The directors...and Elvis - on set

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Tom Wilson

The directors...and Elvis - on set

#977499

Post by Tom Wilson »

I thought it might be fun to collect photos of Elvis with his movie directors from each movie into one topic. Many of these are courtesy of Elvisfiles and Davides postings on this forum, with a few additional ones from Tunzi's books and others. There's no attempt at originality here - as I said, I just thought it might be fun.

Love Me Tender - Robert D. Webb

A director with 19 titles to his name, his most recent work before LMT was The Proud Ones with Robert Ryan and co-starring among others Robert Middleton, Arthur O'Connell and Rodolfo Acosta, all people who would work with Elvis later on.
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His next picture after LMT was The Way to the Gold with Jeffrey Hunter, Sheree North, Walter Brennan and Neville Brand. Incidentally, this was to be an Elvis picture. Fox was delighted with LMT and wanted Elvis back. But The Colonel wanted $250,000 plus a 50% profit split. Fox held at $150,000 plus 50%
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Loving You - Hal Kanter

Recently deceased Hal Kanter was more known as a script-writer but he has 10 titles to his name as a director, with Loving You being the first.
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His next directing job was I Married a Woman with Diane Dors and Adolphe Menjou.
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Jailhouse Rock - Richard Thorpe

The prolific Mr. Thorpe directed 184 titles during his long career, including some early Tarzan films wit Johnny Weissmuller. His most recent work before JH was a thing called Tip on a Dead Jockey with Robert Taylor.
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He followed this with The House of the Seven Hawks, again with Robert Taylor - albeit two years later.
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King Creole - Michael Curtiz

Perhaps the most distinguished of all directors to direct Elvis, the Hungarian legend was at the tail end of his career by 1958. With at 173 titles to his name, the title preceding KC was The Proud Rebel with Alan Ladd and Olivia de Havilland, with Dean Jagger also in the cast.
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He also directed Robert Taylor next, in The Hangman with Mickey Shaughnessy also in the cast.
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GI Blues - Norman Taurog

A true Hollywood workhorse would spend his final working decade directing mostly - Elvis. He came into GIB from another Hal Wallis production, the Jerry Lewis vehicle Visit to a Small Planet (with Joan Blackman and Gale Gordon)
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From Elvis it was then just a small step into directing Pat Boone in All Hands on Deck...Barbara Eden, Warren Berlinger and Gale Gordon from Elvis' future costars were, er, on hand...
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to be continued...?
Last edited by Tom Wilson on Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.



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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

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Post by promiseland »

Very Nice!! :smt023



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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

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Post by Joe Car »

Great pics. Thanks Tom!



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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

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Post by rizzy56 »

great work tom ::rocks
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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

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Post by keninlincs »

GREAT POST TOM,DO PLEASE CONTINUE


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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

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Post by EPA4368 »

OUTSTANDING! Thanks for posting.

Keep em coming!

Welcome to Forum! ::rocks

Elvis and director Charles Marquis Warren on the set of Charro!
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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

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Post by javierTCB »

1970, july: with Denis Sanders at MGM Studio, Culver City.
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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#977725

Post by drjohncarpenter »

GREAT idea, and a very enjoyable topic! More, please!


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Topic author
Tom Wilson

Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#977727

Post by Tom Wilson »

OK, let's continue:

Flaming Star - Don Siegel
Don Siegel's directorial career was just starting to gain momentum, although he already had a bona fide classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers to his name. His later career highlights are several films with Clint Eastwood. The film preceding Flaming Star was Hound-Dog Man, starring Fabian.
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Siegel followed Flaming Star with Hell Is for Heroes in 1962, a gritty war drama with Steve McQueen...and Nick Adams.
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Wild in the Country - Philip Dunne
Dunne was also more accomplished as a screenwriter, but he did also direct about a dozen films. Preceding WITC, he directed the "shocking" youth drama Blue Denim.
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Following the Elvis stint, he directed Dolores Hart in one of her last pictures before becoming a nun, called The Inspector.
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If anyone would have a better copy of this particular Elvis-Dunne photo, I'd appreciate it! :wink:


Blue Hawaii - Norman Taurog
Uncle Norm was back and the formula started to be set. Taurog came to this from All Hands on Deck, and also his next picture would be an Elvis one.
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Follow That Dream - Gordon Douglas
Gordon Douglas' career goes back to the Hal Roach studios where he started in the late 30s directing one of Laurel & Hardy's last Roach features, Saps at Sea He came onto FTD after having directed Elvis' future co-stars Diane McBain and Will Hutchins in the "inept" melodrama Claudelle Inglish.
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He followed FTD with one of Bob Hope's dismal 1960's comedies, Call Me Bwana, with Anita Ekberg.
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Kid Galahad - Phil Karlson
Phil Karlon's main claim for fame is the 1955 drama Phenix City Story. Before Kid Galahad he directed a somewhat heavyweight cast in the hospital drama The Young Doctors
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Phil Karlson is the man with the cap on.

Following KG, he turned his hand to a jungle adventure, Rampage, with Robert Mitchum.
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to be continued...
Last edited by Tom Wilson on Sat Nov 26, 2011 8:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.



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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#977729

Post by drjohncarpenter »

Elvis loved the "Dirty Harry" films, and I often wonder if he thought of how he'd worked with Don Siegel, and of what might have been.
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Clint Eastwood, Don Siegel, circa 1971
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Topic author
Tom Wilson

Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#977918

Post by Tom Wilson »

Girls! Girls! Girls! - Norman Taurog
Taurog followed BH with GGG - both were shot in Hawaii and one wonders if he had stayed there in the interim as he looks really tanned in some of the pictures taken at the time. Also his next picture would be an Elvis one...
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It Happened at the World's Fair - Norman Taurog
From the warm Hawaii to the unpredictable weather of Seattle - that's about the only thing that changed as the films are as lightweight as a feather.
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After directing three Elvis pictures in a row, a break was certainly warranted and the next offering from Taurog was Palm Springs Weekend - Palm Springs, Florida, that is...with Troy Donahue and Connie Stevens.
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Fun in Acapulco - Richard Thorpe
After Jailhouse Rock, Thorpe had directed 6 films, most recent of which was Follow the Boys - "a seuqle of sorts" to Where the Boys Are - why is it that these old hand directors ended up directing teeny-bopper movies?
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After FIA, Thorpe went on to 4 more theatrical films until retiring in 1967 - the next one was called The Golden Head on which he actually replaced James Hill as the director in the middle of production.
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Viva Las Vegas - George Sidney
Famous for his MGM musical and adventure films of the 1940s and 50s, Sidney was also close to the end of his career. His previous offering had been A Ticklish Affair with Gig Young and Carolyn Jones
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For his penultimate theatrical directing job, he was assigned to again direct Ann-Margret in The Swinger...Yvonne Romain of Elvis' co-stars can also be spotted.
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Kissin' Cousins - Gene Nelson
The former dancer, whose dancing career ended after fracturing his pelvis when horse fell on him during a film shoot, had turned director just 3 years earlier. He had just directed Hootenanny Hoot for Sam Katzman (and with Johnny Cash appearing) which probably made him a natural to direct KC (to whoever it was who chose the directors for Elvis movies - The Colonel?)
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After KC Nelson was set to direct Elvis yet again in the Hank Williams biopic Your Cheatin' Heart, but after Williams' widow did not want Elvis starring, that role went to George Hamilton - Arthur O'Connell from the KC cast was also involved.
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to be continued...
Last edited by Tom Wilson on Sat Nov 26, 2011 8:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.




Topic author
Delboy

Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#977920

Post by Delboy »

Brilliant. Thanks for posting. ::rocks




Topic author
Tom Wilson

Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#977989

Post by Tom Wilson »

I added some international posters for the Elvis films to the previous posts...



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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#978132

Post by Jove »

Great Thread!!! ::rocks


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Topic author
Tom Wilson

Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#978211

Post by Tom Wilson »

Part 4...

Roustabout - John Rich
Mr. Rich was first and foremost a television director, and he only directed a handful of pictures for the big screen - 5 to be exact, with Roustabout being the 3rd and ECEG the last. His previous work was a sequel to the "1962 hit" The Interns, logically called The New Interns - with Barbara Eden.
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Following the Elvis assignment, he got to direct Jerry Lewis, Tony Curtis (and Suzanna Leigh) in the lame comedy Boeing Boeing
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Girl Happy - Boris Sagal
The father of Katey Sagal also directed primarily for the small screen, with only a few excursions to the big screen. He was tragically killed by a helicopter rotor blade on set of World War III in 1981. Prior to the Elvis assignment, he directed Charles Bronson and Kurt Russel in the obscure western Guns of Diablo
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Mr. Sagal is sitting on the right.

Following GH, he got to direct Ann-Margret in the "dated comedy" Made in Paris. And never mind the "not suitable for children" warning! :)
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Tickle Me - Norman Taurog
After a two-year hiatus since Palm Springs Weekend, Uncle Norm was back to direct a film whose title makes no sense - as he seems to have lost quite a bit of weight in the interim, I wonder if it was health issues that had forced him to take a break.
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Anyways he was back, and went on to direct Sergeant Deadhead next - with Frankie Avalon, Deborah Walley, Gale Gordon - and Buster Keaton!
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Harum Scarum - Gene Nelson
After KC Mr. Nelson had directed mainly for television: his credits include episodes in the Andy Griffith Show and Donna Reed Show. For some reason he came back to big screen work to direct HS - probably Sam Katzman had taken a shine to him.

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His next theatrical film would follow two years later, entitled The Cool Ones: reviews call this "frivolous and 20 minutes too long." After this, Mr. Nelson would spend the remainder of his career directing for television for a number of different series.
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Frankie And Johnny - Frederick de Cordova
Perhaps most (in)famous for his Ronald Reagan film Bedtime for Bonzo (1951), de Cordova would also work primarily for television - most famously as the producer of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. Prior to F&J he worked with Bob Hope on one of his lousy 60's comedies, called I'll Take Sweden. For an Elvis fan the supporting cast had some familiar names - Tuesday Weld and Jeremy Slate.
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I'm not 100% certain that the man Elvis is talking to the in the picture is Mr. Cordova - but it would make sense. Anyone have another picture of him taken on the set? Frankie And Johnny remained his final big screen directing job.
Last edited by Tom Wilson on Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.




Topic author
Tom Wilson

Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#978271

Post by Tom Wilson »

Part 5...

Paradise, Hawaiian Style - Michael D. Moore
Mr. Moore served as an assistant director on 5 Elvis movies before he made full director for this piece of fluff. His directorial career afterwards consisted of just 5 additional movies. He did serve as a second unit director on Raiders of the Lost Ark apparently.
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He followed PHS with a western An Eye for an Eye with Duke's son Patrick starring (and written by Kurt Russel's dad, Bing)
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Spinout - Norman Taurog
Before Spinout Norman had time to film a true camp classic with Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon, Jack Mullaney and Annette Funicello, namely Dr Goldfoot And the Bikini Machine, written by one of the Tickle Me writers.
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After Spinout Mr. Taurog's four final films were all Elvis...

Double Trouble - Norman Taurog
...and the next was this mod adventure, with Old MacDonald thrown in...
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Easy Come Easy Go - John Rich
John Rich had directed only for television since Boeing Boeing, and came back for his final big screen adventure in ECEG. Later on he would find fame as the director of classic sitcom All in the Family.
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Clambake - Arthur Nadel
Television director Nadel got to do his first big screen outing - with Elvis, no less. It was one of two that reached the big screen, otherwise he directed episodes to Bonanza and Lassie.
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Mr Nadel is second from right...the Colonel was there to pitch an idea of a Roustabout sequel, apparently. Or possibly Kissin' Cousins.

His other big screen credit is the Robert Goulet vehicle Underground from 1970...
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One more patch to go... :)




Topic author
Tom Wilson

Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#978518

Post by Tom Wilson »

The final patch...

Speedway - Norman Taurog
The penultimate Elvis- Taurog picture Speedway...nothing much else to say...
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Stay Away Joe - Peter Tewksbury
Mr. Tewksbury was also one of those directors whose major accomplishments are on the small screen- directing the sitcom Father Knows Best, for example. I can only find 5 big screen credits for him - the final two were Elvis films...I'm sure there's no causality here, though...The film preceding SAJ is Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding, with Sandra Dee and George Hamilton.
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Mr. Tewksbury is an elusive character in that I was not able to find a single picture of him on set with Elvis. If anyone has one, please post it! :) Here is one shot from the set of SAJ (in which the director may be one the people) and Mr. Tewksbury pictured in 1959 on the set of Father Knows Best.
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Live a Little, Love a Little - Norman Taurog
The final film in a long career - and not a bad one, in my opinion. By all accounts Elvis and Mr. Taurog got along well - and most of the films he directed are pleasant timefillers.
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Charro - Charles Marquis Warren
Most famous for directing episodes for Gunsmoke and Rawhide, Mr. Warrens previous big screen outing was from 1958, called the Desert Hell. Charro would be his final directing job.
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Mr. Warren in the middle wearing sunglasses.

The trouble with Girls - Peter Tewksbury
edit: Can anyone confirm whether this is Mr. Tewksbury. He looks somewhat like the gentleman in the picture I posted in conjunction with SAJ?TWG would be Tewksbury's final big screen work.
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Change of Habit - William Graham
Mostly a TV director, he would direct for the big screen now and then - like in 1991 with The return to Blue Lagoon. Prior to COF, his previous big screen work was Submarine X-1 with James Caan.
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His next theatrical picture was a really obscure sci-fi film called The Last Generation with Connie Stevens and Stuart Whitman - so obscure that I could not find a poster for it.

So that's it! Hope you've enjoyed these: my intention was to just collect them in one thread. If anyone can fill the missing pieces here, please do.

As for me: thank you very much...and Adios! :smt006
Last edited by Tom Wilson on Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.



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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

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Post by Elton »

Great stuff Tom,Thanks for the thread!!
Last edited by Elton on Wed Nov 30, 2011 11:32 am, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

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Post by Julian Grant »

A very enjoyable post. Nice job!



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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#978714

Post by keninlincs »

Thanks Tom


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Delboy

Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#978720

Post by Delboy »

Absolutely superb! Thanks for the time and effort.



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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

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Post by EPA4368 »

Brilliantly done! Thanks!



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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#979278

Post by Mike C »

Great thread! Interesting to see that Phil Karlson directed Ina Balin, Elvis' future co-star in Charro, in The Young Doctors prior to directing Kid Galahad.


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Topic author
Tom Wilson

Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#984124

Post by Tom Wilson »

A slight update: a weary looking Gene Nelson on the set of HS and what may possibly be Mr. Tewksbury on the set of TTWG...? Edited into the posts above. Sorry about the watermarks...



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Re: The directors...and Elvis - on set

#984206

Post by GuyLambert »

Wow, awesome thread. Thanks.


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