Here’s Marlyn Mason and Elvis Presley, in an off moment during the filming of 1969’s The Trouble with Girls (in which Elvis actually plays a kind of secondary part. Amazing!) She appears to be holding up a pumpkin version of Elvis himself, complete with gorgeous sideburns. I love the movie because it harkens back to the old Chataqua Circuit, something Elvis would have known well, or at least partially, in the revival-atmosphere and traveling shows of his youth. Here, he’s a maestro, in a white suit, chomping on a long cigar. It’s Elvis in 1969. His physical peak, when he was the most gorgeous in the most absolutely otherworldly way. Marlyn Mason plays Charlene, a woman who has a long history with Elvis’ character, and is pissed off at him when the movie starts and so they have one great scene (and one funny duet) when all that seething hostility (indistinguishable from lust) sparks between them. Elvis also gets to sing a real gospel number in it, one of his favorites, “Swing Low”, and you can see it bring him to another place, that special place he goes when he sings gospel. One of my favorite moments in all of Elvis’ movies. Dabney Coleman is in the movie too. Naturally, he does not play a sympathetic character. Coleman had nothing but nice things to say about working with Elvis. (Not a shock. Out of the HUNDREDS of people who worked on films with Elvis in the 1950s and 60s, only one or two had anything even slightly dismissive to say about him. He was loved as a person. He was nice to everyone. Not just because he didn’t want to bring shame on his dead mother who taught him to be polite and courteous to everyone – although that was part of it – but that he genuinely was a team player and interested in people.)
This pumpkin-infused photo (which I had never seen before!!) was sent to me by my good friend Greg, in honor of Halloween. My (very) tentative plans for 2016 include another trip to Memphis (perhaps for an extended period, a couple of months, at least that’s the goal) as well as a (briefer) trip to Tehran. Been to Memphis a couple of times. Never been to Iran, but have always wanted to go, and of course it’s nearly impossible for a regular American citizen to just up and go to Iran, outside a tour group, or unless you have family/a job there/official permission. But I have found a (possible) way. Talked to a guy at a party in Brooklyn last week, he has been to Iran many times, I picked his brain, and he launched me on my way, encouragingly. Both trips are in the “hmm, how will I make this happen” phase, and but in general, that’s how you start to get shit done. Say “I want this” and then back into it. All of it circles around work, of course, and that’s a good way to start to make things happen. Not dreaming of a vacation (which I can’t afford, never can, I never go on vacation outside of the week at the lake with my family) so much as creating an opportunity. So wish me luck and put it into the universe that 2016 will feature numerous Sheila Selfies 1. in front of Graceland or in front of the Hotel Chisca or on Beale Street or down in Biloxi which is one of the local-ish road-trips I want to take and 2. in a taxi cab or in front of a movie theatre or going to get some lunch in Tehran, wearing sunglasses and a scarf around my head. Now that would be a hell of a year.
Happy Halloween from the Great Pumpkin with the Spectacular Sideburns and the White Shoes. Oh, and from me too. Plus my ghost-brother.
Two awesome photos, and two awesome goals for 2016! The Memphis Months as a chapter heading in your eventual auto/biography — you can totally do it!
I am not sure how interesting my autobiography would be! Ha! But yeah, I find Memphis relaxing – especially off-season – and I always get a lot of work done there. I think it’d be a great place for a writer’s retreat (seeing as the Men of Letters bunker in Kansas is not available currently) … so yeah, I am trying to figure out how to make that happen!
And Tehran is such a long shot. But it doesn’t hurt to try!!
Fingers crossed, and thank you!
My Autobiography:
Chapter 1: First obsession, age 5: Kimba the White Lion
Chapter 2: Second obsession, age 10-12: Annie, Oliver Twist, Anne of Green Gables. I call this “the orphan phase”)
Chapter 3. Third obsession 12-13: Ralph Macchio
You know … this is how I mark the chapters of my life. “Oh yeah, that was when I was really really into Dean Stockwell/Cary Grant/Sylvia Plath” etc.
That is an excellent way to mark the chapters. And such good chapter markers, Anne of Green Gables, Cary Grant, Sylvia Plath. Don’t think mine would be quite so classy.
Don’t think mine would be quite so classy.
WHY DID I READ SO MUCH BABYSITTER’S CLUB? Even now I don’t know. That would be a short chapter.
Ralph Macchio though … not QUITE so classy, but equally important!!
Plus Bugsy Malone. That should be a sub-head.
I’ve been wishing for 15 years or so that Tehran could be a chapter too. But it was a pipe-dream sort of chapter. Get me there, powers-that-be, I know you can do it.
By the power of Ralph Macchio, let it happen.
Sorry, love that photo of you and your brother but my first reaction is always, ‘what a cute little nun’ then oops, I see it’s a ghost.
hahahahahahahaha
He does look like a nun! He also has no idea what is going on and it’s so so funny to me.
We are both wearing Irish-knit sweaters made by my mother. Seeing his Irish-knit arms emerging from beneath his ghost-veil is also so so funny to me.
His expression is so cute, totally like ‘ um, why am I wearing a pillow case?’
“Oh … so … this is what we’re doing today? … Why is this now?”
He and his new son (a year and a half old) dressed up as Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat this year. These photos are some of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in my life.
And my baby nephew, in his furry monkey costume holding a banana, has a similar expression that his father does here. “What is going on today? Is this a thing now? Why is my dad in a huge yellow suit with a huge yellow hat? Should I question any of this?”
Hahaha – like father, like son!
Great find on the Elvis photo. I’ve never seen that one, either. Definitely one of my favorites of his movies, too.
May the Opportunities be with you!
Isn’t that picture so funny! Look at the sideburns on 1. Elvis 2. Pumpkin.
So funny!!
Thanks, Troy!