David B. Hecht 56 publicity photo - location found! UPDATE!

[davide]

I have moved this topic over to the All Elvis section as suggested by DJC !

After a fair amount of research, I feel confident that I have found the location and a possible date for the now famous publicity photographs taken RCA Victor staff photographer David B. Hecht.

The evidence for the location is found in a section of text by RCA Executive (at that time - Country & Western Promotions Manager) Chick Crumpacker

Chick Crumpacker : "RCA had a man on staff named David Hecht,who had a studio in Carnegie Hall (New York City),It was called the Caruso Room because Caruso had rehearsed there. It had the northern light that Hecht liked. We did the photo shoot,then went for milkshakes across the street."**
Note : Chick Crumpacker wrote linear notes for the LP LPM-1382(see below)

The date,for these photographs. I know has been discussed at great length on this message board. Having read the information contained,I have concluded the date for these images may be Thursday 26th or Friday the 27th of January 1956.


This image is reproduced further down in a full frame version.


Carnegie Hall tower,New York City,152 West 57th Street


Neubert Ballet Studio 819,Carneige Hall,New York City,with the impressive skylights in view.


Carnegie Hall Studios,New York City.
The studios were created especially for music rehearsal, dance and small performing groups No two are alike and many are duplexes and have large skylights. the first tenant was the American Academy of Dramatic Art . Over the years, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Robert Redford took acting lessons here and Lucille Ball had voice coaching. James Dean studied scripts and Leonard Bernstein, music. Women once lined up on the street to visit an alluring resident – the young Marlon Brando.

History of the Studio's and building.http://www.thecityreview.com/carnegie.html?crid=41e0346a61b6608f&query=Search+this+site

Enrico Caruso found the acoustics of Studio 826 so good that he made his first recording there with RCA Victor.

Enrico Caruso recorded this selection in 1904,in room 826,the location for David Hecht's photographic studio : http://dietcookingrecipes.com/video/t936rzOt3Zc/Una-Furtiva-Lagrima-Enrico-Caruso-1904.html

With the location now confirmed,the date has always shifted from early 1956 up to July 1956. Like other's on this board I have felt that they were taken during the first part of 56',with late January being the most likely as this is when Elvis and his party travelled to New York City for the CBS TV Jackie Gleason 'Stage Show'. David B Hecht makes reference (shown below) that Colonel Parker visiting his studio to collect the films a couple of days after the session.

Elvis Day By Day

Wednesday January 25th 1956 :
At the end of the morning Elvis and the Colonel flew first-class from Nashville to New York City with American Airlines flight 148. They stayed at the Warwick Hotel and had dinner at the Hickory House Restaurant. As always, Elvis made several telephone calls from his hotel room.

Thursday January 26th 1956
Elvis and the Colonel at RCA,with Steve Sholes and the head of RCA Victor record division Larry Kanga. They also met Anne Fulchino in the publicity department in the morning where talks took place about concert tours,acting etc. Anne Fulchino states that she asked Elvis to wait in her office after lunch, this only gives a small period of time late afternoon for the publicity photo's.


Friday January 27th 1956
Scotty, Bill and DJ arrived in New York by car from Memphis. This day is a strong contender for the date that the publicity shots took place.

Saturday January 28th 1956
During the morning there were rehearsals for Stage Show at the Nola Studios. The show was broadcast from the CBS Studios at 8.00 p.m. Because of the weather and because Elvis was unknown in New York City there were not much people attending the show.

Sunday January 29th 1956 : Day off for Elvis in New York,but with the reference to buying milkshakes,this is unlikely on a Sunday.

Monday January 30th Recording Session RCA Studios

Tuesday January 31st Recording Session RCA Studios,meeting William Morris Agency,1740 Broadway,New York.

Wednesday February 1st : The Colonel returns to Tennessee ,therefore by this time with the fact that David B Hecht made reference to the Colonel returning to his studio,this puts the date back from here towards the 26th/27th.



Getty Images caption provides 'CBS photo Archive' as the source for the caption for the Black and White images from these sessions (see below)

"Studio portrait of American singer Elvis Presley (1935 - 1977) taken for an appearance on the American television series 'Stage Show'
January 26, 1956. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
Date created: 26 Jan 1956.

Interesting to where this date comes from - This date does work in the time line,just meaning the afternoon of the 26th. Getty Images' site reveal more of the image from the original negative with the border intact,than seen before.


THE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS









***

Ger Rijff : Chick Crumpacker and I got to talking about the RCA photo files.Chick ,besides being one heck of a nice guy,was - and still is - employed by RCA as an engineer and had known Elvis since 1955,when he was working as a talent scout and A&R man for the company. He mentioned that for many years there'd been a fairly well-stocked photo file at the RCA building in New York,but after Elvis' passing The Colonel had sent some of his flunkies in to clean it out,claiming the photo's were his property.

I had hoped to locate the material shot by David B. Hecht,the photographer responable for that ultra-cool image on the front of the second album,Elvis (LPM 1382) - for which Chuck wrote the liner notes!

Chick remembered Hecht and also recalled him having his studio in New York at the time.He quickly thumbed through the yellow pages and within minutes was able to hand me his telephone number.*

THE COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHS


EP release: RCA EPA-992,Volume 1 October 19, 1956


LPM-1382, October 19, 1956


"Perfect For Parties" Highlight Album . EP release: RCA SPA-7-37, October 25, 1956.


The same image was used for the RCA Victor release's (above)EP release: RCA EPA-993 volume II, November 1956





Full frame of the image used below for the EP release 'Strictly Elvis EPA-994
EP release: RCA EPA-994, January 1957











***



Black and White full frame version above.


This photo can can only be seen here,on this December 1956 Vintage Magazine,TV Movie fan. I have corrected this image,which has caused lettering to be reversed. This is the full frame version of the first photo seen at the start of the topic.

Ger Rijff : Mr Hecht explained to me exactly what happened back in 1956,"A day or two after i'd finished the photo session with Elvis,Colonel Parker came to my studio to look at the results. He took all the films away with him,saying that he was to have a meeting with the folks at RCA to discuss which photographs were to be used for Elvis product

He told me to contact RCA the following week and work out a deal with them. When I rang RCA i was told they were thrilled with the results but to contact the Colonel regarding payment. Back then I was pretty naive and believed his secretary when she told me The Colonel was out every time i rang. After a while it became clear he didn't want to talk business with me and I began to relize he had no intention to pay me for my work. I don't know if he still has the original films,but to this very day I've not seen a penny for them."*

Chick Crumpacker : I always disliked Parker.he was a very rude man and treated people like dirt. I'm sure if Elvis,who couldn't be bothered with business matters,wasn't aware of the situation.*



THE RED JACKET COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHS


This full length image (above) was used for the 'Too Much/Playing For Keeps (below) release,cropped and angle change.45rpm release RCA 47-6800, January 4, 1957. Strange that the Picture sleeve puts 'Playing For Keeps' as the lead title.












'All Shook Up/That's When Your Heartaches Begin ,45rpm released RCA 47-6870, March 22, 1957.
I have not seen this image in a full frame version. The colour on Elvis' jacket looks to be have been tweaked from the original red.


Just For You EP release: RCA EPA-4041, April 1957



Full frame version of the image used for the EP Just For You.

***

+




Full frame version.



TV Radio Mirror Magazine,December 1956. This image seems to be only found on the cover of this magazine, although attempts have been made to seperate the image of Elvis from Ed Sullivan and the background.UPDATE! NEW IMPROVED VERSION FOUND













September TV Star Parade 1956

+
A Black and White version of the shot used in the magazine above

Chick Crumpacker contributed anoymously these liner notes for the LP Elvis LPM-1382. In July 1956 Chuck Crumper was promoted to post of Cordinator of Popular Artist and Repertoire planning,who reported to Joe Carlton RCA Victor's Pop A&R chief.



David B. Hecht


David B. Hecht


Any contributions would be most welcome.
Davide

+Thanks to Bripet56
**Elvis the official collector's edition No. 11
*Taken from an article from ETMAHM No. 22 March 1994,page 29/32
***Thanks to the Fool
Info Last Train to Memphis The Rise Of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick - Page 242

[keninlincs]

Thanks David

[Dan The Man]

Magnificent!!!
Your topics are a thrill to read. You should, if you don't allready, get into the Elvis book business.

[drjohncarpenter]

Another terrific topic, David!

However, I must insist that you start putting these in "All Elvis" -- they are more than just a collection of photos, you offer a living and accurate history. And they are a delight to read!

That said, it's cool to see some more verification of what I posted on FECC over 4 years ago:

Post Subject: 1956 Publicity Photo!
Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 8:52 pm
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22893&p=272110&#p272110

We DO actually see those shoes in other photos. I'm almost certain it's the shoes Elvis wears in the pix after signing with RCA in NOvember 1955 and here they are on Feb 4, 1956 at the Dorsey show ...

Well Brian, a Presley expert I contacted off the MB regarding this query did not pan out, so I'm going to make an educated guess about this.

If we assume the photos were taken in NY, as evidenced by the guitar, and sometime close to the February 4, 1956 "Dorsey Brothers" appearance, based on those shoes:

Elvis likely had a photo session with David B. Hecht between January 26 (Thu) and February 4 (Sat).

1/26 was his first full day in NY, and he didn't leave town until Sunday morning, 2/5. This was the longest extended period of time Elvis ever spent in the "Big Apple," or at least in 1956.

DJC

My vote for the session date is Sunday (1-29). You could get a milkshake in New York on a Sunday.

The one question I have is this:

If the December 1, 1955 New York publicity shots by "PoPsie" were made at RCA New York, and Hecht's January 1956 images were created at Carnegie Hall, where did the guitar come from?

It's not Elvis' guitar, but the same instrument is used at both photo sessions.

[TheCoolKing]

Thanks Davide!!

[epf]

Wow. Impressive, on many levels.

[davide]

Thanks for the comments

Davide

[JamesVRoy]

what happened to my posts?

Ok, I see you have two duplicate threads
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=55108

It might've been easier to cross post a link to the other in hopes of keeping all the content together. Anyway I centralized all your threads in one post if that helps.

[Juan Luis]

Great...thanks!

[George Smith]

Genius.

We are not worthy.

[otto]

Just Magnificent

Thanks davide

[davide]

updated with some new images, and improved quality on one of the black & white photo's - from members on the picture section.

Davide

[jon_burrows]

Another quality post David, thank you.

[Little Darlin]

WOW just WOW. That Julie Andrews cover blew me away. Where do you find all this stuff David. Thank youi very much for posting

[davide]

To help the story of these publicity sessions further, here are some memories as told by Janis Martin

Interview with Janis Martin about meeting Elvis.

JM: only twice. First time I met him he still had a contract with the man before Colonel Tom and he had to finish his shows that he had booked through him. He was booked here in Danville. I met him that night. The only other time I met him was in New York. He was up there for a publicity session of picture stills and I was there to record. We saw each other for maybe 20 -25 minutes in the lobby and he slept most of the time then. So very few words ever passed between us.

"Most Promising Country & Western Female Artist of 1956" award.

Interview with Trevor Cajiao

"I was there to cut some records in the big RCA building which covered nearly a block in New York City,they had a big lobby and I was sitting in the lobby waiting for the studio to clear,and he came in. He sat down in the chair,he looked over and said 'How's it goin ? I said 'Oh pretty good',he said 'Oh , I'm so tired' He had black rings under his eyes and looked really exhausted. He closed his eyes he put his head back and went to sleep..and he slipped all the way down to the floor. He was like he didn't have a bone in his body,that's the way he was. Then they came and tapped him on the shoulder - he had hardly been asleep a few minutes-they woke him up and told him it was time to go. So I asked him,i said 'What are you here for?' he said 'To make some of these publicity stills'. They took him down the hall one way and i went the other,and he started to walk off,then he turned around,looked back and he said,' Good luck! he said 'It's hard road..it's a hard hard road. 'Oh,he was beautiful'

Taken from ETMAHM No. 57 sept 2002


After some very helpful research by FECC member DJC, we both feel that we now have the most probable answers to the above extracts,and how they relate to the New York publicity sessions.

Here is the timeline (provided by DJC)
Nov-Dec 55 = Acetate cut of "Will You, Willyum" at WRVA Radio, Richmond, VA
Late Jan 56 = Meetings with Sholes at RCA New York, perhaps some reference recordings, just Janice and her guitar, cut in the studio (this may be where she was asked if she had any original songs)
Early Mar 56 = First formal RCA session, at 1525 McGavock Street in Nashville.

Elvis, as far as we know, only had two Photo Session's during the period 1954-1958 located in New York City,the one with photographer 'Popsie' ,and the photo's featured in this topic by David B. Hecht. We can conclude that Janis Martin has over time merged the times when she visited the RCA building with a future date,and that Elvis and Janis' meeting took place at the RCA building prior to the photo sessions on either the thursday 26th (Afternoon) or friday the 27th January 1956.

With thanks
Davide/DJC

[davide]

Here is an extract from a letter written to ETMAHM(No. 23) magazine from Chick Crumpacker,which supports and reveals a bit more info.

David's(B. Hecht) studio was in the Carnegie Hall building,at 56th Street and 7th Avenue. Ace Lehman the RCA Records art director who accompanied us to the session,now relates a version that David's place was a former vocal studio where Caruso practiced and that there is a plaque outside telling about this.

Ace,Elvis and I went across the street afterward for a milkshake at the (then) Sheraton Hotel drugstore a semi notorious place in it's own right, a mafia gangster was later shot in the Sheraton barber shop,a story that was in all the newspapers and is still talked from time to time

Chick Crumpacker


October 25th 1957 Newspaper.

Davide

[stranger]

Here another cover on a 1955 RCA album with picture of David Hecht.

[EPA4368]

Great work. Thank You!

[davide]

Thought I would post this shot,though not new..it's big a improvement in quality,(also updated some shots of the red jacket)

Davide

[Rtn 2 Sndr]

Where were the jacket and shirt photographed? Is that part of the Graceland collection? I have very seldom seen any of Elvis' clothing from the fifties on display there--the jumpsuits dominate the displays.

[HoneyTalkNelson]

Here's a little more of the album cover than you usually see. This was taken from an un-used slick.

I'm sorry I had to do it twice. It's too big for my scanner, and the right side is cropped too!

[drjohncarpenter]

That cover slick is way cool!

[HoneyTalkNelson]

That cover slick is way cool!

Thanks, glad you liked it. Would you like to see others?

[Juan Luis]

That cover slick is way cool!

Thanks, glad you liked it. Would you like to see others?

Sure!

[drjohncarpenter]

That cover slick is way cool!

Thanks, glad you liked it. Would you like to see others?

Sure!

Please be sure to create a new thread and put it in All Elvis!