Here at the Flyer, we’re all about the art of songwriting, as evidenced in our June 27th cover story, but we also appreciate what both the Rolling Stones and Alex Chilton told us: “It’s the singer not the song.” And surely no artist embodies that truism more than Elvis Presley, who wrote precious little during his career, but excelled at making others’ handiwork his own.
Author Mark Duffett, Reader in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Chester in England, is no stranger to Elvis, and no stranger to Memphis. In 2017, he and Amanda Nell Edgar, Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis’ Department of Communication and Film, organized the international conference New Perspectives on Elvis. They and the speakers they assembled were true fans of the King and Memphis generally, who’s enthusiasm led them to delve deeper than your typical music journalist.
This was evident again this March, when the pair hosted a more wide-ranging conference, Balancing the Mix, wherein scholars and deep listeners dove into such topics as “Hip Hop Resistance Across Time and Space,” “Justice from Blues to Soul,” “Music and Erasure,” and “Beyond the Music: The Sounds of the Street and Social Justice in Britain and France, 1970-1990.”
The latter had an exploration of the U.K.’s Northern Soul movement, and associated indie zines, that would have made any Memphis vinyl nerd swoon. And presentations like “Pocahontas, Ira Hayes and Me: Popular Music and the fight for Native American Civil Rights,” by Johnny Hopkins of Southampton Solent University, shed unaccustomed light on long-neglected pockets of musical resistance.
If that all sounds a bit ivory-towerish, I would only direct you to Duffett’s study of the King, Counting Down Elvis: His 100 Finest Songs (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018), which is one of the most entertaining meditations on Elvis’ work of the decade.
While many Elvis writers focus on one or the other phase of his career, this book is notable for its all-embracing appreciation of every stylistic shift the King made. Done in true countdown style, you will see many surprises along the way, including Duffett’s choice of number one. But, as Duffett himself notes, the point is not so much the specific order but the dialogue that the list is meant to jump start. And along the way, we read some keen observations of the nuts and bolts of each number.
For starters, Duffett is remarkably thorough about the songwriters that supplied Elvis’ material, especially in a book devoted primarily to an interpreter rather than composer of music. “They tried a new number by Giant, Baum, and Kaye,” Duffett writes. “‘Power of My Love’ ranks in any Elvis compilation for the simple reason that it showcases him at his most masculine, adult, and sensual…it effortlessly bridges between the raw urgency of the Comeback Special and virile confidence of his early 1970s shows.”
Duffett is well-versed in every phase and detail of Presley’s career, allowing him to make free-ranging comparisons between songs. And, unlike many critics, he embraces the kitsch of Elvis in the 70s as something just as vital as “Good Rockin’ Tonight.”
Thus, we are treated to a deep reading of Elvis’ version of “Let Me Be There,” better known as a hit by Olivia Newton-John. “Compared to Newton-John’s breezy rendering, Elvis’ cover is a tour de force. The joy of community reigns supreme.” And he notes that the song “was so cherished that he kept it in his live set on a fairly regular basis until early 1976. The 20 March 1974 Mid-South Coliseum recording was even dusted off to round out the first side of what became his last will and testament, the LP Moody Blue.”
Clearly, this book takes into account many deep cuts that dabblers would miss. Indeed, it could be an invaluable companion to the excellent Elvis Radio on Sirius XM, hosted by the erudite Doc Walker. Duffett’s writing, too, is impressively unaffected by the jargon and abstractions of the academy, making this a fun and entertaining read. Often, one is either an Elvis fan or one is not. But delving into the details with Duffett might make you sit up and listen to songs, and see sides of the King, you never knew were there.
Peanut Butter N’ Banana Sandwich at the Arcade Restaurant
It’s time to get your Elvis on.
Elvis Week – with all the tributes to the King – begins August 8th. If you want a taste of what’s to come, try one of Elvis’ favorite delicacies – a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. You can get one at the Arcade Restaurant.
If you like peanut butter sandwiches, this is one to the nth degree. It’s called the “Peanut Butter N’ Banana Sandwich.” The runny peanut butter melts into the creamy banana on toasted bread.
You’ll want more than one. I know I did. I could have eaten at least three.
Asked how they make the sandwich, Arcade owner Jeffrey Zepatos says, “You’ve got to fry up a good bit of butter on the old griddle, where we cook our bacon and everything.”
They use Texas toast, Zepatos says: “It’s just a little bit thicker. Texas toast has more of an egg base than regular bread. So, it fries a little better.”
They make the sandwich with the peanut butter and banana before they put it on the griddle. Everything is squished together. “You want to hold in the heat while you’re cooking it.”
They use about a half of a banana. “You want to get a little banana in every bite.”
The sandwich is fried for about two and a half minutes each side. “It’ll get a good brown crust to it.”
They added the PBB sandwich to the menu after his parents Karan and Harry Zepatos took over the restaurant in 2001, Jeffrey says. They wanted to serve an Elvis food item.
People mistakenly think peanut butter and banana sandwiches are strictly an Elvis food item, Zepatos says. The sandwich was “made famous by Elvis, but that was a North Mississippi meal. My mom grew up eating those even before Elvis became famous. It’s a good bit of protein with the peanut butter and the banana.“
The sandwich is a popular Arcade item, Zepatos says. “Oh, goodness. We sell five to 10 a day. On Saturday and Sunday we go through 30, 40. I’m talking at least 100 a week.”
They sell many more during Elvis Week, says Zepatos, who tried to keep count during last year’s Elvis Week. “We went through around 300 of those sandwiches. Maybe more. So, we’ve got to order many cases of bananas.”
Elvis actually was a customer at the Arcade, Zepatos says. “Elvis’ cousins would come in and wait for Elvis and they’d all hang out.”
If his fans became too aggressive, Elvis literally would leave the building. “When Elvis started getting famous, he’d get up and walk out that back door.”
Elvis fans love that door, Zepatos says. “It’s become a thing for people to do the old Elvis door. They’ll pay, obviously, but they’ll walk out the back door.”
Score another one for the hometown team, as Memphis-related recordings are again added to the Library of Congress’ (LOC) National Recording Registry.
Since 2002, the institution has selected recordings — dating back over a century — that they deem worthy of special recognition and preservation. These recordings, according to the LOC website, showcase “the range and diversity of American recorded sound heritage in order to increase preservation awareness. The diversity of nominations received highlights the richness of the nation’s audio legacy and underscores the importance of assuring the long-term preservation of that legacy for future generations.”
While fifty per year were originally selected, that number dropped to 25 in 2006. Each year’s announcement indicates titles nominated in the previous year, making the recorded works announced today the selections for 2018. Selections may be entire LPs, archival field recordings, or singles
Memphis native Maurice White co-wrote one of the newly recognized songs, the smash single “September,” released by his band Earth, Wind & Fire in November of 1978. Another recognized single, Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man,” needs no introduction to Memphis music fans. Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” recorded at Memphis’ American Sound Studio in 1969, also was given a nod, as was “Memphis Blues” by W.C. Handy, as recorded by the Victor Military Band.
Tracks With Memphis Roots Added to National Recording Registry
Recordings with Memphis connections added to the registry in past years have included:
Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five Sessions (including Memphis native Lil’ Hardin Armstrong).
Elvis Presley’s Sun Recording Sessions
Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”
Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)”
Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ on”
B. B. King’s Live at the Regal
Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightnin'”
Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes”
Booker T & the MGs’ “Green Onions”
Love’s Forever Changes (led by Memphis native Arthur Lee)
Isaac Hayes’ Shaft
Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour” (recorded at Stax, co-written by Steve Cropper).
Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”
Many of the titles have accompanying essays explaining their history and significance. Memphis producer/engineer/musician Scott Bomar contributed the essay for “Green Onions.” The 2018 additions do not yet have essays posted.
Sure, turning your two Mississippi River bridges into a nightly light-show is awesome; all the cool cities are doing that sort of thing, and it’s something Elvis would have wanted, I’m almost certain. But Friedberg, Germany, where Sergeant Presley was stationed from October 1958 to March 1960, has taken advantage of a more subtle lighting opportunity that out-Memphises Memphis.
Elvis Presley Platz (Elvis Presley Square) in Friedberg, has been equipped with Elvis-themed pedestrian traffic lights. Green dancing Elvis means go; red singing Elvis means stop.
Wouldn’t it be nice to see some of these downtown with Rufus Thomas in caution yellow showing us how to “Push & Pull?”
Stop, Look, Listen: Friedberg Germany Gives the King a Go
Darlene Love plays The Guest House at Graceland Monday, August 14
Darlene Love is one of the great voices of rock and roll. She may also be one of the great, under-tapped experts on 20th-century pop, having observed the biggest acts in rock and soul from 20-feet away.
As a member of The Blossoms, Love was a regular on the seminal ’60s era TV show Shindig. But the group made their career as studio support, and backing vocalists for artists like The Crystals, and The Righteous Brothers.
They also performed alongside Elvis in his ’68 Comeback TV Special.
Love’s coming to Memphis Monday, August 13th to celebrate 50 years of the ’68 Comeback Special. She’ll be performing at Graceland’s Guest House. Here’s what she had to say about being a Blossom and performing with Elvis.
Memphis Flyer: The Blossoms were already a group when you joined up, right?
Darlene Love: I met The Blossoms when I was in the 12th grade, the last year of high school. That’s when I say I professionally started singing, because that’s when they started paying me. Even if it was only $15 to buy gas for the car. Gasoline was only $0.22 a gallon.The Blossoms were a group already. They were getting ready to record for Capitol Records and needed a replacement right away. They just happened to be in a wedding party, and I was singing. And that’s how I met them.
I thought it was something like that. I didn’t think y’all had gone to school together.
The Blossoms did go to school together. But I was a little younger than them, and came along behind. They already had a manager and a singing coach. We used to practice everyday like going to school or going to a job. They already had a contract with Capitol Records. And they were getting ready to record. So it was lucky that we met and that I fit in the group. So we went from there to singing back-up. It’s like we were thrown into that. Not even really knowing what we were doing. We knew we could sing, but we weren’t sure about the session work.
Talking T.A.M.I. Show & ’68 Comeback with Blossoms Vocalist Darlene Love (2)
But you start doing that almost right away, right?
We worked our first session I think back in 1958.
I know you guys were trying to make it as recording artists in your own right, but show business is tough and, while I know there were many downsides too, I’m guessing the session work created stability a lot of young artists trying to make it don’t have. Is that accurate?
That’s very accurate. Because there weren’t really any black groups at the time that we’re doing this. It was unheard of for them to be doing session work. Most of the sessions were contracted through our unions AFTRA. And most of the people in AFTRA were white singers. They’d call them and put together three or four girls. Once we started getting into it we had to join the union. Thank God! Before, if they needed three singers, they booked three singers. But we already had a sound. So they could depend on us to have the sound they wanted. Therefore, we became bigger than life, in doing session work.
Yes. Those guys in the Wrecking Crew were already doing sessions. We met them through Phil Spector. He gave them the name Wrecking Crew. We were doing work for everybody. We were at sessions all the time together. It was a minimum of a 2-hour session. Most sessions lasted anywhere between two and five hours. But a minimum of 2 hours. So we became very popular as background vocal group. And the Wrecking Crew became famous, and very wealthy for the recording sessions. They could do many more sessions a week than we could, because we had to use our vocal cords. They were using their instruments.
And the voice can wear out pretty quickly when you use it like that.
Hello? I think that’s how I really learned how to take care of my voice. After we had a hard day, like a 10-hour day of singing. Sometimes that’s what it was. I’d do nothing. No talking, no singing. That’s when I found out your vocal cord were like a muscle. And your muscles get sore after a while. So you have to rest them. I learned all that on my own nobody told me. Well I couldn’t afford a doctor! I had to learn it all on my own. But it’s paid off over the years.
Talking T.A.M.I. Show & ’68 Comeback with Blossoms Vocalist Darlene Love (4)
I know you’ve told it many times, but can we talk just a little bit about how The Blossoms recorded “He’s a Rebel,” then Phil Spector put it out as a Crystals record?
We had already been doing background work for two or three years before we met Phil. We were working for Lester Sill. Unbeknownst to us, that it was Phil Spector’s partner. That’s how we met Phil. Because Phil needed someone to sing “He’s a Rebel,” so they hired me to do it. As Darlene Love and The Blossoms. But that’s not the name it came out under. It was credited to the Crystals. It all came out in 20 Feet from Stardom. I know a lot of minds were opened.
Talking T.A.M.I. Show & ’68 Comeback with Blossoms Vocalist Darlene Love
You guys knew it was a going to be a Crystals record though, right?
Oh yeah. We didn’t go in there to do it as a group. We went in as a session. And I got paid extra for singing the lead on it. We knew it was going to be a Crystals record. It wasn’t a surprise. The surprise was when we signed with Phil, [the next record] was supposed to be my record. But he put that one out under the name of the Crystals too. It got a little confusing for everybody back in those days.
You say it wasn’t a surprise for you, but it was a surprise for The Crystals.
A big surprise. They were out on the road working and the record was on the charts. They didn’t even know the record was out. They were on the road with Gene Pitney who wrote the song. And from what I can understand, I talked to Gene Pitney years and years ago, and he said he’d taught them the song on the road. That’s how they learned it.
So they were singing it on the road, just not on the record.
None of the crystals were on any of the records we recorded in California. Like to “Doo Run Run,” “Sure the Boy I Love.” Their lead singer LaLa Brooks was there to do the singing on the Crystal songs. But the Crystals weren’t there to do the background on their sessions. We actually did a lot of those kinds of things, but a lot of those other records weren’t hits.
Talking T.A.M.I. Show & ’68 Comeback with Blossoms Vocalist Darlene Love (7)
I’m sure that did get confusing. Especially as you’re trying to develop your career.
When I went out, everybody thought Darlene Love was a Crystal. But she was never a Crystal; she just recorded those records with Phil Spector. The Crystals lived in New York. I lived in California. And the Crystals were young girls. I was like 19. They were like 13 and 14.
I knew they were young. I guess I didn’t realize they were that young.
Their mothers wouldn’t let them fly to California to record. That was one of the big problems. It’s well-known today. The Crystals still have a little trouble with it, and I can understand why. They go and do shows today. And they sing “He’s a Rebel,” and “He’s Sure the Boy I Love.” I’m sure they gotten to the point where they just don’t talk about it anymore. That’s water under the bridge.
And, to some extent the public record had been corrected.
The biggest problem I had, when I went out as a solo artist, the producers all wanted to say I was Darlene Love “originally of the Crystals,” and I’d said “No no no! You can’t say that. I have never been with the Crystals. I had to build a whole new career as Darlene Love. Which took a lot of time and energy. Thank god I was young. There was a time I couldn’t even find work. Because the Crystals name is bigger than my name. So of course they could sell tickets on the Crystals, but they couldn’t sell tickets on Darlene Love.
I know we’re supposed to talk Elvis, but can we talk T.A.M.I. Show first?
We were doing Shindig at the time. And they think the producers of Shindig to let us out for the week to do The T.A.M.I. Show.
I was just talking to director Steve Binder about how intersectional and ahead of its time that show seems to be, conceptually.
It is. You’re absolutely right. And it ended up being great, and people love great things. They love to watch wonderful things. It didn’t matter to them if it was a male or female singing.
And it still just blows my mind looking at all the talent collected for that thing.
Rock-and-roll was like a stutter at the beginning. Okay here, we go! Oh no we can’t! No, now here we go! What they did, they put the right people on The T.A.M.I. Show. My God, the Rolling Stones? Jan and Dean as the emcees? Give me a break, okay? Then, to bust it wide open, they hired James Brown. And he stole the show. I mean the Rolling Stones were going on after James Brown — and they refused to go on at first. They were like, “We’re not going on after that!” That was an eye-opener for white people to see James Brown. Before that they didn’t know James Brown. James Brown was a black act.
I love the moment when he’s exhausted at the edge of the stage and The Blossoms are encouraging him to go back for more.
We were just as excited as the audience. I’d never seen James Brown. I mean, I loved those records. But nobody had ever seen that kind of energy on stage. Not before James Brown. Even Michael Jackson talked about how he stole a little bit of Jackie Wilson, a little bit of James Brown, and Chuck Berry, and I wrapped it all up in Michael Jackson. Then you have, of course, Elvis Presley who came on wiggling and shaking, and they didn’t know what to think about that, either. He also took it to a whole other level.
Talking T.A.M.I. Show & ’68 Comeback with Blossoms Vocalist Darlene Love (6)
So let’s talk about the Comeback. Which, Elvis hated, by the way. Or— the word. He didn’t like anybody calling it “the comeback.”
I’m sure he didn’t. Because it wasn’t a comeback. He was getting ready to go to Vegas and he needed something to catapult him into live shows. That was one reason for doing that show. I didn’t understand the word either. They call it that now, I guess because they couldn’t think of anything else to call it.
Had you ever worked with Elvis before?
No. That was our first time to meet Elvis. But we were in the recording studio, recording all the music. That’s where we met Elvis and became friends with him. Especially me, because of my gospel background. Every time he got a moment, he’d go get his guitar and ask, “Do you know this song?” We’d be over in the corner with The Blossoms and Elvis, just having a good time. I think they got a little bit angry with us we’re taking all of his time.
And the improv part of the show is inspired by that, and Elvis jamming in his dressing room.
So natural. And they caught that when they did the round circle thing with him the black leather suit. I don’t think they realized that was going to be so big. But it was all so natural. And it wasn’t planned.
Can you tell me a little bit more about how the improv stuff developed. Not on the show, but in the studio between takes, or dressing room after rehearsal?
What I loved about Elvis: He loved what he called ‘the hymns of the church.’ Like “Precious Lord Take My Hand.” “Amazing Grace.” “How Great Thou Art.” For us to know those songs, he was like, “Yeah, come on let’s do some of those!” He would sing the leads and we’d do the background. He’d go, “Is this key is this alright?” And you know, whatever key it was in was all right with us. And that was the fun we had. And then we found out, years later when he went to Vegas, when they would be breaking down the stage to go home, Elvis and the singers would be sitting around the piano. It brought Elvis down. It was his down time. Like going to your room and watching TV. It takes a while to come down after you’ve done a show like that. And they would all just sit around and sing gospel songs. Not rhythm and blues or rock and roll. But gospel. Elvis won three Grammys for gospel music. That says a lot. I’ve been invited to come to Memphis for the 50th anniversary of the special. My group, we’re going down to Graceland in August to celebrate the Comeback Special. And most of the show’s going to be gospel. Then I’ve been invited back to go to Bad Nauheim, Germany where Elvis was stationed in the army, and where they have his festival. Last year we went and there were more than 10,000 people there. I said, “Y’all sure Elvis is dead?”
A performing arts camp at Graceland where kids “follow in the footsteps of Elvis”?
Sounds good to me.
The Presley home and museum has been in an expansionist phase, evolving the mission, and reshaping the popular tourist destination’s identity. This July families with kids between the ages of 6 and 15 can be among the first to take part in Graceland’s new, “immersive performing arts experience.”
From the media release:
Participants will learn from local and Broadway professionals as they explore their creativity in workshops at the Graceland Soundstage, on stage at The Guest House at Graceland™ Theater and on actual production sets featured in the acclaimed “Sun Records” TV series. Over the four days of activities, everyone will develop their own showcase, culminating in an evening of performances on stage at The Guest House Theater for family and friends.
The camp experience includes four nights at The Guest House hotel and availability is limited.
According to WREG, “A Bartlett man is behind bars after allegedly giving his neighbors the shock of their lives.”
It’s hard to know what’s sadder about this story, that poor 65-year-old Martin Centobie was out riding his bicycle in the buff — something that’s never comfortable for anybody — or that this was the shock of anybody’s life.
The report went on to note that “after his afternoon ride, the suspect reportedly went behind a wooden fence where he put on his clothes.” Because dressing in front of people would be immodest.
Hello, Boris
Speaking of WREG, Channel 3, in a party-line vote last Thursday, the FCC altered the rules to allow the unabashedly right-wing media company Sinclair Broadcast to acquire Tribune Media.
That means WREG, a Tribune property, will soon be a Sinclair station. That also means several times a week Mid-Southerners will be subjected to the political opinions of former Trump staffer Boris Epshteyn, a man whose informed commentary can sound an awful lot like paraphrased versions of a POTUS tweet-storm. Oh goody.
Neverending Elvis
Last week the Guardian, a British news and media website, ran with this terribly subtle headline: “Constipation killed Elvis — here’s how to avoid his fate.”
Folks who want to know more about that can either Google it on their own or just eat more fiber.
Sometimes your Pesky Fly likes to check in with the Twitter account Memphis Scanner (@ScannerMemphis) to find out what’s being talked about on area police scanners. This month it’s all about animals.
Not Memphis
Occasional reminder: Just because a local TV news station promotes some shocking, scary, or downright weird headline, don’t assume the story happened in Memphis. Take, for example, this bit via Fox 13: “Naked Man Caught on Camera Stealing Swan Sculpture in …”
Florida. It happened in Florida. And speaking of the Sunshine State. …
Neverending Elvis
This relentlessly exploitative tale comes to us from Niceville, Florida, home of the annual Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival, courtesy of the Northwest Florida Daily News.
From a news column headlined, “Elvis’ Wife to Pre-Teen: Stop Having Sex With My Husband”: “Elvis Presley, 42, was arrested last week and charged with three counts of felony lewd and lascivious molestation. …” In a videotaped interview, Elvis told investigators that he told his wife he’d “goofed.” Judging by the information presented here, it appears many people goofed, beginning with Spanish adventurer Juan Ponce de León, who opened the door to European exploration and occupation of Florida in 1513.
“What I’m going to show you is unknown,” says John W. Heath.
It is a program from Humes High for a variety show. Listed on that program, dated March 27, 1953, is Elvis Presley. This is not the program from another famous Humes High show. This one is earlier and is in the possession of Heath, who has a vast collection of Elvis memorabilia. For Heath, this program that nobody knows about is an artifact that marks the moment the world changed. “This gave [Elvis] the encouragement to go to Sun Studios,” and, thus, he says, usher in rock-and-roll.
Heath will lead a talk on “Collecting Elvis” during the Dixon’s Munch & Learn series Wednesday at noon.
Heath, a former junior high principal, says that he and his wife used to immerse themselves into their children’s activities over the weekends. Daughter was into athletics, one son into military history, the other son into Elvis. They started looking for Elvis stuff at yard sales and flea markets. They got together a good enough collection to start showing at the Elvis Week expos. Dealers would buy them out. Heath studied up.
Elvis’ jacket
Heath says he perfected the bundling method, in which he takes a whole load of stuff for a set price, long before American Pickers. That approach secured him Mae Boren Axton’s contract for “Heartbreak Hotel.” (He let go a similar contract for “Heartbreak Motel.”) He’s got a Champagne glass from Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding, the third-earliest known signature, pajamas, the “Comeback Special” suit, a matchbook bearing autographs from Elvis and Natalie Wood, the contract for Graceland (with the signatures of Elvis, Vernon, and Gladys), a pill bottle for Dexedrine prescribed the day before Elvis’ death, and a jacket given to Heath by one of his teachers who was the son of a man who got the jacket from a girlfriend who got it from Elvis after a concert.
And he’s got the pre-release acetate of “That’s All Right”/”Blue Moon of Kentucky” — what Heath calls the “rarest record of all times.”
Says Heath, “Elvis is the greatest American success story ever. A better story than Lincoln. This will never happen again.”
In the deep recesses of Elvis lore, there is one image that stands out as particularly surreal: Elvis in full 70s regalia shaking hands with Richard Nixon in the Oval Office. As the prologue of Elvis and Nixon reminds us, it is by far the most requested image from the National Archive, more popular than the Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi or the Apollo 17 “Blue Marble” shot. As the image stares at us from the walls of countless dorm rooms and t shirts, it poses the inscrutable question, “What the hell was going on here?”
Elvis and Nixon meet in December, 1970
Director Liza Johnson tries to answer that question with Elvis and Nixon, with mixed success. One of the best choices from her and a trio of screenwriters (Joey Sagal, Hanna Sagal, and Cary Elews of Princess Bride fame) is beginning with the morning meeting where advisors Egil Keogh (Colin Hanks) and Dwight Chapin (Evan Peters) try to blithely slip in that the President’s nap time will be curtailed in favor of meeting with Mr. Presley. Kevin Spacey, used to playing a president in House Of Cards, absolutely nails Nixon, all hunched shoulders, quivering jowls, and indignation.
When we meet Elvis (Michael Shannon), he’s restless and irritable, trapped in Graceland’s TV room like a panther in a cage. In this telling, it’s the images of the military flailing around in Southeast Asia and the anti-war movement that drive him to seek an audience with the president. No longer a conduit of youthful rebellion, but an early middle aged, wealthy member of the establishment, he’s disturbed by the direction of the country, and thinks the best way he can help is to become an undercover narc. The alternate theory, long entertained by druggies everywhere, that Elvis, buoyed by the finest formulations from Dr. Nick’s pharmacopeia, was pulling Nixon’s leg, is not entertained here.
Kevin Spacey and Michael Shannon star in Elvis and Nixon.
The truth is, the story of this weird picture of two of the most recognizable figures of the twentieth century is pretty thin gruel for a movie. Johnson treats it as a light comedy, which is appropriate, and is at her most interesting when she’s drawing parallels between the isolation and delusions of the President and the King. Both have two henchmen—Elvis’ are Jerry Shilling (Alex Pettyfer) and Sonny West (Johnny Knoxville)—who dictate the exact terms on which anyone can communicate with their boss. The climactic meeting is like watching two silverback gorillas trade dominance displays in the jungle, and it’s pretty fun.
The film’s weak link is Michael Shannon, but it’s not entirely his fault. There have been many attempts to portray Elvis onscreen, with varying degrees of success. For my money, the best was still Kurt Russell in the John Carpenter-directed Elvis TV movie from 1979. Shannon’s not a bad actor, and he gets Elvis’ body language right for the most part. But the voice is all wrong, and the look is just…well, Elvis was one of if not the best looking man of his century and Michael Shannon is not. He suffers especially when put up against Spacey’s uncanny Nixon.
Despite that glaring flaw, Elvis and Nixon is a good view for Memphis audiences and Elvis fans. It’s understatedly, and sometimes surreally, funny, and Johnson has some genuine insights on the isolating nature of fame. But the definitive film document of Elvis remains to be made.
Michael Donahue 
Alex Greene 
