Elvis '56 (1987) Movie Script
Elvis, 1973.
His power and success
seem unlimited.
A billion and a half people
tuned in worldwide...
and witnessed
his crowing moment.
Elvis, 1968.
After 10 years
of Hollywood movies,
Elvis came back to prove
that he can still rock the house.
Yeah, all right
We're going down
We're going up,
down, down, up
Any way you want it
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Elvis, 1956,
when Elvis was young,
and so was rock and roll.
You can burn my house,
steal my car
Drink my liquor
from an old fruit jar
Do anything
that you want to do
But uh-uh, honey,
stay off of my shoes
Don't
step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything, but
lay off of my blue suede shoes
Oh!
So slip on
your blue suede shoes...
and come on back
to that one year...
when a 21-year-old kid from
Mississippi exploded across America...
and changed the face
of popular music forever.
Well, it's blue, blue,
blue suede shoes
Blue, blue,
blue suede shoes, baby
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
You can do anything, but lay
off of my blue suede shoes
That year was
Well, I heard the news
There's good rockin' tonight
Well, I heard the news
There's
a-good rockin' tonight
They call
him the hillbilly cat.
He's a 20-year-old
Memphis truck driver...
who loves to sing
rhythm and blues.
But before 1956, Elvis and his
band are unknown outside the South.
I say meet me
in a hurry behind the barn
Don't you be afraid, darling
I'll do you no harm
I want you to bring along
my rockin' shoes
'Cause tonight I'm gonna
rock away all my blues
I heard the news
There's good rockin' tonight
They've already cut
five records for Sun,
a small Memphis label
owned by Sam Phillips.
Well, we gonna rock
We gonna rock
Let's rock
Come on and rock
We gonna rock
All our blues away
Working together
in the tiny Sun studios,
they blend rhythm and blues
with country music...
and they create a new sound:
Rockabilly.
It's the early rumblings
of rock and roll.
Songs like
"Good Rockin' Tonight,".
"That's All Right, Mama"
and "Mystery Train"...
are starting to get play
on Southern radio stations,
and Elvis becomes a regular on
the Louisiana Hayride radio program.
Out on the road,
playing small-change clubs,
Elvis dreams
of becoming a big star.
The dream seems far-fetched,
except for one thing:
The girls who scream at the way
he moves when he sings.
We gonna rock
Let's rock
None of these facts are lost
on Colonel Tom Parker,
waiting in the wings, watching.
All our blues away
Now, Parker isn't
a real military colonel.
He's one of those
honorary Southern ones...
An ex-carnival huckster who
grew up in the world of the fast buck.
Parker recognizes
a gold mine when he sees it,
and offers Elvis
a personal management contract.
He tells Elvis,
"Son, right now you have a
million dollars' worth of talent.
By the time we're through,
you'll have a million dollars."
Because Elvis isn't yet 21,
he needs the approval of his
parents to sign the contract.
Elvis's mother, Gladys,
is a very protective woman
who distrusts the colonel...
and advises her son not to sign.
But Elvis and his father, Vernon,
go for it hook, line and sinker,
and Elvis begins a lifelong
partnership with the colonel.
Colonel Parker begins shopping
Elvis to the big record companies.
And by November 1955,
RCA buys Presley's contract
from Sam Phillips for $40,000...
The largest sum ever paid
for a country singer.
On January 8, 1956, Elvis
celebrates his 21st birthday.
Two days later, he records his
first RCA release: "Heartbreak Hotel."
Although it's always crowded
You still can find some room
For brokenhearted lovers
to cry there in the gloom
Be so,
They get so lonely, baby
We'll, they're so lonely
They'll be so lonely,
they could die
Colonel Parker lays plans...
to break Elvis
out of the South...
and introduce him
to a national audience.
Television, with its potential
for the widest possible exposure,
seems like the answer.
The colonel books Elvis
for six appearances...
on the Dorsey Brothers'
Stage Show.
On January 28, Elvis appears
on television for the very first time.
It's his first trip to New York.
The big city.
The world of show business.
Stage Show!
Oh!
Here he is, ladies and
gentlemen, Mr. Elvis Presley!
Well, get out
of that kitchen
And a-rattle
those pots and pans
Get out of that kitchen and
a-rattle those pots and pans
Well, roll my breakfast
'cause I'm a hungry man
I believe you're doin'
me wrong, and now I know
I believe you're doin'
me wrong, and now I know
'Cause the harder I work,
the faster my money goes
Well, let's shake,
rattle and roll
I said shake,
rattle and roll
Well, you won't do right
to save your doggone soul
Play it!
I'm like a Mississippi bullfrog
settin' on a hollow stump
I'm like a Mississippi bullfrog
settin' on a hollow stump
I got so many women, I
don't know which way to jump
Well, I said
flip, flop and fly
I don't care if I die
I said flip, flop and fly
I don't care if I die
I won't ever leave
Don't ever say good-bye
An amazing thing happens from
the very moment people lay eyes on him.
And it isn't just the music.
It's the clothes,
the sideburns and ducktail.
He doesn't just look different.
He looks dangerous.
The 1950s Eisenhower era was a
time of conformity in American life:
Ranch houses,
backyard barbecues.
And Elvis? Nobody knew
what to make of him at first.
His singing style had nothing in
common with "Que Ser, Ser"...
or other white-bread tunes
from the hit parade of 1956.
Oh
Hot diggity, dog ziggity,
Boom, what you do to me
It's so new to me,
what you do to me
Hot diggity, dog ziggity,
Boom, what you do to me
When you're
holding me tight
While Perry Como on NBC...
sings his current hit,
"Hot Diggity Dog Diggity,"
Elvis, opposite on CBS,
rips into
"Baby, Let's Play House."
Oh, baby, baby,
baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Well, you may go to college
You may go to school
You may have a pink Cadillac
But don't you be
nobody's fool
Now, baby
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Well, listen
Let me tell you, baby
What I'm talkin' about
Come on back to me, little
girl, so we can play some house
Now, baby
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Hit it, baby!
Let's rock! Let's go!
Well, this is
one thing, baby
That I want you to know
Come on back and
let's play a little house
And we can act
like we did before
Now, baby
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Go wild!
Yeah, let's go! Go!
Yeah.
Well, listen to me, baby
Try to understand
I'd rather see you dead, little
girl, than to wed another man
Oh, baby
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Oh, baby, baby,
baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby,
b-b-b-b-b-b
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Yeah. That's all.
What makes
Elvis so threatening...
is his choice of black
rhythm and blues music.
Thank you very much.
America is still a
segregated nation in 1956...
in everything from water
fountains to education.
Racial tensions are beginning
to spark civil rights protests...
and to make way for a Baptist
minister, Dr. Martin Luther King.
Elvis is a Southern boy who just soaked
up the musical influences of his youth...
Black and white,
country and western,
pop and gospel...
Mixed 'em all together,
made up his own brand
of rock and roll.
By performing songs like Little Richard's
"Tutti Frutti" on national television,
Elvis crosses
the racial barrier in music...
and kicks down the door for scores
of artists to follow... black and white.
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
Tutti frutti, oh, Rudy
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
Got a gal named Sue
She know just what to do
I got a gal named Sue
She know just what to do
She knows how to love me
Yes, indeed
Boy, you don't know
what you do to me
Tutti frutti, oh, Rudy
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
I got a gal named Daisy
She almost drive me crazy
I got a gal named Daisy
She almost drive me crazy
She know how to love me
Yes, indeed
Boy, you don't know
what you do to me
Tutti frutti, oh, Rudy
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
Hey, boy. Hit it!
Boy, let's go!
Well
Tutti frutti, oh, Rudy
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
I got a gal named Daisy
She almost drive me crazy
I got a gal named Daisy
She almost drive me crazy
She knows how to love me
Yes, indeed
Boy, you don't know
what you do to me
Tutti frutti, oh, Rudy
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
Between TV appearances,
Elvis and the band
continue to tour furiously.
A breakneck series
of one-nighters:
Richmond. Sarasota. Greensboro.
Odessa, Texas.
Scotty Moore on guitar,
Bill Black on doghouse base...
and D.J. Fontana on drums.
Baby, one of these mornings
Lord, it won't be long
You'll look for me and, baby,
your daddy, he'll be gone
You know you left me
You know you left me
My baby
Away from New York,
driving all night to make a gig,
they can't possibly feel the rumblings
of the earthquake they've created.
When they return to New York
on March 17,
"Heartbreak Hotel" is racing up
the charts to the number one spot.
And it's just the ducktail
tip of the iceberg.
Well, since my baby left me
Well, I found
a new place to dwell
Well, it's down
at the end of Lonely Street
At Heartbreak Hotel
Where I'll be
so lonely, baby
Well, I'm so lonely
I'll be so lonely,
I could die
Although it's always crowded
You still can find some room
For brokenhearted lovers
to cry there in the gloom
And be so Be so lonely, baby
We'll, they're so lonely
They're so lonely,
they could die
Now the bellhop's tears
keep flowin'
And the desk clerk's
dressed in black
Well, they've been so long
on Lonely Street
They'll never,
never look back
And they're so
They're so lonely, baby
They're so lonely
They're so lonely,
they 'fraid to die
Well, if your baby
leaves you
And you've got
a tale to tell
Well, just take a walk
down Lonely Street
To Heartbreak Hotel
And you'll be
You'll be so lonely, baby
You'll be lonely
You'll be so lonely,
you could die
Well
"Heartbreak
Hotel" sells two million copies,
the first gold record
of his career.
The demand is so great
for Elvis's recordings...
that RCA has to use the pressing
plants of other record labels...
to fill their orders.
While in New York, Elvis takes time
out to enjoy his newfound success.
He meets a jewelry salesman
backstage...
and buys
his first diamond ring...
A horseshoe, for good luck.
Blue moon
He takes a stroll
around Times Square.
It's the last time
Elvis will be able...
to walk the streets of a big
city without being recognized.
Without a love of my own
Blue moon
You knew just what
Back at the Warwick
Hotel, the fan mail is already pouring in.
People want to know who he is,
what he thinks.
In a lot of the mail I get,
people ask questions about the kind
of things I do and all that sort of stuff.
Well, I-I don't smoke and I don't
drink and I love to go to movies.
Maybe someday I'm gonna have
a home and a family of my own,
and I'm not gonna budge from it.
I-I was an only child, but...
maybe my kids won't be.
I suppose this kind of talk raises
another question: Am I in love?
No.
I've thought I've been in love, but I
guess I wasn't. It just passed over.
I guess I haven't
met the girl yet, but I will,
and I hope I won't be too long,
'cause I get lonesome sometimes.
I get lonesome
right in the middle of a crowd.
I've got a feeling that...
That, with her,
whoever she may be, I won't be
lonesome, no matter where I am.
Hollywood is
the flip side of Elvis's dream.
Ever since his days
as a 15-year-old usher...
at the Loew's State Theatre
in Memphis,
he watches screen idols like
Robert Mitchum and Tony Curtis...
and fantasizes
about being a movie star.
More than anything, Elvis wants to be
a serious actor like the late James Dean.
He worships the star, who tragically died
in a car crash just four months earlier.
He sees Rebel Without a Cause
no less than a dozen times...
and memorizes
every one of Dean's lines.
On April 1, Elvis does a screen
test for producer Hal Wallis.
He's given a scene
from The Rainmaker,
an upcoming Burt Lancaster-
Katharine Hepburn movie.
Wallis likes what he sees,
and on April 7, Elvis signs a seven-year
contract with Paramount Pictures.
It's a dream
come true, you know?
I've had people ask me was
I gonna sing in the movies.
I'm-I'm not.
I mean, not as...
As far as I know,
'cause I-I took a... an
acting test, and I wouldn't...
Actually, I wouldn't care too
much about singing in the movies.
Paramount does
offer him a part in The Rainmaker.
But under advice from the
colonel, he turns it down.
Instead, Wallis loans
Elvis out to another studio...
for a Debra Paget-Richard Egan
Western called The Reno Brothers.
Shooting will begin in August.
With television deals and
movie contracts in his hip pocket,
the colonel moves on
to Las Vegas.
On April 23, Elvis appears
in Las Vegas for the first time.
The colonel promotes him
as "The Atomic-Powered Singer."
And he bombs.
Elvis opens at the Venus Room...
of the New Frontier Hotel...
on the same bill...
as Freddy Martin
and his orchestra...
and comedian Shecky Greene.
Ladies and
gentlemen, Elvis Presley.
Well, it's one for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready
Now go, cat, go
But don't you
step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything, but
lay off of my blue suede shoes
Well, the first
night especially, I was...
I was absolutely scared stiff.
Afterwards, I got
a little more relaxed.
It was strictly an adult audience
and mostly elderly people.
Show business
newspaper Variety reports...
that for the teenagers,
he's a whiz.
For the average Vegas spender,
he's a fizz.
Elvis didn't play
Las Vegas again for 14 years.
But the two-week stay
isn't a total loss.
The hillbilly cat
meets Mr. Showmanship.
And Elvis receives some
invaluable advice from Liberace...
about how to dress
to please an audience.
Well, it's blue, blue,
blue suede shoes
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
You can do anything, but lay
off of my blue suede shoes
And he takes home an autograph
for his mother, Gladys.
On June 5, Elvis
returns to Los Angeles...
and appears
on The Milton Berle Show.
I want to tell you something.
Incidentally, ladies and gentlemen,
I don't think that I'm revealing
any secrets when I say...
When I say that Elvis Presley is
the fastest-rising young singer...
in the entertainment industry
today.
He might
have been a fizz in Vegas,
but he now receives
his second gold record...
for "I Want You,
I Need You, I Love You."
all over the country, Elvis
Presley! Come on! Bring him on.
You ain't nothin' but a
hound dog, hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Elvis chooses the number...
originally recorded by Big Mama
Thornton called "Hound Dog."
Low-down, bluesy, hot and raw.
Well, they said
you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, they said
you were high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
And you ain't
no friend of mine
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
And you ain't
no friend of mine
Well, they said
you were high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, they said
you were high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
And you ain't
no friend of mine
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Yeah, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
You ain't no friend of mine
You
ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
You ain't no friend of mine
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin' but a
hound dog, hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
You ain't no friend of mine
Elvis Presley! How
'bout my boy? I love him.
Forty million people tune in,
and the next day,
Elvis is in deep trouble.
Elvis can't sing...
The TV critics tear him apart.
There is quite a group of people
who don't approve of this thing you do.
Elvis Presley is a
no-talent performer riding the crest...
Rock and
roll music, if you like it,
and if you feel it, you can't help but
move to it. That's what happens to me.
When you hear rock and roll,
it gets you all afire? It gets gyrations...
And I have to move
around. I can't stand still.
I've tried it,
and I... I can't do it.
What about
the name "Elvis the Pelvis"?
It's one of the most
childish expressions I've ever heard.
I don't like to be called
Elvis the Pelvis,
but if they want to call me that,
there's nothing I can do about it.
They seem to think...
that it contributes to juvenile
delinquency and all sorts of things.
If someone saw
me singing and dancing,
I don't see
how they could think...
that it would contribute
to juvenile delinquency.
If there's anything
I've tried to do,
I've tried to live
a straight, clean life,
and not set
any kind of a bad example.
Now, you cannot please everyone.
Elvis is back
in New York on June 28,
and he rehearses
The Steve Allen Show.
With the storm of controversy
raging all around him,
Elvis finds a peaceful moment
alone at a piano...
and plays
a favorite gospel song.
I thank the Lord
For everything
When things are going my way
He said to me
"I will comfort thee
And drive your cares away"
He's soon joined by the colonel
and two William Morris agents.
He promised me
NBC is under pressure
to cancel the appearance...
because of the outrage
brought on by the Berle show...
and announces to the press
that Presley...
will not be permitted
to bump and grind on the show.
Elvis does become suspicious when
a tailor arrives to fit him for a tuxedo.
Steve Allen thinks
it would be funny...
if Elvis wears
white tie and tails...
while singing "Hound Dog"
to a real basset hound.
The dog is also gonna wear
a top hat and bow tie.
The colonel makes sure
that his boy is fitted properly.
Ninety-nine. 9-9. Ninety-nine.
On his day off, between the rehearsal
and broadcast of the Allen show,
Elvis heads down
to Richmond, Virginia...
for two live performances.
And he's glad
to be back home in the South.
Well, lawdy,
lawdy, lawdy, Miss Clawdy
Girl, you sure
Look good to me
Well, please
don't excite me, baby
I know it can't be me
Well, as a girl
you want my money
Yeah, but you just won't
treat me right
You like to ball
every morning
Don't come home
till late at night
Oh, gonna tell, tell my mama
Lord, I swear, girl,
what you been doing to me
I'm gonna tell everybody
That I'm down in misery
So bye
Bye, bye, baby
Girl, I won't be
comin' no more
Good-bye, little darlin'
Down the road I'll go
Oh, bye
Bye, bye, baby
Girl, I won't be
comin' no more
Good-bye, little darlin'
Down the road I'll go
With the shows completed,
Elvis goes back to New York
to do The Steve Allen Show,
wear the tuxedo
and sing to that dog.
Well, you know, a couple of weeks
ago on The Milton Berle Show,
our next guest, Elvis Presley,
received a great deal of attention,
which some people seem to interpret one
way, and some viewers interpret it another.
Naturally it's our intention to do
nothing but a good show.
Somebody's barking back there.
We want to do a show the whole family
can watch and enjoy, and we always do.
And tonight we are presenting
Elvis Presley in his...
What you might call his
first comeback.
And at this time it gives me extreme
pleasure to introduce the new Elvis Presley!
Here he is!
Well, Elvis, you're certainly being a
real good sport about the whole thing,
and now I have a little surprise
for you. Gene, could I have...
And that was with the great vocal
group the Jordanaires in the background.
Elvis, your new record hit...
I predict it's going to be one,
'cause I've heard you
rehearse it.
You're gonna record it tomorrow,
called "Hound Dog." Yes, sir.
I got you a very cute
little hound dog right here.
And away you go. Who's that?
Elvis will
often refer to this night...
as "the most ridiculous
performance of my entire career."
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
C-Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
C-Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a
rabbit, and you ain't no friend of mine
Well, they said
you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, they said
you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
And you ain't
no friend of mine
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
C-Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
C-Cryin' all the time
You ain't never caught a rabbit,
and you ain't no friend of mine
You ain't no friend of mine
The very
next morning, Elvis, Scotty,
Bill and D.J.
team up with the Jordanaires...
in the RCA recording studios
and cut "Hound Dog."
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Listening to playbacks, Elvis
decides he wants to try another take.
Supposedly the session is run by
RCA "A" and "R" man Steve Sholes,
but it's clearly the 21-year-old
Elvis who's in charge.
Elvis may have been willing
to sing to a dog on TV,
but when it comes to his own
music, nobody is more serious.
That was a good opening.
Two, three, four.
Elvis learned production
during his Sun days with Sam Phillips.
But his instincts tell him
to change his style.
Instead of the echo
and the reverb of rockabilly,
he wants something bigger,
more explosive.
Steve Sholes wants Elvis
to quit after 18 takes.
Even the band thinks
he's got the song right.
You ain't nothing
but a hound dog
But Elvis insists on doing
30 takes of the song...
before he's really satisfied.
You ain't nothing
but a hound dog
Crying all the time
After listening
to the playbacks,
he chooses number 28.
You ain't nothing
but a hound dog
As hard as he works
on "Hound Dog,"
the next song is a breeze.
Flipping through
a stack of demos,
Elvis selects a song from New
York songwriter Otis Blackwell...
called "Don't Be Cruel."
He quickly works out the
arrangement on piano with the band...
and cuts the song
in eight takes.
One, two, three, four.
"Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel"
become Elvis's third and fourth
gold records of the year.
You know I can be found
Sitting home all alone
If you can't come around
At least please telephone
Don't be cruel
To a heart that's true
Baby, if I made you mad
For something
I might have said
Please, let's forget my past
The future looks
bright ahead
Don't be cruel
To a heart that's true
I don't want no other love
Baby, it's just you
I'm thinking of
Don't be cruel
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Elvis records still another song,
the ballad "Any Way You Want Me."
He takes three quick acetate pressings of
the songs with him and leaves the studio.
I don't want no other love
Baby, it's just you
I'm thinking of
He's going home to Memphis.
I've been
traveling over mountains
The trip to Memphis
is a 28-hour train ride.
And it gives Elvis a chance to
relax, catch up on some sleep...
Baby, trying to get to you
And listen to the acetates
from his recording session.
Colonel Parker is now
orchestrating Elvis's career...
like a million-dollar sideshow.
He is about to sign a deal
to merchandise...
72 different Elvis Presley
products with Hank Saperstein,
who sells toys for Wyatt Earp,
The Lone Ranger
and Ding Dong School.
In no time at all,
Elvis's face is on
everything from clothing...
to bubble gum cards.
Well, there's nothing
that could hold me
In six months,
these Presley mania products...
earn $22 million.
When your loving letter
told me
That you really
loved me true
Lord above me
knows I love you
It was he
who brought me through
When my way
was dark as night
He would shine
his brightest light
When I was trying
to get to you
At a stop in a rural suburb of Memphis
that isn't much more than a grass field,
the colonel lets his boy go,
with instructions
to say hello to his mother, Gladys.
Elvis gets off the train alone,
carries only his records.
The best part of Elvis's success
is what he can do now
for his parents.
The devoted son buys them
a brand-new home...
in a Memphis suburb
on Audubon Drive.
New pink and white Cadillacs
stand in the driveway.
The ranch-style house is the first
home the Presleys have ever owned.
When I do get
some time off, I usually...
I always go home and
see my folks, and, uh,
ride a lot of motorcycles
and do different things.
His fans are already
out front waiting under the carport.
For now, Elvis can meet
and talk with his fans openly.
But within a year, the
Presleys will need more privacy,
and Elvis will move
to Graceland.
Family and friends are all on
hand to greet the returning hero.
Elvis's father, Vernon,
his cousin Junior Smith,
Grandma Minnie Mae Presley,
who Elvis calls the Dodger.
Elvis takes a dip in the family's
brand-new swimming pool.
With his hair still wet,
Elvis proudly plays the acetate
of "Any Way You Want Me"...
for his high school sweetheart
Barbara Hearn.
I'll be strong
As a mountain
Or weak as a willow tree
Any way
You want me
Right now Elvis likes
being with local Memphis girls
he knew before he became a star.
Within the year, Elvis will be
dating Las Vegas showgirls...
and Hollywood starlets
like Natalie Wood.
More than anything, the visit home means
time to spend catching up with his mother.
I suppose,
since I was an only child,
that we might have been
a little closer.
And Mother was always
right with me all my life.
A friend, a companion,
someone to talk to.
I could wake her up
any hour of the night,
and if I was worried
or troubled about something,
she'd get up and try to help me.
And now that
he's home from the road,
she makes sure that he has
plenty of clean underwear.
Before long, it's time to get
ready for the evening's concert.
It's a July 4th benefit
at Russwood Stadium in Memphis.
14,000 people show up
to see their hometown boy.
When he takes the stage
at 10:30 that night,
a promise is delivered
to the family and friends...
who watched his rise
from the start.
Elvis tells them, "Those people in New
York are not gonna change me none."
I'm gonna show you what the
real Elvis Presley is like tonight."
Well, get out of that bed
Wash your face and hands
Get out of that bed
Wash your face and hands
Well, get in that kitchen Make
some noise with the pots and pans
I believe it to my soul
You're the devil in nylon hose
For the harder I work,
the faster my money goes
Well, I said shake,
rattle and roll
I said
shake, rattle and roll
Well, you won't do right
to save your doggone soul
Shake, rattle and roll
No task is too small for the
colonel when it comes to promoting his boy.
Outside the stadium, the colonel
sells 8-by-10 glossies of Elvis,
suitable for framing,
at 10 cents a pop.
The first two weeks of August, Elvis
begins a series of one-nighters in Florida.
Ready, set Go, man, go
I got a gal that I love so
I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready teddy
Ready, ready ted I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy Ready,
ready, ready to rock and roll
Going down to the corner,
pick up my sweetie pie
She's my rock-and-roll baby
She's the apple of my eye I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready
A Jacksonville
juvenile court judge...
issues a restraining order to stop him
from making offensive gyrations onstage.
I shuffle to the left
I shuffle to the right
I'm gonna rock and roll till
the early, early light I'm ready
To satisfy the court, Elvis
moves only his little finger,
and the kids still go wild.
Ready, ready, ready
to rock and roll
Filming starts on The
Reno Brothers August 23.
Elvis shows up on the set the first
day with the entire script memorized...
His lines and everybody else's.
There's nobody
that helps you out.
They have a director
and a producer, and just,
uh, as far as the acting
and all, you're on your own.
I might accomplish something
at it through the years.
Cathy?
What you doing?
Is something wrong?
No. No, Clint. Nothing. I was...
Cathy, you're crying.
What are you crying about?
I-I don't know, Clint.
I had a bad dream, I guess.
The war and everything.
Oh, don't cry.
We're all safe again.
There's nothing
to worry about anymore.
I hope not.
He's surprised to find...
that Paramount has slipped
four songs into the movie.
Hal Wallis decides he doesn't want
a bunch of hillbillies out of Nashville...
playing on his soundtrack...
and tells Elvis he can't use Scotty,
Bill and D.J. to record the songs.
Instead, Elvis must sing
with the Ken Darby Trio.
The Reno Brothers
now becomes Love Me Tender.
And so begins Elvis's career
in Hollywood.
Love me tender
Love me true
All my dreams fulfill
For, my darling
I love you
And I always will
Love me tender
Love me long
Take me to your heart
For it's there that I belong
And we'll never part
On September 9,
Elvis makes his first of three
appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Sullivan vowed never to have
Elvis the Pelvis on his show,
but the sheer power
of Elvis's popularity...
forces him to change his mind.
Ready, set Go, man, go
I got a gal that I love so
I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready
Ready, ready ted I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy I'm ready,
ready, ready to rock and roll
Going down to the corner,
pick up my sweetie pie
She's my rock-and-roll baby
She's the apple of my eye I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready
Ready, ready ted I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy I'm ready,
ready, ready to rock and roll
Flat-top cats
and the dungaree dolls
Are headed to the gym
to the sock hop ball
The joint is really jumping
The cats are going wild
The music really sends me I
dig that crazy style I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready
Ready, ready ted I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy I'm ready,
ready, ready to rock and roll
The flat-top cats
and the dungaree dolls
Are headed for the gym
to the sock hop ball
The joint is really jumping
The cats are going wild
The music really sends me I
dig that crazy style I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready
Ready, ready ted I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy I'm ready,
ready, ready to rock and roll
Thank you very much.
And now, friends, we'd like to
introduce you to a brand-new song,
"Love Me Tender."
Love me tender
Love me sweet
Never let me go
The sweetness of the ballad and
the honest warmth of the delivery...
blunt the edge of public wrath.
As the country boy shows his
other side, more are converted.
Fifty-four million people
watch the show.
One out of
every three Americans.
Love me true
All my dreams
The very next day, RCA gets
one million advance orders...
for "Love Me Tender."
Now Elvis gets his fifth
gold record of the year.
I love you
And I always will
Elvis returns to
his birthplace...
in Tupelo, Mississippi
on September 26...
as the star attraction
at the state fair.
He receives a hero's welcome,
and the mayor gives him
the key to the city.
I hope you will take this key and
use it to the best way you see fit.
Thank you, Mayor. Thank you,
ladies and gentlemen, very much.
And, uh... And, uh...
Well, since my baby left me
Well, I found a new place
to dwell
It's down at the end
of Lonely Street
At Heartbreak Hotel
You make me so lonely, baby
I get so lonely
I get so lonely I could die
His triumphant return is a
classic American success story.
Elvis was born and bred in a tiny
shotgun house on the edge of Tupelo.
A 10-year-old Elvis won second
prize at this same state fair...
for singing "Old Shep,"
a song about a boy and his dog.
Now he performs
for 22,000 people...
and donates his $10,000 fee
to charity.
Today he wears a velvet shirt
made for him by his mom.
Next year he'll return
for another benefit,
dressed in his famous
gold lam suit,
designed in Hollywood.
On October 24, Variety publishes
a front-page banner headline:
"Elvis,
a Millionaire in One Year."
Love Me Tender is released on
November 16, premiering in New York City.
3,000 teenagers scream...
as a 40-foot-high statue
of Elvis is unveiled.
We want Elvis!
Elvis's transformation
into a movie star is complete,
even if some fans
are disappointed that the film
contains no rock-and-roll music.
Love me tender
Critics pan the film,
but it makes back its million-dollar
production cost within days.
At the end of 1956,
the two top-grossing films
in the nation...
are Giant, starring James Dean,
and Love Me Tender,
starring Elvis Presley.
Elvis appeared for the last time
on The Ed Sullivan Show...
January 6, 1957,
almost one year to the day...
since a 21-year-old
Elvis Presley...
first entered the RCA studio
to cut "Heartbreak Hotel."
By now, his hair is dyed
jet-black...
because he believes it'll
photograph better for the movies,
and he thinks it makes him
look a little like Tony Curtis.
You know I can be found
Sitting home all alone
If you can't come around
At least please telephone
Don't be cruel
To a heart that's true
Sullivan makes one last
desperate attempt to censor Elvis...
by photographing him
only from the waist up.
Then you'll know
you'll have me
And I'll know
I'll have you too
Don't be cruel
To a heart that's true
I don't want no other love
Baby, it's just you
I'm thinking of
Don't be cruel
Ooh, ooh, ooh
To a heart that's true
Don't be cruel
Ooh, ooh, ooh
To a heart that's true
Here we go.
Well, I don't want no other
love
Baby, it's just you
I'm thinking of
For his final song on the show,
Elvis performs the gospel
classic "Peace in the Valley."
Oh, well, I'm tired and so
weary
But I must go alone
Till the Lord
comes and calls
Calls me away
Oh, yes
Well, the morning's
so bright
And the lamp is alight
And the night
Night is as black
As the sea
Oh, yes
There will be peace
In the valley
For me someday
There will be peace
in the valley
For me
Oh, Lord, I pray
There'll be no sadness
No sorrow
No trouble Trouble I see
There will be peace
in the valley
For me
For me
It's the end of an era.
Elvis will make only three more
TV appearances in his lifetime.
Treat me like a fool
Treat me mean and cruel
But love me
After 1956, his stardom
becomes so unprecedented...
that it turns his world
upside down.
In 1957, his concerts
are so big and unmanageable...
that Elvis stops touring.
The original band of Scotty,
Bill and D.J. break up.
Elvis moves to the privacy
of Graceland with his family.
And right at the very peak
of his success,
his beloved mother passes away.
I'll be sad and blue
Crying over you
He goes on to make
a total of 33 films...
and becomes the highest
paid star in Hollywood.
He sells a billion records
worldwide.
Rarely has a single man so greatly
affected the world through his music.
But after 1956,
we would never be able
to get that close to him again.
I want your heart
Beating close to mine
So close to mine
Well, if you ever go
Darling, I'll be, oh
So lonely
Begging on my knees
All I ask is please
Please love me
Oh, yeah
Yes, my baby left me
Never said a word
Was it something I done,
something that she heard?
My baby left me
My baby left me
My baby even left me
Never said a word
Lord, I stand at my window
Wring my hands and cry
I hate to lose that woman
Hate to say good-bye
You know she left me
Yes, she left me
My baby even left me
Never said a word
Let loose, boys.
His power and success
seem unlimited.
A billion and a half people
tuned in worldwide...
and witnessed
his crowing moment.
Elvis, 1968.
After 10 years
of Hollywood movies,
Elvis came back to prove
that he can still rock the house.
Yeah, all right
We're going down
We're going up,
down, down, up
Any way you want it
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Elvis, 1956,
when Elvis was young,
and so was rock and roll.
You can burn my house,
steal my car
Drink my liquor
from an old fruit jar
Do anything
that you want to do
But uh-uh, honey,
stay off of my shoes
Don't
step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything, but
lay off of my blue suede shoes
Oh!
So slip on
your blue suede shoes...
and come on back
to that one year...
when a 21-year-old kid from
Mississippi exploded across America...
and changed the face
of popular music forever.
Well, it's blue, blue,
blue suede shoes
Blue, blue,
blue suede shoes, baby
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
You can do anything, but lay
off of my blue suede shoes
That year was
Well, I heard the news
There's good rockin' tonight
Well, I heard the news
There's
a-good rockin' tonight
They call
him the hillbilly cat.
He's a 20-year-old
Memphis truck driver...
who loves to sing
rhythm and blues.
But before 1956, Elvis and his
band are unknown outside the South.
I say meet me
in a hurry behind the barn
Don't you be afraid, darling
I'll do you no harm
I want you to bring along
my rockin' shoes
'Cause tonight I'm gonna
rock away all my blues
I heard the news
There's good rockin' tonight
They've already cut
five records for Sun,
a small Memphis label
owned by Sam Phillips.
Well, we gonna rock
We gonna rock
Let's rock
Come on and rock
We gonna rock
All our blues away
Working together
in the tiny Sun studios,
they blend rhythm and blues
with country music...
and they create a new sound:
Rockabilly.
It's the early rumblings
of rock and roll.
Songs like
"Good Rockin' Tonight,".
"That's All Right, Mama"
and "Mystery Train"...
are starting to get play
on Southern radio stations,
and Elvis becomes a regular on
the Louisiana Hayride radio program.
Out on the road,
playing small-change clubs,
Elvis dreams
of becoming a big star.
The dream seems far-fetched,
except for one thing:
The girls who scream at the way
he moves when he sings.
We gonna rock
Let's rock
None of these facts are lost
on Colonel Tom Parker,
waiting in the wings, watching.
All our blues away
Now, Parker isn't
a real military colonel.
He's one of those
honorary Southern ones...
An ex-carnival huckster who
grew up in the world of the fast buck.
Parker recognizes
a gold mine when he sees it,
and offers Elvis
a personal management contract.
He tells Elvis,
"Son, right now you have a
million dollars' worth of talent.
By the time we're through,
you'll have a million dollars."
Because Elvis isn't yet 21,
he needs the approval of his
parents to sign the contract.
Elvis's mother, Gladys,
is a very protective woman
who distrusts the colonel...
and advises her son not to sign.
But Elvis and his father, Vernon,
go for it hook, line and sinker,
and Elvis begins a lifelong
partnership with the colonel.
Colonel Parker begins shopping
Elvis to the big record companies.
And by November 1955,
RCA buys Presley's contract
from Sam Phillips for $40,000...
The largest sum ever paid
for a country singer.
On January 8, 1956, Elvis
celebrates his 21st birthday.
Two days later, he records his
first RCA release: "Heartbreak Hotel."
Although it's always crowded
You still can find some room
For brokenhearted lovers
to cry there in the gloom
Be so,
They get so lonely, baby
We'll, they're so lonely
They'll be so lonely,
they could die
Colonel Parker lays plans...
to break Elvis
out of the South...
and introduce him
to a national audience.
Television, with its potential
for the widest possible exposure,
seems like the answer.
The colonel books Elvis
for six appearances...
on the Dorsey Brothers'
Stage Show.
On January 28, Elvis appears
on television for the very first time.
It's his first trip to New York.
The big city.
The world of show business.
Stage Show!
Oh!
Here he is, ladies and
gentlemen, Mr. Elvis Presley!
Well, get out
of that kitchen
And a-rattle
those pots and pans
Get out of that kitchen and
a-rattle those pots and pans
Well, roll my breakfast
'cause I'm a hungry man
I believe you're doin'
me wrong, and now I know
I believe you're doin'
me wrong, and now I know
'Cause the harder I work,
the faster my money goes
Well, let's shake,
rattle and roll
I said shake,
rattle and roll
Well, you won't do right
to save your doggone soul
Play it!
I'm like a Mississippi bullfrog
settin' on a hollow stump
I'm like a Mississippi bullfrog
settin' on a hollow stump
I got so many women, I
don't know which way to jump
Well, I said
flip, flop and fly
I don't care if I die
I said flip, flop and fly
I don't care if I die
I won't ever leave
Don't ever say good-bye
An amazing thing happens from
the very moment people lay eyes on him.
And it isn't just the music.
It's the clothes,
the sideburns and ducktail.
He doesn't just look different.
He looks dangerous.
The 1950s Eisenhower era was a
time of conformity in American life:
Ranch houses,
backyard barbecues.
And Elvis? Nobody knew
what to make of him at first.
His singing style had nothing in
common with "Que Ser, Ser"...
or other white-bread tunes
from the hit parade of 1956.
Oh
Hot diggity, dog ziggity,
Boom, what you do to me
It's so new to me,
what you do to me
Hot diggity, dog ziggity,
Boom, what you do to me
When you're
holding me tight
While Perry Como on NBC...
sings his current hit,
"Hot Diggity Dog Diggity,"
Elvis, opposite on CBS,
rips into
"Baby, Let's Play House."
Oh, baby, baby,
baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Well, you may go to college
You may go to school
You may have a pink Cadillac
But don't you be
nobody's fool
Now, baby
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Well, listen
Let me tell you, baby
What I'm talkin' about
Come on back to me, little
girl, so we can play some house
Now, baby
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Hit it, baby!
Let's rock! Let's go!
Well, this is
one thing, baby
That I want you to know
Come on back and
let's play a little house
And we can act
like we did before
Now, baby
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Go wild!
Yeah, let's go! Go!
Yeah.
Well, listen to me, baby
Try to understand
I'd rather see you dead, little
girl, than to wed another man
Oh, baby
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby, come
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Oh, baby, baby,
baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby,
b-b-b-b-b-b
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Come back, baby
I wanna play house with you
Yeah. That's all.
What makes
Elvis so threatening...
is his choice of black
rhythm and blues music.
Thank you very much.
America is still a
segregated nation in 1956...
in everything from water
fountains to education.
Racial tensions are beginning
to spark civil rights protests...
and to make way for a Baptist
minister, Dr. Martin Luther King.
Elvis is a Southern boy who just soaked
up the musical influences of his youth...
Black and white,
country and western,
pop and gospel...
Mixed 'em all together,
made up his own brand
of rock and roll.
By performing songs like Little Richard's
"Tutti Frutti" on national television,
Elvis crosses
the racial barrier in music...
and kicks down the door for scores
of artists to follow... black and white.
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
Tutti frutti, oh, Rudy
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
Got a gal named Sue
She know just what to do
I got a gal named Sue
She know just what to do
She knows how to love me
Yes, indeed
Boy, you don't know
what you do to me
Tutti frutti, oh, Rudy
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
I got a gal named Daisy
She almost drive me crazy
I got a gal named Daisy
She almost drive me crazy
She know how to love me
Yes, indeed
Boy, you don't know
what you do to me
Tutti frutti, oh, Rudy
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
Hey, boy. Hit it!
Boy, let's go!
Well
Tutti frutti, oh, Rudy
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
I got a gal named Daisy
She almost drive me crazy
I got a gal named Daisy
She almost drive me crazy
She knows how to love me
Yes, indeed
Boy, you don't know
what you do to me
Tutti frutti, oh, Rudy
A whop bop a loo ma
Ba lop bam boom
Between TV appearances,
Elvis and the band
continue to tour furiously.
A breakneck series
of one-nighters:
Richmond. Sarasota. Greensboro.
Odessa, Texas.
Scotty Moore on guitar,
Bill Black on doghouse base...
and D.J. Fontana on drums.
Baby, one of these mornings
Lord, it won't be long
You'll look for me and, baby,
your daddy, he'll be gone
You know you left me
You know you left me
My baby
Away from New York,
driving all night to make a gig,
they can't possibly feel the rumblings
of the earthquake they've created.
When they return to New York
on March 17,
"Heartbreak Hotel" is racing up
the charts to the number one spot.
And it's just the ducktail
tip of the iceberg.
Well, since my baby left me
Well, I found
a new place to dwell
Well, it's down
at the end of Lonely Street
At Heartbreak Hotel
Where I'll be
so lonely, baby
Well, I'm so lonely
I'll be so lonely,
I could die
Although it's always crowded
You still can find some room
For brokenhearted lovers
to cry there in the gloom
And be so Be so lonely, baby
We'll, they're so lonely
They're so lonely,
they could die
Now the bellhop's tears
keep flowin'
And the desk clerk's
dressed in black
Well, they've been so long
on Lonely Street
They'll never,
never look back
And they're so
They're so lonely, baby
They're so lonely
They're so lonely,
they 'fraid to die
Well, if your baby
leaves you
And you've got
a tale to tell
Well, just take a walk
down Lonely Street
To Heartbreak Hotel
And you'll be
You'll be so lonely, baby
You'll be lonely
You'll be so lonely,
you could die
Well
"Heartbreak
Hotel" sells two million copies,
the first gold record
of his career.
The demand is so great
for Elvis's recordings...
that RCA has to use the pressing
plants of other record labels...
to fill their orders.
While in New York, Elvis takes time
out to enjoy his newfound success.
He meets a jewelry salesman
backstage...
and buys
his first diamond ring...
A horseshoe, for good luck.
Blue moon
He takes a stroll
around Times Square.
It's the last time
Elvis will be able...
to walk the streets of a big
city without being recognized.
Without a love of my own
Blue moon
You knew just what
Back at the Warwick
Hotel, the fan mail is already pouring in.
People want to know who he is,
what he thinks.
In a lot of the mail I get,
people ask questions about the kind
of things I do and all that sort of stuff.
Well, I-I don't smoke and I don't
drink and I love to go to movies.
Maybe someday I'm gonna have
a home and a family of my own,
and I'm not gonna budge from it.
I-I was an only child, but...
maybe my kids won't be.
I suppose this kind of talk raises
another question: Am I in love?
No.
I've thought I've been in love, but I
guess I wasn't. It just passed over.
I guess I haven't
met the girl yet, but I will,
and I hope I won't be too long,
'cause I get lonesome sometimes.
I get lonesome
right in the middle of a crowd.
I've got a feeling that...
That, with her,
whoever she may be, I won't be
lonesome, no matter where I am.
Hollywood is
the flip side of Elvis's dream.
Ever since his days
as a 15-year-old usher...
at the Loew's State Theatre
in Memphis,
he watches screen idols like
Robert Mitchum and Tony Curtis...
and fantasizes
about being a movie star.
More than anything, Elvis wants to be
a serious actor like the late James Dean.
He worships the star, who tragically died
in a car crash just four months earlier.
He sees Rebel Without a Cause
no less than a dozen times...
and memorizes
every one of Dean's lines.
On April 1, Elvis does a screen
test for producer Hal Wallis.
He's given a scene
from The Rainmaker,
an upcoming Burt Lancaster-
Katharine Hepburn movie.
Wallis likes what he sees,
and on April 7, Elvis signs a seven-year
contract with Paramount Pictures.
It's a dream
come true, you know?
I've had people ask me was
I gonna sing in the movies.
I'm-I'm not.
I mean, not as...
As far as I know,
'cause I-I took a... an
acting test, and I wouldn't...
Actually, I wouldn't care too
much about singing in the movies.
Paramount does
offer him a part in The Rainmaker.
But under advice from the
colonel, he turns it down.
Instead, Wallis loans
Elvis out to another studio...
for a Debra Paget-Richard Egan
Western called The Reno Brothers.
Shooting will begin in August.
With television deals and
movie contracts in his hip pocket,
the colonel moves on
to Las Vegas.
On April 23, Elvis appears
in Las Vegas for the first time.
The colonel promotes him
as "The Atomic-Powered Singer."
And he bombs.
Elvis opens at the Venus Room...
of the New Frontier Hotel...
on the same bill...
as Freddy Martin
and his orchestra...
and comedian Shecky Greene.
Ladies and
gentlemen, Elvis Presley.
Well, it's one for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready
Now go, cat, go
But don't you
step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything, but
lay off of my blue suede shoes
Well, the first
night especially, I was...
I was absolutely scared stiff.
Afterwards, I got
a little more relaxed.
It was strictly an adult audience
and mostly elderly people.
Show business
newspaper Variety reports...
that for the teenagers,
he's a whiz.
For the average Vegas spender,
he's a fizz.
Elvis didn't play
Las Vegas again for 14 years.
But the two-week stay
isn't a total loss.
The hillbilly cat
meets Mr. Showmanship.
And Elvis receives some
invaluable advice from Liberace...
about how to dress
to please an audience.
Well, it's blue, blue,
blue suede shoes
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
You can do anything, but lay
off of my blue suede shoes
And he takes home an autograph
for his mother, Gladys.
On June 5, Elvis
returns to Los Angeles...
and appears
on The Milton Berle Show.
I want to tell you something.
Incidentally, ladies and gentlemen,
I don't think that I'm revealing
any secrets when I say...
When I say that Elvis Presley is
the fastest-rising young singer...
in the entertainment industry
today.
He might
have been a fizz in Vegas,
but he now receives
his second gold record...
for "I Want You,
I Need You, I Love You."
all over the country, Elvis
Presley! Come on! Bring him on.
You ain't nothin' but a
hound dog, hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Elvis chooses the number...
originally recorded by Big Mama
Thornton called "Hound Dog."
Low-down, bluesy, hot and raw.
Well, they said
you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, they said
you were high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
And you ain't
no friend of mine
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
And you ain't
no friend of mine
Well, they said
you were high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, they said
you were high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
And you ain't
no friend of mine
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Yeah, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
You ain't no friend of mine
You
ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
You ain't no friend of mine
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin' but a
hound dog, hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
You ain't no friend of mine
Elvis Presley! How
'bout my boy? I love him.
Forty million people tune in,
and the next day,
Elvis is in deep trouble.
Elvis can't sing...
The TV critics tear him apart.
There is quite a group of people
who don't approve of this thing you do.
Elvis Presley is a
no-talent performer riding the crest...
Rock and
roll music, if you like it,
and if you feel it, you can't help but
move to it. That's what happens to me.
When you hear rock and roll,
it gets you all afire? It gets gyrations...
And I have to move
around. I can't stand still.
I've tried it,
and I... I can't do it.
What about
the name "Elvis the Pelvis"?
It's one of the most
childish expressions I've ever heard.
I don't like to be called
Elvis the Pelvis,
but if they want to call me that,
there's nothing I can do about it.
They seem to think...
that it contributes to juvenile
delinquency and all sorts of things.
If someone saw
me singing and dancing,
I don't see
how they could think...
that it would contribute
to juvenile delinquency.
If there's anything
I've tried to do,
I've tried to live
a straight, clean life,
and not set
any kind of a bad example.
Now, you cannot please everyone.
Elvis is back
in New York on June 28,
and he rehearses
The Steve Allen Show.
With the storm of controversy
raging all around him,
Elvis finds a peaceful moment
alone at a piano...
and plays
a favorite gospel song.
I thank the Lord
For everything
When things are going my way
He said to me
"I will comfort thee
And drive your cares away"
He's soon joined by the colonel
and two William Morris agents.
He promised me
NBC is under pressure
to cancel the appearance...
because of the outrage
brought on by the Berle show...
and announces to the press
that Presley...
will not be permitted
to bump and grind on the show.
Elvis does become suspicious when
a tailor arrives to fit him for a tuxedo.
Steve Allen thinks
it would be funny...
if Elvis wears
white tie and tails...
while singing "Hound Dog"
to a real basset hound.
The dog is also gonna wear
a top hat and bow tie.
The colonel makes sure
that his boy is fitted properly.
Ninety-nine. 9-9. Ninety-nine.
On his day off, between the rehearsal
and broadcast of the Allen show,
Elvis heads down
to Richmond, Virginia...
for two live performances.
And he's glad
to be back home in the South.
Well, lawdy,
lawdy, lawdy, Miss Clawdy
Girl, you sure
Look good to me
Well, please
don't excite me, baby
I know it can't be me
Well, as a girl
you want my money
Yeah, but you just won't
treat me right
You like to ball
every morning
Don't come home
till late at night
Oh, gonna tell, tell my mama
Lord, I swear, girl,
what you been doing to me
I'm gonna tell everybody
That I'm down in misery
So bye
Bye, bye, baby
Girl, I won't be
comin' no more
Good-bye, little darlin'
Down the road I'll go
Oh, bye
Bye, bye, baby
Girl, I won't be
comin' no more
Good-bye, little darlin'
Down the road I'll go
With the shows completed,
Elvis goes back to New York
to do The Steve Allen Show,
wear the tuxedo
and sing to that dog.
Well, you know, a couple of weeks
ago on The Milton Berle Show,
our next guest, Elvis Presley,
received a great deal of attention,
which some people seem to interpret one
way, and some viewers interpret it another.
Naturally it's our intention to do
nothing but a good show.
Somebody's barking back there.
We want to do a show the whole family
can watch and enjoy, and we always do.
And tonight we are presenting
Elvis Presley in his...
What you might call his
first comeback.
And at this time it gives me extreme
pleasure to introduce the new Elvis Presley!
Here he is!
Well, Elvis, you're certainly being a
real good sport about the whole thing,
and now I have a little surprise
for you. Gene, could I have...
And that was with the great vocal
group the Jordanaires in the background.
Elvis, your new record hit...
I predict it's going to be one,
'cause I've heard you
rehearse it.
You're gonna record it tomorrow,
called "Hound Dog." Yes, sir.
I got you a very cute
little hound dog right here.
And away you go. Who's that?
Elvis will
often refer to this night...
as "the most ridiculous
performance of my entire career."
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
C-Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
C-Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a
rabbit, and you ain't no friend of mine
Well, they said
you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, they said
you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, you ain't never
caught a rabbit
And you ain't
no friend of mine
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
C-Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
C-Cryin' all the time
You ain't never caught a rabbit,
and you ain't no friend of mine
You ain't no friend of mine
The very
next morning, Elvis, Scotty,
Bill and D.J.
team up with the Jordanaires...
in the RCA recording studios
and cut "Hound Dog."
You ain't nothin'
but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Listening to playbacks, Elvis
decides he wants to try another take.
Supposedly the session is run by
RCA "A" and "R" man Steve Sholes,
but it's clearly the 21-year-old
Elvis who's in charge.
Elvis may have been willing
to sing to a dog on TV,
but when it comes to his own
music, nobody is more serious.
That was a good opening.
Two, three, four.
Elvis learned production
during his Sun days with Sam Phillips.
But his instincts tell him
to change his style.
Instead of the echo
and the reverb of rockabilly,
he wants something bigger,
more explosive.
Steve Sholes wants Elvis
to quit after 18 takes.
Even the band thinks
he's got the song right.
You ain't nothing
but a hound dog
But Elvis insists on doing
30 takes of the song...
before he's really satisfied.
You ain't nothing
but a hound dog
Crying all the time
After listening
to the playbacks,
he chooses number 28.
You ain't nothing
but a hound dog
As hard as he works
on "Hound Dog,"
the next song is a breeze.
Flipping through
a stack of demos,
Elvis selects a song from New
York songwriter Otis Blackwell...
called "Don't Be Cruel."
He quickly works out the
arrangement on piano with the band...
and cuts the song
in eight takes.
One, two, three, four.
"Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel"
become Elvis's third and fourth
gold records of the year.
You know I can be found
Sitting home all alone
If you can't come around
At least please telephone
Don't be cruel
To a heart that's true
Baby, if I made you mad
For something
I might have said
Please, let's forget my past
The future looks
bright ahead
Don't be cruel
To a heart that's true
I don't want no other love
Baby, it's just you
I'm thinking of
Don't be cruel
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Elvis records still another song,
the ballad "Any Way You Want Me."
He takes three quick acetate pressings of
the songs with him and leaves the studio.
I don't want no other love
Baby, it's just you
I'm thinking of
He's going home to Memphis.
I've been
traveling over mountains
The trip to Memphis
is a 28-hour train ride.
And it gives Elvis a chance to
relax, catch up on some sleep...
Baby, trying to get to you
And listen to the acetates
from his recording session.
Colonel Parker is now
orchestrating Elvis's career...
like a million-dollar sideshow.
He is about to sign a deal
to merchandise...
72 different Elvis Presley
products with Hank Saperstein,
who sells toys for Wyatt Earp,
The Lone Ranger
and Ding Dong School.
In no time at all,
Elvis's face is on
everything from clothing...
to bubble gum cards.
Well, there's nothing
that could hold me
In six months,
these Presley mania products...
earn $22 million.
When your loving letter
told me
That you really
loved me true
Lord above me
knows I love you
It was he
who brought me through
When my way
was dark as night
He would shine
his brightest light
When I was trying
to get to you
At a stop in a rural suburb of Memphis
that isn't much more than a grass field,
the colonel lets his boy go,
with instructions
to say hello to his mother, Gladys.
Elvis gets off the train alone,
carries only his records.
The best part of Elvis's success
is what he can do now
for his parents.
The devoted son buys them
a brand-new home...
in a Memphis suburb
on Audubon Drive.
New pink and white Cadillacs
stand in the driveway.
The ranch-style house is the first
home the Presleys have ever owned.
When I do get
some time off, I usually...
I always go home and
see my folks, and, uh,
ride a lot of motorcycles
and do different things.
His fans are already
out front waiting under the carport.
For now, Elvis can meet
and talk with his fans openly.
But within a year, the
Presleys will need more privacy,
and Elvis will move
to Graceland.
Family and friends are all on
hand to greet the returning hero.
Elvis's father, Vernon,
his cousin Junior Smith,
Grandma Minnie Mae Presley,
who Elvis calls the Dodger.
Elvis takes a dip in the family's
brand-new swimming pool.
With his hair still wet,
Elvis proudly plays the acetate
of "Any Way You Want Me"...
for his high school sweetheart
Barbara Hearn.
I'll be strong
As a mountain
Or weak as a willow tree
Any way
You want me
Right now Elvis likes
being with local Memphis girls
he knew before he became a star.
Within the year, Elvis will be
dating Las Vegas showgirls...
and Hollywood starlets
like Natalie Wood.
More than anything, the visit home means
time to spend catching up with his mother.
I suppose,
since I was an only child,
that we might have been
a little closer.
And Mother was always
right with me all my life.
A friend, a companion,
someone to talk to.
I could wake her up
any hour of the night,
and if I was worried
or troubled about something,
she'd get up and try to help me.
And now that
he's home from the road,
she makes sure that he has
plenty of clean underwear.
Before long, it's time to get
ready for the evening's concert.
It's a July 4th benefit
at Russwood Stadium in Memphis.
14,000 people show up
to see their hometown boy.
When he takes the stage
at 10:30 that night,
a promise is delivered
to the family and friends...
who watched his rise
from the start.
Elvis tells them, "Those people in New
York are not gonna change me none."
I'm gonna show you what the
real Elvis Presley is like tonight."
Well, get out of that bed
Wash your face and hands
Get out of that bed
Wash your face and hands
Well, get in that kitchen Make
some noise with the pots and pans
I believe it to my soul
You're the devil in nylon hose
For the harder I work,
the faster my money goes
Well, I said shake,
rattle and roll
I said
shake, rattle and roll
Well, you won't do right
to save your doggone soul
Shake, rattle and roll
No task is too small for the
colonel when it comes to promoting his boy.
Outside the stadium, the colonel
sells 8-by-10 glossies of Elvis,
suitable for framing,
at 10 cents a pop.
The first two weeks of August, Elvis
begins a series of one-nighters in Florida.
Ready, set Go, man, go
I got a gal that I love so
I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready teddy
Ready, ready ted I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy Ready,
ready, ready to rock and roll
Going down to the corner,
pick up my sweetie pie
She's my rock-and-roll baby
She's the apple of my eye I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready
A Jacksonville
juvenile court judge...
issues a restraining order to stop him
from making offensive gyrations onstage.
I shuffle to the left
I shuffle to the right
I'm gonna rock and roll till
the early, early light I'm ready
To satisfy the court, Elvis
moves only his little finger,
and the kids still go wild.
Ready, ready, ready
to rock and roll
Filming starts on The
Reno Brothers August 23.
Elvis shows up on the set the first
day with the entire script memorized...
His lines and everybody else's.
There's nobody
that helps you out.
They have a director
and a producer, and just,
uh, as far as the acting
and all, you're on your own.
I might accomplish something
at it through the years.
Cathy?
What you doing?
Is something wrong?
No. No, Clint. Nothing. I was...
Cathy, you're crying.
What are you crying about?
I-I don't know, Clint.
I had a bad dream, I guess.
The war and everything.
Oh, don't cry.
We're all safe again.
There's nothing
to worry about anymore.
I hope not.
He's surprised to find...
that Paramount has slipped
four songs into the movie.
Hal Wallis decides he doesn't want
a bunch of hillbillies out of Nashville...
playing on his soundtrack...
and tells Elvis he can't use Scotty,
Bill and D.J. to record the songs.
Instead, Elvis must sing
with the Ken Darby Trio.
The Reno Brothers
now becomes Love Me Tender.
And so begins Elvis's career
in Hollywood.
Love me tender
Love me true
All my dreams fulfill
For, my darling
I love you
And I always will
Love me tender
Love me long
Take me to your heart
For it's there that I belong
And we'll never part
On September 9,
Elvis makes his first of three
appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Sullivan vowed never to have
Elvis the Pelvis on his show,
but the sheer power
of Elvis's popularity...
forces him to change his mind.
Ready, set Go, man, go
I got a gal that I love so
I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready
Ready, ready ted I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy I'm ready,
ready, ready to rock and roll
Going down to the corner,
pick up my sweetie pie
She's my rock-and-roll baby
She's the apple of my eye I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready
Ready, ready ted I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy I'm ready,
ready, ready to rock and roll
Flat-top cats
and the dungaree dolls
Are headed to the gym
to the sock hop ball
The joint is really jumping
The cats are going wild
The music really sends me I
dig that crazy style I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready
Ready, ready ted I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy I'm ready,
ready, ready to rock and roll
The flat-top cats
and the dungaree dolls
Are headed for the gym
to the sock hop ball
The joint is really jumping
The cats are going wild
The music really sends me I
dig that crazy style I'm ready
Ready, ready, ready
I'm ready
Ready, ready ted I'm ready
Ready, ready teddy I'm ready,
ready, ready to rock and roll
Thank you very much.
And now, friends, we'd like to
introduce you to a brand-new song,
"Love Me Tender."
Love me tender
Love me sweet
Never let me go
The sweetness of the ballad and
the honest warmth of the delivery...
blunt the edge of public wrath.
As the country boy shows his
other side, more are converted.
Fifty-four million people
watch the show.
One out of
every three Americans.
Love me true
All my dreams
The very next day, RCA gets
one million advance orders...
for "Love Me Tender."
Now Elvis gets his fifth
gold record of the year.
I love you
And I always will
Elvis returns to
his birthplace...
in Tupelo, Mississippi
on September 26...
as the star attraction
at the state fair.
He receives a hero's welcome,
and the mayor gives him
the key to the city.
I hope you will take this key and
use it to the best way you see fit.
Thank you, Mayor. Thank you,
ladies and gentlemen, very much.
And, uh... And, uh...
Well, since my baby left me
Well, I found a new place
to dwell
It's down at the end
of Lonely Street
At Heartbreak Hotel
You make me so lonely, baby
I get so lonely
I get so lonely I could die
His triumphant return is a
classic American success story.
Elvis was born and bred in a tiny
shotgun house on the edge of Tupelo.
A 10-year-old Elvis won second
prize at this same state fair...
for singing "Old Shep,"
a song about a boy and his dog.
Now he performs
for 22,000 people...
and donates his $10,000 fee
to charity.
Today he wears a velvet shirt
made for him by his mom.
Next year he'll return
for another benefit,
dressed in his famous
gold lam suit,
designed in Hollywood.
On October 24, Variety publishes
a front-page banner headline:
"Elvis,
a Millionaire in One Year."
Love Me Tender is released on
November 16, premiering in New York City.
3,000 teenagers scream...
as a 40-foot-high statue
of Elvis is unveiled.
We want Elvis!
Elvis's transformation
into a movie star is complete,
even if some fans
are disappointed that the film
contains no rock-and-roll music.
Love me tender
Critics pan the film,
but it makes back its million-dollar
production cost within days.
At the end of 1956,
the two top-grossing films
in the nation...
are Giant, starring James Dean,
and Love Me Tender,
starring Elvis Presley.
Elvis appeared for the last time
on The Ed Sullivan Show...
January 6, 1957,
almost one year to the day...
since a 21-year-old
Elvis Presley...
first entered the RCA studio
to cut "Heartbreak Hotel."
By now, his hair is dyed
jet-black...
because he believes it'll
photograph better for the movies,
and he thinks it makes him
look a little like Tony Curtis.
You know I can be found
Sitting home all alone
If you can't come around
At least please telephone
Don't be cruel
To a heart that's true
Sullivan makes one last
desperate attempt to censor Elvis...
by photographing him
only from the waist up.
Then you'll know
you'll have me
And I'll know
I'll have you too
Don't be cruel
To a heart that's true
I don't want no other love
Baby, it's just you
I'm thinking of
Don't be cruel
Ooh, ooh, ooh
To a heart that's true
Don't be cruel
Ooh, ooh, ooh
To a heart that's true
Here we go.
Well, I don't want no other
love
Baby, it's just you
I'm thinking of
For his final song on the show,
Elvis performs the gospel
classic "Peace in the Valley."
Oh, well, I'm tired and so
weary
But I must go alone
Till the Lord
comes and calls
Calls me away
Oh, yes
Well, the morning's
so bright
And the lamp is alight
And the night
Night is as black
As the sea
Oh, yes
There will be peace
In the valley
For me someday
There will be peace
in the valley
For me
Oh, Lord, I pray
There'll be no sadness
No sorrow
No trouble Trouble I see
There will be peace
in the valley
For me
For me
It's the end of an era.
Elvis will make only three more
TV appearances in his lifetime.
Treat me like a fool
Treat me mean and cruel
But love me
After 1956, his stardom
becomes so unprecedented...
that it turns his world
upside down.
In 1957, his concerts
are so big and unmanageable...
that Elvis stops touring.
The original band of Scotty,
Bill and D.J. break up.
Elvis moves to the privacy
of Graceland with his family.
And right at the very peak
of his success,
his beloved mother passes away.
I'll be sad and blue
Crying over you
He goes on to make
a total of 33 films...
and becomes the highest
paid star in Hollywood.
He sells a billion records
worldwide.
Rarely has a single man so greatly
affected the world through his music.
But after 1956,
we would never be able
to get that close to him again.
I want your heart
Beating close to mine
So close to mine
Well, if you ever go
Darling, I'll be, oh
So lonely
Begging on my knees
All I ask is please
Please love me
Oh, yeah
Yes, my baby left me
Never said a word
Was it something I done,
something that she heard?
My baby left me
My baby left me
My baby even left me
Never said a word
Lord, I stand at my window
Wring my hands and cry
I hate to lose that woman
Hate to say good-bye
You know she left me
Yes, she left me
My baby even left me
Never said a word
Let loose, boys.