Our weekend in Memphis

Well Vince and I had a good time in Memphis even if it was way too short of a trip. We left at about 1:30 in the morning Friday and arrived in Memphis at about 9:00. We went straight to Graceland after getting a quick bite to eat. It was just opening up for tours and we just walked around and checked out all the shops. We spent the afternoon going to some stores in Horn Lake. We finally got to check in at the Heartbreak Hotel about 3:30 so we could get a little rest before the meet and greet with Darlene Tompkins and the screening of Blue Hawaii. Darlene spoke some before the movie came on about the movie and Elvis. The movie started and Darlene kind of mixed with the crowd and spoke some about things throughout the movie. Unfortunately I missed a good portion of the movie because I was out in the hall on the phone tending to some things going on back home. After the movie we got some food and headed back to the room. We turned on the 24 hour Elvis channel the hotel had and watched Girl Happy as we went to sleep. We both could barley function by that time!
Saturday we got up pretty early and headed over to Graceland for our VIP tour. Going up to the mansion was as great as it always is. This was my thirteenth time and it was as moving as the first time I ever went in. As soon as I step into that house I just get the best feeling. You feel so welcomed and know Elvis would be glad you were there. I can't really come close to describing it. The reason for this big weekend trip was to see the new exhibits. The special VIP only Graceland exhibit was very cool. A lot of the same stuff as usual was in the room but a lot of stuff had been added as well. Old documents, receipts, letters, and such telling the history of the home. I was very fascinated by this. The thing that intrigued me the most was some of the receipts from when Elvis redecorated Graceland after he has purchased it. It kind of gives you insight of how the house looked and the feel it might have had. I was trying to imagine that anyway. You could really tell he was going all out and was for sure making good on his promise to give his mother the nicest home in town. The automobile museum also had two new additions to it. They added another Rolls Royce Elvis owned as well as a 6-door Mercedes Benz limousine featured in the movie Elvis on Tour. I has seen the limo last EW at the expo, but I had never seen the Rolls. That was a pretty sharp car. Another new thing added was the exhibit Elvis Lives: The King and Pop Culture. It was loaded with books, collectibles, cd's, movies, and more that has to do with Elvis over the years. The last exhibit was called Elvis In Hollywood. This was my favorite part of the tour because I am such a big fan of his movies. It showcases all 33 movies and documentaries Elvis made. Some cool stuff from Jailhouse Rock, Clambake, Viva Las Vegas, and Blue Hawaii I never have seen are on display. I was very excited over getting to see that stuff. After spending way too much money on cd's we finally started to make our way home late Saturday.
Overall it was a great trip. I am glad we decided to go. It was very tiring(I am still dead tired!) and I was a little preoccupied by some other stuff but I don't regret going. I really can't wait to go back in August. I picked up some new FTD's while out in Memphis. No way I was going to be in those shops and not buy a few. Nevada Lights,On Tour,Blue Hawaii,Kid Galahad, Elvis Today,Raised On Rock, and Wild In The Country was added to the collection. I have really enjoyed what I have got to hear from them. I will be doing some reviews on here for sure.
That puts my cd collection up to 157. I am really getting it built up now!

Vince's Movie Poster Of The Week - The Trouble With Girls

SUCH A NIGHT

I ran across this live version of Such A Night the other day. It was one of my favorite songs off the Elvis Is Back album. It is not a song Elvis would sing live later on when he returned to the stage. This version if from the 1961 concert in Hawaii to benefit the Pearl Harbour site. I would love to have this entire concert on cd because I would say it was a pretty good one. It was one of the few times Elvis performed live in the early sixties. I know one thing, he still was as good as he was in 58 when he left. Hopefully one day FTD will give this show some work and put it out.

You've got to Fallow That Dream

I have not done a movie review in a long time so I thought I might do one tonight. The movie I am going to discuss is Fallow That Dream. Elvis would start filming the movie in July of 61 and the movie would open in May of 62. The film would be Elvis' ninth and fifth since getting out of the Army. Elvis plays the role of Toby Kwimper. Arthur O'Connell played his father "Pop". They have took in twin boys that are some sort of cousins, a baby girl who is a orphan, and a young lady named Holly whose parents died when she was thirteen. The whole bunch are on their way to Florida for vacation when they run out of gas on a new highway that has not been opened yet and has not got the first thing on the road. So they set up on the side of the road beside the water until someone can come by to help. A government official stops by and gives the family a hard time and Pop says they are homesteading there just to rile the official. Holly seems to like the idea of starting a life here and making her a real home for herself and she expresses this to Toby. They talk Pop into doing that so they decide to stay put. After finding out they have a perfect spot for fishing right in their backyard, they decide to open a business that ties into the fishing. In the meantime the government official had not forgot about the Kwimper's and is hatching a plan to get rid of them. Joanne Moore plays a social worker who the government official has brought in to help plan to run the Kwimpers off. She has a an immediate interest in Toby even though he pays her no mind. That would come back to hurt them later. More problems were beginning to arise for the family. Some traveling gangsters who run a gambling ring have just popped in next door. After they find out that the Kwimper's are homesteading and trying to make their own little town and no government officials had any rule there, they decide to stay. The gangsters try to get the Kwimper's to leave but the family will have none off it. After they have some disagreements about the rowdy ways of the gangsters crowd, they try to get a hit on Toby. It fails of course, and they finally leave after Toby blows up their trailer, which was a total accident. The social worker and government official have been at work to get back at the Kwimper's and they have the twin boys and little girl took away by a children welfare group. The Kwimper's go to court, and they are made out to look really bad by the social worker and official. Though Toby comes in and acts as the lawyer for the family and tells the total truth. The judge sees this was all brought on just to make the Kwimper's look bad and that they are good people and should get the kids back. The young girl Holly(Anne Helm) seems to be interested in Toby throughout the movie but Toby doesn't seem interested in her or any other girl. Finally at the end of the movie she makes a real move and Toby ends up with her in his arms and kissing her. This is an Elvis movies of course you knew he was going to end up with the beautiful girl in the end!

This movie would end up doing pretty well and would get to as high as #5 at the box office. I have always thought Fallow That Dream was a really good movie and toward the top of the list as far as decent Elvis films and good performance's. Toby is a character that seems to maybe be a little slow, but in face he is just laid back and a lot smarter than giving credit for. Elvis plays a kind of backwoods type of guy but does it in such a charming way you don't really even think about that. I think his speech in the courtroom ranks as one of his two or three best moments on film. This movie has everything I love about Elvis movies. Great scenery, good music, humor, and lots of beautiful women. Arthur O'Connell who plays the father is wonderful and I have always been a big fan of his. Joanne Moore, who I always remember from the Andy Griffith show, was good in her role as well. I can't forget Anne Helm. She's not just knock dead gorgeous like some women of Elvis movies, but she is very pretty. She has a certain innocent vibe about her I always have liked. Her and Elvis dated for a while during filming and got pretty hot and heavy during breaks during filming from what I have heard. I usually do a music review separate so I will not go into much detail about that. The film doesn't contain many songs. Some are a hit and some are a miss but Elvis' voice is great. Overall I give this film very high marks. It is a film I think maybe even the non Elvis fan might enjoy and is worth finding if you have not seen it.

Viva Las Vegas in Blu Ray is freaking awesome!

I got my copy of Viva Las Vegas on Blue ray today and I am watching. I was wondering if it would be that much better looking but thought it would be worth a try. I am so glad I got it, It looks great! The colors just pop out at you, and Elvis never looked better. That Ann-Margret chick looks pretty damn good as well! The only other Elvis movie offered in the Blue ray format currently is Jailhouse Rock, which I will get pretty soon. I hope they come out with some more. I would love to see Blue Hawaii in this format, it would be stunning.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Elvis in the movie Kid Glahad.

TODAY IN ELVIS HISTORY

Elvis concluded the work on It Happened At The World's Fair with some publicity stills. It Happened At The Worlds Fair is probably my favorite Elvis movie, and one of my all time favorite movies period. Elvis Character Mike Edwards of course inspired my pen name on here.

SPINOUT

Tonight I am going to talk about the movie Spinout. Elvis would make the movie in 1966 and would be his twenty second movie. Elvis would play the part of Mike McCoy. Mike is a guy who travels around playing gigs with his band. He also happens to race cars. Early in the movie Mike captures the attention of a young lady named Cynthia(Shelly Fabares). Her father Howard who owns a company that has ties in racing immediately tries to talk Mike into singing for his daughter for her birthday. The father also has ideas about Mike driving a car for him. Mike is not interested in either. After the powerful father pulls some strings to get Mike to perform for his daughter, Mike has some words for the Howard. While camping out Mike runs into a lady by the name Diana St. Clair. Diana is a beautiful blond author who is writing a book and wants to use Mike as the subject. The attention of these ladies is starting to bother a member of Mike's group. Les is the girl who plays the drums for Mike who has a thing for him though he does not have a clue. After some mind games from Howard that gets Mike to stay in town, Mike sets up shop out of a home next door to Howard and Cynthia. To get Mikes mind off Diana the guys and Les set up Mike to test drive Howard's car. Mike is impressed with the car. Though after a speech from Howard about Mike being good enough to drive his car, but not win his daughter, Mike tells Howard off. At a party Mike is throwing Howard bumps into Diana who is there scoping Mike out. The two hit it off. In the meantime Les is getting some love from a guy who she meets while in town who is really struck on her. Cynthia still hot for Mike is dealing with Philip, he dads assistant who is madly in love with her. All this is of no interest to Mike. Mike has no plans on settling down and is busy partying it up with the girls at his shindig and have a good time. The race finally comes around and Mike ends up getting his car stole by Philip who is trying to prove to Cynthia he is a man by racing. Mike ends up getting in his Deusenberg and joining the race. After the car was out of gas, Mike talked another racer into letting him have his car if the guy got any winnings Mike earned. Mike of course won the race. Mike then has a decision to make, which lady was her going to merry. Mike made the wise decision. He stayed single and let the other guys get the ladies they were in love with. Mike replaced Les with another hot female drummer and he continued on his way.

In my opinion Spinout is a pretty decent movie. Is is middle of the pack, not his worst by far, but not up there with King Creole or Wild In The Country either. The same could be said for the soundtrack as well. I personally like it a lot, but I love all the movie music for the most part, even the bad songs! The soundtrack does offer a good song or two and a few fun tunes. Like most Elvis soundtracks, the good songs are overlooked because of the awful songs that can be found on them as well. As with all Elvis movies it is loaded with beautiful ladies. Shelly Fabares appears for the second of three times in a movie with Elvis. She is one of my favorite actresses ever. She beautiful and plays her part well. Also with Elvis in this movie is Deborah Walley who plays the part of Les. She was not all that found of Elvis when she signed to make this movie. She did not know that much about him. After getting to know him they dated and would become close friends. Deborah greatly admired Elvis and would end up honoring his memory up until the time she passed away. She was always attending Elvis events during Elvis Week and things of that nature. She was a great lady.

Fun In Acapulco

I have always been a big fan of Elvis' movie Fun In Acapulco. It is not one of his better films as far as script or his performance, but it for some reason has always been at the top of my favorites list. This is the first movie and soundtrack of the early 60's I would just consider alright. Though some of the music in my opinion is very fun and enjoyable even if someone that had as much talent as Elvis should have not been singing it. One of my favorite songs from the movie is I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here. Below is a alternate take. It defiantly is a little different then the one released as anyone who has heard this song as much as I have can tell. I still like the original release a little better. Though this version is pretty cool as well. Watch this cool video and listen to this song as you see some cool pictures from the movie as well.

Naked Gun

The Naked Gun movies have always been some of my favorite movies. I loved them as a kid. Of course I was smitten by Cilla, and still am. They are so funny and never get old. I crack up every time I watch them. The second one was my favorite one and I got to watch it for the first time in a long time last weekend. This is my favorite part of the movie. Damn Priscilla was beautiful!

A look back at Elvis Week 08

I have had to neglect the blog for the most part this week. I have been having to work twelve hour day and then come home and rest. I am going to catch back up hopefully this weekend. Anyway to the week I spent in Memphis. Elvis Week was a blast as usual. The attendance was the smallest It has been in the eight years I have been going. I know it was coming off a anniversary year, which means usually the fallowing year less people show up. Other factors I know caused this but it was still a bit shocking. Although It was still a lot of fun. Music and Movies and Club Elvis at the first of the week was awesome. It was as good as last year. The only thing missing for me was The Dempsey's. I really like them and would not have minded them playing again this year. The Insiders Conference turned out to be pretty awesome as well, even though the first day was pretty slow. I think this is when I really started realizing how much of a difference this year was. The seating was not even half full for either day. The vigil was great and it is the reason we come. The rain did not bother me at all, although I was glad it pretty much stopped when the evening hit. Vince and I had a fun time before we left seeing Memphis and some sites we had not seen before that held meaning to Elvis fans. I bought lots of cool stuff as usual. Overall I got to say I had a blast and I can't wait to go back. I guess I just felt a let down after last year. When I look back on my past Elvis Weeks I point to 08 and 03 as weeks that did not have the same energy and feel. It has to be because those years came off the 25th and 30th anniversary. Those weeks I do not think will ever be topped. For me those were far and away the best weeks I have spent in Memphis. Last year was the best times I have ever had, so no matter what happened this past week it was not going to be the same.

I will say getting to go to the expo and meeting Chris Noel was one of the coolest things ever! She was freaking awesome. Also the Graceland VIP tour was really cool. I only do it every now and then but thought it was worth the money. I actaully saw more around back of the house this time. The last time I did the VIP tour they rushed me around and I hardly could see a thing.

Also a quick rundown of the things I got while in Memphis.

A few Elvis t shirts, Elvis and Priscilla Barbie set, Lansky shirt, The Complete 68 Comeback Special CD set, new Graceland DVD, Elvis Number 1 performances vol 2 DVD, picture of Elvis from It Happened, 56 Gibson instrument form the old Collectors Club collection, How Great Thou Art CD, and many other small things. I was really happy with what I got.

Also I got the fallowing FTD's....

Frankie and Johnny soundtrack,Elvis Sings Memphis, Tennessee, Out In Hollywood, The Impossible Dream,Elvis New Years Eve,and The Way It Was.

With these addition's my CD collection is now up to 144. My FTD collection 36 which is a total 44 counting the ones that are 2 disc. I am focusing on buying only FTD's now unless something is released mainstream that I really feel I need for the collection or if it is an old release I think is cool for some reason.

I am really digging into the Frankie and Johnny soundtrack at the moment and will do a review in the next few days.

ITS FUN IN ACAPULCO

I have not done anything on any Elvis movies in a long time and feel it is time to post some thoughts and facts about one. I have been watching a lot more Elvis movies than usual the last week or so. Tonight I am going to talk about one of my favorites, Fun In Acapulco. In January of 1963 Elvis would arrive in Hollywood to start filming. The movie was set in Mexico but Elvis filmed all his shots in Hollywood. Another crew went to Mexico to film some of the background shots used in the film. Elvis plays the part of Mike Windgren who is in Mexico working on a boat as a deck hand of sorts. He was part of a circus act with his family and had been involved in an accident that left him shook up pretty bad. He ends up getting fired from his job as a deckhand and is stuck in Mexico. He becomes friends with a young boy names Raoul. Together they work to find Mike work. Mike ends up becoming a lifeguard by day and a entertainer by night. Along the way Mike is of course involved with the ladies. He has two after him. One of them is Dolores, a lady bullfighter. The other is Marguerita, who is played by the beautiful Ursual Andress. Mike is also working on his fear of height's. In the end Mike takes care of this fear by jumping 136 feet off a cliff into water. In the end everything works out, Mike ends up with the girl he wants Margaurita, and along with Raoul they head back to America.

Fun In Acapulco is not the best movie Elvis made, but certainly not the worst. For some reason it has always ranked high with me for as long as I can remember. I think the supporting cast has something to do with it. Larry Domasin plays Raoul Almeido the young boy Elvis befriends. He cracks me up and he plays the part really well. Elsa Cardenas plays the part of Doloras. She is smoking hot and I would love to see more things with here in it even if I can't make out most of what she is saying hardly. Morano, who plays Mike's rival for Margurita's affection, is played by Alejandro Rey who is a good actor. Along with Elvis being pretty good in the movie and a few tunes I really like this movie probably ranks in my top ten or twelve favorite Elvis movies ever.

The soundtrack is either hit or miss for me, but overall I still dig it. See the review I did for the Fun In Acapulco FTD if you have not already. The movie would open on November 27th and by the end of 1963 would do 1.5 Million and reach number 33 for the top grossing films of 1963. That number might not seem that great but considering it was released at the end of November, that is a pretty good number. A few Elvis films from the early 60's got released late in the year and the numbers did not look as good as they actually were. Interesting note that the working titles for the movie had been Holiday In Acapulco and Vacation In Acapulco. I do not think either work as well as Fun In Acapulco.

Below is a video of my favorite number of the film. It is key and Elvis is in top form in this clip. The suit rocks as well, he was still wearing some key clothes in his movies at this point.

DOLL OF THE WEEK

Between work and playing golf this past week I have not got to blog as much as I would like. I am working a lot more than normal but I hope to get back on track. For our doll of the week we feature Michele Carey. She appeared in the movie Live A Little, Love A Little alongside Elvis. I always liked her character and she is very hot. She also appeared in another movie I am fond of, El Dorado with John Wayne.

Freaking rip off

I ran across this DVD set sometime at the end of last year and picked it up because it had Frankie and Johnny in it and I did not have it on DVD. I had watched it a few times since as I was going to bed but always went to sleep during it. Anyway, the other night I put it in to skip over to the Frankie and Johnny production number because it has always been one of my favorites. I was furious when I saw it. They had edited it and cut out most of it. The original number was a little over seven minutes long. I don't know how long this one is because I got mad and turned it off. I was very mad. I don't understand why they have done this. The song has always stuck with me for whatever reason and the longer version is super cool. This almost makes me as mad as having to go all those years with Girl Happy on VHS with the Startin Tonight number took out. At least when they brought it out on DVD it was there. I feel cheated and as you can tell by my rambling, very upset.

FRANKIE AND JOHNNY

I was driving down the road the other day listening to Elvis radio and caught the long production version of the song Frankie and Johnny from the movie with the same name. I have not seen this movie in several months and had not thought about this in some time. I have always liked this song, but hearing the long version reminded me of how much I like it. I really dig this song and the whole production number as well. The music from this movie is not at the top of my list as far as movie music goes but this song alone brings it up a few spots. I have already decided I will have to pick up the Frankie and Johnny FTD in Memphis this year, if not before that, so I can have the seven minute version to listen to anytime I want to.

Today in Elvis History

June 22, 1965 Elvis starts filming on his seventeenth film, Girl Happy. Girl Happy is not Elvis' best movie, but certainly not his worst. It has always been in my top ten favorites because I love the soundtrack and the story. what pushes this ahead of many other for me is Shelley Fabares and Mary Ann Mobley.

Images from Hawaii

My sister just got back from the island of Kauai. That is BS she got to go, when I have been wanting to go forever. Nah not really, I am glad she got to go. She was nice enough to go check out the site of the old Coco Palms and get a few pictures for me. It was a waste of a lot of money because she paid to travel to the other side of the island and it was all shut up and you can't get in. I am still glad she got me these pictures though. The sign above I am thinking is in the front at the old entrance.
She said the whole area was really beautiful. I really want to go, and I want to go check it out before they get rid of this place all together. I will say screw it and break in, and get some key pictures. She said she had heard while she was there they might try to do something with this soon. I have heard different and that it is not looking good for the property. I tend to think at this point there is no hope for it. I am sentimental when it comes to any historic spot from way back when it comes to Elvis history.
It never made any sense to me why this place has just sit in ruin since 92. This was the top resort in Hawaii for many years. It has a lot of history and deserves to be brought back to life. I hope it happens. Elvis fan or not I respect the importance and beauty of this great place. I have a few more pictures of the area that I might post in the next few days.

Also don't forget the great song "Island Of Love" from the movie Blue Hawaii. It is a very overlooked song. I have always thought it was key. Actually the whole damn soundtrack is key.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

From the set of Paradise, Hawaiian Style.

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

This is from one of my favorite movies ever, Girl Happy. Rusty is standing in a tree singing "The Clam". I have always enjoyed the song as well. I am digging this shirt as well. It is pretty key and I have always been a big fan of that color.

Parker movie to be made.

The fallowing was took from ElvisNews.com.

Producers David Permut and Steve Binder have acquired screen rights to Alanna Nash's 2003 book "The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley." Permut and Binder will develop a feature titled "The Colonel" based on the book about the man with shadowy origins who reinvented himself as the Svengali behind the world's most famous entertainer.Parker started his showbiz career as a hustler on the carnival circuit before promoting Minnie Pearl and Eddy Arnold. Parker built Presley into a global music and film star -- and took 50% of the spoils.Nash dug deeply into Parker's origins in the expose. While Parker always claimed to be American, Nash uncovered a past life in the Netherlands that included his possible involvement in the bludgeoning death of a female acquaintance. Though that murder remains unsolved, Permut said the event may factor into the script because it's one explanation of why Parker left abruptly for America and rarely ventured outside the U.S. Presley famously never went on a European tour because Parker didn't want to go there.Permut said he and Binder (who produced Presley's 1968 comeback TV special) set up the project after hiring a writer and director. Steve Longi will be co-producer.

I think this might be pretty neat to see something about the Tom Parker. However I wish it was a fair interpretation and they don't just make this about him being low,a crook, blah blah blah. I don't think it is any secret Binder didn't like Parker. I don't share the same opinon of most Presley fans who think Parker was the devil who led Elvis to hell and all that nonsense. This movie will be interesting though.