We experienced music in the same visceral way. Music ignited a fiery pent-up passion inside Elvis and inside me. It was an odd, embarrassing, funny, inspiring, and wonderful sensation. We looked at each other move and saw virtual mirror images. When Elvis thrust his pelvis, mine slammed forward too. When his shoulder dropped, I was down there with him. When he whirled, I was already on my heel.
--Ann-Margret
Elvis Presley confided in me soon after he did Viva Las Vegas with Ann-Margret that he was considering marrying her. I'm not implying that anything untoward ever occurred between them, but they had marvelous chemistry. But soon after that, I think he might have had it read to him from a review, he heard Ann-Margret described as "a female Elvis," and Elvis reacted negatively. To his mind, it was vaguely homosexual! Whether that's what cooled his feelings for Ann-Margret or not, I don't know.
--Bobby Darin
Hi, Kirk!
ReplyDeleteHappy 83rd birthday to the vivacious Ann-Margret! It must have felt dang good when the ripe redhead bounced off Elvis at the end of that song and dance routine. Thanks for providing tidbits and quotes about their uncanny chemistry. When they danced together, they certainly did appear to be puppets on the same string.
News flash: Elvis the Pelvis has left the building and is no longer with us. Bobby Darin is also long gone, and since I was here last, our buddy The Reaper came for The Juice. Time marches on.
I will officially return to the blog scene Tuesday with a new post and hope you can join the fun. Have a great Sunday. good buddy Kirk!
Shady, seeing as I haven't murdered anybody, I would not characterize the Reaper as my "buddy".
DeleteSee you on Tuesday.
Elvis had weird, messed up reactions to women, so it wouldn't surprise me if that's what turned him off Ann-Margret.
ReplyDeleteDebra, I got the Bobby Darin quote from a 1994 book by Boze Hadleigh titled Hollywood Babble On, which has celebrities gossiping about other celebrities. I'm afraid I haven't been able to track down where Hadleigh may have gotten the quote. It's sure not on the internet (well, until now it wasn't.) Nevertheless, it has the ring of truth about it. While most other sources agree that Elvis and Ann-Margret did indeed have an affair (despite him already being involved with Priscilla at that point,) that affair was constrained over Elvis' concerns over how much screen time his costar was getting. Ann-Margret had two solo numbers in Viva Las Vegas, a first for Elvis. Last, too, as he and Colonel Parker made sure THAT never happened again. And you're right, Elvis did have a lot of weird, messed up reactions to women, reactions that long outlasted his relationship with Ann-Margret.
DeleteAfter the end of the video another one popped up. An SNL skit about AM. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm8r8FAQFXs
ReplyDeleteMike, it would seem Viva Las Vegas inspired that SNL skit.
DeleteOoh, this is news to me. I mean I don't really follow celebrities especially those that are not of my generation but Elvis is famous but I only heard of Priscilla.
ReplyDeleteWell, Lux, Priscilla is the one Elvis married, but they were divorced by the time he died. Following the deaths of Elvis' father and grandmother, Lisa Marie inherited everything, but because she was a minor, Priscilla, per Vernon Presley's instructions, became the executor of the estate of the estate until Lisa Marie was old enough, and by all accounts did a pretty good job. It was Priscilla's idea to turn Graceland into a tourist attraction after taxes began eating away at Lisa Marie's inheritance.
DeleteElvis had other well-known leading ladies, including Nancy Sinatra and Mary Tyler Moore, but Ann-Margret was the one to which with he had the most chemistry, as I hope that video makes clear. That there was some sort of relationship that went beyond appearing together in a movie--which could have been anything from a one-night stand to Elvis flipping a coin and saying "Heads Ann-Margret, tails Priscilla--makes Viva Las Vegas, Elvis' best musical (despite a half-baked storyline), even more tantalizing. Watch it if you get the chance.