1970's
1970's Saturday Morning Music Toons
November 22, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Between the hard rock sounds of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Doors and the disco beat of the Bee Gees, bubble gum music thrived in the early 1970’s, specifically on Saturday morning cartoons.
Whether used as literary devices to complement the story line or merchandising tools to promote record sales, songs added a dimension to the cartoons. They provided another example of the inevitable connection between music and television.
Kid Power is a show that may be described as Peanuts meeting the Rainbow Coalition. The late 1960’s and early 1970’s messages of peace, friendship, love, and harmony filled the series. Based on Morrie Turner’s Wee Pals comic strip, Kid Power revolved around a melting pot of kids in a group called Rainbow Club. Different colors, nationalities, and backgrounds did not stop the kids from joining forces to accomplish their goals.
Music giant Mike Curb was the show’s Music Consultant. The song for each episode illustrated that episode’s lesson.
Kid Power aired on ABC during the 1972-73 season with seventeen episodes. The following season consisted of reruns.
The Partridge Family went off the air in 1974 after four seasons. In the fall of 1974, Partridge Family, 2200 A.D. showed us a futuristic view of America’s favorite singing family.
Except for Shirley Jones and David Cassidy, the cast voiced their cartoon counterparts.
The Brady Kids capitalized on the popularity of Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby, and Cindy from The Brady Bunch.
Music was a natural fit for the cartoon because the child actors released albums, toured in concert, and performed on The Brady Bunch. Unlike Partridge Family, 2200 A.D., however, The Brady Kids broadcast history coincided with its parent show. The Brady Kids aired 22 episodes and debuted in the fall of 1972.
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show depicted Bedrock’s favorite boy and girl as teenagers. Sally Struthers (All in the Family) and Jay North (Dennis the Menace) voiced the title characters.
Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm and their friends -- Moonrock, Penny, and Wiggy -- formed The Bedrock Rollers, a stone age rock and roll group.
Plots in The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show focused on Pebbles’ outrageous ideas that often recalled Lucy Ricardo. Pebbles and Lucy shared enthusiasm, optimism, and inspiration. But their plans often went awry, aside, and down the tubes.
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show first aired in September of 1971.
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids showed stories that were universal to growing up. Bill Cosby’s stand up comedy routines about his childhood in Philadelphia laid the groundwork for this animated version of Fat Albert, Weird Harold, Cosby and his brother Russell, and the rest of the gang.
Cosby addressed the audience about the lesson in the story and the kids sang a song corresponding with the lesson learned.
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids debuted in September of 1972.
Rankin-Bass produced two shows about family singing groups at the pinnacle of their respective successes -- The Osmonds and Jackson Five.
Jackson Five debuted in September of 1971 on the heels of their four number-one hits in 1970 -- I Want You Back, The Love You Save, ABC, and I’ll Be There.
The Jacksons voiced their animated likenesses for the show’s twenty-three episodes.
The Osmond brothers from Utah who got their big break on The Andy Williams Show got their shot at cartoon fame a year later. Debuting in September of 1972, The Osmonds featured the boys with big smiles, harmonious sounds, and innocence.
The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan featured a cartoon version of Charlie Chan with ten kids. Chan led his children in solving crimes. The older kids had a rock band -- The Chan Clan. Ron Dante, the lead singer for The Archies, filled the same role here.
Josie and the Pussycats also enjoy a connection to the Archieverse. The title character first appeared under the Archie comics banner in 1963. In Television Cartoon Shows, Hal Erickson writes, It was at the suggestion of CBS executive Fred Silverman that Hanna-Barbera (taking over from The Archies’ home studio Filmation, then overloaded with product) reshape Josie into the lead singer of a rock group -- hoping no doubt for a reprise of the success that greeted the Archies’ hit single Sugar Sugar.
After the show aired during the 1970-71 season, Hanna-Barbera retooled it with a space theme. Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space aired for two seasons -- 1972-74.
Josie’s comic book cousins from Riverdale, Archie et. al., inspired the music-cartoon nexus. The Archie Show is the first show in the Saturday morning music toon genre. It debuted in September of 1968 and lasted one season. Sugar, Sugar launched during The Archie Show tenure in 1969. It became a #1 song.
The Archie characters continued in different shows and formats between 1969 and 1978 -- The Archie Comedy Hour, Archie’s Fun House Featuring the Giant Juke Box, Archie’s TV Funnies, Everything’s Archie, U.S. of Archie, The New Archie / Sabrina Hour, Archie’s Bang-Shang Lalapalooza Show.
Although Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids aired for several years on television (1972-84), the other programs did not fare as well. But they were still enjoyable to watch, listen to, and learn from, especially during a time where real-life events increasingly challenged innocence -- assassinations, riots, Vietnam War.
On those sleepy Saturday mornings in the early 1970’s, children woke up to these shows that gave entertainment, optimism, and hope.
david@davidkrell.com
Between the hard rock sounds of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Doors and the disco beat of the Bee Gees, bubble gum music thrived in the early 1970’s, specifically on Saturday morning cartoons.
Whether used as literary devices to complement the story line or merchandising tools to promote record sales, songs added a dimension to the cartoons. They provided another example of the inevitable connection between music and television.
Kid Power is a show that may be described as Peanuts meeting the Rainbow Coalition. The late 1960’s and early 1970’s messages of peace, friendship, love, and harmony filled the series. Based on Morrie Turner’s Wee Pals comic strip, Kid Power revolved around a melting pot of kids in a group called Rainbow Club. Different colors, nationalities, and backgrounds did not stop the kids from joining forces to accomplish their goals.
Music giant Mike Curb was the show’s Music Consultant. The song for each episode illustrated that episode’s lesson.
Kid Power aired on ABC during the 1972-73 season with seventeen episodes. The following season consisted of reruns.
The Partridge Family went off the air in 1974 after four seasons. In the fall of 1974, Partridge Family, 2200 A.D. showed us a futuristic view of America’s favorite singing family.
Except for Shirley Jones and David Cassidy, the cast voiced their cartoon counterparts.
The Brady Kids capitalized on the popularity of Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby, and Cindy from The Brady Bunch.
Music was a natural fit for the cartoon because the child actors released albums, toured in concert, and performed on The Brady Bunch. Unlike Partridge Family, 2200 A.D., however, The Brady Kids broadcast history coincided with its parent show. The Brady Kids aired 22 episodes and debuted in the fall of 1972.
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show depicted Bedrock’s favorite boy and girl as teenagers. Sally Struthers (All in the Family) and Jay North (Dennis the Menace) voiced the title characters.
Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm and their friends -- Moonrock, Penny, and Wiggy -- formed The Bedrock Rollers, a stone age rock and roll group.
Plots in The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show focused on Pebbles’ outrageous ideas that often recalled Lucy Ricardo. Pebbles and Lucy shared enthusiasm, optimism, and inspiration. But their plans often went awry, aside, and down the tubes.
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show first aired in September of 1971.
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids showed stories that were universal to growing up. Bill Cosby’s stand up comedy routines about his childhood in Philadelphia laid the groundwork for this animated version of Fat Albert, Weird Harold, Cosby and his brother Russell, and the rest of the gang.
Cosby addressed the audience about the lesson in the story and the kids sang a song corresponding with the lesson learned.
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids debuted in September of 1972.
Rankin-Bass produced two shows about family singing groups at the pinnacle of their respective successes -- The Osmonds and Jackson Five.
Jackson Five debuted in September of 1971 on the heels of their four number-one hits in 1970 -- I Want You Back, The Love You Save, ABC, and I’ll Be There.
The Jacksons voiced their animated likenesses for the show’s twenty-three episodes.
The Osmond brothers from Utah who got their big break on The Andy Williams Show got their shot at cartoon fame a year later. Debuting in September of 1972, The Osmonds featured the boys with big smiles, harmonious sounds, and innocence.
The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan featured a cartoon version of Charlie Chan with ten kids. Chan led his children in solving crimes. The older kids had a rock band -- The Chan Clan. Ron Dante, the lead singer for The Archies, filled the same role here.
Josie and the Pussycats also enjoy a connection to the Archieverse. The title character first appeared under the Archie comics banner in 1963. In Television Cartoon Shows, Hal Erickson writes, It was at the suggestion of CBS executive Fred Silverman that Hanna-Barbera (taking over from The Archies’ home studio Filmation, then overloaded with product) reshape Josie into the lead singer of a rock group -- hoping no doubt for a reprise of the success that greeted the Archies’ hit single Sugar Sugar.
After the show aired during the 1970-71 season, Hanna-Barbera retooled it with a space theme. Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space aired for two seasons -- 1972-74.
Josie’s comic book cousins from Riverdale, Archie et. al., inspired the music-cartoon nexus. The Archie Show is the first show in the Saturday morning music toon genre. It debuted in September of 1968 and lasted one season. Sugar, Sugar launched during The Archie Show tenure in 1969. It became a #1 song.
The Archie characters continued in different shows and formats between 1969 and 1978 -- The Archie Comedy Hour, Archie’s Fun House Featuring the Giant Juke Box, Archie’s TV Funnies, Everything’s Archie, U.S. of Archie, The New Archie / Sabrina Hour, Archie’s Bang-Shang Lalapalooza Show.
Although Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids aired for several years on television (1972-84), the other programs did not fare as well. But they were still enjoyable to watch, listen to, and learn from, especially during a time where real-life events increasingly challenged innocence -- assassinations, riots, Vietnam War.
On those sleepy Saturday mornings in the early 1970’s, children woke up to these shows that gave entertainment, optimism, and hope.
Harry Morgan
November 21, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Before he was Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H, Harry Morgan was one of Hollywood’s cornerstone character actors. He shared the silver screen with legends.
Inherit the Wind with Spencer Tracy and Fredric March.
High Noon with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.
The Glenn Miller Story with Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson.
The Shootist with John Wayne.
Frankie and Johnny with Elvis Presley.
Support Your Local Sheriff with James Garner.
Dragnet with Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd. In Dragnet, Morgan reprises his role of Bill Gannon from the television series of the same name in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Gannon has climbed the ranks to become a police captain.
Morgan played Pete Porter in the television series December Bride and its spinoff -- Pete & Gladys. He also played Judge Bell in the trio of 1990’s Incident tv-movies starring Walter Matthau -- The Incident, Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore, Incident in a Small Town.
But Harry Morgan’s role of the authoritative, compassionate, and wise Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H is likely the role most identified with Morgan. Potter is Morgan’s signature character.
Morgan had big shoes to fill. When M*A*S*H producers killed off Colonel Henry Blake in the spring of 1975, the creative decision sparked shock, dismay, and even outrage. Who ever heard of a show killing a major, beloved, and valuable character? Blake’s death offered no chance for a spinoff, return appearance, or revival.
While McLean Stevenson’s popularity soared as the affable, bumbling, and concerned Colonel Blake who was also one of the guys, Harry Morgan won the respect of fans by playing Colonel Potter with dignity, understanding, and a voice of experience.
Potter led Hawkeye, B.J. and the rest of the M*A*S*H 4077th, but he never talked down to them. He was a Regular Army style solider but he ignored the rules and regulations if they interfered with treating wounded soldiers.
Potter was a combat veteran who became a doctor. But he never forgot the courage of soldiers in the field.
In a vicious ocean of injury, violence, and death, Morgan’s Colonel Potter was the calm oasis of experience, wisdom, and compassion.
Harry Morgan actually made a pre-Potter appearance on M*A*S*H. In the third season premiere -- The General Flipped At Dawn -- he plays General Steele, a half-crazed general. Morgan received an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance in this episode that kicked off the 1975-76 season.
For his role as Colonel Potter, Morgan received eight nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He won once. He also received an Emmy nomination for Best Director.
Harry Morgan continued playing Colonel Potter in the sequel After M*A*S*H. The show is set in a stateside Veterans Administration hospital in Missouri. Jamie Farr and William Christopher joined Morgan to continue their roles as Max Klinger and Father Mulcahy respectively.
After After M*A*S*H, Morgan mostly enjoyed guest appearances on television shows -- The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Grace Under Fire, Third Rock from the Sun, and The Simpsons.
On The Simpsons, Morgan once again reprised his role of Bill Gannon.
david@davidkrell.com
Before he was Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H, Harry Morgan was one of Hollywood’s cornerstone character actors. He shared the silver screen with legends.
Inherit the Wind with Spencer Tracy and Fredric March.
High Noon with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.
The Glenn Miller Story with Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson.
The Shootist with John Wayne.
Frankie and Johnny with Elvis Presley.
Support Your Local Sheriff with James Garner.
Dragnet with Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd. In Dragnet, Morgan reprises his role of Bill Gannon from the television series of the same name in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Gannon has climbed the ranks to become a police captain.
Morgan played Pete Porter in the television series December Bride and its spinoff -- Pete & Gladys. He also played Judge Bell in the trio of 1990’s Incident tv-movies starring Walter Matthau -- The Incident, Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore, Incident in a Small Town.
But Harry Morgan’s role of the authoritative, compassionate, and wise Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H is likely the role most identified with Morgan. Potter is Morgan’s signature character.
Morgan had big shoes to fill. When M*A*S*H producers killed off Colonel Henry Blake in the spring of 1975, the creative decision sparked shock, dismay, and even outrage. Who ever heard of a show killing a major, beloved, and valuable character? Blake’s death offered no chance for a spinoff, return appearance, or revival.
While McLean Stevenson’s popularity soared as the affable, bumbling, and concerned Colonel Blake who was also one of the guys, Harry Morgan won the respect of fans by playing Colonel Potter with dignity, understanding, and a voice of experience.
Potter led Hawkeye, B.J. and the rest of the M*A*S*H 4077th, but he never talked down to them. He was a Regular Army style solider but he ignored the rules and regulations if they interfered with treating wounded soldiers.
Potter was a combat veteran who became a doctor. But he never forgot the courage of soldiers in the field.
In a vicious ocean of injury, violence, and death, Morgan’s Colonel Potter was the calm oasis of experience, wisdom, and compassion.
Harry Morgan actually made a pre-Potter appearance on M*A*S*H. In the third season premiere -- The General Flipped At Dawn -- he plays General Steele, a half-crazed general. Morgan received an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance in this episode that kicked off the 1975-76 season.
For his role as Colonel Potter, Morgan received eight nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He won once. He also received an Emmy nomination for Best Director.
Harry Morgan continued playing Colonel Potter in the sequel After M*A*S*H. The show is set in a stateside Veterans Administration hospital in Missouri. Jamie Farr and William Christopher joined Morgan to continue their roles as Max Klinger and Father Mulcahy respectively.
After After M*A*S*H, Morgan mostly enjoyed guest appearances on television shows -- The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Grace Under Fire, Third Rock from the Sun, and The Simpsons.
On The Simpsons, Morgan once again reprised his role of Bill Gannon.
The Taking of Pelham 123
October 13, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
The remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 opened in theaters this past summer. The film stars three actors who got their big breaks on the small screen.
Denzel Washington.
In Pelham, Washington plays Walter Garber, a New York City civil servant who becomes the link of communication to hostage takers on a subway train.
Washington was part of the terrific ensemble cast of St. Elsewhere. In this 1980’s NBC drama set in a Boston hospital, Washington plays the Yale-educated Dr. Phillip Chandler.
His breakthrough movie was Glory, a 1989 film set during the Civil War. Washington earned on Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
John Travolta.
In Pelham, Travolta plays Ryder, the leader of the hostage takers.
Travolta exploded onto America’s consciousness as dim-witted, girl-crazy, and self-involved high school student Vinnie Barbarino in Welcome Back, Kotter.
Kotter premiered in 1975. In the space of three years, Travolta’s career became hotter than a supernova. On the silver screen, he starred in 1977’s Saturday Night Fever and 1978’s Grease.
For the most part, notoriety subsided during the 1980’s. Travolta signaled his comeback in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction in 1994.
James Gandolfini.
In Pelham, Gandolfini plays the Mayor of New York City. If managed properly, the hostage crisis can be good for the politics business. Or very bad.
After highly significant roles on Broadway and supporting roles in films, Gandolfini got the role for which he will forever be identified.
Henry Winkler has Fonzie.
Alan Alda has Hawkeye.
And James Gandolfini has Tony Soprano, the main character in The Sopranos.
Gandolfini’s emotions as the New Jersey mafia don range from the tender to the explosive. He reveals a touching side when talking about or interacting with animals, like his racehorse, Pie-Oh-My.
There is a flip side. Disloyalty, betrayal, and disrespect trigger rage, violence, and an underlying fear of a weakened position in the Soprano mob family.
In 1973, Morton Freedgood wrote the novel The Taking of Pelham 123 under the pseudonym John Godey.
A year later, the story hit the big screen for the first time with Walter Matthau as Garber, Robert Shaw as Ryder, and Lee Wallace as the mayor.
The film accurately captures the aura of violence, fear, and despair surrounding New York City in the 1970’s. Riots. Crime. Financial turmoil. They all contributed to the pressure.
The feeling permeates the film. Walter Matthau’s Garber is in the middle -- a civil servant trying to do his job. On this particular day, it is an ordinary job under extraordinary circumstances. Matthau perfectly fits the role of the rumpled Garber.
The ending of this version of Pelham is an excellent example of a setup and payoff. Something occurs early in the story that recurs at the end.
Hector Elizondo and Earl Hindman play two of the hostage takers. Elizondo later starred in Chicago Hope and played supporting roles in a deep roster of films that include The Flamingo Kid, The Princess Diaries, and Pretty Woman.
Hindman’s face is not recognizable from his signature role -- Wilson, the neighbor on Home Improvement. The running gag on the show was the hiding of Wilson’s face behind the backyard fence and other objects.
Jerry Stiller plays a policeman working with Matthau. Maybe the hostage crisis was a source of sorts for Frank Costanza’s anger.
david@davidkrell.com
The remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 opened in theaters this past summer. The film stars three actors who got their big breaks on the small screen.
Denzel Washington.
In Pelham, Washington plays Walter Garber, a New York City civil servant who becomes the link of communication to hostage takers on a subway train.
Washington was part of the terrific ensemble cast of St. Elsewhere. In this 1980’s NBC drama set in a Boston hospital, Washington plays the Yale-educated Dr. Phillip Chandler.
His breakthrough movie was Glory, a 1989 film set during the Civil War. Washington earned on Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
John Travolta.
In Pelham, Travolta plays Ryder, the leader of the hostage takers.
Travolta exploded onto America’s consciousness as dim-witted, girl-crazy, and self-involved high school student Vinnie Barbarino in Welcome Back, Kotter.
Kotter premiered in 1975. In the space of three years, Travolta’s career became hotter than a supernova. On the silver screen, he starred in 1977’s Saturday Night Fever and 1978’s Grease.
For the most part, notoriety subsided during the 1980’s. Travolta signaled his comeback in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction in 1994.
James Gandolfini.
In Pelham, Gandolfini plays the Mayor of New York City. If managed properly, the hostage crisis can be good for the politics business. Or very bad.
After highly significant roles on Broadway and supporting roles in films, Gandolfini got the role for which he will forever be identified.
Henry Winkler has Fonzie.
Alan Alda has Hawkeye.
And James Gandolfini has Tony Soprano, the main character in The Sopranos.
Gandolfini’s emotions as the New Jersey mafia don range from the tender to the explosive. He reveals a touching side when talking about or interacting with animals, like his racehorse, Pie-Oh-My.
There is a flip side. Disloyalty, betrayal, and disrespect trigger rage, violence, and an underlying fear of a weakened position in the Soprano mob family.
In 1973, Morton Freedgood wrote the novel The Taking of Pelham 123 under the pseudonym John Godey.
A year later, the story hit the big screen for the first time with Walter Matthau as Garber, Robert Shaw as Ryder, and Lee Wallace as the mayor.
The film accurately captures the aura of violence, fear, and despair surrounding New York City in the 1970’s. Riots. Crime. Financial turmoil. They all contributed to the pressure.
The feeling permeates the film. Walter Matthau’s Garber is in the middle -- a civil servant trying to do his job. On this particular day, it is an ordinary job under extraordinary circumstances. Matthau perfectly fits the role of the rumpled Garber.
The ending of this version of Pelham is an excellent example of a setup and payoff. Something occurs early in the story that recurs at the end.
Hector Elizondo and Earl Hindman play two of the hostage takers. Elizondo later starred in Chicago Hope and played supporting roles in a deep roster of films that include The Flamingo Kid, The Princess Diaries, and Pretty Woman.
Hindman’s face is not recognizable from his signature role -- Wilson, the neighbor on Home Improvement. The running gag on the show was the hiding of Wilson’s face behind the backyard fence and other objects.
Jerry Stiller plays a policeman working with Matthau. Maybe the hostage crisis was a source of sorts for Frank Costanza’s anger.
Elvis
October 01, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Elvis.
More than thirty years have passed since he went to rock and roll heaven in 1977.
And just the mere mention of his name opens a lockbox of tremendous memories.
His movements.
His movies.
His portrayals.
Elvis Presley moved on stage like no other performer before him, swiveling his hips to the delight of teenage girls, the jealousy of their boyfriends, and the fright of their parents.
Elvis’ movies may have been formulaic.
Sing a few songs. Charm a few girls. Win the heart of the female lead.
But he surrounded himself with veteran actors who shouldered the load. In lesser hands, the movies would have been unwatchable instead of simply enjoyable.
Angela Lansbury in Blue Hawaii.
Gary Merrill and James Gregory in Clambake.
Gale Gordon and William Schallert in Speedway.
Portrayals of Elvis on television also add to the King’s legacy by interpreting, explaining, and depicting certain aspects of his life.
Okay. So you may not remember some of them. But they deserve a second look, if for no other reason than a sense of completion in looking at Elvis’ career.
We’ve all seen the black and white footage of Elvis dancing and singing Jailhouse Rock in the 1957 movie of the same name, a precursor to the dance videos that would appear during the early days of MTV twenty-five years later.
But did you see Elvis and the Colonel, a 1993 tv-movie starring Rob Youngblood as Elvis and Beau Bridges as Colonel Tom Parker, the manager and mastermind behind a highly significant part of Elvis' career?
How about Elvis and the Beauty Queen, a 1981 tv-movie starring Stephanie Zimbalist as the King's girlfriend, Linda Thompson, and Don Johnson as Elvis? Zimbalist and Johnson made terrific contributions to NBC's revival as a television network powerhouse in the 1980's. She starred in Remington Steele and he made pastels fashionable in Miami Vice.
In 1988, Dale Midkiff portrayed Elvis in Elvis and Me, a four-hour miniseries told from wife Priscilla Presley's point of view. It was based on the book of the same name that Priscilla wrote with Sandra Harmon.
In 2005, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers played Elvis in another four-hour miniseries simply titled Elvis.
Michael St. Gerard filled the shoes of a young Elvis when he played the aspiring King of Rock and Roll on the cusp of breaking into the record business. Elvis was an ABC television series that showed the rarely explored early years of Elvis Presley. The show had a brief run in 1990.
St. Gerard's portrayal was not limited to the small screen, however. He played Elvis in a non-speaking role in the 1988 Jerry Lee Lewis biopic Great Balls of Fire.
But the one that started it all was a two-and-a-half tv-movie that aired on February 11, 1979, just two-and-a-half years after the King's death. Kurt Russell starred in Elvis, a highly anticipated tv-movie. Produced by Dick Clark Productions, Elvis captured the imagination of fans still reeling from the King's death on August 16, 1977. John Carpenter directed Elvis. Coincidentally, Elvis' character in the movie Change of Habit was named John Carpenter.
Kurt Russell actually appeared in one of Elvis' movies. In It Happened at the World's Fair, he kicks Elvis in the shins. But the connection between the two men do not end there. In the movie 3000 Miles to Graceland, Kurt Russell plays an Elvis impersonator.
Finally, the 1980's revival of The Twilight Zone gave a twist on Elvis' life, legacy, and allure. In the episode The Once and Future King, an Elvis fanatic and impersonator named Gary has an agent named Sandra. She tells him that she met Elvis during one of his Las Vegas stints when she was 18. After avoiding an accident, Gary somehow travels back in time and meets Elvis in 1954 Memphis. The meeting happens right before Elvis is supposed to record That's All Right, Mama, also known as That's All Right, his initial record.
Elvis believes that Gary is really Jesse Aron Presley or a reincarnation of him. Jesse was Elvis' twin brother who died at birth. When Gary tells Elvis about That's All Right, Mama and the massive success awaiting him, Elvis is simply not interested. He thinks the music that Gary plays is the devil's music. When argument between Gary and Elvis escalates to a violent level, Elvis dies in the fight.
There's only one way out for Gary. Become Elvis. Gary buries him and assumes his identity.
Confession time occurs at the end of the episode set some time during the early 1970's in Las Vegas. Elvis is talking to a groupie. He reveals that he tried to perform the songs and acting roles as closely as he could remember from the original Elvis.
The groupie is Sandra, Gary's agent in his previous life.
The meeting takes place just as she described earlier with Elvis talking for hours and showing signs of paranoia. Only this time, she met with Gary.
Or was it really Elvis?
david@davidkrell.com
Elvis.
More than thirty years have passed since he went to rock and roll heaven in 1977.
And just the mere mention of his name opens a lockbox of tremendous memories.
His movements.
His movies.
His portrayals.
Elvis Presley moved on stage like no other performer before him, swiveling his hips to the delight of teenage girls, the jealousy of their boyfriends, and the fright of their parents.
Elvis’ movies may have been formulaic.
Sing a few songs. Charm a few girls. Win the heart of the female lead.
But he surrounded himself with veteran actors who shouldered the load. In lesser hands, the movies would have been unwatchable instead of simply enjoyable.
Angela Lansbury in Blue Hawaii.
Gary Merrill and James Gregory in Clambake.
Gale Gordon and William Schallert in Speedway.
Portrayals of Elvis on television also add to the King’s legacy by interpreting, explaining, and depicting certain aspects of his life.
Okay. So you may not remember some of them. But they deserve a second look, if for no other reason than a sense of completion in looking at Elvis’ career.
We’ve all seen the black and white footage of Elvis dancing and singing Jailhouse Rock in the 1957 movie of the same name, a precursor to the dance videos that would appear during the early days of MTV twenty-five years later.
But did you see Elvis and the Colonel, a 1993 tv-movie starring Rob Youngblood as Elvis and Beau Bridges as Colonel Tom Parker, the manager and mastermind behind a highly significant part of Elvis' career?
How about Elvis and the Beauty Queen, a 1981 tv-movie starring Stephanie Zimbalist as the King's girlfriend, Linda Thompson, and Don Johnson as Elvis? Zimbalist and Johnson made terrific contributions to NBC's revival as a television network powerhouse in the 1980's. She starred in Remington Steele and he made pastels fashionable in Miami Vice.
In 1988, Dale Midkiff portrayed Elvis in Elvis and Me, a four-hour miniseries told from wife Priscilla Presley's point of view. It was based on the book of the same name that Priscilla wrote with Sandra Harmon.
In 2005, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers played Elvis in another four-hour miniseries simply titled Elvis.
Michael St. Gerard filled the shoes of a young Elvis when he played the aspiring King of Rock and Roll on the cusp of breaking into the record business. Elvis was an ABC television series that showed the rarely explored early years of Elvis Presley. The show had a brief run in 1990.
St. Gerard's portrayal was not limited to the small screen, however. He played Elvis in a non-speaking role in the 1988 Jerry Lee Lewis biopic Great Balls of Fire.
But the one that started it all was a two-and-a-half tv-movie that aired on February 11, 1979, just two-and-a-half years after the King's death. Kurt Russell starred in Elvis, a highly anticipated tv-movie. Produced by Dick Clark Productions, Elvis captured the imagination of fans still reeling from the King's death on August 16, 1977. John Carpenter directed Elvis. Coincidentally, Elvis' character in the movie Change of Habit was named John Carpenter.
Kurt Russell actually appeared in one of Elvis' movies. In It Happened at the World's Fair, he kicks Elvis in the shins. But the connection between the two men do not end there. In the movie 3000 Miles to Graceland, Kurt Russell plays an Elvis impersonator.
Finally, the 1980's revival of The Twilight Zone gave a twist on Elvis' life, legacy, and allure. In the episode The Once and Future King, an Elvis fanatic and impersonator named Gary has an agent named Sandra. She tells him that she met Elvis during one of his Las Vegas stints when she was 18. After avoiding an accident, Gary somehow travels back in time and meets Elvis in 1954 Memphis. The meeting happens right before Elvis is supposed to record That's All Right, Mama, also known as That's All Right, his initial record.
Elvis believes that Gary is really Jesse Aron Presley or a reincarnation of him. Jesse was Elvis' twin brother who died at birth. When Gary tells Elvis about That's All Right, Mama and the massive success awaiting him, Elvis is simply not interested. He thinks the music that Gary plays is the devil's music. When argument between Gary and Elvis escalates to a violent level, Elvis dies in the fight.
There's only one way out for Gary. Become Elvis. Gary buries him and assumes his identity.
Confession time occurs at the end of the episode set some time during the early 1970's in Las Vegas. Elvis is talking to a groupie. He reveals that he tried to perform the songs and acting roles as closely as he could remember from the original Elvis.
The groupie is Sandra, Gary's agent in his previous life.
The meeting takes place just as she described earlier with Elvis talking for hours and showing signs of paranoia. Only this time, she met with Gary.
Or was it really Elvis?