Anita Wood --> The One Who Got Away !

[JaneTLC]

There are women who look awkward with short hair, but others look good.

So true. The moral is, never follow trends just for the sake of it.

[brian]

Thanks for all the cool replies, please let's keep the weird, angry and inaccurate comments to Off Topic, or better yet off of this forum.

Back to the subject, does anyone know what Anita has been up to in recent years? I'm pretty sure that she has retired from singing, and I've read she teaches at a Christian school somewhere near her home.

Last I heard she taught Kindergarten at the school.

I think she retired from singing around the time she got married.

She didn't have any commercial success despite being a pretty good singer.

[ekenee]

Thanks for all the cool replies, please let's keep the weird, angry and inaccurate comments to Off Topic, or better yet off of this forum.

Back to the subject, does anyone know what Anita has been up to in recent years? I'm pretty sure that she has retired from singing, and I've read she teaches at a Christian school somewhere near her home.

Last I heard she taught Kindergarten at the school.

I think she retired from singing around the time she got married.

She didn't have any commercial success despite being a pretty good singer.

Like Elvis said, they were going to give her music which was a little too "popular" which was more in the vien of
Julie London, and again as Elvis pointed out they should have given her stuff more like
the material Connie Francis was putting out.

Boring songs= no success.

[drjohncarpenter]

Like Elvis said, they were giving her music which was a little too "popular" which was more in the vien of Julie London, and again as Elvis pointed out they should have given her stuff more like
the material Connie Francis was putting out.

What Elvis actually said, on the May 1958 Eddie Fadal home recording, is that he was afraid that her record company would give her torchy ballads a la Julie London.

But, as heard in my original post, her first single A-side in October 1958 was a very Connie Francis-like cover of "Crying In The Chapel." Her June 1961 Sun single was also very catchy pop, and both sides are included in that same post. Her music wasn't boring, it was actually in line with what was popular, and she delivered the material with panache.

[ekenee]

Like Elvis said, they were giving her music which was a little too "popular" which was more in the vien of Julie London, and again as Elvis pointed out they should have given her stuff more like
the material Connie Francis was putting out.

What Elvis actually said, on the May 1958 Eddie Fadal home recording, is that he was afraid that her record company would give her torchy ballads a la Julie London.

But, as heard in my original post, her first single A-side in October 1958 was a very Connie Francis-like cover of "Crying In The Chapel." Her June 1961 Sun single was also very catchy pop, and both sides are included in that same post. Her music wasn't boring, it was actually in line with what was popular, and she delivered the material with panache.

I know what Elvis actually said and I stated it as ELvis stated it.
Yes, in 1961 perhaps Anita's singles were catchy pop songs, but in 1958 Elvis had NO way
of knowing that in advance did he? Elvis was stating what he thought might happen, ala the Julie London type material.

In the future don't try to correct me, unless I state a falsehood. That would help alot.

[drjohncarpenter]

I know what Elvis actually said and I stated it as ELvis stated it.

You did not. It's not even a matter of debate, anyone who has heard the tape may see what you wrote was incorrect. Anita had yet to record and release anything in May 1958.

You were also wrong about the type of singles Anita released, which of course also rendered your conclusion about their relative lack of success as way off the mark.

Thanks for stopping by.

[ekenee]

I know what Elvis actually said and I stated it as ELvis stated it.

You did not. It's not even a matter of debate, anyone who has heard the tape may see what you wrote was incorrect. Anita had yet to record and release anything in May 1958.

You were also wrong about the type of singles Anita released, which of course also rendered your conclusion about their relative lack of success as way off the mark.

Thanks for stopping by.

I will correct my typo.

[Elvisfan10]

Like Elvis said, they were giving her music which was a little too "popular" which was more in the vien of Julie London, and again as Elvis pointed out they should have given her stuff more like
the material Connie Francis was putting out.

What Elvis actually said, on the May 1958 Eddie Fadal home recording, is that he was afraid that her record company would give her torchy ballads a la Julie London.

But, as heard in my original post, her first single A-side in October 1958 was a very Connie Francis-like cover of "Crying In The Chapel." Her June 1961 Sun single was also very catchy pop, and both sides are included in that same post. Her music wasn't boring, it was actually in line with what was popular, and she delivered the material with panache.

I don't think I have ever heard the recording, where can I listen to it? Is it on Youtube?

[JaneTLC]

Yes *crackle crackle*

http://youtu.be/sdOnEXv2rIE

[drjohncarpenter]

I don't think I have ever heard the recording, where can I listen to it? Is it on Youtube?

It is found on page 1 of this topic, in the post I created.

[Elvisfan10]

I don't think I have ever heard the recording, where can I listen to it? Is it on Youtube?

It is found on page 1 of this topic, in the post I created.

I should've been more specific, I meant where Elvis spoke about Anita and his concern over the material she was given to sing.

[PEP]

Great job again Doc.
PEP

[drjohncarpenter]

Great job again Doc.

Thanks a lot; it went from a notion, to a brief link or two to a detailed labour of love.

Anita Wood had everything: looks, talent, poise, and a great voice. She should have been a star.

Again, I hope she's doing well in the aftermath of losing her husband just a few weeks ago.

[TJ]

Hey Doc, that handwritten letter you mentioned in the first post is up for auction at the end of this month:
http://entertainment.ha.com/c/item.zx?s ... IdNo=23003

Out of my price range!

[Pichte]

Excellent thread about Anita Wood! Thanks for sharing facts and pics. I think like many here that Elvis probably decided Anita was NOT the perfect match for him, as she was a) very career-oriented b) also was keen on seeing other men now and then. It doesn´t seem fair of course, but that´s how Elvis was thinking. Apart from that Elvis was too busy with his career as well, and wasn´t really interested in comitting to ONE single woman back in the early 60s... But look-wise they were a perfect match - a gorgeous couple.

[drjohncarpenter]

Excellent thread about Anita Wood! Thanks for sharing facts and pics. I think like many here that Elvis probably decided Anita was NOT the perfect match for him, as she was a) very career-oriented b) also was keen on seeing other men now and then. It doesn´t seem fair of course, but that´s how Elvis was thinking. Apart from that Elvis was too busy with his career as well, and wasn´t really interested in committing to ONE single woman back in the early 60s... But look-wise they were a perfect match - a gorgeous couple.

Thanks for the kind words.

Actually, Anita proved to Elvis in September 1957 she was not "very career-oriented" when she did not take the role she won in that Hollywood Talent Contest for the 1958 Tom Gries film "Girl in the Woods."




"Girl in the Woods" (AB-PT Pictures, June 1958)

As may be seen, Diana Francis got the part when Anita dropped out.

And if Anita was keen on dating others, that was kept under wraps. Elvis was understood to have that luxury, not his #1 girlfriend.

[Elvisfan10]

Excellent thread about Anita Wood! Thanks for sharing facts and pics. I think like many here that Elvis probably decided Anita was NOT the perfect match for him, as she was a) very career-oriented b) also was keen on seeing other men now and then. It doesn´t seem fair of course, but that´s how Elvis was thinking. Apart from that Elvis was too busy with his career as well, and wasn´t really interested in committing to ONE single woman back in the early 60s... But look-wise they were a perfect match - a gorgeous couple.

Thanks for the kind words.

Actually, Anita proved to Elvis in September 1957 she was not "very career-oriented" when she did not take the role she won in that Hollywood Talent Contest for the 1958 Tom Gries film "Girl in the Woods."




"Girl in the Woods" (AB-PT Pictures, June 1958)

As may be seen, Diana Francis got the part when Anita dropped out.

And if Anita was keen on dating others, that was kept under wraps. Elvis was understood to have that luxury, not his #1 girlfriend.

I wonder if she felt restricted because he always wanted her to stop whatever she was doing for him.

[drjohncarpenter]

Hey Doc, that handwritten letter you mentioned in the first post is up for auction at the end of this month:

http://entertainment.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=7038&lotIdNo=23003

Out of my price range!

$30,000 is a tad more than I can afford, too.

[hilton22000]

It's a GREAT job you did here, Doc, thank you very much for all the articles and research.

[stevelecher]

Doc, nice thread. Thanks for doing it.

I know I looked at it months ago, but spent more time on it today. Anita is one of a number of women who gave more than they got from Elvis. It looks like she was terrific and Elvis loved her but he could not stop pursuing other women. Someone here commented that maybe Elvis wanted a more traditional wife, not career oriented, who would be a traditional housewife devoted to her husband. I'm sure he found women like this but it did not matter. He would not limit himself to anyone.

He did not choose to marry Priscilla. It appears she persevered long enough to have commitments made by Elvis enforced. The marriage wasn't much more than a publicity event forced on Elvis by Colonel Parker and Priscilla's stepdad. I'm sure it was a very happy day for her but I bet it didn't take long for her to realize nothing changed. How maddening.

It seems to me he met a number of beautiful women who truly loved him and tried, for as long as they could, to be what he wanted them to be. Then, as someone else here pointed out, they would leave him because they couldn't continue to be part of the destructive lifestyle he refused to quit. He probably had a dozen women ( I'm limiting this to the really special ones, like Anita) that would have been the love of any normal man's life. How sad for him that he couldn't stop looking at the grass on the other side of the pasture.

[Mike Windgren]

Hi there!! .

Super fantastic, very well researched I have learned a lot reading this topic . I have always liked this super hot girl she was so beautiful . Thank you Doc. Bye for now .

[Joe Car]

Great job Doc!

[Wibi08]

Thanks for posting it!

Poor Anita- she made more than clear that she was waiting for Elivs to pop the question, and put her own life on hold just to be "ready" whenever Elvis called.
Must have been tough, sticking around all this years and in the end someone else gets the fish

[jbarrett6]

Thank you for posting this about my mother. You did a great job! I have written a book from Momma's memories called Once Upon a Time, Elvis and Anita, Memories of My Mother, Anita Wood Brewer. I'm in the final stages of preparing the book and would love to get in touch with you. I've set up a website, http://www.elvisandanita.com, if you would like to take a look.

[getlo69]

I met Anita and husband lovely warm people