I think that these days these days meaning going back a couple of decades writers and performers have gotten very hip to protecting their stuff, much more so than we were. continues Hanks. How many times do you want your name on the record? He was annoyed! The Colonel wouldve made a movie like this you know, without Baz Luhrmanns ability or chops. But first we had to pass muster with the Colonel, so we were invited to dinner by the music publishers Jean and Julian Aberbach, who also were tied in with the Colonel; they had started with Eddie Arnold, too, and met through that business relationship. And that is the yin and the yang to his diabolical genius status. He was a very disciplined man, but also a guy who you might want to check your wallet to make sure you still have all those fives and 10s. The actual Parker diedJan. 21, 1997, at the age of 87. So, after a couple dozen songs together, that was it one big strike with Parker and youre out. Is the portrayal of the 68 comeback special accurate, with Parker trying desperately to keep it a Christmas special, and resisting the rock n roll throwback elements that everyone loved, because he was kowtowing to a deeply upset TV network? That was fine we took foreign nationals but he just had to swear hed become a U.S. citizen, which he never did, because he went AWOL. "They made some of the most brilliant moves in the history of show business," he reflects. He also says in the film that if he could find an act that gave the audience feelings they werent sure they should enjoy, but did, he could create the greatest show on earth. Luhrmann hasnt really given him his due by a long shot. Thats really what he was looking for all along. First of all, have you seen the Elvis movie? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member (class of 1987) told us about everything from why he never much liked Presleys version of Hound Dog Big Mama Thornton was a hard act to follow to how he realized a Broadway musical rooted in the duos songs, Smokey Joes Cafe, could be a smash if they just dispensed with a storyline and script. Do you think, based on your experiences with the Colonel, which werent great, that its easy to paint him as a villain? During the interview, Hanks talked about the way Parker was a promoter and not a manager, why Elvis never fired him, and how he prepares for a really emotional scene. It was craps, roll the dice and see what you get and just keep going.". I was a fan while my friends and peers were not. "Because I don't know what Colonel Tom Parker looks like. "But having seen the movie, I notice something profoundly different every time. 'Reconsider Baby' is one example I always remember. Tom Hanks is playing Elvis Presley manager "Colonel Tom" Parker in the upcoming Baz Luhrmann film, and to get a better idea of the infamous character, the actor had dinner with Priscilla . I Want to Be Free had a kind of special meaning, because we wanted to get out of the goddamn hotel room! We were in the studio with her for Im a Woman [later in 62], and it worked out great. No, no, not at all. Parker suffered a stroke in 1997, dying at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada after years of declining health, survived only by his second wife. But he has since recovered and apparently completed his work on the picture, Hanks told Colbert. That potential is what interests him. People are so used to hearing it within the polite context of Christmas radio that they dont think about what a down-and-dirty, raw song that is. And, yeah, she was very difficult to work with, and very wonderful. It was supposed to be a Christmas show in the sense that it would air in December, and Parker wanted it to be a family show with Elvis as a 60s-era Bing Crosby or Perry Como. But the most fun we ever had in the studio working was with the Coasters. You seem right.' He cared about the reaction of the audience. Privately, Parker referred to Elviss family as shit and rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. Related: The Darkest Moments In Oscars History. But then Colonel cheated Hank out of half of Elvis and that was that. You know, it was Big Mama Thornton married to D.W. Washburn with a son named Charlie Brown that kind of inane shoehorning of things. You had your first R&B No. He is passionate about film, comics, TV and spends way too much on collectibles. You could never have predicted the longevity of Smokey Joes Caf, surely. Read Next: Pink Performs Acoustic Set for No Kid Hungry, Talks Why Her Upcoming Arena Tour Will Feel Intimate. Then after that, you just have to have this faith in your own individual process and the power of the script. We were having brunch one day in the suite, and Jean Aberbach came in and said, Boys, where are the songs? And I think Jerry said, Dont worry, Jean, youll get em. He said, I know I will get them. What is it like for you when you are getting ready to step on set for say a big emotional scene on a Monday, can you explain to me, is it weeks in advance you're thinking about that big scene? And Cornell Gunter was either the female role or some other such role. 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'Elvis' Fact or Fiction: Colonel Tom Parker Biographer on What's Real ", "If Shakespeare was looking to take on a historical character now, you couldn't go past the idea of the Colonel and Elvis," Luhrmann adds. I always kept Elvis Presley where he was. The actor has talked about the project, what drew him to it, and how he felt about the overall story. Colonel Parker is the devil to many Elvis Presley fans. The writer explained, Once a deal is made, the studio takes complete control of a film, the Presley camp having no say so on cast, script or production costs., Colonel Parker confirmed that Elvis had no creative say in his films. ", So maybe we never win an Oscar but were going to win a few box office awards. Im working on another show right now, and I cant divulge the name of it, because the producers, when theyre ready, will want to do that. And director Baz Luhrmann has teased how fans . There were concert riots, most notably in Jacksonville, Fla., but not a concert for which Parker issued orders like that. However, it soon became obvious that Elvis had staying power, with the right guidance. Colonel Tom Parker absolutely did diabolical things. Dont worry about it. I think Jerry said, You cant, were unmanageable. Which was somewhat true. Anytime we want $75-100,000 a week.. The purpose here is not to recap the relationship between Parker and Presley. Vernon needed something to do, and he was always willing to take money under the table, and Parker saw how malleable he was, and would have suggested Vernon be the so-called business manager. They keep asking us to do more, he said. One of the first things that we saw was the kid (in the screenplay) was in prison. He was believed to have been in debt to the Las Vegas Hilton for over $30 million at one point, which led to his eviction from the property after Elvis' death. Elvis picked up an impressive seven Oscar nominations. He didnt care what color he was. And he had what sounded like a slight lisp or speech impediment. But living in a colored neighborhood, as he did, he certainly heard early R&B, jump-blues and swing tunes pulsating through the walls at the nearby juke joints, and he loved it, as he did both Black and white gospel. That changed I think as soon as they heard the initial recording. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Baz Luhrmann's musical biopic Elvis explores the eponymous singer's career, leading up to his tragic death, and one of the characters that has caused a fair amount of controversy is Elvis and the Colonel, Tom Parker. Colonel Parker Managed Elvis' Career, but Was He a Killer on the Lam? "It's possible to be driven mad by it," the actor says. COLONEL TOM PARKER - Interview on "ABC Nightline" (Aug 15, 1987) - YouTube 0:00 / 7:03 COLONEL TOM PARKER - Interview on "ABC Nightline" (Aug 15, 1987) waylonvids 20.1K subscribers Subscribe. He wanted us to write the score for it, and for us to help get Elvis to play the lead. My guess is that, if Elvis had been Black, he wouldnt have been as interested, because it would have been harder to take him to a larger audience, especially in the segregated South, which was Parkers stronghold from his days on the carnival circuit. Those guys complaining some of them are not working too good. Even if the memory of Elvis Presley were completely wiped away, like the Beatles in that Yesterday movie, this pairing would still be in the history books and collective consciousness for Stand by Me, On Broadway, There Goes My Baby, Young Blood, Kansas City, Love Potion #9, Yakety Yak, Charlie Brown, Im a Woman, Ruby Baby, Is That All There Is? and other numbers deeply embedded in pop culture from the mid-50s forward. My favorite rap was Grandmaster Flash on The Message, which goes back a whole bunch of years; thats the only one that I was really taken with. The pattern that Parker would traditionally follow was affordability and profit over quality, which would eventually help to torpedo Elvis' career for a time. You and Jerry started producing more things that you didnt write, including some rock albums of the 70s that people dont associate with you because they arent the old-school Leiber-Stoller sound like Stealers Wheel and Stuck in the Middle With You.. The actor has proven time and again that he's up to the challenge of playing a real-world personality and the role of Elvis and the Colonel is no different. He would sniff out talent and attempt to milk them for all they were worth, including Elvis, whom he initially saw as an act that wouldn't last more than a few years. In 1983, he was paid $2 million dollars in an out-of-court settlement, which had him turn over any and all audio and video recordings he had of Elvis and terminated his involvement in any Elvis-related earnings for five years. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action, Baz Luhrmann clarifies not casting Harry Styles as Elvis, hopes to work with him in the future. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. Elvis loved it because it was typical of blues, of rhythm and blues songs of that period, or even an earlier period. Other than the tremendous pains Baz has taken to make this story seem woke, the liberties are essentially fair except to Parker. 'Elvis' Fact or Fiction: Colonel Tom Parker Biographer on What's Real Why AI Has Some Viewers Asking Which Film Actors Are Real. We went back to my house and, in about 10 or 15 minutes, we wrote Hound Dog and took it back.