Elvis: The True Story Behind The Buz Luhrmann Movie About Elvis Presley
Elvis a biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann, well received by critics and released in theaters on June 22, 2022, tells, as the title suggests, the life, rise and worldwide success of Elvis Presley. Rock and roll icon, one of the most famous singers in history and called The King, Elvis Presley has had an unprecedented influence on American and international culture, also famous for his way to move during the numerous exhibitions all over the world. He passed away at the age of 42 due to cardiac arrest, probably due to the intake of different medicines, including massive doses of barbiturates, by the artist used mainly to combat insomnia. Elvis Presley suffered from depression and over the years began taking stimulants, amphetamines and tranquilizers falling into a depressive state after divorcing his wife. Baz Luhrmann‘s film largely focuses on the complex relationship between Elvis Presley, played by Austin Butler, and his greedy manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the face of Tom Hanks.
Elvis: The True Story: Who was Tom Parker
Tom Parker was born in 1909 in the Netherlands. At the age of 19, he illegally immigrated to the United States via a merchant ship, probably passing through Canada. Once in America, he served in the US military. There have been numerous information received over the years on the figure of the colonel who remains a mysterious character. According to an article in the Smithsonian, Parker always refused to leave the United States, saying he was originally from Huntington, West Virginia, and was not even a true colonel. During his time in the army, he served as a simple soldier and his career ended in ignominy with a sentence, after he was absent in 1932; he was later released after having a nervous breakdown. Years after,
Also according to the Smithsonian and some theories about Parker’s dark past, the man had fled the Netherlands after committing a murder. A reporter received a tip that Parker had left the country in May 1929 without informing his family and an anonymous letter claimed that he had killed a greengrocer’s wife. After some excavations were carried out, the reporter discovered that the murder had occurred precisely in May 1929 and the point where the murder had taken place was a few meters away from what had been, in 1929, the Parker home. His family members remembered that his son had worked making deliveries for a local greengrocer, even though they could no longer remember who exactly it was. No solid evidence has ever been presented to prove this theory, Alanna Nash, who edited Parker’s biography, the colonel did indeed commit that crime.
Colonel Tom Parker began handling musical acts in the late 1930s. At the time, Parker was interested in singers who fit the hottest style, and the stars of those years were Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. Among the first stars, he managed part of his career was Eddy Arnold. Parker moved with the singer to Nashville, where he began to build his reputation and image of him. In 1948 Parker was awarded, according to the New York Times: ” the title of honorary colonel by Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis and it was from then on that he asked to be called colonel.“. It was not until 1955 that he heard of a boy named Elvis Presley, characterized by a different style and melody that greatly attracted Parker’s attention. Presley’s influences included artists such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, played in the movie Elvis by Yola, and Little Richard, played by Alton Mason.
At the time, Parker was running a singer named Hank Snow, David Wenham in the film and asked Presley to open some concerts. Elvis Presley often performed at the opening for Hank Snow and the Colonel wanted to meet Presley’s parents and manager Bob Neal. Parker persuaded them to hire him as his professional adviser and guide, and in the same year, Presley himself accepted the offer. At the time, Presley was recording songs with Sun Records, including That’s When Your Heartaches Begin, during which he met pioneers such as BB King, played in the film by Kelvin Harrison Jr. Once Parker got involved, he was also in charge of ending the collaboration between Presley and Sun Records. In November 1955, RCA Records signed a deal with Elvis Presley for the then shocking $35,000.
The Birth Of The King Of Rock And Roll
The artist’s first recording for RCA was the 1956 classic Heartbreak Hotel, which topped the music charts for weeks and RCA sold millions of records. In 1956, the contract between Elvis Presley and Bob Neal ended completely and Elvis signed with Parker, officially starting their partnership. The contract, according to the New York Times, stated that Parker was Presley’s “sole and exclusive advisor, personal representative and manager”. In a short time, Elvis Presley was everywhere and always in 1956, in the wake of the release of Heartbreak Hotel, Presley had met with unprecedented success in the whole country, particularly adored by the very young audience. Only in Las Vegas, faced with an older audience, did Elvis encounter any difficulties. Las Vegas was going through a transition at the time and may not have been ready for Elvis, but that first time was certainly not the last. That year the singer signed a multi-image deal with Paramount. And the song Love Me Tender and the movie of the same name had great success.
In 1958 Elvis Presley joined the Army, and in this too Parker saw an opportunity to keep Presley’s figure interesting to the public. According to History: “Colonel Tom Parker continued to release singles recorded by Presely before his departure, keeping the incoming money regular and his most famous client in the collective imagination.” Presley’s service was to last two years: he started at Fort Hood in Texas and then moved to West Germany. He could also have served as an interpreter, but he refused, following the advice of those who said it would be better to complete the traditional service. During those years Presley met then 14-year-old Priscilla Ann Wagner, played in the film by Olivia DeJonge, with whom he married in 1967.
In March 1960, Presley was honorably discharged and two months later made one of his most notable appearances on The Frank Sinatra Times Show: Welcome Home Elvis. The episode was then remembered over the years as an unparalleled cultural moment when Sinatra and Presley sang together. The duet was defined: as “a bridge between the heartthrob of two generations”. Elvis to appear on the show was $125,000, which is $1.17 million today. According to the New York Times, in 1964 Colonel Tom Parker had transformed Elvis Presley into “a business empire worth $35 million“ Earning half the artist. Because of Parker’s control over the career of the young King of Rock and Roll, he was given the nickname “Machiavellian overseer”.
Elvis Presley’s First Decline and Rebirth
During the 1960s, according to Rolling Stone: “Elvis starred in shoddy B-movies, making lifeless soundtracks, while new artists like The Beatles and Bob Dylan made him look like a real relic.” Many accuse Parker of Presley’s initial decline: the colonel took a little risk and turned down opportunities that might have turned out to be successful. It is said that he turned down Presley’s offer to play Tony in West Side Story. He supposedly didn’t think being a member of a gang would be good for Presley’s image. But then, in 1968, Elvis began what is often referred to as his “comeback” by recording a television special, also simply titled Elvis., which included several hits, including Suspicious Minds, considered his best track.
Following the success of the special Presley began to prefer live performances. In 1969 he again attempted a show in Las Vegas. This time, in front of 2,000 people, he made what was called ” the performance of a lifetime “. Wearing his iconic karate costume he gave the crowd everything he wanted. The Las Vegas show thus marked a rebirth for Elvis Presley. He has resumed touring, even in major venues like Madison Square Garden, and Colonel Tom Parker has started negotiating higher rates again. On January 14, 1973, Presley starred in what turned out to be one of the last highlights of his career. It was Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite, a live concert that used satellite technology to broadcast his performance around the world.
Presley took inspiration from President Richard Nixon‘s broadcast trip to China, during which Nixon restored diplomatic relations with the nation. Later that same year, things started to change. Parker negotiated a deal by selling, according to Billboard, Elvis Presley’s entire catalog, a collection of more than 1,000 recordings, for $5.4 million. The collection later became one of the most valuable archives of Presley’s music. But according to the deal, Elvis would not have received royalties for his work recorded before his death. A lawsuit was then filed against RCA and Parker himself following Presley’s death. An agreement was eventually reached in 1983. In the first half of the 1970s, Presley was already using drugs and suffering from depression.
Latest Years And Latest Offers For Elvis Presley
He was offered the great opportunity to star in Barbara Streisand’s A Star is Born. Presley was reportedly looking forward to playing the role, which he saw as a chance to change his career. But Parker demanded that Presley be paid $ 1 million to play the role, while also claiming 50% of the film’s profits. Streisand thus decided to decline the offer. In the last years of Elvis Presley’s life, he was then allowed to play abroad in various countries for millions of dollars, but Colonel Parker always refused. On August 16, 1977, Presley died of cardiac arrest, and Parker continued to exert control over the artist’s posthumous career.
According to a 1997 article in the Washington Post: “When the singer died in August 1977, the first thing Parker said to a collaborator was that nothing would change.” Over the next several years, Parker continued to manage Presley’s legacy, amidst numerous legal battles. On January 21, 1997, Parker died at the age of 87. The Washington Post article also stated: “Tom Parker’s grip on Elvis Presley’s career earned the Colonel a lot of money but ruined one of the biggest events of the century.”
