Help - Elvis and Larry in Hawaii 77

[DarrylMac]

Can anyone help me? I'm looking for a pic of Elvis and Larry relaxing in Hawaii in 77. Elvis is wearing a black shirt, and is sat in a chair. It was posted here some time ago, but has been removed.

Many thanks...

[claude 91]

[Terry]

[DarrylMac]

Thanks Claude, and Terry - much appreciated! I seem to remember someone had a more uncropped version though. Any ideas?

[drjohncarpenter]

I remember the overwhelming sense of sadness I felt when first viewing these photos.

In particular, here Elvis looks peaceful, serene, and almost like he's already passed away.



Only five months left.

[Tony Trout]

I remember the overwhelming sense of sadness I felt when first viewing these photos.

In particular, here Elvis looks peaceful, serene, and almost like he's already passed away.



Only five months left.

Doc,

I agree with your observations. That first pic is just....eerie.

[drjohncarpenter]

I agree with your observations. That first pic is just....eerie.

The first time I saw it -- maybe Geller's If I Can Dream -- I practically passed out.

It was striking, almost luminous, and that copy was printed in black and white. The same effect is here, too.

[E-Cat]

I remember the overwhelming sense of sadness I felt when first viewing these photos.

In particular, here Elvis looks peaceful, serene, and almost like he's already passed away.



Only five months left.

Seems like Elvis was meditating....

Below are some more from the same spot:

[rickeap]

several new photos i haven't seen.
He looks like he's being propped up in the photo with the Aldens and Rick, however the shot on his own with his eyes closed just looks like he's relaxing. I don't think you can read too much into a photo where he's looking into the sun/tanning with his eyes closed
Thanks for the pix

[Tony Trout]

Below are some more from the same spot:

Wow....another eerie pic from that date....that gave me shivers....

[drjohncarpenter]

I don't think you can read too much into a photo where he's looking into the sun/tanning with his eyes closed ...

You sure can, given the time frame and his general health.

In fact that he's not tanning. People don't usually tan with their clothes on.

[Joe Car]

Great observation Doc. Hawaii gave him that peace away from the chaos that had become his life in 1977. If ever anybody needed a long break away from being ravaged from fame and it's excesses, it was certainly our boy. Unfortunately it was not meant to be.

[E-Cat]

Did anyone noticed that Elvis did not wear short pants or any other beachwear during the entire holiday in March 77.
This may give a clue how unhappy he felt about his body.

[drjohncarpenter]

Did anyone noticed that Elvis did not wear short pants or any other beachwear during the entire holiday in March 77.
This may give a clue how unhappy he felt about his body.

Yes -- he was the only member of his traveling group to do so. He also wore that white terrycloth hat quite a bit.

[Ben]

When I think about these pictures from Hawaii '77 it seems strange that of all the pictures his hair wasn't 'done' and he didn't wear more flashy clothes like he did all the time. Its like he gave up on making an effort 'cos all through his life he did his hair and we know of the things that 'Cilla said about not being able to go downstairs in their dressing gowns(bathrobes) and he wore flashy suits even in the hottest summers but in these picture he just didn't care about things anymore.

I don't know if this makes sense but I cant put my point across very well

[Joe Car]

When I think about these pictures from Hawaii '77 it seems strange that of all the pictures his hair wasn't 'done' and he didn't wear more flashy clothes like he did all the time. Its like he gave up on making an effort 'cos all through his life he did his hair and we know of the things that 'Cilla said about not being able to go downstairs in their dressing gowns(bathrobes) and he wore flashy suits even in the hottest summers but in these picture he just didn't care about things anymore.

I don't know if this makes sense but I cant put my point across very well

All of these observations are signs of depression. Here's a man that was immaculately dressed and well-groomed his whole adult life, obviously something was wrong.

[Ben]

When I think about these pictures from Hawaii '77 it seems strange that of all the pictures his hair wasn't 'done' and he didn't wear more flashy clothes like he did all the time. Its like he gave up on making an effort 'cos all through his life he did his hair and we know of the things that 'Cilla said about not being able to go downstairs in their dressing gowns(bathrobes) and he wore flashy suits even in the hottest summers but in these picture he just didn't care about things anymore.

I don't know if this makes sense but I cant put my point across very well

All of these observations are signs of depression. Here's a man that was immaculately dressed and well-groomed his whole adult life, obviously something was wrong.

Yes that was the point I was trying to get across. He made the biggest effort to look 'perfect' especially in photos/footage(and I know this wasn't in the public but he knew pictures were being taken) but during this holiday he just seemed to not care if he didn't make an effort.

[DarrylMac]

sorry guys, but aren't we going a little overboard. He was on holiday! Why should he not relax, take it easy, and be himself. FIrstly, in some pics, it's breezy, in others, he'd been playing football with his friends. Just because his hair was messy, doesn't mean he was in the depths of a manic depression. He most certainly felt self conscious about his body, hence just wearing t-shirts, but all the anecdotes from this trip suggest they all had fun.

In this pic, Shelly's hair is messy too - is she depressed?

I say this in full knowledge that Elvis wasn't in the best health, had issues with his drug problem, almost certainly had spells of depression, but not constantly!

laugh77.jpg

[Scott]

All of these observations are signs of depression.

Evis was not a classic depressive. He may have been down at times, but it was not depression. Does he look like a depressed man in the pics with Shirley here?

It was sometimes Elvis' style to tan with clothes on. The fact that he did it in '77 is no big deal.

Hell, he even tanned with clothes on in Girl Happy!

On the extremely rare occasions I tan, it's with clothes on. And it's in the spring and autumn, never summer.

[rickeap]

good posts.
He was relaxed, dressed casually and in most photos seeming to have a good time.

[Inigo Montoya]

When I think about these pictures from Hawaii '77 it seems strange that of all the pictures his hair wasn't 'done' and he didn't wear more flashy clothes like he did all the time. Its like he gave up on making an effort 'cos all through his life he did his hair and we know of the things that 'Cilla said about not being able to go downstairs in their dressing gowns(bathrobes) and he wore flashy suits even in the hottest summers but in these picture he just didn't care about things anymore.

I don't know if this makes sense but I cant put my point across very well

I've always thought that the more likely reason he wore those darned prehistoric bird jumpsuits for most of 1976, and the Sundial suit for most of '77, was that he was depressed. Sure, there may have been fit problems for some of that time, but there were quite a few suits that Elvis could have worn, and sometimes did, during that same time. During '76 and '77 it was when Elvis seemed to be feeling better -- admittedly, this usually coincided with not being in the worst apparent physical shape and general condition of that period -- that he wore a greater diversity of suits (March and October-December of '76 and the first tour of 1977).

And, in line with what you're saying, it was during 1976 and 1977 that Elvis started wearing those tracksuits and lightweight nylon jackets when offstage. He sometimes still gussied himself up a bit with, for example, those two-toned outfits he wore in 1975 (the 'penguin' suit and similar) but, for the most part, candids from that period feature an Elvis generally possessed with less evidence of sartorial splendor than ever before. His hair was often pretty messy, too. I'm not saying it was a bad thing -- I'm all for the man having been dressed comfortably, and my own preferences would run thusly -- but I think it was a rather sharp departure. I mean, Elvis had always been a real clotheshorse and even when he was dressed to just slop around the house he was usually dressed up several orders of magnitude more than most of us at our fanciest, and then more often than not in custom-designed clothing. There was definitely a change in Elvis' apparent interest in his appearance during 1976 and, in hindsight, perhaps it to some extent signified trouble.

[Scott]

It can also be an age thing.

I know that now, at 41, I don't put as much effort into what I wear, not even as much as I did two years ago.

It just doesn't matter to me anymore. As long as the clothes are clean and functional.

F*** funkiness and fashion.

Maybe he was bored with flashy clothes.

Either way, the man was not suffering from actual depression.

[drjohncarpenter]

When I think about these pictures from Hawaii '77 it seems strange that of all the pictures his hair wasn't 'done' and he didn't wear more flashy clothes like he did all the time.

Your judgment is based on known photos. There are apparently other examples of the entire vacation group out on the town at local festivities, and they are well-dressed.

No doubt, though, that our hero didn't feel good about his shape in March 1977, and thus the extra clothing.

[Simon1]

Even in the late Sixties Elvis usually wore a shirt when on the beach in Hawaii. (see screencaps below)
I think it was just his thing, he was always self-conscious and felt more at ease with a shirt on, it wasn't any different during his last vacation.
If he was depressed at the time? Probably so, his health was a constant worry, the up-coming 'bodyguard book' was on his mind, the financial situation was not good, I'd say he'd have had plenty to be depressed about.
Nevertheless, I think he may have enjoyed himself there for a while, I certainly hope so.

Cheers,
Simon

[Scott]

Even in the late Sixties Elvis usually wore a shirt when on the beach in Hawaii. I think it was just his thing, he was always self-conscious and felt more at ease with a shirt on, it wasn't any different during his last vacation.

Exactly. You'd think any serious, er, seasoned fan would know that!