Theatre, Radio, Airport and Home -- 1950s Style!

[drjohncarpenter]

Below are some interesting, Elvis-related images I ran across today here:
http://adk-sps-cms.endplay.com/web/mca/news/local-news/mid-south-memories-gallery

One nice thing is that most have a photographer credit along with the caption. Enjoy!


Suzore's Theatre #2 at 279 North Main in an October 24, 1966 photograph. On a hot summer night in 1954, disc jockey Dewey Phillips played a new artist's version of "That's All Right" on WHBQ Radio at least seven times. Elvis Presley was too nervous to listen to the radio debut, so Phillips had to dispatch friends to the old Suzore's Theater on North Main to bring him to the studio for his first on-air interview. (Bob Williams/The Commercial Appeal)

661024_Suzore's Theatre No. 2_Memphis.JPG

George Klein , 20, Memphis State College senior who doubles as student and disc jockey. His "Rock And Roll Ballroom" was a popular new attraction on radio station WMC in October 1956. (The Commercial Appeal)

561000_George Klein_WMC Radio_Memphis.JPG

Elvis Presley and Anita Wood embrace as she steps from an airliner at Memphis Municipal Airport the night of September 13, 1957. Miss Wood, hostess for a Memphis TV show, "Top 10 Dance Party", was returning from a week in Hollywood preparing for her first movie role in "Girl in the Woods". Elvis had given the 19-year-old a friendship ring the previous week in Hollywood. (By Robert Williams / The Commercial Appeal)

570913_w Anita Wood_Memphis Municipal Airport.JPG

December 27, 1957 - Elvis Presley, poses with his house guests, Kathy Gabriel, 19, left, and Hanneri Melcher, 20, in Memphis. Melcher, Miss Austria 1957, met Elvis in Las Vegas in November 1957, and visited Graceland at Christmas time with her roommate, 1957's Miss Ohio, Kathy Gabriel as they were on their way to New York. Elvis had just received news of a 60-day draft extension to March 20. (Robert Williams/The Commercial Appeal )

571227_w Gabriel_Melcher_Graceland.JPG

[George Smith]

Neat. John, thank you ... and that's a great profile in the last image.

Here's an odd question -- has it ever been established which film Elvis was watching while hiding at the Suzore in 1954?

[promiseland]

Nice Doc. That Anita Wood sure was 50's beauty.

54357223.jpg

[drjohncarpenter]

Nice Doc. That Anita Wood sure was 50's beauty.

Yes, Anita Wood was and is a lovely lady. However, the above photo you posted shows Elvis from mid-March 1957, at MGM in Culver City, on a pre-publicity outing for "Jailhouse Rock" with actress Barbara Lang, who was originally slated to co-star with him. Elvis met Anita in July.

HOLLYWOOD - Rock n Roll singer Elvis Presley seems well acquainted already with his new screen sweetheart, blonde Barbara Lang, with whom he will start his next movie early in May. Presley paid a special visit to the studio to meet Barbara before leaving on a personal appearance tour of the South and Midwest. United Press Telephoto

570315_w Barbara Lang_MGM Thalberg Building_Culver City.JPG

[drjohncarpenter]

Neat. John, thank you ... and that's a great profile in the last image.

Here's an odd question -- has it ever been established which film Elvis was watching while hiding at the Suzore in 1954?

I've never seen any identification of the film that evening. But if someone can check the listings for the Memphis Press-Scimitar for Thursday, July 8, 1954, we'll have our answer. My guess? The Suzore No. 2 was running a western.

[George Smith]

Neat. John, thank you ... and that's a great profile in the last image.

Here's an odd question -- has it ever been established which film Elvis was watching while hiding at the Suzore in 1954?

I've never seen any identification of the film that evening. But if someone can check the listings for the Memphis Press-Scimitar for Thursday, July 8, 1954, we'll have our answer. My guess? The Suzore No. 2 was running a western.

Yeah, I can go with that. Could've been this classic from June 1954 with Gary Cooper ... "Garden Of Evil" ...

..

[drjohncarpenter]

Neat. John, thank you ... and that's a great profile in the last image.

Here's an odd question -- has it ever been established which film Elvis was watching while hiding at the Suzore in 1954?

I've never seen any identification of the film that evening. But if someone can check the listings for the Memphis Press-Scimitar for Thursday, July 8, 1954, we'll have our answer. My guess? The Suzore No. 2 was running a western.

Yeah, I can go with that. Could've been this classic from June 1954 with Gary Cooper ... "Garden Of Evil" ...

..

Maybe, although lower-tier theaters did not usually present first-run releases like July 1954's "Garden of Evil." Such titles were the province of the big palaces. I also seem to recall the Suzore No. 2 ran double-bills. I wonder if anyone on FECC has access to the 1954 Memphis Press-Scimitar archives for the second week of July?

[promiseland]

Nice Doc. That Anita Wood sure was 50's beauty.

Yes, Anita Wood was and is a lovely lady. However, the above photo you posted shows Elvis from mid-March 1957, at MGM in Culver City, on a pre-publicity outing for "Jailhouse Rock" with actress Barbara Lang, who was originally slated to co-star with him. Elvis met Anita in July.

HOLLYWOOD - Rock n Roll singer Elvis Presley seems well acquainted already with his new screen sweetheart, blonde Barbara Lang, with whom he will start his next movie early in May. Presley paid a special visit to the studio to meet Barbara before leaving on a personal appearance tour of the South and Midwest. United Press Telephoto

570315_w Barbara Lang_MGM Thalberg Building_Culver City.JPG

Thank you Doc for correcting the image. I have always had it under Anita Wood It is now in it's correct folder thanks to you!

[hilton22000]

The news that Elvis was going to make Jailhouse Rock beginning May 1 was published on February 25, 1957.
Sometime between February 25 and March 15 Elvis did some publicity work with Barbara Lang who was scheduled to be his leading lady in the upcoming film. It is likely that the publicity work was done in the week after Elvis finished "Loving You" before heading home to Memphis.
"I did publicity work with Elvis for a few days, and he was real sweet. He really seemed rather shy. Wherever we would go, there would be a swarm of girls following him, and it seemed to embarrass him," Barbara Lang said.

Barbara Lang was originally cast as "Peggy" in "Jailhouse Rock" but officially withdrew on May 2 because it "wasn't right for her." What this really meant was MGM wanted to cast her as a lead on another project, "House of Numbers" with director Russell Rouse. It came out around the same time as Elvis' MGM debut.
She was later replaced by Judy Tyler.

[drjohncarpenter]

Neat. John, thank you ... and that's a great profile in the last image.

Here's an odd question -- has it ever been established which film Elvis was watching while hiding at the Suzore in 1954?

I've never seen any identification of the film that evening. But if someone can check the listings for the Memphis Press-Scimitar for Thursday, July 8, 1954, we'll have our answer. My guess? The Suzore No. 2 was running a western.

Yeah, I can go with that. Could've been this classic from June 1954 with Gary Cooper ... "Garden Of Evil" ...

Maybe, although lower-tier theaters did not usually present first-run releases like July 1954's "Garden of Evil." Such titles were the province of the big palaces. I also seem to recall the Suzore No. 2 ran double-bills. I wonder if anyone on FECC has access to the 1954 Memphis Press-Scimitar archives for the second week of July?

Seven years later, the answer was found, right here:

Hidin' at the Suzore's No. 2 --> July 8, 1954!
https://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=112729