October 13 - Douglas Laurence Died

Douglas Laurence, a onetime director of entertainment at the famed Flamingo Hotel hotspot in Las Vegas who produced "Speedway" and two other Elvis Presley films, has died. He was 93. In addition to Speedway, which showcased Presley as a stock car driver beset with tax problems, Laurence produced "Stay Away, Joe" (with Elvis playing a half-breed named Joe Lightcloud) and "Live a Little, Love a Little" (with the King as a photographer forced to work two jobs to pay back a debt to a lovely lady). All played in theaters in 1968; Presley would do just three more films after these.

On the set of Speedway, Elvis announced that his wife Priscilla was pregnant with daughter Lisa Marie. And "Live a Little, Love a Little" was notable in that it was the last of some 100 features directed by Oscar winner and frequent Elvis collaborator Norman Taurog.

Pfeil tells The Hollywood Reporter that her father often remarked that he found Presley “surprisingly polite and humble, given his phenomenal success and fame." During one hiatus between movies, Elvis visited the Laurence home and played their piano, which the family still owns. “We can't bring ourselves to sell or give it away,” she said.

100 Portraits Of The King

The book "100 Portraits Of The King" by Michael Anger was released by epubli GmbH. in Germany.


(Source: ElvisMatters / The King's World)