Graceland: At home in Memphis

As the most visited private residence in the country, Graceland is the go to site for many true Elvis fans. As of 2005 the home was drawing in roughly 650,000 visitors annually. Filled to the brim with every must have accessory of its time, “the King’s” castle has taken its place as one of the top visited museums in the country.

Graceland was not originally Presley’s innovation. First owned by the Toof family, it was named after their daughter, Grace. Toof’s niece, Ruth More, owned the land and built the mansion before selling it to Presley in 1957.

Presley spent a good deal of his life in this home. From the time he moved, in his early twenties, to the day he died in 1977, this was the permanent residence of Elvis Presley for two decades of stardom. This is where he lived as a newly wed to his young bride, Pricilla Presley, and where, as Gilbert Rodman suggests in his book Elvis after Elvis, he built his reputation as “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” While Presley began developing his fame and fortune prior to moving to the Memphis mansion, he is unique among stars in that he chose to continue residing in his de facto home town. He had seen New York and visited California. He knew his options, but he chose to be near to his fans. “Perhaps the most important effect Graceland had on Elvis’s public image is that it gave his stardom a stable, highly visible, physical anchor in the real world” (Rodman, 99). Writer McKenzie Wark argues that Presley’s southern home had a large impact on his fan-base attachment along with his musical style. Though he grew up a white child in the segregated south, he was able to maintain the predominantly black sound of Rhythm ‘n’ Blues in his flashy music. This is attributed to the cultural availability of such a style in the south. It was this culture that first began to impress his audience, this was a possible reason that he chose not to leave the south. “In the end nobody knew exactly how many times in a row he played the song or how many airings it received before his show ended at midnight,” author Ponce de Leon writes in regards to Presley's first hit That’s Alright, a song originally by R&B singer Arthur Crudup. “But one thing was certain: people, white and black, heard the music and responded without knowing the race of the singer” (Ponce de Leon, 43).

Graceland is quite a sight. Albert Goldman, who was not a fan, once said that nothing in that home was “worth a dime.” This statement refers to the plethora of trinkets and gismos that fill every available space, however, in reality this is far from true. The home itself is worth several millions today. In’57 when Presley acquired the property he paid $102,000 for it. Visitors to Graceland see much more than just the 5 bedroom mansion. The tour includes a visit to Elvis’s automobiles, his custom jets, a memorabilia showcase and his nearby garden where he is buried with his family.

“Memphis is not something you just see or hear.  You feel Memphis.  Walk around downtown and let it soak up through your feet.  Eat some Bar-B-Q.  Put some gin in your glass.  Sit back and let it happen.”- Memphian musician Jim Dickson. 

Rodman, G. (1996). Elvis after Elvis: The posthumous career of a living legend. London, England: Routledge

Ponce de Leon, C. (2006). Fortunte son. New York, NY: Hill and Wang

On Graceland:

 

Elvis Presley in the Army

Elvis Presley is widely known around the world for being “The King of Rock and Roll”, but what many people may not know is that Elvis served in the United States Army. Elvis served two years of active duty service and four years in the Army Reserves. Elvis is infamously known for his sexual nature during his performances and many older Americans thought that it would be good for him to do military service. This would eventually gain the respect of a much larger viewing audience for him. Events took place during his time in service that would ultimately change his life forever.

Elvis Presley was sworn into the United States military in March of 1958; it was here that he was given his assignment of being stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.  In July 1958, Elvis’ mother, Gladys, became very ill and she died in August at the age of 46. When Elvis returned to Texas he was reassigned to the Third Armored Division which was stationed in Friedberg, Germany. When he arrived he received a royal escort and was offered special treatment. He did accept the escort but denied any special treatment just like he had when he was first drafted. He wanted to be treated just like any other soldier. While in Germany, Elvis went on maneuvers and performed all regular duties that were required. He also received medals for marksmanship. During his military career, he was a member of two different armor battalions. He completed his 18-month assignment in Germany and returned to the United States in March of 1960. He was honorably discharged from active duty on March 5, 1960. He had a larger fan base when he returned and everyone respected him more than ever before.

A crucial part to Elvis Presley’s military career was that while he was stationed in Germany, a fellow soldier introduced him to amphetamines. He liked them for the “benefits” of energy, strength, and weight loss. This would lead to his addiction and his overdose of prescription drugs. His military career would ultimately lead to his death.    

Sources:

Elvis, A. (2009, August 15). Elvis presley in the u.s. army: The journey begins. Retrieved from http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/elvisandtheusarmy.shtml

William, T. (1995). Elvis in the army.

   

Graceland: A Living Memorial to Elvis Presley

What could ever cause  a country house on a 20 acre plot would grow to be regarded “as familiar to America as Tara, Scarlett O’Hara’s home in ‘Gone With the Wind,’ or a property rivaling “Monticello, Mount Vernon, and other once-private homes among the biggest tourist attractions in the country?” (Lollar.) Two words for you: Elvis Presley.

                Most of us know Elvis by his long-lived hits, his title as the “King of Rock,” or possibly even the leather jump-suited impersonators we encounter in places like Branson and Las Vegas. However, some of the most valuable insights into the personal life of this legend are found inside Elvis’ own property Graceland, which stands today in Memphis, Tennessee.  For starters, Elvis and his wife decided on the place as a major investment, after discovering that the house they had lived in for a year prior to purchasing Graceland did not allow for the privacy they needed after being in the spotlight so often, giving light to the fact that Elvis had an introverted side that needed to get away completely in times of rest. Also, in the house, lived the “king” himself, Elvis’ parents, his grandmother, wife, and at a point later on his daughter Lisa Marie. The significance of this is that as a child, Elvis always told his parents that if he grew up to become famous, he would buy a house for his parents, and provide for them, which is just what he was able to do, an act that showed how much he valued his family.

                As far as the rooms inside the house, each one had its own dramatic theme to say the least. Elvis was a fan of Rich, Dark colors, and used them sparingly in the house, even to the point where his mother stepped in and vetoed some of the ideas that came about such as purple walls with white corduroy   drapes. However, do not let this deceive you, for the rooms still had “minds of their own,” and exhibited different aspects of Elvis’ personality. Elvis’ room was all a dark blue, with a few pops of white, a mirror covering one of the walls, and stars painted on part of the ceiling, an atmosphere that paired well with his common habit to stay up in his room during the times he was at home, and the introspective side to him, a side that wanted to escape the outside pressures of his career and focus resting. At the other end of the spectrum, there were, (and still are today,) other rooms such as the jungle room, with a rambunctious, self-explanatory theme that Elvis used to record some of his tunes, and his music room, which held a piano that had a color scheme of yellow and white, complete with two stained glass windows with peacocks at the entrance. All in all, although the tone changes from room to room throughout the house, one thing the remains consistent is the fact that each room was individually created with a specific purpose, which reveals that Elvis was a man with many sides, and aspects to him.

                Although the rooms have been kept in pristine condition since Elvis’ death in 1977, some of Elvis’ personal belongings were put on display to give the visitors at Graceland a better scope into the life of Elvis Presley.  One display that I read about in particular that caught my eye was the exhibit that shows the more philanthropic side to Elvis. There is a wall in which all the different letters and checks made out to charities from Elvis are posted, which shows that Elvis cared for others, and did strive to make a difference, an asset to his character usually overshadowed by his music career, and scandals. Whether a die-hard fan, or just someone passing through, Graceland is a place that people should at one point take time to go see. It is not just an attraction as many people see it, but as journalist Larry Olmsted so accurately states, it is “a seminal part of American culture and speaks volumes to music, celebrity, and yes, history. But admittedly, most of all to Elvis.”

Oprah special with tour given Elvis' own daughter Lisa Marie Presley

Graceland by Paul Simon: A song that was inspired by the sound of music recorded there, as well as the journey to see it.

Interview with Elvis at Graceland 1960

Olmsted, L. (2012, September 14). Graceland at 30 - Better Than Ever - Forbes. Information for the World's Business Leaders - Forbes.com. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/09/14/graceland-at-30-better-than-ever/

Lollar, M. (2009, January 8). All About Graceland. The Elvis Information Network home to the best news, reviews, interviews, Elvis photos&in-depth articles about the King of Rock&Roll, Elvis Aaron Presley.... Retrieved November 19, 2012, from http://www.elvisinfonet.com/graceland.htm

Lisa Marie Presley on Oprah (2006,Graceland tour) - YouTube. (n.d.).YouTube. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgbOjhacqQw

Hermenet, M. (n.d.). Elvis Presley's Graceland : 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard. Elvis Presley's Graceland : 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from http://graceland.elvis.com.au/

Hanson, A. (n.d.). Elvis Presley's Graceland … What It Was Like in 1957.Elvis Presley History Blog, Profiling the King of Rock and Roll. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/graceland.html

Graceland Paul Simon. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved November 19, 2012, fromhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtT7Og2LBbE

Elvis Presley Interview Memphis,Graceland 1960 - YouTube. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1w2PkA0ua8 

Elvis' Movies and impact on Filmography

Elvis had two monumental aspects to his life. He was part singer, part movie star and each played a serious role in his life and thus had and equally large effect upon the culture of the era as well as eras to come. 

While Elvis’ singing on stage is still seen as iconic, his movies largely relied on his fame to make money and follow a very formulaic pattern. One producer who stopped working on Elvis films for this very reason declared "It was just going to be like the last one, every movie the same” (Feeny,5). Though iconic moments from his immense repertoire of filmography such as Jailhouse Rock or Viva Las Vegas inspired a generation of film making, the majority of his films were stained by the formulaic casting and scripting that surrounded Elvis and his fame. Though revered in his time, Elvis “made lots of movies that made lots of money, but today they seem more silly on the screen than glamorous… (his) movies were more successful than those of many "real" movie stars; yet they have no true place in movie history” (Feeny,6)

Simply put, Elvis was no actor, far from in fact. His acting was beneath most of the popular actors of the period and his acting career survived solely because of his music fame, talent, and prowess. Despite all the short comings of Elvis’ acting career, his presence, as well as the presence of his movies, still impact modern filmography. Many years after his death, “Elvis's movie career continues on its dizzying posthumous arc” (Carlson,2). Truly, Elvis’ film career had an outstanding effect on his appearances in films after his death as an enormous volume of movies had a character in reference to Elvis, and more often than not, that character was supposed to be Elvis himself. From the scene where Forest teaches Elvis how to dance in “Forrest Gump” to the references to Elvis in “Pulp Fiction” or “The Big Lebowski” to the Iconic line in “Independence Day” where Will Smith’s character says “Elvis has left the building.”, Elvis’ movie career, through its good and bad, has had a lasting impact on pop culture and filmography in particular.   

Sources Used-

Feeny, M. (2001). Elvis movies. Informally published manuscript, , Available from Gale. Retrieved from  http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE|A70872534&v=2.1&u=tlc119194330&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

Carlson, T. (1999). Bit parts: Dismembering elvis in recent hollywood films. In Film Criticism. 24.1 (Fall 1999): p73. From Literature Resource Center.. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA58049231&v=2.1&u=tlc119194330&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

Here are snippets of a few movies that Elvis starred in.

This is a scene from the movie "Viva Las Vegas"

This is a scene from the film "Jailhouse Rock"

This last scene is the ending of  Elvis' first major film, "Love Me Tenderly"

This scene from Forrest Gump is an example of a portrayal of Elvis in films after his death.

Jailhouse Rock

The Love Life of Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley's love life is an intriguing topic because of his rock star lifestyle. As with today's rock stars, Elvis  had a very large following, a large percent of those were females. One could imagine that with his busy tour schedule, it would be very hard to sustain a stable family. Even if Presley did find a wife, would be be able to remain faithful in a life filled with the temptations of women, money, fame, and drugs. It is speculated that Presley developed a fear of sexually transmitted diseases, which corresponds with his lack of sexually activity with the numerous of girlfriends that he accumulated over the course of his career. There are numerous reports of women that dated "The King," and they all have testified to not having sexual relations with him. But in retrospect, it is very improbably that he remained "clean" for the decade that his career lasted. The fact that he continually traveled around the country would pose a problem for raising a family. In my opinion, the temptation of young women throwing themselves at you would be to great for most men to withstand. Elvis Presley did, in fact, find a wife in Priscilla Ann Wagner, but do to lack of intimacy and Priscilla's affair with a karate instructor, the couple divorced. Six months after Priscilla left, Presley started a relationship with beauty queen Linda Thompson. They had a very passionate relationship at starts, but it slowly faded to a dull association. Linda was the last woman to be involved with "The King," because she found him dead from drug overdose. In general, if the reports are true, Elvis Presley enjoyed many partners, but very few were sexual partners. It turns out that women were not the most tempting factor for Elvis, drugs were.