ZOOM- Elvis in Hollywood

This program will also be streamed to our Kingsley Room. Register here if you want to watch it at the library.

From 1956 to 1969, Elvis Presley made 31 films, playing the above-the-title star in all but one. That’s an extraordinary achievement and it helped make him one of the wealthiest performers in Hollywood as a result. But unfortunately, Elvis’ dream of being taken seriously as an actor and becoming a true movie star was never fulfilled, thanks to the almost insatiable greed and crass commercial instincts of his manager, Col. Tom Parker. Join us as we examine the ups and downs of Presley’s Hollywood career, which started off with such promise in films like KING CREOLE and JAILHOUSE ROCK, but would ultimately conclude with dozens of cheap, mediocre movies like HARUM SCARUM and PARADISE HAWAIIAN STYLE that dimmed his creativity and his reputation during the 1960s. We’ll also look at some of his movie musical highlights, including “Love Me Tender,” “Return to Sender,” and “Viva Las Vegas.”

Brian Rose is a professor emeritus at Fordham University. He’s written several books on television history and cultural programming, and conducted more than a hundred Q&A’s with leading directors, actors, and writers for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Directors Guild of America.

Like all Southbury Public Library programs, this event is free to attend and open to anyone regardless of town of residency. Registration is required. This program is sponsored by the Charles H. and Ella Emery Rutledge Fund. For more information about this program, please email Rebecca at rrandall@biblio.org or call the reference desk at 203-262-0626 ext 130.