Blue Hawaii - Elvis

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 10 May 2005 5:47 am

Musta been an Elvis festival. I watched Jailhouse Rock, the only decent one of the bunch, with what appeared to be real session players. triple scale, I'm sure.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 10 May 2005 9:23 am

I didn't like Elvis in his "young" years, because he ended my occupation of playing a steel guitar, but just when he was maturing and doing stuff that I really liked, he killed himself.

.....but I am really offended by the above post that implied that Elvis denied "kissing" a polynesion girl because of prejudice. This "race" card has been overused with OJ and should end!

How long will those advocates of past events be happy with merging them with current events?
www.genejones.com

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 10 May 2005 9:51 am

Gene... race card, What???

Come on you have to admit there was major prejudice against anything inter-racial in the entertainment world. Especially if it involved romance or sex. Sure, you could have buddies or sidekicks who were of a different race, but romance... I don't think so!

Elvis could not kiss a non-white woman in any of his movies unless she was under the age of 5 or over the age of 80 and even then it was just an innocent peck on the cheek. I doubt anyone could argue with me on that one.

My God, back then film and TV were so wierd that the first married couple to ever share a single bed on film were Fred and Wilma Flintsone, and they were both white! (or Cromagnon

).

Benny Goodman got major crap for having an inter-racial band. Jackie Robinson was constantly hasseled for playing baseball. Billie Holiday had to stay at different hotels than the white bands that backed her up.

I still don't understand your "playing the race card comment".

Forget the race card, you should get mad over the film producers allowing Elvis to throw a woman over his knee and give her the spanking she deserved (and wanted ). My wife and I watched that scene and both of our mouths fell open!

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association
[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 10 May 2005 at 11:25 AM.]

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 10 May 2005 9:53 am

Gene I went back and re-read that.
I don't see that what is being said implys racism on Elvis's part.

I read it to mean that "Somebody in the movie production chain",
thought it might be too touchy and nixed it.

That sounds like a Studio hack or Col Tom...
but not Elvis himself...certainly not.

I do still think at that time in american movie history,
that they were still too paranoid in mainstream teenage market
film productions, and others,
to cross percieved racial barriors very much.

So too risque maybe, but Elvis WAS risque, he built his early career on that..
But a SAFE risqueonward from the time after he was taken over by "manegement."

Col Tom re-molded Elvis into every mothers acceptable choice for her daughter.
Yes maybe a little wild... but not too wild to bring home to mom...

Yes a rebel, who still has wholesome values in the end.
Exciting for the kids, and nothing to scare the conservative parents too much.

Elivis's movie career was nothing if not safe.

<
[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 10 May 2005 at 01:43 PM.]

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 10 May 2005 12:48 pm

throw a woman over his knee and give her the spanking she deserved

Maybe it appears that way to the untrained eye, but I see 5 women in that Elvis photo that require spanking. And, no racism here, I'm an equal opportunity spanker!!

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 10 May 2005 1:13 pm

monkeys too?

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 10 May 2005 2:39 pm

Gerald, I really didn't intend for my comment to sound so personal but I can see that it did and you have my apology.

.....my change of heart may be because I just remembered his portrayal of a native american in another Elvis movie.

www.genejones.com [This message was edited by Gene Jones on 10 May 2005 at 03:40 PM.]

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 10 May 2005 3:37 pm

and who can forget the wonderful movie where Elvis portrayed a Rabbi....."Jailhouse Schlock".....he spanked a ham in that one....

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 10 May 2005 3:59 pm

No prob, Gene.

Native American Elvis? Which movie was that?
Was Floyd the barber in that one?

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

Craig Prior · Post by **Craig Prior** » 10 May 2005 8:21 pm

"Most of the dancehall or indoor scenes would be done in LA stages anyway.
They would have a 2nd unit shoot some stuff in Hawaii hit and run,
and then most would be done back home cheaper."

Yeah, and every now and then Diamondhead would look suspiciously like Griffith Park.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 10 May 2005 10:42 pm

Gerald, Elvis actually played a part of a native American twice, in Flaming Star and in Stay Away Joe. He probably went through a largest selection of occupations than any movie star ever; including a doctor, a scuba diver, an outlaw, a tourist guide, a GI, a race car driver, a pilot, a boxer, a singer ( what the heck!!!??? ) and so on...

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 11 May 2005 6:34 am

First televised interracial kiss: James T. Kirk and Lt. Uhura (sp?) on Star Trek! Of course 'evil aliens' forced them to...

King Creole was a pretty good 'serious' Elvis flick. I also like Spinout, as cinema it's the equivilent of a Monkees episode but I love Shelby Cobras. Here's the one I'm building.

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Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 11 May 2005 10:11 am

Howard Tate, please clue me in about this Strat playin' guy,
JIMMIE HENDICKS...?

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 11 May 2005 2:40 pm

Ok, so I have a serious thought here.

Hawaiian music was the rage for a long time, as was te steel guitar, first acoustic then electric.

Martin Denny, who recently passed away, was the creator of "Exotica". This was music that borrowed from many sounds and elements of music from various exotic cultures. I think this became the ambiguous "island sound" which could be substituted for Hawaiian, Polynesian, Carribean, and other south pacific islands.

Exotica had no steel guitar. Piano, vibes, and various percussion was the mainstay. Maybe this is why there were bongos and steel drums in the Elvis movie, and maybe that was the reason for this kind of perception. I think steel would have been a natural in Exotica.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 11 May 2005 3:13 pm

Anybody watching the current network miniseries Elvis docudrama? The 2nd episode is tonight. The Irish kid playing Elvis is really good at it, even down to the lip curl. I saw him in an interview, and he normally spoke with a fairly heavy Irish accent, but could slip into Elvisese at a moment's notice. Amazing.

As a graduate of Tupelo High School I can't help but watch all the Elvis stuff, even the really bad stuff like Blue Hawaii. I agree that Jail House Rock and King Creole were two of the better movies. I love the early stuff. After Elvis went into the army, Pat Boone, Fabian, etc. took over "rock'n'roll" and it was never the same, until the Stones and the Beatles gave it back to us.

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 11 May 2005 3:46 pm

Oh come on Howard, it's more fun to poke fun at Elvis and feel superior to him than it is to come up with logical explanations.

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 11 May 2005 5:52 pm

Sorry Gerald, you're right. What was I thinking?

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 11 May 2005 10:42 pm

Howard.. you were thinking... HUH!
Musta been a lapse of deconcentration.

A Fabian a master of music if ever there was one.
Kookie, kookie lend me your comb.

Elvis's movie career was a hodgepodge of ideas meant to excit teenagers,
and not much more,
and a vehicle for middle of the road songs to get instant radio play.

Same theme, same general dramatic engine, and the songs and a different location, hipo new cute girl of the moment,
and a cast of B character actors and TV actors movin'up.

it certainly was more of a reflection of the innocence of the culture at the time ,
than they probably realized.
No need to be cool with the story or the scenario, Elvis is cool and can carry the load,

Not sure why there wasn't more Elvis in Peggy Sue Gets Married, it sure would have fit.

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 12 May 2005 3:49 am

All sound tracks are pre recorded

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 12 May 2005 5:44 am

Hindrix, Hendicks, Smindrex, guess I could look up the correct spelling, if I cared. But I don't. Nyah!!

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Paul Honeycutt · Post by **Paul Honeycutt** » 12 May 2005 8:29 am

I want to know how Elvis could be alone with the girl and start singing to her with an acoustic guitar and it sounded like an orchestra. Were we hearing the song of love in the young girl's heart?

I like Viva Las Vegas because Ann Margret was in it. Don't you think she looked a lot like Nichole Kidman?

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 12 May 2005 8:42 am

Movie musicals as an article of faith
requier a total suspenion of disbelief.

But some times the producers push even that concept too far...

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 12 May 2005 10:46 am

HT, that shoe leather must be delicious!

Kay Das · Post by **Kay Das** » 13 May 2005 1:11 pm

Amused to read an article in Newsweek recently when the Hawaii Music Awards were included in the Grammy Awards. Hawaiian music was introduced to its readers by referring to Elvis and Blue Hawaii..

We have a long way to go...

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kay

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 13 May 2005 3:51 pm

The commercial mentality AND SUCCESS behind such things as Blue Hawaii ...played a BIG part in motivating so many people that wanted to preserve real Hawaii, to outright and demonstrably reject & fight "anything" commercially Haole in the 1970's > 1980's ...including the Steel Guitar. There was and still is a VERY real danger of neo-con mentalities that want to exploit Hawaii for commercial gain, all too often at "ANY" expense. Hawaii, our country and the planet will evolve in the manners we $$$$$ feed it and how independently / intelligently thoughtful (not apathetically / acquiescently / conveniently) we are in doing so.

Money as a transferable receipt for work is a good thing; But the money socio-political "machinery" has become a cancer to our social / political Being, ...eating it up at an exponentially growing rate. Rejecting such things noticed and mentioned in this discussion chain about B.H.... was / is intelligent, moral, socially therapeudic and even Patriotic; And needed today more than "ever" ...IMHO. Otherwise our Children's experiences in Hawaii 20 years from now will be rather like visiting Hong Kong.

Blah blah blah..............

.......

Aloha,
DT~
[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 19 May 2005 at 05:14 AM.]