The Crowd Roars (1932)
Viva Las Vegas (1964)
Joan Blondell – whose legs we see in the first grab – lived long enough to appear – very entertainingly – in an Elvis movie (Stay Away Joe, 1968). She and Elvis have a great scene together!
This is how my mind works. It’s a Venn diagram of meaningless connections criss-crossing the centuries. Everything reminds me of something else and Elvis is everywhere.
Speaking of Elvis, I’ve been wondering if you’re familiar with the Golden Gate Quartet. I grew up listening to my grandfather’s old records and just found out that Elvis was a huge fan. They were the first Black group to sing at Constitution Hall in D.C. (Roosevelt’s inauguration); disappointed that this did not herald a new era in racial equality, they ended up in France for, I think, the remainder of their time. There were personnel changes over the years–for my money their best stuff is the old stuff. My favorites include “Run On” and “Job” from, I think, the 30s. (“Stalin Wasn’t Stallin'”!) Anyway, you probably know all this–I’m posting here just in case. They were great.
Sorry, by “Run On” I meant “God’s Gonna Cut ’em Down”
I LOVE “Run On”. Elvis did that one with The Stamps and it’s one of my favorites of his gospel tunes.
I do know the Golden Gate Quartet!! But I don’t know much about them.
“Stalin Wasn’t Stalin” – ???? Okay I HAVE to check that one out.
Yes! Also, if you listen to the GGQ original Run On/Cut ‘Em Down you hear that Elvis’s arrangement is an exact replica. Which shows excellent taste. (Such a great song. Long-tongue liar.)