Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway May weekend...

[franny]

On September 16 1966 Elvis leased the estate at 1350 Ladera Circle, Palm Springs, California for one year for $21,000. Colonel Tom Parker lived in the neighbourhood and he thought that it would be the perfect place for Elvis to relax, entertain his friends and escape from Hollywood. After their Vegas marriage on May 1 1967 Elvis & Priscilla returned to the Honeymoon Hideaway where he carried Priscilla over the threshold and up the stairs singing "The Hawaiian Wedding Song". Lisa Marie was born on February 1, 1968, exactly 9 months from the date of the honeymoon.
Fans can buy tickets to the Honeymoon Hideaway weekend over May 1st including ETA concerts plus guests Sue McCasland author of "Elvis Live at Sahara Tahoe" and super-fan & author Sandi Pichon.

Tickets from $50 click here for full details:

(News, Source;EIN)

[rex martin]

On September 16 1966 Elvis leased the estate at 1350 Ladera Circle, Palm Springs, California

Elvis & Priscilla returned to the Honeymoon Hideaway where he carried Priscilla over the threshold and up the stairs singing "The Hawaiian Wedding Song".

Hi Franny, -thought you might like the following 2 pictures to add to your
Elvis'y News Item. This is a really interesting Elvis News Flash!!!

(Hope you don't mind, I added it on Elvis the Kings Court, so a few more
Elvis fans will get to read it, I name dropped you also, SincerELy.. REX)

[rex martin]

ELVIS' HONEYMOON HOME.

Palm Springs has received a lot of attention lately for its wealth of modern and post-modern architecture. One architecture firm was largely responsible for a changing the face of Palm Springs from a sleepy desert town into a jet-setting community of the future. The firm was the Alexander Construction Company. Between 1947 and 1957, they built 2,200 modern-style homes around Palm Springs. The company's homes had such a large influence on the character of Palm Springs during that period that realtors often use the word "Alexander"

Located at the end of Ladera Circle in Palm Springs, California, the "Elvis Honeymoon House" is a classic example of modern architecture. The house was designed by Robert Alexander in the early 1960s. Its primary design consists of four circular structures on three different levels. (The circular motif is why the house is sometimes referred to as the "platter house.") The front entrance of the house has free-standing steps made out of circular stones that casually rise up over a man-made stream and lead to the front door.

The house has large windows, with wide-open, beautiful mountain views. This combines with the "peanut brittle" masonry to keep the house from ever feeling too sterile or far-removed from the nearby natural desert terrain. In true modernist style, the house fits in with the severe climate of the desert, yet it is never subservient to it.

The livingroom has a built-in 64-foot curved sofa that runs along the outer circumference of the room. Through the back of the livingroom is a view of the pool and patio and the nearby mountains. The circular theme continues with the focal point of the livingroom&emdash;a round, free-standing gas fireplace with an exhaust shroud that looks like the engine from a Saturn rocket.

In addition to the central air conditioning system, the house also features a centralized vacuuming system, an innovation first used by visionary modernist architect Irving Gill. Each room has a plate mounted on the baseboard, which a vacuuming attachment hooks into. The suction for vacuuming the entire house is provided from a single machine, eliminating the need to drag a portable vacuum cleaner from room to room.

The circular section of the home which is most easily visible from the street contains the master bedroom. The jet-age feeling of the house is most apparent here. The bedroom portion sits atop a stone wall and is flanked by what appears to be two straight supports that meet at a point in the front of the house and point skyward.

The master bathroom contains a shower and a very deep bathtub recessed into the floor and set at an askew angle to the surrounding walls.

In 1962, Look magazine ran and article called "The Way Out Way Of Life." It featured the Alexanders and their "House Of Tomorrow." The article included photos of the jet-setting Alexanders lounging on their gigantic sofa. There were also photos of Mrs. Alexander playing socialite, hobnobbing poolside with no less of a celebrity than Mrs. Zeppo Marx.

It is an incredibly interesting house solely on the merits of its modern design and the fact that it was the personal residence of such an influential Palm Springs architect. However, the house had a second chance at fame when it became the residence of Elvis Presley.

In the mid-1960s, Elvis was as much of a movie star as he was a singer. As such, he spent a lot of time in Hollywood shooting films. Elvis's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, lived in the same neighborhood as the Alexanders house and thought it would make a good house for Elvis to use as a retreat from the scrutiny of the media in Los Angeles. In 1966, he rented the house for Elvis at the cost of $21,000 a year.

Elvis entertained friends and his fiancee Priscilla at the house. He would often ride into town on his Harley for ice cream or to race go karts. It was in the Palm Springs house that Elvis had one of his most infamous moments&emdash;shooting out a TV screen with a pistol.

In 1967, Elvis and Priscilla were to be married by the pool in the backyard of the house. But the arrival of friends and family tipped off then-leading gossip columnist Rona Barrett (who also lived in the neighborhood) that a wedding was imminent. As the media descended upon the house, Elvis and Priscilla changed plans, deciding to get married in Vegas. In the middle of the night, they snuck into an alley behind the house, where a limo took them to Frank Sinatra's learjet. They were married in the Aladdin Hotel.

The next day they returned to honeymoon in the Palm Springs house, which is how it got its nickname as the "Elvis Honeymoon House."

The house has been returned to its mid-1960s splendor (minus the shag carpeting) and is adorned with Elvis memorabilia. Visit the house's official website at www.elvishoneymoon.com for more information.

[Tommy]

Thank you very much Franny for the great information

[dstrattenfan]

I wonder was she pregnant when they got married????

[franny]

Thanks, rex martin for the extra info.

You're welcome, Tommy.

franny

[Diane]

Thank you Franny and Rex...both articles were very interesting...also very nice pictures.

Diane

[rex martin]

Thanks, rex martin for the extra info.
You're welcomefranny

Thanks.. Never knew this house was so futuristic before, then finding the Honeymoon Pics yesterday,

I remember reading the story about how they got taken - I think it was in Jerry Schillings Book.

- and then this newsy item today! everything just seemed to fall into place. Somehow....A few more pics of the House - that Elvis enjoyed so much....

[laura17]

ive posted postcards from both of his palm springs homes. i was the caretaker. the large photo over the couch is mine.

[rex martin]

ive posted postcards from both of his palm springs homes. i was the caretaker. the large photo over the couch is mine.

Hi Laura..
I guess some of these pictures have brought back a few memories from the past ? The picture above the couch is similar to a Home Movie I've seen.
How did you come to get it Framed and placed on the Wall ? that really
must be a Special Moment in the time you spent at this house !

Do you remember when Elvis & Priscilla returned from the Wedding in Vegas?
and the time when Lisa was born ? - also I guess you must have heard Elvis singing around the house, and maybe playing a piano ? or listening to other Music Artists Records.......I have many questions I would love to ask you -

But will end with ~ Do you remember any famous Artists being Guests of Elvis at his home ? I guess the job you had, would have been a dream for many
fans at the time, but of course you had to work some place to pay the bills ~
it's just you got to work with the person we all respect so much...

Sorry again to pester you... Yours SincerELy, Rex.

In the 1970s I had an Elvis magazine published almost Weekly called...

WORLDWIDE ELVIS NEWS SERVICE WEEKLY (355 Issues up to Sept. 1978)

I would be willing to post you some back issues from the same time period
that you worked for Elvis, if they would be of Interest to You....

[franny]

Thanks, for sharing the great pics, rex.
I really should finish reading Jerry's book..I would love to know the story behind the pics..

ive posted postcards from both of his palm springs homes. i was the caretaker. the large photo over the couch is mine.

Laura where did you post the postcards? Please let me know...
Wow, thanks for sharing some personal info with us...would love to hear more about it, if you have time and feel like sharing...Thanks, so much.

franny

[midnight]

ive posted postcards from both of his palm springs homes. i was the caretaker. the large photo over the couch is mine.

Laura, you must have some wonderful memories. If you ever feel like sharing your stories with us we would love to hear them.

[MissyM]

Laura when were you a caretaker?? Not when Elvis owned it right?? I'm confused. How old are you??

[laura17]

it was in the mid 90s. i live in palm springs. i also got elvis a star in the sidewalk here.

[MissyM]

Oh, thanks for the explaination.