The world needs this song now more than ever.
Thank you, Elvis.
Elvis rehearsing in 1970 (credit: MGM)
So, it’s been awhile since I posted anything of substance here on The Mystery Train. I’ve started a number of posts but never finished them. Perhaps this will be one of those. Or maybe this one will actually make it to you, dear reader – whoever you are.
As I started this post, Elvis was singing, “Yes, Jesus knows just what I need.” I’m glad He does, because I sure don’t sometimes.
It’s a random playlist. Now Elvis is singing, “Do you know who I am, or have you forgot about me?” A good question, too!
I’ve not been writing about Elvis, but I still listen. I’ve also been trying to read more – in general, not about Elvis. I have been trying to write other things, more of a fictional nature, with varying degrees of success.
“This could be the kiss to unlock Heaven’s door,” Elvis is singing now. That one’s not a gospel — just one of those boring early 60s love songs from his repetitive movies.
The Elvis.com and Graceland.com shops have been reminding me over and over that Elvis Week is coming up. Elvis Week – where us fans will observe the 48th anniversary of the loss of our hero.
Elvis has been dead for 96% of my life. The longer I live, the larger that percentage will become. Yet, his music has been along with me for this ride the whole time. I’m grateful for that.
The playlist seems stuck on the movie tunes. Probably because I don’t play them very often on my own.
Oh wait, here’s something different – “I awaken this morning, I was filled with despair, all my dreams turned to ashes and gone.” Memphis. 1969. The sessions when he proved to the naysayers that he still had it.
Oh, they happily tore his artistry down again soon enough. I guess people just wanted him to stagnate in the 1950s style like so many others of his generation did.
While I love his 1950s music, I’m glad he didn’t stop there. His best work, the work that touched me the most, was still to come.
“Put on your red dress, baby, ’cause we’re goin’ out tonight,” Elvis is singing now. The near-cheesey background of this song take away from his raw vocals. Then again, the song is a little tongue-in-cheek anyway. This was before the comeback special. A lot of people missed it. That Elvis was back.
What am I trying to say in this post? I don’t know. Another movie tune is on now. Poor Elvis. I know how it is, though. You get caught up doing stuff you don’t want to do, and before you know it, you’ve been doing it for years.
I’ve been in jobs I’ve mostly disliked for 25 years now. It’s not that they were “bad” jobs – they just don’t inspire me. But they have paid the bills. But… it’s a lot of wasted time.
And though I’m surely no Elvis, maybe I, too, could have made a change and found something more fulfilling to do. In fact, I gotta give Elvis credit. He had his “comeback” only after about 8 or 9 years of those spirit-draining movies. At least he did something. Did he soon get into another rut? Maybe. But it happens. That’s life.
And yet another movie tune is on now. Poor Elvis. And yet, here I am listening to it 62 years after he recorded it and still getting some enjoyment out of it. Thank you, Elvis.
Okay, time to try a different random Elvis playlist.
1970. That’s more like it. “Change your ways today, or with us you will ride trying to catch the devil’s herd across these endless skies,” Elvis sings, nearly off-microphone. Too bad he never did a formal version of the song – it certainly would have been a change of pace from his normal image.
Ohhh, here’s one of my very favorites. A sad one. “If I could never see you, if I could never hold you, if I could never touch your face or feel your warm embrace, I’d still remember…” This is Take 1, released in 2005. I love it.
Hey, what’s this? It shows I have only rated the track 4 out of 5 stars. Well, I just fixed it. 5 out of 5 now.
So, that was 1975. Only 2 years before his death. He still had it. People miss out on so much when they dismiss his post-1969 music (or, for some people, post-1958 or even post-1955).
AND another movie tune. At least this one is upbeat and fun, though. Ohhh, and it’s a remix version, too. From that Viva Elvis album that everyone but me hated. People take this stuff way too seriously. (Of course I do, too, sometimes.)
Another remix is up… this one from the soundtrack of the 2022 ELVIS movie. Wow, has it really been 3 years since that movie came out? I’ve still only seen it the one time. It was pretty good – certainly the best dramatic movie ever made about Elvis.
“So if an old friend I know drops by to say ‘hello,’ would I still see suspicion in your eyes?” Elvis is saying as the bass THUMPS my sub. Awesome. And now here comes parts of “Any Day Now.” Really cool concept. What did I rate this one? 3 stars! Whoah, I must have been cranky that day. It could be the little bells or whatever they are in the background that annoyed me. But I will bump it up to a 4 today. At least it is giving the sub a workout.
“But why do they have to change the music?” people whine. The originals are still there. It’s interesting to hear something different or to hear how Elvis might have sounded with modern production techniques.
Now it’s a 1975 informal runthrough, probably a warmup. Elvis is singing, “Yeah, I get up on a mountain and I call my bear cat back.” This one… I actually don’t like it that much. I realize it was never intended for release. The live versions are much better. Sorry, Elvis. Let’s see, I’ve got it at 2 stars. That’s about right.
He’s on to the next one because I take too long to type. “You’re asking me will our love grow? I don’t know. I don’t know,” he sings. This is a 1970 rehearsal at RCA’s Hollywood studio. I got it from a massively overpriced FTD release a few years ago, but it’s out again this month on only a slightly overpriced Sony release. Coming soon to a record store near you. Well… more like, coming soon to an Amazon near you.
Elvis is now singing in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has less than 6 months to live. “We’ve been together so long, to have to separate this way,” he sings in this blues number. I have this rated at 5 stars. Sure, I grade with my heart. But he does sound good.
So, is this what this post is? Just me typing out random Elvis lyrics as I hear them? With all that is going on this world, is there anything else to say?
Here’s another live song. This one rewinds about 20 years. 20 years in Elvis time is a LOT. It’s practically his entire career. “I’ll be yours through all the years, ’til the end of time,” he sings. Prophetic words?
Here we are, still talking about him. At least some of us are. I won’t forget you, Elvis. “I’ll be with you even then, deep within your heart” – Elvis throwing in some lyrics that weren’t on the single. I wonder if even one person in the audience noticed?
“When your heart gets weary, time to sing a song,” he sings now. A movie tune, but one of the better ones. I first heard this song on the first Elvis album I ever owned. I actually won it off the radio, back in 1987. This is Take 3, though; a stereo version.
We are living in horrible times. Horrible things that I never thought would occur in my lifetime are happening. The country I once loved is being destroyed from within by power- and money-hungry racists. The so-called “checks and balances of power” that I was taught about endlessly during my school years has absolutely failed.
“Zekiel went down in the middle of the field, he saw an angel working on the chariot wheel…” sings Elvis. Perfect timing, Elvis. I need some spiritual music. Now more than ever.
Up now is another favorite. From the August 12, 1970, Midnight Show – possibly the greatest concert he ever gave. Though that’s a tough call. It’s certainly my personal favorite.
“If I only had the wings of a little angel, don’t you know I’d fly to the top of the mountain, and I’d cry…” Okay, it’s one of his best concerts, but I do wish he hadn’t shortened this song. But, he had to fit a lot in.
It’s been quoted many times, in and out of context, but I am led to end this post with Elvis quoting “Luke the Drifter” (Hank Williams, Sr.).
“There was a guy who said one time, he said, ‘You never stood in that man’s shoes or saw things through his eyes. Or stood and watched with helpless hands while the heart inside you dies. So, help your brother along the way, no matter where he starts. For the same God that made you made him, too – these men with broken hearts.'”
Elvis Presley, August 11, 1970
Elvis Aaron Presley: January 8, 1935—August 16, 1977
“Some lose faith in love and life when sorrow shoots her darts,
And with hope all gone, they walk alone, these men with broken hearts.
You’ve never walked in that man’s shoes or saw things through his eyes,
Or stood and watched with helpless hands while the heart inside you dies.
Some were paupers, some were kings, and some were masters of the arts.
But in their shame, they’re all the same, these men with broken hearts.
Life sometimes can be so cruel that a heart will pray for death.
God, why must these living dead know pain with every breath?
So, help your brother along the road, no matter where he starts.
For the God that made you, made them, too – these men with broken hearts.”
–from “Men With Broken Hearts” by Luke the Drifter (Hank Williams, Sr.), 1950
“‘Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!’ […] When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.'”
from John 8:7-11 NLT
Hey folks, I didn’t expect it to be this long between posts but here I am. It’s been over a year since the last entry in my random rewatch of Elvis Presley movies. It sure doesn’t feel that long ago. As a great philosopher once asked, “Ain’t it funny how time slips away?”
Elvis’ 3rd movie was called Jailhouse Rock. It is the 2nd of 3 Elvis movies shot in black & white, which certainly adds to the gritty tone.
“Elvis in Action as Never Before!”
Jailhouse Rock (MGM)
Wide Release: November 8, 1957 (United States)
Starring: Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy
Screen Play By: Guy Trosper
Story By: Ned Young
Music Supervised By: Jeff Alexander
Produced By: Pandro S. Berman
Directed By: Richard Thorpe
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Elvis Presley stars in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
Elvis stars in Jailhouse Rock as Vince Everett, a tractor driver who has just received his weekly paycheck. As is his custom, he cashes the check at the neighborhood bar and then arm wrestles the proprietor. After losing, Vince good-naturedly buys a round of drinks for everyone at the bar. The film soon takes a dark turn when another patron roughs up a woman for talking to Vince. Vince tells him to leave her alone.
“Look, buster, you want some teeth knocked out? Just keep it up,” warns the man.
“You scare me,” says Vince. “Woman-beaters always scare me.”
This being an Elvis movie, a fistfight of course ensues.
Much like in Loving You, released earlier in 1957, the fight concludes with the Elvis character punching his opponent into a jukebox. In Loving You, the Presley Maneuver causes the jukebox to turn on. In Jailhouse Rock, it turns the jukebox off.
Unlike most Elvis movies, though, this fight turns out to have lethal consequences. When the woman-beater dies, Vince is convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 1 to 10 years in the state penitentiary. If only he had cashed his check at a bank instead of a bar.
Before we go much further, I want to jump back for a moment to the credits. I love the opening theme of Jailhouse Rock, an overture of sorts that includes instrumental renditions of portions of “Baby, I Don’t Care,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Young And Beautiful.”
This jazzy version of “Jailhouse Rock” is quite a treat. I played trumpet in our middle school jazz band, and when I first saw the movie on TV as a teenager back then, the “Jailhouse Rock” instrumental reminded me of the arrangement we were using for the same song.
Mickey Shaughnessy is Hunk Houghton in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
Anyway, Vince shares a cell with Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy), a washed-up country singer. Hunk is near the end of an 18-year term for robbing a bank. Despite some of the variances, Jailhouse Rock is still an Elvis movie, so Hunk of course has a guitar hanging on the prison cell wall that draws Vince’s attention. Though Hunk is annoyed at first, he softens and teaches Vince some chords. When Hunk tells him about his 10-year career, Vince says, “I never heard of anybody paying money to hear a guitar player” and Elvis seems barely able to hold a straight face delivering the line. He is, after all, the highest paid “guitar player” in the world by this point.
Elvis performs Vince’s early songs in Jailhouse Rock as intentionally flat and tentative, reflecting the character’s inexperience with singing. However, Hunk hears something in the young man and offers him a spot in Breath of a Nation, a nationwide television special he is producing for the warden. You see, a state inspection committee is coming to review prison conditions, and the warden wants the prisoners to put on a show as a smokescreen. Conditions at this prison must be pretty rough to require a national television special to cover things up.
Vince sings “I Want To Be Free” in his segment, and, unlike Hunk or anyone else, he receives a large bag full of fan mail from all over the country. Hunk sees to it that Vince does not learn of the mail, saving face with the mailroom workers by saying he made a mistake by giving Vince the best spot in the show. He soon offers Vince a partnership contract for the pair to perform together and split everything 50/50. Great shades of Colonel Parker!
“Alone, son, you’d be like a lamb in a pack of wolves,” Hunk tells him. Vince signs the contract, thinking that the deal is in his favor since Hunk is the established “star.”
The State Pen in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
Soon thereafter, a food fight turned riot breaks out in the prison over the poor conditions. Hunk tries to get Vince back to their cell, but a guard roughly handles Vince. Having apparently not yet learned his lesson from the barroom brawl, Vince swings his fists. He is caught and whipped. Outtakes of this scene surfaced on the 1993 VHS Elvis In Hollywood: The 50s. The original Jailhouse Rock film trailer also shows a clip that did not make it to the final film where Vince lunges at the warden when the guards untie his hands after the whipping.
Back in their cell, Hunk states that he tried to pay off the guards to prevent Vince’s whipping but he didn’t have enough money. He emphasizes the importance of having money to Vince and also teaches him his twisted version of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as they would do unto you, only do it first.”
Hunk still has 10 months to go, but Vince is released from prison after serving 14 months – including 2 extra months for the riot incident. The warden gives Vince his remaining pay from the state. He also gives him the large bag of fan mail from the television special 8 months earlier. Vince realizes that Hunk helped keep the letters secret.
Vince buys a guitar from a pawnshop and goes to a bar where Hunk has arranged a job for him with an old contact. There, he meets Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler), who looks at some indicators inside of a jukebox and makes notes. He is curious what she is up to, but she is not impressed at all that Vince is a singer. However, she does say she’ll tell him more about her job if he buys her a fresh drink.
“Buy your own drink,” Vince says, wryly – no doubt remembering that the last time he bought a woman a drink in a bar he ended up in prison.
Judy Tyler is Peggy Van Alden and Elvis Presley is Vince Everett in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
“Is yours the approved manner with ladies in the backwoods?” Peggy fires back at him, but then goes on to explain that she is an “exploitation man” in the record business. “I work for Mickey Alba, you’ve heard of him?”
“Word sometimes gets to the backwoods,” says Vince. Alba (Don Burnett with vocals by Bill Lee) is a popular singer along the lines of Pat Boone.
Vince meets the bar’s owner, thinking he is going to be hired on as a singer. However, it turns out the job Hunk secured for him is as a barboy, essentially a bartender’s helper (“make setups, bring ice”). Vince is disappointed and forces his way on stage. Hey, it’s Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and DJ Fontana! Elvis’ real band! And Mike Stoller (composer of “Jailhouse Rock” and many other Elvis classics) on piano. Vince sings, “Young And Beautiful.” The owner actually seems to like the song, but a guy keeps laughing and carrying on in the audience, distracting both him and Vince.
Finally, Vince jumps from the stage and smashes his guitar into the obnoxious patron’s table. However, he refrains from killing him. That’s called character development.
Vince storms out, with Peggy trailing. “Hey, you forgot something,” she calls.
“What?”
“Me!”
So, before this re-watch, it had been over a decade since I last saw Jailhouse Rock. While I’ve always liked it, in fact it’s one of my favorite Elvis movies, I never really saw much chemistry between Vince and Peggy. Watching it through this time, though, I disagree with my past self. Now I see it.
Anyway, Peggy suggests Vince make a recording of himself to discover what’s wrong with his singing. This is not as simple a task as it is these days. Vince rents out a recording studio for $20 to make a demonstration recording. Peggy supplies a borrowed guitar and the background musicians. It’s Scotty, Bill, DJ, and Mike again! I guess Peggy knew them from the bar.
Vince records a faltering version of “Don’t Leave Me Now.” However, Peggy loosens him up a bit, and he also decides to ditch the guitar. He tries again, and they decide the resulting demo is good enough to shop around to the record labels. Jack Lease (Peter Adams), Peggy’s contact at Geneva Records, which is Mickey Alba’s label, seems unimpressed, but he decides to borrow the tape to play over the phone to someone else in New York later.
After it turns out to be a rejection anyway, Vince shows up disgruntled and late for a dinner meeting with Peggy. Even when she tells him the good news that she has gotten them a deal with another label, Deltona Records, he is still rude to her. He just wants to brood. “When the money starts rolling in, then I’ll say I’m happy,” he says.
After a celebratory steak dinner, they head out to meet Peggy’s parents, who are having a party. They seem to know all about Vince, including that he sold his first record that day. However, Peggy has not told them about his stay in the state penitentiary. He expects this information to shock them, but it does not phase them. Instead, they start the record player and a technical discussion begins about jazz.
Another guest tries to involve Vince. “I say atonality is just a passing phase in jazz music. What do you think, Mr. Everett?”
Vince’s response is classic and one that I’ve had to bite my tongue not to use in various situations over the years: “Lady, I don’t know what the hell you talking about.”
Judy Tyler is Peggy Van Alden and Elvis Presley is Vince Everett in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
He storms out, and Peggy chases after him again. She is angry and embarrassed by his behavior – noting they were only trying to draw him into the conversation.
“They can shove their conversation,” he retorts. “I’m not even sure they were talking English!”
When Vince decides to walk home after their bickering, Peggy says, “I think I’m gonna just hate you.”
“You ain’t gonna hate me. I ain’t gonna let you hate me.” He grabs and kisses her.
“How dare you think such cheap tactics would work with me,” she exclaims. He kisses her again.
“That ain’t tactics, honey. That’s just the beast in me.”
On paper, the scene sounds creepy, but it is extremely well-executed by both performers – one of the best acted scenes in any Elvis movie.
Vince half-heartedly apologizes to Peggy on the way into the record store on the release day of “Don’t Leave Me Now.”
The girl at the cash register states that the record is flying off the shelves. Vince asks for a half dozen copies. Peggy looks alarmed when she sees the stack of records, and Vince looks over one curiously, reading aloud, “‘Don’t Leave Me Now’ by Mickey Alba? Geneva Record Company.” It turns out that Lease, the Geneva executive, only borrowed the tape so Alba could copy Vince’s arrangement and style. Vince’s record is gone – somehow squashed by Geneva.
Vince makes an unscheduled visit to Lease. “You’re a thievin’ rat” Vince exclaims and goes to punch him. However, seeing as how no jukebox is available to land the body on, he just slaps him a couple of times instead. “Go back under your rock, you snake!”
Later, he speaks of his time in prison to Peggy: “On the inside, they’re cub scouts compared to Jack Lease. If you make something, they might steal it from you, but they’d be too honorable to say they made it themselves.”
Vince suggests they start their own record company, and they form Laurel Records – splitting things 60/40. “I’m the artist, don’t forget,” Vince explains when Peggy at first objects to holding only 40%. After Peggy agrees to the deal, they have the following conversation – illustrating how they are both on different pages.
“This really calls for a celebration, Vince.”
“Do you know a lawyer? We need a good one. . .”
“Do you know how to dance?” asks Peggy.
“. . .A guy with an eye for a buck. Do you know a lawyer?”
Peggy is disappointed. “Yeah, I know a lawyer. Mr. Shores. . .”
After Vince makes it clear he is only interested in money, they form the record company. Vince records “Treat Me Nice,” which becomes a big hit. Vince makes reservations at a fancy restaurant to celebrate with Peggy but is disappointed when she points out that he failed to make reservations with her. She has a date, and states, “Vince, I will not be subject to your beck and call.” Go, Peggy! That’s a bold stance in 1957, especially in the male-dominated world of Jailhouse Rock.
Despite emotional setbacks, Vince’s career continues to skyrocket, including appearances in Las Vegas. After Vince agrees to do an NBC television special, Peggy shows up to ask him to record more records. Vince is rude to her, but reaches out right as she is leaving, almost like he wants to apologize or say something else – but his heart is still too hardened to get the words out. As Peggy exits, Hunk returns – fresh out of prison and looking for his spot in the TV special.
Elvis Presley is Vince Everett in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
The character of Vince is an unusual one in the Elvis cinematic universe. For most of the film, as many have pointed out over the years, Vince is a conceited jerk seemingly obsessed with money. Most of Elvis’ characters are likable guys cut from the same cloth. Vince is different, primarily due to his stay in prison, and offers a refreshing change of pace from the run-of-the-mill Elvis character. Vince should not be dismissed as a complete jerk, however. In several scenes, Elvis convincingly displays the emotional turmoil going on inside the man. He outwardly says he is all about the money, but you can also see that he loves Peggy and even Hunk.
In the music department, Jailhouse Rock is more than solid. The title song is a bonafide Elvis masterpiece. While the single version, one of Elvis’ greatest recordings, is used as the underlying track here in the film, the guitar riff opening of the song is unnecessarily hacked off. The screen version of the song is also hampered by awful overdubs of instruments and backing male vocals. Only the strength of Elvis’ underlying performance and the stellar production number save the tune. What were they thinking?
“Baby, I Don’t Care” and “Treat Me Nice” are also fantastic renditions. While “Young And Beautiful” is not quite up to the same par established by those three songs, it is still a lovely performance. “I Want To Be Free” and “Don’t Leave Me Now” serve their purposes well in the context of the film as does Mickey Shaughnessy’s “One More Day” — which is reminiscent of the classic folk song “Sixteen Tons.”
Vince Everett (Elvis Presley) sings “Baby, I Don’t Care” at a pool party as a guitarist (Scotty Moore) plays along in the background in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
There is an oft-noted continuity error in Jailhouse Rock. During the “Baby, I Don’t Care” scene, guitarist Scotty Moore is shown wearing sunglasses in the wide shots but no eyewear in the closeups.
Vince Everett (Elvis Presley) sings “Baby, I Don’t Care” at a pool party as a band (Bill Black, DJ Fontana, Scotty Moore, Mike Stoller) plays along in the background in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
Another error is one I just noticed for the first time – a 1957 calendar is shown on the wall during a strikethrough sequence when Vince is in prison. When the calendar page is ripped down to show the next year, it is a 1957 calendar again. Talk about a life sentence! For the purposes of the Action File at the end of this post for Vince Everett, my conjecture is that the initial calendar was supposed to represent 1956 and that he was released in 1957.
One supposed error that is sometimes referenced with this film is that the prison ID number stamped on Vince’s shirt changes. Vince’s number is consistent during the penitentiary portions of the movie, however. Later, during the “Jailhouse Rock” production number, well after he has been released from actual prison, Vince wears a costume with a different number stamped on it. One was the character’s actual prison garb, the other was simply a costume. So calling it an error is . . . an error.
When Vince makes it to Hollywood, he takes his leading lady (played by Jennifer Holden) to Knott’s Berry Farm – a real amusement park in California that is still open to the public, including the “Old West” town represented in Jailhouse Rock.
A photographer prepares to take a souvenir picture of Vince Everett (Elvis Presley) and Sherry Wilson (Jennifer Holden) at Knott’s Berry Farm in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
Elvis released 33 movies during his lifetime, but Jailhouse Rock is one of only a small handful that is a serious contender as his very best. It was inducted into the US Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2004, the only Elvis movie to achieve this honor.
Just a few days after filming wrapped on Jailhouse Rock, actress Judy Tyler (Peggy) was killed at the age of 24 in a horrific car accident on July 3, 1957. Tyler’s husband and a passenger in another vehicle were also killed in the crash.
Elvis was devastated and according to many sources never watched the completed movie. Peter Guralnick & Ernst Jorgensen’s Elvis: Day By Day – The Definitive Record Of His Life And Music, however, notes that Elvis watched a special screening of the film with his parents on October 2, 1957. The book provides no further details, nor does Guralnick’s Last Train To Memphis: The Rise Of Elvis Presley, but perhaps Elvis was unable to finish the screening — thus validating both versions of the story.
Judy Tyler is Peggy Van Alden in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
Jaihouse Rock was Tyler’s second and final movie. Her first, Bop Girl Goes Calypso, hit theaters only a couple of weeks after her death. While Jailhouse Rock, released in November 1957, carries no dedication to Tyler – I am not even sure that kind of thing was done back then – there is a moment in the closing scene during “Young And Beautiful” where the edit seems to linger on her more than it perhaps otherwise would have. In the magic of the movies, she will indeed remain forever young and beautiful.
Boldly Go
Multiple uncredited cast members from Jailhouse Rock went on to play roles in Star Trek.
K.L. Smith appears in the opening bar scene in Jailhouse Rock and appears as a Klingon in the Star Trek episode “Elaan Of Troyius” in 1968. Eagle-eyed readers will note that I also referenced Smith in a previous “Boldly Go” installment for his appearance in 1964’s Roustabout. Speaking of eagle eyes, thank you once again to Elvis movie superfan Gary Wells for pointing out where Smith shows up in Jailhouse Rock for me.
Elvis Presley and K.L. Smith in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
K.L. Smith is a Klingon captain in the 1968 STAR TREK episode “Elaan Of Troyius” (Paramount)
Other cross-overs include:
Elvis Presley is Vince Everett and Mickey Shaughnessy is Hunk Houghton in 1957’s JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM)
Jailhouse Rock Tote Board
Songs In Jailhouse Rock
The Mystery Train’s Jailhouse Rock Scorecard
Jailhouse Rock Around The Web
Click image for larger, color version
“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”
Luke 6:27-31 NLT
One of our annual traditions this time of year on The Mystery Train Blog is that I make note of the fact that I haven’t posted in many months.
Indeed, it has been many months since I posted. Outside of a quick tribute to Elvis Presley in August, my last real post here was in April! I did have a seemingly strong start to 2023 as I began (but never finished) a multi-part review series of Sony’s then-new Elvis On Tour set. I also examined two more Elvis movies.
In the Elvis world, 2023 will be remembered with sadness due to the loss of Lisa Marie Presley on January 12. Nearly a year later, I still find it hard to believe. On a brighter note, Lisa’s daughter, Riley Keough, seems to have risen to the occasion as far as taking up the Presley mantle. Her mom would be proud.
A few tidbits when it comes to Elvis news since I last posted. While reviewing the top-notch Elvis On Tour set back in the first few months of 2023, I kept thinking, “If only Madison Square Garden would get a similar treatment.” I thought it would never happen, since that event had already been revisited as recently as 2012 with Sony’s excellent Prince From Another Planet set. Wow, did I underestimate the Elvis re-release machine. Indeed, the FTD collectors label for Elvis fans released new mixes of the Madison Square Garden concerts not long after I had that very thought.
On the main Sony label, a set containing new mixes of the 1973 Aloha From Hawaii concerts and related material on 3 CDs as well as a Blu-ray version of that event were also released. Sony’s 2023 Aloha From Hawaii release was slightly controversial, though, and rightly so.
FTD only a year before had already released 2 of the 3 CDs of new mixes at a premium price. The remaining CD of the 2022 FTD set used a vintage 2013 Sony mix – meaning that, Blu-ray aside, fans that already bought the 2022 FTD set but wanted all of the new mixes would still have to buy the 2023 Sony set for the 1 CD. Why Elvis’ music catalog continues to be treated in this haphazard manner is beyond me. Incompetence? Contempt? Greed? A little of all of these? Your guess is as good as mine.
While I originally intended not to touch Sony’s 2023 Aloha set until after I had listened to the “new” As Recorded At Madison Square Garden, I couldn’t help but watch the Aloha From Hawaii Blu-ray the night of August 16. I wanted to experience it as a fan rather than as a writer, so I did not take any notes or watch it from a critical or analytical perspective. I just sat back and immersed myself in the shows again. As I’ve mentioned many times on here, my mom was a first-generation Elvis fan who first started listening to him in 1956 when she was 12. For her, 1973’s Aloha From The Hawaii was the absolute pinnacle of Elvis. I miss seeing her watch it.
Elvis Presley conquers the world during the 1973 ELVIS: ALOHA FROM HAWAII VIA SATELLITE television special (NBC)
As for that FTD Madison Square Garden set, I still haven’t even opened it. So, I’m looking forward to listening to it in 2024.
There is also word that Baz Luhrmann, director of 2022’s very successful ELVIS movie, might be assembling a re-edit of “lost” footage from documentaries Elvis: That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis On Tour (1972) – possibly as a streaming series à la Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back (2021). While intriguing, when it comes to any Warner Brothers project involving Elvis, I will believe it when I see it. I am very cautiously optimistic.
I still have a couple of posts to go in that review of Elvis On Tour. Will I ever finish them? I am not sure. Maybe. I will surely continue my re-watch of Elvis’ movies, Lord willing. My goal is to cover at least three Elvis movies in 2024. There is also at least one new-to-me book I would like to feature in a future post.
2023 has been a year full of blessings for me – more than I could ever begin to list here. Know that I count those of you who take the time to read my infrequent ramblings here to be among those blessings.
Thank you for reading. May your 2024 be full of joy.
“I pray that God, the Source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
Elvis Aaron Presley: January 8, 1935—August 16, 1977
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 NIV
Up next in my rewatch of Elvis Presley movies is Easy Come, Easy Go – his 23rd movie to be released.
“Excitement! Adventure under the sea! Skin-diving for treasure, adventure and fun!”
Easy Come, Easy Go (Paramount)
Wide Release: March 22, 1967 (United States)
Starring: Elvis Presley, Dodie Marshall, Pat Priest
Screenplay By: Allan Weiss, Anthony Lawrence
Music Score By: Joseph J. Lilley
Produced By: Hal B. Wallis
Directed By: John Rich
Running Time: 95 Minutes
1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO features multiple underwater scenes (Paramount)
Easy Come, Easy Go premiered only two weeks before Double Trouble, which was actually filmed first.
Elvis stars as Lieutenant Ted Jackson, a US Naval officer who serves aboard the USS Gallant, an Aggressive Class minesweeper. Ted is nearing the end of his military service and during his final Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) mission, he discovers a sunken treasure chest. Wealthy Dina Bishop (Pat Priest) skippers a civilian boat in the area and deploys her boy-toy Gil Carey (Skip Ward) to obtain a photo of the Naval officer, interfering with Ted’s work.
Elvis Presley is Ted Jackson and Dodie Marshall is Jo Symington in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)
Once he leaves the Navy, Ted is determined to raise the treasure chest. He enlists help from Judd Whitman (Pat Harrington) and Jo Symington (Dodie Marshall). Ted was former partners with Judd in a nightclub business, while Jo is a free spirit looking to open an art center with her share of the pending fortune. Both Marshall and Harrington are strong in their roles. Marshall, in particular, brightens the movie whenever she appears.
A 1967 Dodge Dart becomes a work of modern art in EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)
Dina and Gil find out about the treasure, too, and begin trying to thwart Ted’s plans in order to get the treasure for themselves. Gil’s motivation is that if he becomes wealthy through the treasure, Dina might begin treating him as an equal.
Jo and Ted are usually friendly to one another through most of Easy Come, Easy Go, but a romance between the two late in the film seems to happen only out of obligation to the Elvis movie formula rather than as a natural result of the story.
Elvis Presley is Ted Jackson in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)
Easy Come, Easy Go makes a good second movie in a double feature with Spinout, for Marshall appears briefly near the end of the latter (as a different character, for Elvis never made a sequel to one of his narrative films). In fact, Spinout was the Elvis movie released just prior to Easy Come, Easy Go, so her appearance almost acts as a kind of advertisement for the next movie in the Elvis Cinematic Universe.
Easy Come, Easy Go reflects the culture of its time by the mostly sexist ways it portrays women – the worst of which is exemplified by a dreadful musical number, “The Love Machine.” Navy men spin a wheel of fortune where the “prizes” are available ladies, complete with photos, measurements, and phone numbers.
Elvis Presley is Ted Jackson and Dodie Marshall is Jo Symington in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)
The movie includes a number of well-filmed underwater scenes, though they often drag on too long by modern standards – especially considering that the underwater version of “Ted Jackson” is not portrayed by Elvis. Though Elvis often did many of his own stunts in his movies, scuba-diving was not among his skillsets. At one point, Gil even attempts to kill Ted underwater – pretty intense for an Elvis movie.
Elsa Lanchester and Elvis Presley in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)
As for the music, there are no real stand-out numbers – at least not for the right reasons. The legendary Elsa Lanchester (Bride Of Frankenstein) appears briefly as a yoga instructor – just long enough to become one of the few people ever to sing a duet with Elvis. Unfortunately, “Yoga Is As Yoga Does” is a disservice to both stars, and I’ll just leave it at that.
Ted performs “Easy Come, Easy Go” during the opening credits on a small Navy boat – even using a paddle to play air guitar along to an unseen background music source (Elvis movies had long ago given up trying to make such scenes make logical sense).
Ted Jackson (Elvis Presley) tries to part the waters of a crowded party in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)
Faring better in the music department are “Sing You Children,” an inspirational number that Ted uses to “part the waters” of a crowd and “I’ll Take Love,” which serves as the film’s finale.
Easy Come, Easy Go is a good example of an average Elvis movie. It is not very ambitious, but it manages to entertain.
Elvis Presley is Ted Jackson in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)
Boldly Go
Shari Nims, who played Mary, one of Dina’s friends, in 1967’s Easy Come, Easy Go, appeared as Sayana, a Vaalian, later that same year in the Star Trek episode “The Apple.”
I knew where Nims was in Star Trek, but I sure couldn’t find her in Easy Come, Easy Go. Instead, my friend and Elvis movie superfan Gary Wells over at SoulRide Blog tracked down one of her scenes for me. Thanks, Gary!
Shari Nims is Mary in 1967’s EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount)
William Shatner is James T. Kirk, Shari Nims is Sayana, and Leonard Nimoy is Spock in the 1967 STAR TREK episode “The Apple” (Paramount)
Easy Come, Easy Go Tote Board
Songs In Easy Come, Easy Go
The Mystery Train’s Easy Come, Easy Go Scorecard
Easy Come, Easy Go Around The Web
Click image for larger, full-color version
“Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!”
Exodus 14:21-22 NLT
The Mystery Train Blog 