What Col. Parker did....right.

#208247

I'm inspired to start a new topic:

Colonel Parker proves that we need more secure U.S. borders

Luuk · #208248

EagleUSA wrote:I'm inspired to start a new topic:

Colonel Parker proves that we need more secure U.S. borders

Be happy the U.S. borders were not secure when The Colonel entered the USA, especially since he apparently entered the USA illegally (?) TWICE.
If security had been tight we would now be discussing Perry Como, Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin and why their world tours were failures, financially.

Juan Luis · #208250

Eileen wrote:
Elvis' Babe wrote:and yes--i have seen pictures of the guy that got the role in a star is born...imo, elvis looked healthier in '77 than that guy. scruffy and overweight to say the best.

I do not know why people wished Elvis had done that movie. The colonel did ok there asking too much. Streisand would have upstaged Elvis in everything including the hit song of the Movie. She was more of an actor(politically correct) than Elvis especially since it had been awhile for him. This time I believe it worked out for the best.

#208253

Nobody who was side by side with Elvis could upstage him, I don't care who they were, the guy had charisma and talent by the truckloads.

Luuk · #208258

Joe Car wrote:Nobody who was side by side with Elvis could upstage him, I don't care who they were, the guy had charisma and talent by the truckloads.

All Elvis movies are Elvis movies, no matter what name is used for the character Elvis plays.
When I watch, for example, a Sean Connery movie, I do not think that it is a Sean Connery movie but I believe the character he plays, whether it is James Bond or someone else.
Now is that bad? No! We, the fans who were there in the early sixties, went to the Elvis movies BECAUSE they were Elvis movies. Lots of singing, a fight scene here and there and lots of beautiful women in bikini.
What more can a 16-17-year old boy want?

#208265

Has she ever said anything in detail regarding her Vegas visit, asking Elvis etc? And did Parker use his tactics again, asking for too much money, thus not having to turn down the role using another reason?

Do you think Babs upstages Kris?

And could Elvis really have played this role ? A star on the skids. A character addicted to drugs. There is a scene in the film, with cocaine in nose. A person that is hopeless and dies in a car crash (suicide?). Not the most uplifting role to save one's own personal life, as some of the opinions in this thread suggest. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved for Elvis to get on a better track again, but in the end he would have only left a semi-autobiographical role once again. Only this time more negative, with most of his other films being fun vehicles.

#208272

I think though in 74, EP had time to change. He needed challenges, different challenges, a great script with a big star would have pushed him. Who knows what would have happened after that, it certainly couldn't have hurt him any worse as it turned out. It might have stopped the tours for a bit, rejuvinating him in his film career, where he would have definitely chose his own films, I firmly believe that. Alas, it wasn't mean't to be.

#208275

Excellent points, Melanie.

Luuk wrote:

Be happy the U.S. borders were not secure when The Colonel entered the USA, especially since he apparently entered the USA illegally (?) TWICE.
If security had been tight we would now be discussing Perry Como, Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin and why their world tours were failures, financially.

Are you kidding? You make it sound as though Elvis would have continued driving a truck straight through to retirement if he hadn't been carried for all those years by Colonel Andreas Cornelius van Kuijk. Give me a break!

Delboy · #208282

JLGB wrote:Streisand would have upstaged Elvis in everything including the hit song of the Movie.

Ouch!

Have to disagree! You don't have to be the best actor to steal every scene you're in. Charisma I think it's called.

Juan Luis · #208295

Don't take me wrong. I am not saying Streisand was better. Although acting yes. AT the time with her acting (I do not like her but admit she acts well) would have had him for lunch. It was not the 1958 Elvis hungry to prove he could act in King Creole. It was a bad movie anyway although the album sold well for Streisand. They did not buy it for Kris.

#208309

That's the main thing- the movie was something of a laughingstock when it did come out. Elvis could have still benefitted from it if he had given a knock out performance. However, he would have been completely on his own but he would have been working on an undistinguished vehicle with an undistinguished director.

I wonder how Elvis would have fared if he had gotten a job with a real actor's director like Lumet, Kazan or Frankenheimer. Siegel and Curtiz were terrific directors and gave actors some direction but mostly left actors to their own devices. A guy like Frankenheimer would just do everything possible to get that performance. The work he got out of Rock Hudson in "Seconds" for instance was just astounding. Hudson was a pro with a great screen presence but his work in the Frankenheimer movie is incredibly rich and even profound. The difference between that and the rest of his movies is incredible.

#208322

JLGB wrote:
Eileen wrote:
Elvis' Babe wrote:and yes--i have seen pictures of the guy that got the role in a star is born...imo, elvis looked healthier in '77 than that guy. scruffy and overweight to say the best.

I do not know why people wished Elvis had done that movie. The colonel did ok there asking too much. Streisand would have upstaged Elvis in everything including the hit song of the Movie. She was more of an actor(politically correct) than Elvis especially since it had been awhile for him. This time I believe it worked out for the best.

That "guy" with Streisand is Kris Kristofferson, no lightweight actor or songwriter/performer.

In regard to Streisand upstaging Elvis in the movie, let's remember that Elvis' main ambition in the movies was to be taken more seriously as an actor. That great part to help him acheive that symbol might not have been in the "starring" role. He could have been very compelling as a stuggling superstar and so what if she got top billing? If he had aced it, he coud have done anything he wanted in the movies. But the Col wasn't going to let the world see Elvis portraying a strung out rocker. Kinda strange isn't it?

Juan Luis · #208326

Melanie wrote:Has she ever said anything in detail regarding her Vegas visit, asking Elvis etc? And did Parker use his tactics again, asking for too much money, thus not having to turn down the role using another reason?

Do you think Babs upstages Kris?

I do not know first question. 2nd and 3rd yes and yes.

#208349

InMemphis wrote:
JLGB wrote:
Eileen wrote:
Elvis' Babe wrote:and yes--i have seen pictures of the guy that got the role in a star is born...imo, elvis looked healthier in '77 than that guy. scruffy and overweight to say the best.

I do not know why people wished Elvis had done that movie. The colonel did ok there asking too much. Streisand would have upstaged Elvis in everything including the hit song of the Movie. She was more of an actor(politically correct) than Elvis especially since it had been awhile for him. This time I believe it worked out for the best.
That "guy" with Streisand is Kris Kristofferson, no lightweight actor or songwriter/performer.

In regard to Streisand upstaging Elvis in the movie, let's remember that Elvis' main ambition in the movies was to be taken more seriously as an actor. That great part to help him acheive that symbol might not have been in the "starring" role. He could have been very compelling as a stuggling superstar and so what if she got top billing? If he had aced it, he coud have done anything he wanted in the movies. But the Col wasn't going to let the world see Elvis portraying a strung out rocker. Kinda strange isn't it?

I don't believe for an instant that the Colonel was worrying about Streisand upstaging Elvis. I do believe there was more money to be made touring and the Colonel and his boy both needed cash, especially around this time. The Colonel had long stopped caring about the best interests of Elvis, he needed $$$$$$ to feed his gambling habit!

Juan Luis · #208356

Thats right. But even the Colonel smelled a rat with that bad movie. You got give the Colonel credit on that one. He did not let her have it HER way. She made a mistake getting to Elvis bypassing the Colonel. When the Colonel showed Elvis the cards that were on the table so to speak, Elvis knew it would not be in his best interests to do that terrible remake.

#208382

Rob wrote:
Elvis' Babe wrote:i have seen pictures of the guy that got the role in a star is born...imo, elvis looked healthier in '77 than that guy. scruffy and overweight to say the best.
"That Guy" was Kris Kristofferson. Elvis was in no way, shape or form as fit or healthy as he was when this movie was made. Kris has never been overweight a day in his life.

Rob-
At the time Kris Kristofferson filmed A Star Is Born he was a heavy substance abuser (mostly booze, but also some drugs). The movie was a wake up call for him, and caused him to get clean & sober.

Rob · #208387

You're not telling me anything I don't know. Regardless, he was still in better shape at the time of the movie than Elvis was in 1977.

History speaks for it's self.

#208408

When he woke up from a bender and found he starred in a horrible remake of "A Star is Born" it probably set him straight.

#208433

likethebike wrote:When he woke up from a bender and found he starred in a horrible remake of "A Star is Born" probably set him straight.

YouTube · #208437

well, i think i've seen a more recent picture of kris than that--i think it got shown on some elvis docu went they were talking about it. but still...beard not doing it for me. and yes, i still think '77 elvis was better looking. the guy looks like he should be playing grizzly adams not an ex-rockstar.

perhaps elvis playing as *gasp* different role of somebody who wasn't a happy-go-lucky beach bum, even cocaine user, would have pushed him artistically in the direction of where critics wouldn't be able to ignore it. the point is that it would have shocked the people who think elvis was a lightweight actor if he did even a remotely good job.

imho...i would think babs would be more afraid of elvis upstaging her than her upstaging him. acting or not--elvis is the one that people love no matter what size he is.

wasn't there a story of elvis critiquing babs' stage performance...something about using her hands over her face too much or something? maybe that had something to do with it? though i suspect a great deal of the cause was good ol' andreas, our favorite alien with a penchant for screwing up elvis' artistic goals.

let's not forget the rainmaker, west side story, and midnight cowboy either.

though i must say--babs isn't quite up to the standards of an elvis movie girl. she's no ann-margret.

Rob · #208448

Elvis' Babe wrote:though i must say--babs isn't quite up to the standards of an elvis movie girl. she's no ann-margret.

No, she's certainly not. However, she's not exactly an Elsa Lanchester either.

#208455

I guess it was all about money. Elvis could make a lot more money on the road than he could do with making a movie. And on tour his by then not too healthy looks could be hidden from the bigger public. Maybe the colonel did think, it wasn't the most clever move to show a close up shot of Elvis on a big screen and maybe Parker meant, that Elvis abuse of medication could not been hidden for the time of shooting a motion picture. Parker wasn't about art. He was about money. And to him it must have been the combination of saving Elvis' image and making money that kept him from letting Elvis do the picture. By the way: If Elvis really would have wantet to make that movie, he just had to call Mr. Streisand and tell her he would do the film. He was the Colonel's boss, not the other way round.

#208484

Actually, I don't think EP really wanted to do that movie. I think he was too far gone at this point. It was more comfortable for him to do another tour, another Vegas stand. To be forced to clean up and do a great job for the movie would only have put extra pressure on him. If he really wanted to do it, I don't think Parker would have stopped him - or could have stopped him, for that matter. JMO!

Keith Richards, Jr.

#208486

Rob -

You wrote:

No, she's certainly not.
However, she's not exactly an Elsa Lanchester either.

No she isn't.

Here's Elsa doing her famous 'Yoga' thing with Elvis:

#208511

Did Elvis get any other film offers in the 70s?

Let's say he would have had his "dream" and taken on a serious role again, with a real actor's director, critical acclaimed material, not singing a tune. Would he have had to act diffrent to convince the audience that the person on screen isn't Elvis Presley the singer, the superstar, but the character named xy? Because if the audience would have flocked to the theaters to see ELVIS, he would have been in the Hollywood rut again, that he came to despise in the 60s.