS

I first heard that I looked like the actor James Dean while building with dad in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina area. I didn't go to many movies then and I honestly didn't know who James Dean was. My social life consisted of going to square dances and driving around town in my brand new baby blue Ford that I bought with my earnings from a summer of home building. I drove it pedal to the floor and was a sure ticket.I pulled into a drive-in restaurant one day and a car hop-waitress on roller skates came up to the car window. She insisted I go see "Rebel Without a Cause" which was James Dean's first movie - a hit. "Go to that movie and you'll see yourself," she said.

"Blackboard Jungle" was the big movie then. It was about hoodlums. But it had a song by the CREWCUTS that we called the "Sha Boom" song and to me it was the first rock and roll record. I loved it.

THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE ON IMBd Worlds Largest Movie DatabaseIMBD BLACKBOARD JUNGLE MOVIE

THE CREW CUTS - FROM THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC IN CANADA link above.

CANADIAN ENCYC. CREW CUTS page updated April 2014

 

Video replaced April 2014