The Colonel and the King, page 46
“I know you would want to know how things are going along”
Dear Vernon & Elvis; Oct 14, 1958
Your wire received I have made a copy of this and mailed this with a good deal of other information right on to Mr. Ed Cottrell of the special Army Information center [in Washington, D.C.] with whom I have been in contact ever since Elvis left Ft Hood, he also handled the New York setup with me.…
I also wired the Mr. John Wiant at Army Times in Franfurtmain regarding his request for the Christmas show as per blessings of the Army there, I informed him that all these request must First come from the Army direct and at that time I would take it up with you, in the meantime I advised Mr Cottrell about the wire and he told me that he would follow up and double check on this, as far as he knew the Army had nothing to do with it. Having already had several other request from Bob Hope for a Christmas show and having passed this information also on to the Army it seems best to leave these matters [to] roll themselves up into something where they will either contact us direct here from Washington on anything like that for this is the only way we would be able to know if anything is being handled properly or if some promoter is using the Army to get next to Elvis or the other way around.…
A charity show of wich Mr Wiant wired would be very nice if it was just a matter of putting on show for the Orphans, I feel sure that Mr. Wiant has the best interest at heart, but I also know Mr. Wiant cant promise us that many other people will want some sort of show for their charities at some other time, Many of your regular fans that would come to see you whenever we some Day should perform over there on our own setup would of course come to see the show and pay the price. And this money going for Orphans is a good thing and would be a nice presentation by the Army if it was done by the Army and under a setup whereby the people know that you are doing this type of work while in the Army. I have given all this information to Mr. Cottrell in Washington and we will just wait to see what his answer will be, There must be some line where you can either be a regular soldier without having to perform at the same time, or work in special service and do whatever can be worked out to please these people.
I also advised RCA Victor that you would not be available for any dealer promotion overthere while you are in the Army, as this also would take up a great deal of your personal time, since you told me that you did not wish to do anything along those lines when you are off duty, also the securety setup on anything like that would have to [be] some-one else responsibility and I just dont see how this can be handled.
I have been in hot water ever since you left with my motion picture setups. I did get a very nice deal from Fox and they are working out the contracts, but we are having a good deal of trouble from Wallis and Hazen as they do not want you to make the First picture for Fox but for them, if you remember we had two pictures to make after King Creole when you was drafted One for Fox and One for MGM, due to the draft we lost the Fox picture and we lost the MGM deal also—Now I was able to get a new deal with Fox but Wallis and Hazen claim you owe the First picture to them when you come out of the Army.…
If I had known the way Wallis and Hazen would act after King Creole [Elvis’ final picture before entering the army, and a Wallis-Hazen production] I dont think that we would have asked for a extention of the draft to make King Creole as they surely are not giving us a fair break now, Now that they know we can get a deal with Fox for the First picture they want to give us the same deal on the First picture for them as Fox is giving us, but it would not be fair to kick Fox in the face after they have shown us that they believed enough in you when you came out to give us a good deal for the First picture, dont worry about it I will do the best I can along with Mr. Lastfogel. But I know you would want to know how things are going along. I will most likely have to get back out there several times before we will know how far Wallis and Hazen will move, so far they have already had their Lawyers write us several strong letters regarding their rights, we are doing the same thing, I see no reason why we must give in to them when it is not the right thing to do.…
I know that Wallis and Hazen are not going to give up trying, as you know they are tough and do not give up easy. I feel that somehow they think we wont go to court with this, and in this they are wrong for we feel that for the cost of the lawyers involved to handle a case like this, we have too much to gain, and can only wind up on the losing end if we give up too easy. Dont worry about it as you know I will fight as long as I feel that you should get a better deal, I see no reason why any-one should get a better deal out of you having to be in the Army.
I am doing everything I can from this end to come up with something but as you know the gates are tight, and I must keep on trying.… Take care and give my best to the boys and Grandma.
[Signed “Col”]
The Colonel.
On November 1 Colonel was finally able to give Elvis some good news: not only had the deal with Hal Wallis been successfully completed, so had the deal with Fox—with just a few details to be worked out on both. (See wrap-up letter of November 18, below.) “This should give you something to look forward to after you get out,” Colonel wrote with an understatement that was swiftly obliterated by the jubilant tone of the rest of the letter.
“You know of course without me telling you,” he wrote, taking up once again the mutual sense of purpose and achievement that they had always shared, “that I could never have done this without your complete confidence and your unusual talent.”
At Colonel’s direction Elvis sent out three cables. Here are two of them. (I believe the third went to Jean and Julian Aberbach for all that they had done to safeguard Elvis’ song publishing.) Elvis followed Colonel’s guidelines, but clearly with some latitude for improvisation. The telegram to Wallis represents a sincerity of feeling (and I think relief) on both their parts. The telegram to Colonel, though it was intended as a kind of informal acknowledgment of the deal which could also be used for publicity purposes, was all Elvis. ◼
MESSERS HAL WALLIS AND JOSEPH HAZEN November 5, 1958
HAL WALLIS PRODUCTIONS
PARAMOUNT STUDIOS
5141 MARATHON
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A.
DEAR MR. WALLIS AND MR. HAZEN:
THE COLONEL HAS JUST INFORMED ME OF YOUR CONFIDENCE AND BELIEF IN ME WHEN I GET OUT OF THE ARMY. MY FATHER, MYSELF AND THE COLONEL DO APPRECIATE YOUR KIND CONSIDERATION IN THE GENEROUS IMPROVEMENT YOU HAVE MADE IN MY CONTRACT.
I WILL DO MY BEST NOT TO LET YOU FOLKS DOWN WHEN I COME OUT. I WISH THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE WITH THE COLONEL TO SIGN THE CONTRACTS AND SHAKE HANDS WITH YOU BUT YOU KNOW THAT WHEN THE COLONEL SIGNS IT IS JUST LIKE I WAS THERE MYSELF.
GIVE MY BEST TO ALL THE FOLKS AT THE STUDIO AND THE COLONEL.
RESPECTFULLY YOURS,
ELVIS PRESLEY
“THIS SURE IS A LONG TOUR YOU SENT ME ON”
LT COLONEL TOM PARKER November 5, 1958
BEVERLY WILSHIRE HOTEL
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF
DEAR ADMIRAL THANKS FOR YOUR LETTER. I HAVE SENT THE CABLES AS YOU REQUESTED. I SURE APRECIATE ALL YOU ARE DOING AND LOOKING AFTER OUR BUSINESS WHILE I AM BOOKED FOR UNCLE SAM. THIS SURE IS A LONG TOUR YOU SENT ME ON. I AM SORRY THE COMMISSIONS ARE SO SMALL [FOR] THIS ENGAGEMENT. THANKS FOR FIXING UP THE PARAMOUNT AND FOX PICTURES DEALS. DADDY SAYS HELLO, ALSO GRANDMA, LAMAR, AND RED WEST. ELVIS
And here, with everything fully and finally worked out, is the grand summation of all the good fortune that is coming their way. ◼
“This… will prove to Elvis that he is not backsliding in any way”
Dear Vernon & Elvis; Nov 18, 1958
Well here is the other news you have been waiting for Have just received the report that 20th Century Fox also is picking up the new deal I worked on the past 8 Months, so this brings the outlook for Elvis in a pretty solid picture for his future, better than it was before he went into the service, I am sure you both will be pleased with this information, this also will prove to Elvis that he is not backsliding in any way, this now brings our picture setup in line with a very healthy setup for the future. And in such a way that now at least I feel that we have what I always wanted to get on the Wallis contract ever since we first started out with them, Elvis knows how I felt about this setup but there was not much I could do at that time except get a little more each time we made a picture for Wallis and Hazen. The Facts are now we do not have to call on Wallis everytime with our hat in our hands to ask for a little extra each time. The improvements I have been able to make will run into at least a couple of hundred Thousand dollars more for the First Wallis and Fox pictures when Elvis comes out plus a percentage. wich we did not have on either before he went into the service, for a time it even looked pretty bad that we would have to [go to] Court on the entire issue, this has all been cleared up.…
Another check came in from MGM on the profits wich we of course mailed on to [Elvis’ accountant in Memphis] Bill Fisher, this is the Third check so far from MGM on the profit sharing on Jailhouse Rock wich is holding up pretty good. I know this should make Elvis very happy, with the extra gimmicks on photos and the special RCA Victor gimmicks we were able to include this Year Elvis will do even better this Year than he did last Year even while he is in the service. I did not hear from you regarding the letter I wrote giving you the information what the check was from RCA this Month, I hope you received same okay, also enclosed was a wire to be sent to the WSM [Grand Ole Opry radio station] on the DeeJay convention Nov 19th or 20th. Write a line with all the news so we at least know what is going on there. Give our best to Grandma and the boys also from Mrs Parker.
Take care of yourselfs
[Signed “Col”] The Colonel
With things finally straightened away with Hal Wallis, Colonel sent his sometime nemesis (not really—it was only business) an idea that he had been thinking about for a long time, and which he had broached at least once before. Why not consider an entirely different kind of movie for Elvis, one that could serve as an introduction to Hawaiian music and culture? In Colonel’s scenario the Elvis figure would be the unwitting dupe of nefarious record company types and promoters, but no matter, he will emerge triumphant as a genuine avatar of authentic Hawaiian music. Or—and this seems a project even more dear to Colonel’s heart—what if the Elvis character were a foundling raised by a freewheeling band of itinerant “Gypsies”? (Remember the young Andreas’ childhood experiences, and his lifelong regard for the Romani way of life.) Colonel seems utterly convinced, if not altogether convincing, when he declares that Elvis fans are not about to go for a sappy story that focuses on nothing but love everlasting, thus making a clear argument for his proposed scenarios versus the conventional ones that Wallis is pushing. There is no evidence that Wallis agrees with him, and some that he may be more realistic about the potential audience for the next Elvis movie, and the ones after that. Nor is there any record that he ever took Colonel up on his offer of a new, three-way writing partnership with Wallis and Wallis’ partner Joe Hazen. ◼
“I do know that the kids would not buy a smooth story on him with nothing else involved other than love and understanding”
(Col) Hal Wallis Dec 18, 1958
Hal Wallis Productions
Hollywood, California.
Dear Col Hal;
Thanks for your letter dated December 16, as you can see you are getting an answer in 2 Days wich is pretty good in these hard times, of getting out all our Christmas promotion.
Be sure and watch the Eddie Fisher show Dec 23rd for with the exception that I have been snowed under by the powers in New York there should be a pretty good Elvis Presley plug on this TV show for us. I at least did try to do One of my Second best snowjob in trying to get another plug before the Year 1958 ends, the other was on the King Creole LP last Summer. Since a spot like that cost RCA Victor about $21,000 for One minute on this Coast to Coast network show you know of course that I have to use a special brand of Snowoil at all times.
Sonny Cordes, Colonel, Gayle Kufferath and her mother, Anna. Courtesy of Gayle Kufferath Behnke
I am glad to know that you are interested in my idea of an Hawaiian story My main reason for this idea comes from the type of music these folks play and the idea is that since you myself and Joe Hazen did hold out on getting the King Creole material released just like it was done in the picture, and it surely has proven that it sold very well and the kids liked the songs. And of course Elvis was of the same belief that we were.
Now my thoughts are that with Rock & Roll type of music, The Dixie Land Music we had in King Creole, why it would not be a good idea to try perhaps the Native Hawaiian beat type songs wich more or less are of the same type (wild) and also in ballads very soft and soothing. This type of music brought out into some sort of native Love story with of course some tough elements included in a story and the fine pictorial display that One can get in the Islands seems to me would lend itself to something to think about, also shooting a trip going on a large steamer either to the Islands or coming back with a Love affair included aboard ship by either a Girl from the States or a native Hawaiian Girl perhaps a stowe-away or something like that, My idea is to work a story out in someway where Elvis could be running away from all the [business?] with the fans going wild not knowing where Elvis went, the Recording Companies being without record re-leases doing everything possible to find him, and somehow a gang of some sort of promoters Con Artist that is snowing Elvis into singing with the natives [and] while he is doing this they would somehow record all this on tape and sneak this into Honolulu and start promoting this new find selling records like Hotcakes and all the time it would be Elvis but no One would know this untill they had to bring Elvis to the Islands to do a show, Elvis not knowing that he has been exploited by these people under another name with these stolen tapes from his singing on the other Island. Of course, he thinks that when he arives in Honolulu that this big reception at the Docks is for him ELVIS PRESLEY OR WHATEVER NAME HE HAS BEING A STAR, but when he goes on the stage and somehow he gets the idea that he has been promoted into something else. I am this far with the story. The idea of course [for] this part of the story is just to give you some idea the way I am thinking, I dont say that this is the right approach. However I have several others I am working on, perhaps with you, Joe [Hazen], [Wallis’ associate producer] Paul Nathan and myself we can come up with a pretty good setup and we could keep the story and complete Idea in the WALLIS, HAZEN, PARKER, PRESLEY AND COUSINS FAMILY. Knowing that none of us work cheap we know we will come out with a good deal and if all of us are in on it we surely would all be happy with the price.
I also have been thinking of a story regarding Elvis doing a complete turnabout and being the type he is you could also very well use him in some big story regarding Gypsies as he surely is that rugged type that could be cast in this type of story also as a foundling or stolen baby boy by a bunch of Gypsies traveling in wagons sleeping outdoors and whatever that type of life calls for with shows, as you know very well Elvis is at his best in a rugged type of performance with a good love angle involved, this of course also can apply into the Hawaiian setup, I do know that the kids would not buy a smooth story on him with nothing else involved other than love and understanding.…
Hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, also my best to MR. Joe. and his Family, if the sausage does not arive on time for Christmas you will have to eat it after Christmas.
Sincerely
The Colonel.
Tom Diskin chimes in here with a voice that sounds very much like Colonel’s and yet remains authentically his own. Sending Elvis a book on the Stanislavski method is clearly his own idea, and his advice to Elvis (which boils down to “Trust your own judgment”), while it certainly echoes Colonel’s, makes clear that his own belief in Elvis’ talent is just as strong as his employer’s—and Elvis’ should be, too. ◼
“You analyze this business pretty well and if any changins to be done then let it be because you yourself feel that you want to go one way or another”
Dear Elvis: December 31, 1958
Thought I’d get a note off to you before 1958 passes out of existence. I had wanted to write on several occasions but between the fifty thousand Christmas cards we had to get out and my running battle with the flu germs I just couldn’t dig into anything.
I hope you received my wire on Christmas day. I do want to tell you a little bit about the Christmas present I sent to you. It is a book written by Stanislavski who taught and believed that truly great acting comes from within—or living the character you play. I’m sure you have heard his name from time to time. Much of the book will not interest you for it is about the writers own life story. However, in the last few chapters he explains the simple fact of good acting—be natural. I know, though I haven’t read it, that his ideas will be very similar to your own and for that reason I thought you might enjoy reading about something that is very close to you.
Your record (both sides) are in this week’s Billboards top ten. Your King Creole [extended-play] albums are #1 and #2. The Christmas cards got a great many column mentions plus being shown on television on about four network shows. We saturated every phase of the business so that just about everyone you can name in the entertainment field received one. I’m sure the Colonel told you all this as he really hit that project with everything he had.…
