The Secret Stairway

[pacer]

have you ever been to graceland and as you pass into the kitchen you see a stairway on the right leadin up to the upper level ,have you ever wanted to run up there and hide then wait for the house to shut and then try and stay the night , i know for a fact that there are a few rooms downstairs that the doors arent locked so you could easliy hide in there ..

what would you guys do ??????????

[Albert]

Originally posted by pacer@Apr 20 2004, 12:17 PM
have you ever been to graceland and as you pass into the kitchen you see a stairway on the right leadin up to the upper level ,have you ever wanted to run up there and hide then wait for the house to shut and then try and stay the night , i know for a fact that there are a few rooms downstairs that the doors arent locked so you could easliy hide in there ..

what would you guys do ??????????
I hope I have the guts to walk upstairs (y)

I fully understand that they -for now- don't want visitor upstairs, but it's hard to accept that non-Elvisfans are allowed (like plumbers, electricians, people from securiy, some Graceland employees, people from the insurancecompany, etc.

I mean, those people only see it as a 'nice' thing, while it might stay only a dream for even the biggest Elvisfans.....

However, I think they eventually will open it for public. I wouldn't mind to pay $100 (or more) to visit upstairs. Visiting Graceland is the main purpose for me to visit the US, so paying more money to go upstairs will be wellspend money. They may keep the bathroom closed if they want.

[Captain Elwood David]

Be careful there, "pacer", ..........

....... you wouldn't get far, because there are motion detectors inside the mansion - especially upstairs.

Agreed, though, ....... nice dream.

---------------------------------------------------------

EPE should, at the very least, release a virtual tour of the upstairs for all of the fans. I think it will happen - someday.


- Capt. "EL."

[Lonniebealestreet]

As do I.

I'd like to think it will eventually be opened up. Once they figure out that they can recoup the renovation costs within a reasonable amount of time (think of all the fans globally who will have to come back to see it), they will get over the fact that the exterior will have an altered appearance in the back. I don't think I am just being a one track-minded fan when I say that a relatively small addition providing another means of ingress/egress including an elevator would not ruin the integrity of the place. I don't think that keeping the upstairs sacred is something EPE has as policy simply out of respect to Elvis and his memory either. That probably plays into their thinking to some degree, but I think that is mainly a convenient excuse not to do it--for now.

Chances are they have gotten proposals from different companies on how it could be done, and that it's just something they are not willing to do at this time. Perhaps it will be something they will only strongly consider if ticket sales were to decline steadily for so many years and things aren't looking up--an ace in the hole, so to speak. I don't want that to happen and hope that is not the only scenario in which they will do it.

I don't really know about all this, obviously; I'm just speculating.

[Albert]

It's weird, but I don't think the whole EPE organisation has in reality very little to do with the Presley family. Does Priscilla or Lisa Marie have a fulltime job running it? I don't think so....

None of the Presley family lives in Graceland anymore. And seeing all the garbage merchandise that they produce or license, and the very little effort into letting the world know that Elvis was much more than only Hound Dog, pink Cadillacs and Don't Be Cruel. To me it seems that Ernst is more related to Presley than most of the people running EPE.

So keeping Graceland profitable has nothing to do with love for Elvis. Most of the upstairs is empty anyway. Believe me, Graceland is already considering opening the upstairs part of the house. They just wait until the amount of yearly visitors will decrease in huge numbers.

And about Priscilla: didn't Elvis sell his musicrights back in '74 to pay for a new divorce settlement with Priscilla? Reading and hearing about EPE, I hear a lot about profits and much to little about love....

[Scatter]

"It's A Matter Of Time" until we will be allowed upstairs, but certainly not within the next few years at least.

Rest assured if the visitors did tail-off, it would be on the cards and certainly a way to generate a massive increase in attendance sales.

It's nothing out of respect, as they opened the upstairs for the cameras to film 'This Is Elvis'. I think it's to do with the 'mistique' of the whole thing.

The stairs you mentioned leading off from the jungle room lead to some sort of balcony I believe.

Most of the upstairs is now used for storage, so it would have to be put back to how it looked.

It was in 1973 Elvis and the Colonel sold off the rights to his recordings. One of the most short term, foolish decisions the Colonel ever made.

[Lonniebealestreet]

Perhaps it's not true, but I believe I've heard Lisa Marie say that the upstairs is just as it was back then.

[rod]

how many rooms are upstairs?

[P.S. Annie]

mmmmmmm interesting thread. We need a locksmith, someone who is handy with alarmthingies :whistling: :P Well what more?

[Albert]

Originally posted by lonniebealestreet@Apr 20 2004, 05:55 PM
Perhaps it's not true, but I believe I've heard Lisa Marie say that the upstairs is just as it was back then.
No, Lisa's room is completely empty and so are some other rooms (only a few boxes for storage). This was said by someone who worked as (i believe) an electrician. He had to do some repairs to the aircondition.

I've seen a map of the 1st floor from Graceland. Pretty weird to see, as it isn't as large as you would think. I've also seen pictures of Elvis' room (two version) and of his bathroom (taken by Linda Thompson). You can compare it a bit with the Jungle room :P

[Little Sister]

Originally posted by rod@Apr 20 2004, 09:05 PM
how many rooms are upstairs?
I have this map of the second floor on my computer. Unfortantly I can't remember what site I saved it off. :-( It looks like there are four rooms.

[Little Sister]

For those of you interested. The first floor:

[Scatter]

Wow! (y) Very interesting Little Sister. Thank you for posting them.

The balcony can be seen leading from the stairs in the Jungle Room (the title of this thread).

I heard that Charlie Hodge had the room off the basement - called 'the bodyguard room' and used it as his bedroom for a while. Only the Pool Room and the TV Room are accessable on the house tour.

[Captain Elwood David]

Agree with many points on this thread.

The upstairs will be opened in some form in the future (just not anytime soon).

On another note: EIC will also be released in some form in the future (heavily edited no doubt .... and again, not anytime soon). ;) (Just had to throw that one in there).

------------------------------------------

Just wanted to clear up one myth:

Col. Parker did not sell Elvis' musical rights. He was against it. Yes, against it. Parker saw it for what it was; a short-term gain, but a long-term loss.

Elvis & Vernon wanted it to raise quick cash for his divorce settlement to Pris.. The Col. advised that it was not in their best long-term interests. Abiding by their wishes, The Col. went on to strike a hard bargain from RCA in the deal.


- Capt. "EL."

[P.S. Annie]

Originally posted by Little Sister+Apr 20 2004, 10:09 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Little Sister &#064; Apr 20 2004, 10:09 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-rod@Apr 20 2004, 09:05 PM
how many rooms are upstairs?
I have this map of the second floor on my computer. Unfortantly I can&#39;t remember what site I saved it off. :-( It looks like there are four rooms.[/b][/quote]
Ok, now we have got maps too (y) Now we are getting somewhere :D

[Scatter]

Originally posted by Little Sister@Apr 20 2004, 10:09 PM

Ok, now we have got maps too (y) Now we are getting somewhere :D

Shall I bring my spade? I&#39;ll start digging over the road - I should reach the basement by about Christmas...

...2006&#33; :blink:

Or we could always hire a helecopter and winch ourselves in via the balcony&#33; :D

[Albert]

So you using the normal stairs, you&#39;ll get to the doors to the office:
http://www.tcb-world.com/picserver/uploads/54086e689a98ba.jpg


Then there&#39;s the actual office:
http://www.tcb-world.com/picserver/uploads/54086e7135228f.jpg


Elvis&#39; bedroom:
http://www.tcb-world.com/picserver/uploads/54086e751d1577.jpg

http://www.tcb-world.com/picserver/uploads/54086e77c52915.jpg

http://www.tcb-world.com/picserver/uploads/54086e79ec56b7.jpg

http://www.tcb-world.com/picserver/uploads/54086e7c63f5c2.jpg


This one is macabre, because -as the original website mentions- this is the view Ginger Alden must have had on August 16. The first one is a compilation of various pictures, while the second is an actual picture of his bathroom:
http://www.tcb-world.com/picserver/uploads/54086e9e8378d8.jpg

http://www.tcb-world.com/picserver/uploads/54086ea051d034.jpg


Amazing pictures. Besides the historic value, I found on www.elvisowned.com pictures of the differences between how Graceland was in &#39;77 and the way it was redecorated to the way it is nowadays shown to the world. That Priscilla woman has completely restyled, because she found the "Linda Thompson-style" too trashy.

So that&#39;s why I don&#39;t think much of EPE. Instead of treasuring Elvis&#39; heritage, they are changing history and want to decide what and how we must remember Elvis&#33; Shocking: http://www.elvisowned.com/Graceland_then_and_now..htm &#33;

[P.S. Annie]

Originally posted by Scatter@Apr 21 2004, 09:57 PM

Or we could always hire a helecopter and winch ourselves in via the balcony&#33; :D
Always wanted to do that, so lets go for this one :clap:


Thanks for the pictures Albert. It feels strange looking at that bathroom :cry:

[carolynlm]

By looking at the plans of the house, does this mean that Elvis&#39; bedroom was above the lounge room.? That photograph of the entrance to the bathroom, does it look kind of false to anyone else. It looks as though the furniture holding the TV sets and the chairs have been edited onto an existing photograph.

[Albert]

Originally posted by carolynlm@Apr 25 2004, 07:40 AM
By looking at the plans of the house, does this mean that Elvis&#39; bedroom was above the lounge room.? That photograph of the entrance to the bathroom, does it look kind of false to anyone else. It looks as though the furniture holding the TV sets and the chairs have been edited onto an existing photograph.
Yes, you&#39;re right: that picture is a compilation of various pictures, just to show the view that Ginger must have had on the bathroom (from the bed).

[Jungleroom76]

THANKS FOR THE PHOTOS ALBERT&#33;&#33;&#33;

I had seen some photos of the upstairs somewhere before, but these are so much better and clearer&#33;&#33; It certainly would be nice to be able to tour the upstairs, but as EPE has said before, to do so would create quite a problem in terms of emergency exits, access for handicapped visitors, etc.

I can see their argument for emergency exits, having to add fire escapes and such which could alter the appearance of the mansion. And it would be a shame for handicapped visitors to not be able to see the upstairs, but the way things are set up right now, they can&#39;t go down to the lower level to see the lounge and pool room either, so I don&#39;t know how valid an argument that one is.

Let&#39;s hope that management decides to open the upstairs someday soon....PREFERABLY before the ticket sales start to decline and they need to resort to "gimmicks" to attract visitors&#33;

TCB&#33;
Mike

[SouthPaw]

Interesting topic, seems like a lot of die hard fans want to see the upstairs. No doubt when and if revenues decrease the upstairs will be opened and restored to something from the period.

I have been told most of the upstairs are empty except for his bed which is 9 by 9.

I am sure EPE has had some interesting offers for a private viewing.

[SouthPaw]

A bit of caution too to any one wanting to buy Jeanne photo&#39;s they are nothing but scans from the original photos are not good qualities.

She is a very sweet person but very cautious. She has not had negatives made for fear of the them being stolen from her.

[Lonniebealestreet]

Originally posted by SouthPaw@Apr 28 2004, 09:23 AM
I am sure EPE has had some interesting offers for a private viewing.
The thought never even crossed my mind&#33; Folks, let&#39;s pool our &#036; together&#33; ;)

[Lonniebealestreet]

Originally posted by SouthPaw@Apr 28 2004, 09:25 AM
A bit of caution too to any one wanting to buy Jeanne photo&#39;s they are nothing but scans from the original photos are not good qualities.

She is a very sweet person but very cautious. She has not had negatives made for fear of the them being stolen from her.
That&#39;s disappointing to hear, especially considering how much she is asking for them.

Very attractive lady, then and now.

[SouthPaw]

Yes I bought a couple and they are no bigger than a business card size and very poor quality of a printer too.

Would pay more if they were real photos, wish she would get them fixed.