Hal Wallis and Elvis the actor

[KPM]

Another great book I discovered is a biography of Hal Wallis "Producer to the Stars" by Bernard F. Dick published in 2004.
In discussing Wallis's association with the Col and Elvis it shows a lot of things... such as Wallis's closeness to Parker and his making sure Parker was kept happy by, among other things, providing him office space on Paramounts lot and the extra money/credit Parker got each film as a "Technical Advisor" also it shows what many have long suspected that Wallis never worried about Elvis growing in the film business as an actor (but Wallis did believe Elvis had true acting ability) Heres a short excerpt:
..........Being on the legal and financial side of the partnership, Joseph Hazen had far less direct contact with Presley than did Hal Wallis. That didn’t stop him, however, from voicing his opinion about Elvis. After the initial screen test, both Wallis and Hazen agreed that Elvis could act. Hazen, however, thought Elvis had real potential as a serious actor, while Wallis was convinced the public would never accept Elvis as a straight actor. Hal Wallis controlled the creative side of the business, though, and so he overruled Hazen and cast Elvis in musical comedies.............Elvis could act, but to Wallis that was secondary........The screen test that Wallis arranged proved to him that Elvis could act. In his biography, however, Dick contends that from the beginning Wallis never intended to cast Presley as a serious actor. “Wallis knew the public would never accept Elvis in straight roles,” wrote Dick. “They wanted the singer; if they could have the actor too, all the better.” If Elvis had dreams of becoming a serious actor, then he signed on with the wrong producer.

[Diane]

Well I have to disagree with Wallis. As a member of the public I would have easily accepted Elvis in a straight role. He never had a chance.

[Raised on Rock]

I've benn saying for a long time now: it wasn´t the army who killed Elvis Presley, it was Hall Wallis.

The original post army formula was a winner:

1) One serious studio album a year: and so there was Elvis growing as an artist/singer delivering fantastic stuff like Elvis is Back! (1960) or Something for Every Body (1961), plus the respective singles out of those sessions, and the gospel album at Elvis own insistence His Hand in Mine (late 1960). There were grammy nominations, great charting and critics. Today those stand as some of the best material Elvis ever recorded.

2) One serious movie per year: and little by little Elvis improved himself as an actor in Flaming Star and WIld in the Country, this last one, totaly underrated. In two more years pushing things this way, the right role would have come and Elvis really achieved something.

3) One musical fil per year: and so, GI Blues and Blue Hawaii despite their frivolous ways, where most succesful, and most important to keep Elvis as the biggest star in hollywood.

4) One soundtrack per year: and so you will top everyone else in record sales.

5) There will be time to do some touring. (A tour was planned for late '62).


But suddenly, as Blue Hawaii turned out to be the most succesful thing ever, and Wild in The Country was billions away from that, and as the soundtracks selled number above the studio recordings, well, it was decided to drop all the eggs in the Hollywood musicals bascket.

The '62 tour was cancelled as there where to many musicals to film and promote, and to see Elvis live might take away from the movies, movies are what tours used to be. Then there was no time to release studio material so, there was no reason to record it. Suddenly it was all Easy Come Easy Go for Elvis.

The thing is, Elvis image in the musicals was always a mirror to his recording carreer, they where like the musical videos of today. So back in the 50's Jailhouse Rock, Loving YOu, King CReole, gave you a portrait of what was Elvis to his fans. Same thing with GI Blues, and Blue Hawaii, they where Elvis Hollywood reflection of what was going on in Elvis life/carreer, aimed to entertain his fans. But by '64, after 3 years of putting all the eggs in the hollywood musicals basket, well THERE WAS NO LONGER A LIFE/MUSICAL CARREER TO REFLECT AND SELL TO THE FANS.

Elvis musical career and what that career meant to his fans was the substance to the hollywood musicals form, when the latter ones milked to death the first one, there was no longer any substance to sell, by '65 they were mere pastiche, by '66 they where death.

Now the big question is way Elvis gave away his beloved music making and his ambitions as a serious actor? complex answer, but simplifing things, to me there where two main reasons:

1. Rock music was in an uncertain period, all the 50's rockers where no longer selling records, trends where changing, sure Elvis was more capable to change with times than Carl Perkins or Chuck Berry (who remained doing the same guitar lick and tune like for ever), his stardom and artistic potential was bigger, and so he was still enjoying great success and was still interesting musically, unlike them. But suddenly records that he was sure where going to be hits, like Little Sister, Feel So Bad or His Lattest Flame, stuff he was proud of and they where perfect vehicles for him, where getting stuck at No.5 ???? while the soundtrack singles and albums where going instant #1. Elvis worst fear was to be nobody again, that's one thing always haunted him and made him so insecure and driveless at many points of his career. He liked to play safe most times.

2. Elvis had genuine ambitions to become a serious actor, it was HIS DREAM, it was not about money or success, it was something he artisticaly aimed to so bad, period. And he knew, many knew he had the potential, and he had proved it when given the chance.

Now here is the Mr. Wallis speaking: people want you to see you singing Elvis, that what the fans want (compare the succes of Flaming Star or WIld In The COuntry to GI BLues or Blue Hawaii). At the same time Col. Parker told Elvis: we MUST aim to a wider mainstream audience, or we will fade as rockers for teenagers will fade. Now the way they tricked Elvis was this: you do this musicals for a couple of years, so you'll became totaly accepted and inmensely succesful in hollywood, and then you'll get the roles you want. RIght? It was that easy for Elvis to make his choice. PLus, those early musicals as GIrls GIrls GIrls up to VIva las VEgas, were still fun, quality stuff, some good tracks, you´ll be gettin paid as nobody else, they where fun to do so... why not?

BUt the thing is: Wallis never intended to cast Presley as a serious actor. Elvis signed a blank check out of good will on a promise and they ripped him off. Suddenly Elvis was caught doing something he ended up hating as early as in '65.

I've read once that by '64 Elvis started to demand about that promise, but it was always the same thing, let's just do this one more and we´ll see. Then Elvis saw this article on a magazine where Hallis stated on an interview that he only did the Elvis musicals (which started to be seen as embarrasing and no longer magical as back in '61) to get the money for his serious artistic projects. ELvis reported words where: that double faced son#$%#. From then on, you can see heart was simply not there on the screen, that look and smile that used to light the screen was gone, you can tell from minute one that he was being sinically sleepwalking through those post GIrl Happy musicals. And he had signed for 4 more long years. Argghh!!!