The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

Anything about Elvis
More than 100 Million visitors can't be wrong

Moderators: Moderator5, Moderator3, FECC-Moderator, Site Mechanic

Post Reply

User avatar

Topic author
drjohncarpenter
Posts: 107019
Registered for: 20 years 11 months
Location: United States of America
Has thanked: 11700 times
Been thanked: 33635 times
Age: 89

The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1342262

Post by drjohncarpenter »

Loew's State Theatre in Memphis opened on Thursday, October 7, 1920, and thirty years later, Elvis took a job there as an usher. When he could, he'd watch hero Tony Curtis way up on the screen, and dream of being a movie star. If he only knew!

Here is a really nice, uncropped version of a beautiful early photo at the Memphis movie venue, with his Humes High School friend, Luther Nall:


510000_w Luther Nall_Loew's State photo booth.JPG
With friend Luther Nall, Loew's State photo booth, Memphis, circa summer 1951
Nall and Presley were both in the school's ROTC program.


The photo looks to be from his second stint in 1951, for which he was later fired, due to a very "Jailhouse Rock" type of scenario. The movie palace would close in 1970.

Elvis' Employment History at Loew's State Theatre:
- fall 1950 (2 months only)
- summer to fall 1951 (fired after punching a "snitch" usher)

Six years later, Elvis met up with his former Loew's manager at a local TV benefit, the one who fired him, and was "offered his old job back." Ha-ha.


571001_w Loew's manager Arthur Groom.jpg
With Arthur Groom, Lowe's State Theatre manager, WMCT fundraiser for Shelby United Neighbors (SUN), Inc., Memphis - Tuesday, October 1, 1957


Cool Links:
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4183
http://www.historic-memphis.com/memphis-historic/movietheaters/loews-state.html


Enjoy!
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by drjohncarpenter on Sat Apr 20, 2019 4:22 am, edited 1 time in total.


.
Dr. John Carpenter, M.D.
Stop, look and listen, baby <<--->> that's my philosophy!

User avatar

jekhb76
Posts: 1096
Registered for: 20 years 11 months
Location: Holland
Has thanked: 74 times
Been thanked: 363 times

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1342287

Post by jekhb76 »

cool info doc, and great unseen shots to me anyway. thanks. ::rocks



User avatar

George Smith
Posts: 3620
Registered for: 16 years 9 months
Location: Down at the end of Lonely Street
Been thanked: 2049 times
Contact:

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1342293

Post by George Smith »

Delightful, thank you.



WALK A LONELY STREET
Elvis Presley, Country Music &
The True Story of Heartbreak Hotel

Now available from Amazon

http://www.GeorgeSmithPublications.com
https://www.facebook.com/WalkALonelyStreet/

User avatar

jekhb76
Posts: 1096
Registered for: 20 years 11 months
Location: Holland
Has thanked: 74 times
Been thanked: 363 times

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1342299

Post by jekhb76 »

Here are some more pics...

The first is from the same time frame when elvis worked there for the second time.

The last one is when Stay Away, Joe Aired, and with a demostration in front off it ! Maybe a protest about racism. :oops: ::rocks
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.




Rtn 2 Sndr
Posts: 1168
Registered for: 19 years
Has thanked: 249 times
Been thanked: 108 times

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1342320

Post by Rtn 2 Sndr »

Great photos and backstory. Thanks, Doc!


Rtn 2 Sndr
Address Unknown

User avatar

Hav-A-Tampa
Posts: 1524
Registered for: 20 years 7 months
Location: Goin' to Acapulco
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 56 times

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1342323

Post by Hav-A-Tampa »

jekhb76 wrote:Here are some more pics...

The first is from the same time frame when elvis worked there for the second time.

The last one is when Stay Away, Joe Aired, and with a demostration in front off it ! Maybe a protest about racism. :oops: ::rocks
Just a thought... Stay Away, Joe opened in the US on March 8, 1968. Martin Luther King was murdered in Memphis on April 4, 1968...




HAWAII
Posts: 378
Registered for: 16 years 3 months
Has thanked: 90 times
Been thanked: 226 times

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1342325

Post by HAWAII »

Is the last picture (with the Stay Away Joe movie) not from the Martin Luther King 'In his honor' procession?



User avatar

EPA4368
Posts: 4897
Registered for: 13 years 7 months
Has thanked: 1375 times
Been thanked: 673 times

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1342333

Post by EPA4368 »

On the marquee: Elvis Presley At His Best "Stay Away Joe"

I wonder how long they kept that up?

Image



User avatar

Topic author
drjohncarpenter
Posts: 107019
Registered for: 20 years 11 months
Location: United States of America
Has thanked: 11700 times
Been thanked: 33635 times
Age: 89

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1342379

Post by drjohncarpenter »

jekhb76 wrote:cool info doc, and great unseen shots to me anyway. thanks. ::rocks
Thank you. The photo with Luther Nall is almost always presented online in poor quality, cropped and in reverse view. Just do a search. It's so nice to have it on FECC in such fine quality! You won't see it anywhere else.

Notice how very much Elvis is posing in ultra-cool mode, right down to the suave turtleneck and dress coat. This was the year "Rocket 88" was tearing up r&b radio, released on the Chess label but actually recorded by Sam Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis. The world was changing.

Note your second Loew's State photo depicts manager Arthur Groom and (I think) his wife standing in front. It was taken in June 1956, based on the film titles being displayed on the marquee.
Last edited by drjohncarpenter on Sun Apr 21, 2019 1:42 am, edited 1 time in total.


.
Dr. John Carpenter, M.D.
Stop, look and listen, baby <<--->> that's my philosophy!

User avatar

Topic author
drjohncarpenter
Posts: 107019
Registered for: 20 years 11 months
Location: United States of America
Has thanked: 11700 times
Been thanked: 33635 times
Age: 89

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1342477

Post by drjohncarpenter »

George Smith wrote:Delightful, thank you.
Thank you. A compliment from you is worth its weight in gold.


.
Dr. John Carpenter, M.D.
Stop, look and listen, baby <<--->> that's my philosophy!

User avatar

Topic author
drjohncarpenter
Posts: 107019
Registered for: 20 years 11 months
Location: United States of America
Has thanked: 11700 times
Been thanked: 33635 times
Age: 89

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1342728

Post by drjohncarpenter »

Rtn 2 Sndr wrote:Great photos and backstory. Thanks, Doc!
So glad you enjoyed the topic. The photo with Humes pal Luther Nall also shows their relationship. Notice how Luther's left hand is delicately placed on Elvis' leg? They are comfortable together, and Presley is clearly the alpha. ;-)

I wish I knew more about the circumstances behind why they were so dressed up that evening. Perhaps was some kind of special event.

We know both were in the ROTC at Humes, and may have been ushers at the theater. Some claim that Nall is the "other usher" who snitched on Presley about something, which then caused a ruckus and got them both fired.

As Elvis recalled in March 1958, "Got a job at Loew's State Theatre in Memphis as an usher. They fired me for fighting in the lobby."
Last edited by drjohncarpenter on Sun Apr 21, 2019 2:06 am, edited 1 time in total.


.
Dr. John Carpenter, M.D.
Stop, look and listen, baby <<--->> that's my philosophy!

User avatar

Topic author
drjohncarpenter
Posts: 107019
Registered for: 20 years 11 months
Location: United States of America
Has thanked: 11700 times
Been thanked: 33635 times
Age: 89

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1344598

Post by drjohncarpenter »

EPA4368 wrote:On the marquee: Elvis Presley At His Best "Stay Away Joe"

I wonder how long they kept that up?
Stay Away Joe 1968.jpg
One imagines not too long. Perhaps by June 5th.

---

Another thing I notice about the 1951 booth photo, is how Elvis is moving his head just a bit, so he's a tad blurred. My guess is he wanted to show his "better" profile (the left side), and adjusted at the last moment. Maybe someday we'll learn more about exactly when and perhaps why it was taken.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


.
Dr. John Carpenter, M.D.
Stop, look and listen, baby <<--->> that's my philosophy!

User avatar

ed40
Posts: 1444
Registered for: 16 years 4 months
Location: The Netherlands
Has thanked: 3281 times
Been thanked: 647 times
Age: 56

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1348297

Post by ed40 »

What a great topic, many thanks Doc !


Ed




JRtherealJR
On Suspension Until Further Notice...
On Suspension Until Further Notice...
Posts: 895
Registered for: 12 years 8 months
Has thanked: 75 times
Been thanked: 321 times

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1348333

Post by JRtherealJR »

Great information- thanks to Dr. John for taking the time to post and also thanks to jekhb76 for the additional info.

Last night I was looking at Elvis' high school photos and by coincidence I stumbled across that pic of him and Gene Smith, but now I can see that the one I was looking at was cropped and reversed as mentioned- great to see a better version of it posted above!

I find pre-fame Elvis pics so fascinating to look at- the ones in the classrooms he is always the loner sitting at the back and if only his classmates sitting next to him knew that they are sitting with the soon-to-be most famous man on the planet! And if only Elvis himself knew for that matter...!


Ad hominem fallacy (or ad hominem) is an attempt to discredit someone’s argument by personally attacking them. Instead of discussing the argument itself, criticism is directed toward the opponent’s character, which is irrelevant to the discussion.
https://www.scribbr.co.uk/fallacy/ad-hominem/

Ad hominem (Latin for 'to the person'), refers to several types of arguments, most of which are fallacious. Typically this term refers to a rhetorical strategy where the speaker attacks the character, motive, or some other attribute of the person making an argument rather than attacking the substance of the argument itself. This avoids genuine debate by creating a personal attack as a diversion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

User avatar

Topic author
drjohncarpenter
Posts: 107019
Registered for: 20 years 11 months
Location: United States of America
Has thanked: 11700 times
Been thanked: 33635 times
Age: 89

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1414298

Post by drjohncarpenter »

ed40 wrote:What a great topic, many thanks Doc !


Ed
Thank you, ed40!


.
Dr. John Carpenter, M.D.
Stop, look and listen, baby <<--->> that's my philosophy!


Eleojay1970
Posts: 39
Registered for: 5 years 10 months
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 14 times

Re: The Promise --> Loew's State Theatre 1951 !

#1716637

Post by Eleojay1970 »

They have the first photo, in elvis day by day, by Peter Guralnick’s book as Elvis with his cousin Gene Smith


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Post Reply