3B Theater: Micro-Brewed Reviews: Elvis

Showing posts with label Elvis. Show all posts

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Ephemera :: Behind the Scenes :: Hail and Happy Birthday to the King!

Robert Wagner, Elvis Presley and Alan Hale Jr. lounge around the 20th Century Fox commissary circa October, 1956 ... And we'll throw in this live performance of American Trilogy for desert:

You're welcome.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Favorites :: Print Ads :: Greatest Drive-In Double Feature Ever. Period.

OmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigodOmigod!

Original Ad.

Artist Reconstruction.

(May, 1973)

Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Easier it Comes, the Easier it Goes :: A Beer-Gut Reaction to Jonh Rich's Easy Come, Easy Go (1967).

One of the things I always look forward to at the beginning of every new year -- after the hangover wears off that is, is to celebrate m'man Elvis Presley's birthday by taking a look at one of his fine, fractured forays into feature film. Producer Hal Wallis had a hand in a ton of these things -- usually used for some quick cash to bolster his other productions; and here, kicking off just the first of three films The Big E walked through in 1967 ( -- the others being Double Trouble and Clambake), was this tale of Navy Frogman Ted Jackson, who accidentally stumbles upon some sunken treasure on the last day of his enlistment while trying to deactivate an old underwater mine.

And once his gig is up, with a little help from his best pal and some diving equipment rented from the kookie father of the inevitable loopy love interest, he efforts to salvage the gold. Of course, a disastrous chain-reaction of misunderstandings soon has these lovebirds at odds and on the outs. Will they be able to reconcile before a couple of pirates sneak in and steal the treasure out from under them?

You know, it was while digging up some artwork for this update that something hit me: Somebody really needs to come out with a line of Elvis Presley action figures and accessory kits based on his movie characters. I mean, you could have Rodeo Elvis [Tickle Me], Scuba Elvis [Easy Come, Easy Go], Combat Elvis [G.I. Blues], Chopper-Pilot Elvis [Paradise, Hawaiian Style] or Racer Elvis [Speedway]. Hell, he's already got a built-in kung-fu grip. Seriously, this guy was a walking G.I. Joe doll, cinematically speaking -- all you had to do was just change the uniform, plug him into the same script on a different playset and there ya go -- about 85% of his movies.

In the end, that's all Easy Come, Easy Go is: just another rehash of the same hi-jinx and general foolishness. But, sometimes that's all we come for and all we ask. And besides, this film contains the absolute zenith, the pinnacle for all perpetuity, the most absurdest buffoonery ever befallen, the most absolute gob-smacking brain-bending smack-down to ever occur in cinema ... a dueling duet between Elvis and Elsa Lanchester. That's right: the King of Rock and Roll vs. the Bride of Frankenstein in a little number I like to call "Yoga is as Yoga Does."

Oh, mama ... That is a whole six-pack of awfulsomeness.

Other Points of Interest:

Newspaper ads for Easy Come, Easy Go at the Morgue.

Easy Come, Easy Go (1967) Paramount Pictures / EP: Joseph H. Hazen / P: Hal B. Wallis / AP: Paul Nathan / D: John Rich / W: Allan Weiss, Anthony Lawrence / C: William Margulies / E: Archie Marshek / M: Joseph J. Lilley / S: Elvis Presley, Dodie Marshall, Pat Priest, Pat Harrington, Skip Ward

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Memphis Or Bust -- And a Few Points In-Between.

Here's a few snapshots and candids from my recent trip south with my fellow Sons of Tupelo, where we covered about five States in two days. I don't know how long I'll leave these up as I don't know if it's technically legal to post some of these, but, eh, what the hell. Enjoy!

Giant statue of Mark Twain outside of Hannibal, MO.
(Anyone else getting a Zardoz vibe, here?)

Wohoo! And Hot Damn! I can get me a Sasquatch Turd!
(a/k/a a Stuckey's Foot-Long Pecan Log.)

Sitting on the porch of the house where the Big E was born.
(Tupelo, Miss.)

Mississippi Sunset.
(Somewhere on Route 278.)

And our literary tour continues with a visit to William Faulkner's grave.
(Oxford, Miss.)

Gates to Graceland.

The infamous Jungle Room.
(Sorry for the dinginess. No flash photos inside the mansion.)

Bizarre refractions in mirrored stairwell on the way to the basement.

All about the gold lame suit, baby.

...Aaaaand the Captain Marvel Jr. Jumpsuits.

Inside the Lisa Marie.
(Shoulda got a picture of the opulent toitee in that thing.)

Holy crap! It's my house circa 1977.
(Except we had Moody Blue on 8-Track.)

MmmMMmm. Fried Peanut-Butter and Nanner Sammich.
(Alas, bacon was not an option.)

Where giants walked and recorded, folks.

Elvis, Bill, Scotty and Sam.

And it all began...

... right there.

The trip was overwhelming, intoxicating (in more ways than you'd think), and a total @#%*ing riot. And to my fellow SOTS, Dave and Bill, thanks for the new stories, gentlemen -- make that: M'boys, M'boys...

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Heads Up! :: One Night Only : Elvis on Tour (1972) Back on the Big Screen!

From the NCM Fathom Website ::

"Warner Bros., Elvis Presley Enterprises and NCM Fathom are commemorating the 75th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s birth by presenting Elvis on Tour: 75th Anniversary Celebration, a special in-theater event that celebrates the timeless music of the rock ‘n’ roll icon.

"This one night event will feature much of the last film footage shot with Elvis, a specially produced, exclusive retrospective from Priscilla Presley, and never-before-seen Elvis footage. More than 25 numbers spotlighting Elvis Presley’s talent, range and showmanship fill this lively chronicle of his multi-city 1972 series of concerts. Plus montage sequences (supervised by Martin Scorsese) showcase Presley’s early career in music and movies. The unique split-screen presentation conveys the whirlwind, “you-are-there” energy and performance thrills of Elvis on Tour. The result of this different look at the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll™? Fan euphoria – and a Golden Globe® for Best Documentary."

More Info :: List of Participating Theaters

This one time event will be held on Thursday, July 29th, 2010.

Oh, Hell Yeah! I'm going. Are you?

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Hail to the King! :: The Big E Turns 75 : Elvis Has Left the Building

And that's gonna wrap up our month long tribute to The King of Rock-n-Roll. Sorry to cut it short, but I'm off to Chicago in a couple of hours for B-Fest 2010, 24 Hours of Mind-Bending and Butt-Numbing Cinematic Cheese. Updates will resume some time in February. And with that, I'll leave it to the Big E to sing us out, taken from his last concert before he passed away.

Hail to the King! :: The Big E Turns 75 : Behind the Scenes : Change of Habit (1969)

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Hail to the King! :: The Big E Turns 75 : The Stage Show Performances (1956)

Clips from Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey's Stage Show.

"Shake, Rattle and Roll" and "I Gotta Woman" ::

"Let's Play House" and "Tutti-Fruitti" ::

"Blue Suede Shoes" and "Heartbreak Hotel" ::

Hail to the King! :: The Big E Turns 75 : The Trouble with Girls (1969)

Our film opens up at the Bradford Center, Iowa train station, where a throng of people have gathered to greet the latest arrival. Then, a narrator chimes in and gets us up to speed by letting us know that Lindbergh just crossed the Atlantic, and while Babe Ruth was threatening to hit sixty home-runs folks were openly wondering if Calvin Coolidge would run for a second term, which makes this, I believe, 1927 or thereabouts. Regardless, those are concerns for another time, because today, the Chautauqua is rolling into town.

What's a Chautauqua? Glad you asked. A Chautauqua is kind of like a circus -- only without the clowns, trapeze artists or animal acts. Okay, that's not really fair -- it's more of a revival meeting meets a renaissance festival with forums, symposiums and speakers on all matters of subjects, topped off with several musical revues. Now, this particular Chautauqua has been around before but it's now under new management, namely Walter Hale (Elvis Presley), the son of the former owner, and there's trouble brewing already. Seems the City Fathers are already haggling over the attraction's guaranteed payment, with the main point of contention being the Mayor, who wants a solemn pledge that his daughter will get the lead in the Chautauqua's annual Children's Pageant to help grease the wheels. After assuring his Honor that all will be well an impromptu parade erupts, and Hale, playing the Pied Piper, leads the march from the train station to the fairgrounds. But as the music swells and the credits roll, we suddenly realize that our leading man isn't singing. Hmmmnnn ... that seems strange. And if you also find that odd, click here to read more.