Did Elvis Have Thinning Hair?

[Cryogenic]

Larry Geller says "yes"!

I know this might seem like a trivial topic... but it's one I've thought about for some time. Again, it is revealing of Elvis' mortality. Although Geller's comments must always be taken with a pinch of salt, IMO, I think he can be reasonably trusted in his assessment of Elvis' hair:


From http://www.gellercare.com/faq/index.php

There are a small percentage of people who, like Elvis, were dealt a royal flush in the DNA department. Even though they break all the laws of good nutrition or lead highly stressful lives, their hair is not affected. Unfortunately this is not the case with the majority of us. For Elvis it is true that his lifestyle was extremely stressful, and along with an array of prescribed medications, a steady diet of junk food and a lack of physical exercise, his body eventually bore the full brunt of his exertions. Towards the end of his life, Elvis began to suffer from a host of debilitating health problems, yet despite the array of forces working against the health of his hair, it always appeared full and thick. Though Elvis was blessed with an exceptional, full head of hair, at the end his crown area was in the first stages of showing signs of thinning. I attribute this to years of neglect of his health, including a diet of junk foods and an exhausting and devitalizing lifestyle and toxic damage. I'm confident that my efforts over the years to keep his hair as healthy and attractive as possible slowed down the process so that it wasn't readily noticeable.

Running some further searches on Google, I found a correlating source:



From http://www.elvisconcerts.com/newspapers/press31.htm

The Fayetteville Observer
August 4, 1976.

The king came , and his followers greeted him with screams and tears.

It didn't matter much that the heart throb of the late 1950s and early 1960s is now 40 years old.

The fact that the slender figure now has a stomach proluding over the belt of his flashy costume and that his shaggy hair is thinning on the crown was of little significance.

You learn something new every day!

[ComeBackChick]

My first response would be: "Who cares?".:rolleyes:

My second response: Of course he had thinning hair! If he had not dyed it he would probably have a full head of grey hair, like Vernon. But after years and years of dying it, of course it gets thinner! :D

[Elena/The Russian EP Fan Club]

I think He had a wonderful great hair :cool: . ABSOLUTELY (y)

[mistymorning]

He had awsome wonderful hair even till the end, all the people who had seen him in those years say that THE HAIR was really surprisingly full and beautiful.

[Leroy]

I think it was thinning but not in a way it would be noticed soon. Not in a alarming way. He always had much and thick hair dispite the fact he dyed it for many years. It could have been quite possible that if he could have set aside his use of medication and started a more healthy life his hair would have stabilized. I personally believe the thinning of his hair was just a side effect and had nothing to do with aging. Although he was grey quite early in life.

[EnigmaticSun]

Even in 1977 - his last year - he still had this erotic appeal to his fans. It's sad for me that I was born in 1985, because I would have loved to feel his hair in my hands - really erotic! :king:

But anyway - I would have loved his music for what it was, not because of the thickness of his hair.

[Cryogenic]

Definitely.

But this is an Elvis board... therefore, we discuss Elvis. Music, clothing, life, health, attitudes... everything.

[Leroy]

Exactly, because Elvis was more than just a mucisian. It's the whole concept of what made Elvis Elvis. And every little piece is like a piece of the puzzle. The more piece you have the more you understand what drove him.

[Cryogenic]

Thanks, Leroy.

I feel that certain fans are FAR too defensive at times. A little bit of objectivity and open mindedness goes a long way.

While searching for relevant quotes from Larry Geller on Elvis' hair, I found another where he said that Elvis' hair was grey/white and that it was Elvis himself who said he wanted to keep dying it to remain youthful in appearance. While this would have seemed a pretty reasonable assumption for anybody that knows about Elvis Presley to any decent degree to make, it's nice to have it verbalised by someone that actually worked on his hair. I've actually read some comments before in which it was implied/stated that Elvis wanted his natural colour but the Colonel refused to allow it; that kind of nonsense (be it articulated out of a genuine belief of it being true or made up entirely) doesn't make the Colonel OR Elvis sound good. Perhaps the Colonel gave his opinion on it (and that's assuming he even knew)... but what kind of a person would force a grown man to dye his hair a certain colour and what kind of grown man would go along with it? Honestly, the Elvis myth gets spun to ludicrous proportions at times.

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

Thanks, Leroy.

I feel that certain fans are FAR too defensive at times. A little bit of objectivity and open mindedness goes a long way.

While searching for relevant quotes from Larry Geller on Elvis' hair, I found another where he said that Elvis' hair was grey/white and that it was Elvis himself who said he wanted to keep dying it to remain youthful in appearance. While this would have seemed a pretty reasonable assumption for anybody that knows about Elvis Presley to any decent degree to make, it's nice to have it verbalised by someone that actually worked on his hair. I've actually read some comments before in which it was implied/stated that Elvis wanted his natural colour but the Colonel refused to allow it; that kind of nonsense (be it articulated out of a genuine belief of it being true or made up entirely) doesn't make the Colonel OR Elvis sound good. Perhaps the Colonel gave his opinion on it (and that's assuming he even knew)... but what kind of a person would force a grown man to dye his hair a certain colour and what kind of grown man would go along with it? Honestly, the Elvis myth gets spun to ludicrous proportions at times.

I totally agree, If Elvis wanted his hair natural he would have done so..... The Colonel would have little or no influence in this matter IMO. Vanity is part of the business that Elvis was in, had Elvis not been bothered about his hair he would not have dyed it from the late 50's early 60's. It could possibly have been due to grey hair why Elvis started, but I'm sure he could have matched the natural colour it was even back then!!

Matt

[Leroy]

One of the reasons Elvis dyed his hair was because he always liked the hero of the silent movie Rudolph Valentino who also had black hair. When Elvis saw the results on the movie screen (Loving You) he decided he came out better.

I think the greying came later on, somewhere in the second half of the sixties. Remember he did two movies with his own natural color; "Follow That Dream" and "Kid Galahad".

It brought a lot of work because he also had to dye his eyebrows and lashes. He also had to use mascara. Somewhere in 1976 he stopped doing that for a while and it made him look strange....

[Cryogenic]

One of the reasons Elvis dyed his hair was because he always liked the hero of the silent movie Rudolph Valentino who also had black hair.

I've had he was influenced by Roy Orbison. Then again, I've also heard Valentino was the person who inspired him to grow sideburns when the general consensus seems to be he got them as a result of being a truck driver. It's hard to know what to believe sometimes. There may be some truth in one, none or both; the truth may even lie somewhere else.



I think the greying came later on, somewhere in the second half of the sixties. Remember he did two movies with his own natural color; "Follow That Dream" and "Kid Galahad".

He also sported his natural colour in the army. Though, even by that relatively early time, his hair had supposedly changed from a sandy blond to a reddish brown.

While on the subject of hair and its appearance in his films... Didn't Elvis wear wigs from time to time? His hair looks a little odd in some of his later films. I think it's fairly obvious he sported one in "Kissin' Cousins" (gah! what a film title!) but I'm talking about what we're supposed to believe is his own hair looking strange from time to time; sometimes, it looks overly "straight" or "overly neatly bound" for want of better descriptions. What has me convinced that it's a good possibility he wore wigs from time to time is when I found a picture on www.elvisnews.com (http://www.elvisnews.com/) from "Jailhouse Rock". All of its pictures are extensively sourced and captioned and this one explicitly stated that Elvis was wearing a wig.

As for his non-movie based appearance...

Elvis kept his hair loss and grey strands well hidden. I've never seen a single picture that reveals either. Come to think of it, I've never seen a single picture of him wearing real glasses with corrective lenses in. The only thing he couldn't really hide was his bloated appearance. Considering all the negative press that gets, perhaps it was indeed wise of him to reveal as few physical weaknesses as possible...



It brought a lot of work because he also had to dye his eyebrows and lashes. He also had to use mascara. Somewhere in 1976 he stopped doing that for a while and it made him look strange....

There doesn't seem to be much evidence of any mascara post-Aloha. I think he either stopped obsessing so finitely about his appearance or maybe stopped this particular aspect for health reasons (mascara might have aggravated his glaucoma, perhaps...?). Or maybe it's just me. Most of the time, no matter what the era, I can only faintly detect something around his eyes; though I can quite clearly see him wearing some from a 70s concert (the pic may even be in TCB World's gallery - an up-close shot of him wiping his face on a towel).

[Leroy]

The only times Elvis wore a wig was in the movie "Jailhouse Rock" where he's supposesed to have his hair cut before imprissonment and the blonde wig in Kissin' Cousins. Somewhere around 1964 he stopped using grease and started the hairspray era. This is also the period Larry Geller came into the picture. From that moment on Elvis got the most ingenius hairstyle ever. But I can assure you that it was no wig. It was cut in a certain way. On the sleeve of the Spinout album you can see that it was a real hairspray style.

Elvis used mascare to darken his lashes various times after Aloha. I you wanna see very clear pictures of you must look at the July tour of 1975. His lashes were so heavy and dark comparing to 1976.

[Albert]

Exactly, I was also thinking about that tour where the lines around his eyes looked way darker. But even so: with the spotlights on, you have to emphasize various trades of your face (like your eyes). So on-stage makeup is nothing new or rare.

With the thousands of pictures taken of Elvis throughout the 70s, why don't we see the 'bald spots' that (negative) reviews write about in newspapers? It's more than logical that Elvis' hair in 1976/1977 was not completely to be compared with 1956, but I've never seen any significant signs of heavy forms of thinning hair.

[Leroy]

Albert, the fact that your hair gets thinner doesn't directly mean bald spots will be visible. Especially with the kinda hair Elvis had it would take a long time before a bald spot would form. There were some visitors of Vegas shows in 1976 who claimed to have seen a bald spot but that was outgrow.

What was visible was that the sides of his hair went slowely backward.

[Lonniebealestreet]

I'm confident that my efforts over the years to keep his hair as healthy and attractive as possible slowed down the process so that it wasn't readily noticeable.
Oh, give me a break!

True, poor nutrition and other lifestyle factors can keep hair from being as full or lustrous or what not, but when I say full in that regard I am speaking of the diameter of the individual hairs, not how full a head of hair someone has, which is primarily determined by the quantity of them. Losing some hair is possible as a result of poor health--certainly some illnesses, but the predominant factor for determining when, to what degree, and in what manner one loses his or her hair is genetics. Period.

There are plenty of people who eat junk food or abuse drugs or alcohol or whatever who have great hair--duh!

I think Elvis' hair did thin towards the end, but as has been said, not to the point where his scalp was visible in places other than a part in his hair. There was just less of it overall. Think of how "big" his hair looked in TTWII; it wasn't that way towards the end. But that's not to say it looked bad--not at all. It basically just looked normal. His hair was fine (the hairs themselves, thin) but his head was extraordinarily full of them, so he had plenty of room to lose some before it would have ever become noticeable in the way of thinning areas showing.

His hair being as full as it was is part of the reason why it looked at times like he was wearing a wig.

He did have a little hairline recession. It certainly wasn't bad, but because of it, I'm actually surprised he styled his bangs up for shows at the end. Otherwise you couldn't tell. But really it was not very noticeable anyway.

:king:

[Captain Elwood David]

I honestly don't know why it is sometimes so h-a-r-d for some to see Geller for what he is ----> he's a self-promoting schmuck selling snake-oil & bamboozling easy marks ........... both then & now.

The Col.'s own words to Geller ---> "I think you missed your calling, Son ...." (paraphrased).

It's quite ironic that Geller has so much distaste for The Col.; it is also very revealing for those that take a moment to really think about it. The Col. had him pegged & kept him on a leash ........ for reasons that had nothing to do with his "positive" :lmfao: influences on Elvis.

Hint: Does the phrase .... "Don't Con a Con-Man" ........ mean anything here? ;)

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

I agree with Lonnie: "Gimme a break!" Geller is as slick as he is a joke.


- Capt. "EL."

[eileen]

Originally written by Larry Geller
I'm confident that my efforts over the years to keep his hair as healthy and attractive as possible slowed down the process so that it wasn't readily noticeable.

Maybe....... or perhaps it wasn't readily noticeable because onlookers were so taken aback by the gawdawful styling choices.

Eileen

[Captain Elwood David]

Maybe....... or perhaps it wasn't readily noticeable because onlookers were so taken aback by the gawdawful styling choices.

Eileen
You do bring up an excellent point, Eileen.

To add further: If you ask others who were there about "Elvis' Personal Hairdresser / Spiritual Guru" (Larry's self-created "Title") -----> most, if not all, will tell you that "Elvis didn't have a hairdresser." (Paraphrased).

E had many filling that role. I can also relay to you the following FACT - there were others who cut / worked on E's hair even all the way up to & including 1977.

Yes, Geller cut E's hair a lot. So did others. He's the only one going around inflating that specific role into something it isn't.

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

The same also applies to the "Guru" title. Geller was not the only, nor the first, to indulge E with this kind of esoteric nonsense (from the 1950's - before Geller ever even meet Elvis, up thru 1977); he, again, is merely the most vocal about it.

Geller ............... then & now .......... is a Charlatan.

(Once again, the perennial disclaimer - JMO - ie: those who do not like it ----> can take it or leave it, fwiw).

Am merely taking the time to contribute some reality / TRUTH to this thread. Hopefully, ......... others will learn a bit of critical thinking themselves, in the process.

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

Final note: How many have forgotten about "The Elvis Diaries" that E (according to Geller), asked Geller to keep for him in order to tell his story to the fans. (On further inquiry, Geller will elaborate that the diary was actually some of his personal thoughts that he jotted down on the back of Tour Itinerary sheets while on the road with EP in the 70's).

I'm positive that some are "believing" this, but .......... I'm sorry ---------> this particular sham by Geller was one of the more blatant self-indulgent-self-promoting-BS that there ever was. In fact, it even strains credulity well beyond the breaking point.

Ask yourself the following question: Why wasn't this the FIRST book Geller ever published, instead of his other(s)?


- Capt. "EL."

[Cryogenic]

The same also applies to the "Guru" title. Geller was not the only, nor the first, to indulge E with this kind of esoteric nonsense (from the 1950's - before Geller ever even meet Elvis, up thru 1977); he, again, is merely the most vocal about it.

Sadly, my stepfather believes in all the same concepts. To me, it is - and there's no other way of so succinctly putting it - 100% BULLSHIT.

I actually feel sorry for people who believe this because they genuinely believe it and not because they have an agenda. I think Elvis was such a person. Conversely, I think that Geller, while he may be the former, is almost certainly also the latter.

That said, I like the way the man conducts himself when speaking in interviews and on newsgroups. I was perusing a Google newsgroup the other day where both he and Marty Lacker have posted to. Lacker had a tendency to shoot his mouth off and be coarse (albeit, to my mind, remaining truthful) - whereas Geller was dignified, articulate and restrained. Whatever his true agenda may be and however his conduct factors into it, I really can't fault the man there.


Ask yourself the following question: Why wasn't this the FIRST book Geller ever published, instead of his other(s)?

Geller would probably tell you he was too distressed after Elvis' passing to summon the energy and gather his thoughts for any kind of publication on Elvis himself. Then came the Goldman book. After that, I don't think many publishers were all that interested in anything written about Elvis that didn't contain some dirt and juciy "information". It's only more recently that the dust has settled, so to speak, and a more eclectic variety of books have appeared.

[Captain Elwood David]

Geller would probably tell you he was too distressed after Elvis' passing to summon the energy and gather his thoughts for any kind of publication on Elvis himself. Then came the Goldman book. After that, I don't think many publishers were all that interested in anything written about Elvis that didn't contain some dirt and juciy "information". It's only more recently that the dust has settled, so to speak, and a more eclectic variety of books have appeared.
That's a pretty "slick" answer & does indeed sound very Geller-esque.

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

I'm not one of the "believers" & my comments do stem from first-hand experience with the guy.

Suffice to say, ........ most have no true insight into a number of matters.

Will leave it at that.


- Capt. "EL."

[Cryogenic]

That's a pretty "slick" answer & does indeed sound very Geller-esque.

LOL!!!

I was hoping you'd disprove it in an instant. ;)

But yeah... I'm weary of the chap without being disapproving. There's still more for me to learn before my opinion is made more concrete one way or the other.

Let's, as you say, leave it at that.

[Captain Elwood David]

I'd be skeptical of anybody that reproduces verbatim, ........... verbose, rambling discourses and then proceeds to put them into a dead person's mouth - YEARS after the fact. (Afterall, we are not talking White House transcripts here, either).

Let us not forget, ........ although Geller (wisely) now tries to distance himself from it --------> Geller also said that Elvis was dying of "leukemia."

This kind of back-pedaling, btw, by Geller, ........... is common. ;)



- Capt. "EL."

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

Totally taking this thread completely off topic :D Authors generating books should be aware of the facts and history before they put pen to paper! there have been some books, for the lack of a better description are a load of hog wash, they are self serving and the claims within are skewed towards their ego and how they were the centre of Elvis' attention. Fans have a good Idea of Elvis' timeline and more reliable source's i.e. David Stanley are believable. Geller is an arsehole period. Hair styling Guru LOL...............................

Just to try and address the original topic, I have heard that Ginger Alden cut Elvis' hair at one point, don't know how true that is, sounds hard to believe.

Matt

[Captain Elwood David]

Totally taking this thread completely off topic :D
They usually get more interesting when they veer off on tangents. ;)


Authors generating books should be aware of the facts and history before they put pen to paper!
IMO - they published it the way they did, for a purpose (if you get my drift ....). Time always has a way of eventually putting things back into their proper (ie: TRUE) perspective.


... there have been some books, for the lack of a better description are a load of hog wash, they are self serving and the claims within are skewed towards their ego and how they were the centre of Elvis' attention.
In some cases the writer wants to believe that they were #1 in EP's eyes (wouldn't you?) EP had a way of making people feel as such. That said, ..... all have pieces to the puzzle & some of those pieces may or may not be true (based on different things that EP would tell to different people / or / based on the author filling in the blanks with assumptions or their imagination / what they want to believe).


Fans have a good Idea of Elvis' timeline and more reliable saurces i.e. David Stanley are believable. Geller is an arsehole period.
I don't always agree with David Stanley in his interpretation of the events, but he does indeed have outstanding recall of events.

Geller is full of sh**.

Hodge, while always focusing on the positive, ..... is very short on substance as a result. (Skewed towards the positive, if you will, .... even at the expense of the TRUTH).


Just to try and address the original topic, I have heard that Ginger Alden cut Elvis' hair at one point, don't know how true that is, sounds hard to believe.
I personally have never heard this regarding Ginger.

I believe Hodge also cut E's hair on ocassion; Hodge had many roles, both on & off stage ....... & some to this very day, remain untold (hint: remember my words about skewed versions of events).

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

Like I said, ......... more interesting when the threads take off on tangents.


- Capt. "EL."

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

They usually get more interesting when they veer off on tangents. ;)

Agreed :D

Matt

[vinceeverrette]

Charlie Hodge told me Elvis' hair was thinning towards the end. Come on he was human. His head was completely grey like Vernon's after about 1967. In fact Charlie told me that one time between tours in about '75 or so Elvis grew his hair out and had the dye removed. He had completely white hair for about three days and then Lisa came over and she cried when she seen it, so Elvis dyed it that night. Elvis had thin hair anyway. He had a lot of it, but it was baby thin. I have video from Vegas in '76 where you can see the part near the back of his head was getting wider. It was never even close to baldness though. Elvis had enough money not to have to worry about that though. Either way he was blessed with a great head of hair.

[elvisfan4ever]

whatever ..who cares elvis hair looked judt fine(y) i mean even the press had a little fun with his hair..like in chicago 0ct 76..one of the local newspapers there showed a piccy of evis kneeling down giving a scarf to a fan --but the pic shows close up top of elvis head -newspaper posted***-see the bald spot.. is elvis is going bald **** stupid chicago newspaper(n) instead of talking about the great show he put on.there talking about his hairhttp://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s52/joe1cooldude/laugh5.gif~~peace to all:king:

[epf]

I do believe E had thinning hair. Evidence is visible even in TTWII. So yeah... Elvis was human and kept up this super human appearance at the cost of his health, both physically and mentally. No wonder they Elvis was talking about falling apart, he was not joking, he was serious. But nobody wanted to believe it. ****.
And the non-believers should have left the inner circle way sooner and should have written a book then. To this day it is obvious that Elvis, What Happened was written out of bitterness as stated by Sonny West.

[elvia7]

Even in 1977 - his last year - he still had this erotic appeal to his fans. It's sad for me that I was born in 1985, because I would have loved to feel his hair in my hands - really erotic! :king:

But anyway - I would have loved his music for what it was, not because of the thickness of his hair.


Thanks Fab :clap:(y)(y)(y)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj1evuxSogY&feature=related
No comment!:wub:

[Diane]

Baldness is hereditary through father to son. Take a look at Vernon's hair...no sign of thinness or balding. If the dye in Elvis' hair was fading in a spot where his hair parted, that would make it look thin. Elvis had no worries about going bald.

[debtdbruno]

I don't think he was going bald, but his hair was fine and lacked body. Sometimes it was flat over the crown, this 'appeared' to make it look like it was thinner......

[Jimmy1966]

I Totally agree with your comment.
I think He had a wonderful great hair :cool: . ABSOLUTELY (y)

[LaurieT]

Charlie Hodge told me Elvis' hair was thinning towards the end. Come on he was human. His head was completely grey like Vernon's after about 1967. In fact Charlie told me that one time between tours in about '75 or so Elvis grew his hair out and had the dye removed. He had completely white hair for about three days and then Lisa came over and she cried when she seen it, so Elvis dyed it that night. Elvis had thin hair anyway. He had a lot of it, but it was baby thin. I have video from Vegas in '76 where you can see the part near the back of his head was getting wider. It was never even close to baldness though. Elvis had enough money not to have to worry about that though. Either way he was blessed with a great head of hair.

I certainly don't believe everything that Charlie said. Elvis completely white in 1967 at age 33??? I doubt that.

[elvia7]

I think He had a wonderful great hair :cool: . ABSOLUTELY (y)

http://www.tcb-world.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=52687&d=1319130102
Absoulutely agree with you Elena(y)

[KPM]

Regardless of hair thinning or not-99% of the time Elvis's hair looked cool, not always in place.... but cool:D

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

Regardless of hair thinning or not-99% of the time Elvis's hair looked cool, not always in place.... but cool:D

Hmm not sure his hair always looked cool, however I'm always amazed about how little his fussed with his hair in concert!

[Ematt]

Thats becuase his hair was so full of hair spray he would`nt have been able to run his fingers through it.

[asian1]

Does anyone know who is barber was in the 1950's? How long was this Geller person cutting his hair?

[elvia7]

Hmm not sure his hair always looked cool, however I'm always amazed about how little his fussed with his hair in concert!


Matt, what you mean:mad::D:nono:

http://www.tcb-world.com/gallery/data/34/medium/ROANOKE_VA_8276a.jpg

This is a hard working man!:notworthy:wub::whistling

[Diane]

Not fussing with his hair in concert is something I liked about the man. He was not as egotistical as some made him out to be obviously.

[Cliff]

The only times Elvis wore a wig was in the movie "Jailhouse Rock" where he's supposesed to have his hair cut before imprissonment and the blonde wig in Kissin' Cousins. Somewhere around 1964 he stopped using grease and started the hairspray era. This is also the period Larry Geller came into the picture. From that moment on Elvis got the most ingenius hairstyle ever. But I can assure you that it was no wig. It was cut in a certain way. On the sleeve of the Spinout album you can see that it was a real hairspray style.

Elvis used mascare to darken his lashes various times after Aloha. I you wanna see very clear pictures of you must look at the July tour of 1975. His lashes were so heavy and dark comparing to 1976.

Leroy,I'm pretty certain you'll find that Elvis did actually have his hair cut in Jailhouse Rock. My theory is that the short hair scenes were done last and the long hair scenes were done first. My reason for saying this is that he had a whole different look to the length of his hair in King Creole, which, as you know, was filmed after Jailhouse Rock. I wish there were someway of finding out what time period passed between the filming of these two movies because it wiuld take sometime for the hair to grow to that length. We must also remember that they did not film movies back to back as they do these days, there was a hiatus between movies.
This is only my theory and I have not read anything concerning this, but then, I have not read everything.
It's worth thinking about.

[Turbo]

Seems like Elvis wore a wig for "Jailhouse Rock".

"For some scenes in the movie, Elvis had to appear with a very short hair. He didn't mind to cut his hair, but after so many protests from the fans, two wigs were made for those scenes. They were so well made that almost nobody realized it wasn't Elvis's hair. On the subject, Elvis said, "Personally I don't care if they cut my hair. I don't think it makes much difference. Besides it'll grow out again."" (1)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++

"Elvis Keeps Sideburns For Film

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

Hollywood Decides Wig Will Suffice
After Deluge From Fans

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

By Aline Mosby
United Press Hollywood Reporter

HOLLYWOOD, June 19.—Elvis Presley was all shook up with gratitude today. Durned if his fans didn’t keep MGM studio from chopping off his famous sideburns and bangs.

MGM figured on giving Elvis a crewcut and shaving off those side-whiskers because he plays a convict in “Jailhouse Rock,” the third movie on the agenda of the Presley steamroller through Hollywood.

But this news caused the biggest crisis in the movie business since Lassie was exposed as a he. Four thousand post cards and letters from Presley fans poured into MGM, begging that the studio let their hero act with his original hair hanging around his sensual-looking face.

A Fortville, Ind., mother wrote, “We love him at our house. Elvis has had more criticism than anyone but his loyal fans stand by him—don’t cut his hair. It’s his trademark.”

Some fans threatened to picket the picture. A Missoula, Mont., girl wrote that “all of us are sick about the haircut.” Letters arrived from the Rock n’ Roll akats Fan Club of O’Fallon, Mo., and the Presley Kats Fan Club of Syracuse, N.Y.

“So now the studio has decided I’ll wear a wig, a crew-cut wig, for the prison scenes,” the victorious Presley announced today over lunch.

“Otherwise my hair will look the same, except it was reddened because in black-and-white it photographed like a cap instead of hair.”

Elvis was having his usual lunch of mashed potatoes, bacon, sliced tomatoes and Coca-Cola, which he says is the nearest thing he can find around here to Mama’s home cooking. His usual retinue of cousins and friends from Tennessee filled his dressing room.

“I never did want my hair cut,” Elvis said. “I wear long hair and sideburns because some people look better with long hair. I do because my face is long.

“The fans like it long, I guess, because they first saw me that way. And I certainly don’t want to do anything they wouldn’t like. Because they put me where I am, and if you don’t please a fan I’ll be back drivin’ a truck. They’re the people who buy my records and tickets.” "(2)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++
"The film's hair stylist provided Elvis with a specially fitted wig for Vince's prison butch haircut." (3)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++

References:
(1) http://www.elvis100percent.com/filmographyjailhouserocktrivia.htm
(2) http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-aline-mosby.html
(3) http://www.tonkoorevaar.be/elvis%20facts%20of%20the%20week%20files/elvis-facts-jailhouse-rock-p3.htm

[Cliff]

Well, I would never have guessed that this was a short hair wig. It has truly got to be the best I've seen. It's had me fooled for the past 50 years. The question has to be asked,"How did they get all that hair in there?".
The facts remains, his hair was a lot shorter in "King Creole." The sideburns were gone.
This is the first time I have ever read about this. I did read many years ago while they were making "Kissin' Cousins" that he would not come out of his trailor because he was embarrassed about the blonde wig he had to wear.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lopk65E4Eu1qf8vkwo1_400.jpg

[Turbo]

At the front of the wig, in this clip, it doesn't look like a natural hairline:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgTVmwDt8bs&feature=relmfu


As the hair grows out, in this clip (at 6:50) this wig, a bad one, becomes obvious:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xltno1wopR4&feature=relmfu



"Jailhouse Rock":

...."Shooting resumed on May 13, 1957 and was completed on June 17". (1)

http://cache2.artprintimages.com/p/LRG/12/1286/9CBO000Z/art-print/jailhouse-rock.jpg
(Poster card "Jailhouse Rock").

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++

"King Creole":

"Filming took place between January 20 and March 12, 1958" (2)


http://www.elvicities.com/~paul-c/images/elvis_signing_autographs_on_location.jpg
(Elvis signing autographs on location, "King Creole").

References:

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jailhouse_Rock_(film)
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Creole

[hounddog]

I've read that he had his hair cut before filming for King Creole as a sort of adjustment for his Army hair cut.

[Turbo]

I read that too; however, this film shows that Elvis had his hair cut as part of his Recruitment into the Army:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyS5wOcYua4


Reference:

(1) http://members.tripod.com/sharoncarrell_1/army.html
(2) " “King Creole” was only Elvis’ fourth film and the last before military service cut his hair"". http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/king-creole-1958-michael-curtiz/

[debtdbruno]

I read in one of the books??...that he had his hair cut in stages before going to Germany.....took the shock out of it all going at once

[Lonniebealestreet]

I recall reading that as well and it is evident from photos leading up to his induction and including that day. He'd go to his barber every week or whatever and tell him to take another half-inch off. Not only would it be less of a shock to himself but I think the main thing was that he didn't want the press and any haters getting a kick out of all that hair coming off at once for the army haircut.

http://www.visitwestarkansas.com/media/uploads/elvis_03_web_thumbnail.jpg

[Lonniebealestreet]

With apologies...

http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/Elvis_0.preview.jpg

:lol:

[debtdbruno]

I recall reading that as well and it is evident from photos leading up to his induction and including that day. He'd go to his barber every week or whatever and tell him to take another half-inch off. Not only would it be less of a shock to himself but I think the main thing was that he didn't want the press and any haters getting a kick out of all that hair coming off at once for the army haircut.

http://www.visitwestarkansas.com/media/uploads/elvis_03_web_thumbnail.jpg

going off on a slight tangent,.....lol
I disagree with all the press photographing him at this time.....all the underwear shots etc......totally uncalled for

[Lonniebealestreet]

Yeah, that's pretty demeaning. Can you imagine? Why on earth was that allowed?

[debtdbruno]

probably the Colonel, he smelled a good photo opportunity..........bad enough.....just losing his Mum,.......the worlds press in your face,......without having to standing there in your undies

[hounddog]

The barber that did Elvis' Army hair cut wasn't he related to Ginger Alden somehow. I never understood why the press were allowed to follow his whole Army induction.

[KPM]

The barber that did Elvis' Army hair cut wasn't he related to Ginger Alden somehow. I never understood why the press were allowed to follow his whole Army induction.
Actually I believe Ginger Aldens father was the Sgt. who administered the oath to all the recruits who were inducted the day Elvis entered the service.

[Diane]

With apologies...

http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/Elvis_0.preview.jpg

:lol:

You should apologize lol, that's a god-awful haircut!:P