Elvis Presley

St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, Jan 29, 2002 by Pat H. Broeske

Fame brought changes to Presley's personal life. He moved his family into their new home, the Memphis estate named Graceland. He indulged in cosmetic alterations, including capped teeth, a nose-job, and skin treatments. He dyed his hair black, in the belief that black hair made a subject more striking for the cameras.

The inveterate moviegoer had dreamed of becoming a serious actor. But producers did not want Presley to dramatically emote; they wanted him to sing. Thus, anachronistic musical numbers found their way into Presley's 1956 film debut, the bittersweet Civil War romance, Love Me Tender, for which he was critically reviled. He fared better in 1957 with the back-to-back, somewhat autobiographical entries Loving You and Jailhouse Rock. The latter is significant for his surly performance, and the stunning title song musical sequence. His follow-up film, the gritty King Creole, boasted his most promising work. Then came his induction into the U.S. Army.

The Memphis Selective Service Commission's 1958 decision to draft Presley prompted congratulatory letters from parents, along with death threats from teenage girls. For many, his haircut by U.S. Army barbers was a powerful and welcome sign that a rebellious era was ending.

The military stint proved significant for Presley. While stationed in Germany he began seriously popping barbiturates in an effort to keep longer hours. In the wake of his mother's death, which left him devastated, he also formed a close relationship with the fourteen-year-old daughter of an Air Force captain. He later had the teenage Priscilla Beaulieu brought to Memphis, to surreptitiously live at Graceland.

Returning from the service in 1960, Presley headed to Hollywood where he and his entourage became renowned for their womanizing and wild parties. Presley's inner circle, which came to be known as the Memphis Mafia, provided a buffer for the star, who increasingly kept his private life private.

His first post-Army film, the formulaic G.I. Blues, triggered a series of lightweight romantic musicals set against exotic settings, co-starring myriad pretty girls. Presley cynically referred to them as "travelogues." Still, films such as Blue Hawaii and Fun in Acapulco were huge moneymakers. And he found his match, in talent and charisma, opposite real life romantic interest Ann-Margret in the 1964 title, Viva Las Vegas.

Musically, the post-Army Presley concentrated on ballads. Signifying his shift from rock 'n' roll was "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," as well as "It's Now or Never," which featured Presley in a crooning mode. There were also frothy songs from his movies, and religious entries including "Crying in the Chapel." To young people, it appeared Presley was stagnating. He himself worried that he was being eclipsed by the "British invasion." In desperation, he agreed to star in an NBC-TV special. The resulting Elvis, which aired in December 1968, stands as one of the great show business comebacks. Looking slim and sexy, clad in tight-fitting black leather, Presley performed before a live audience in jam session-style. When he returned to TV five years later, Presley was likewise a mesmerizing figure, in white jumpsuit and an American eagle-emblazoned cape. Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite, was beamed to countries around the world, to a record-breaking audience of as many as 1.5 billion.