Visual biographer Paul Bélard takes us back to two periods in Elvis history with his books ‘Elvis January 6, 1957 - The Third Ed Sullivan Show’ and ‘Elvis March 14 to 31, 1958’. Although just 14 months apart, they present us two important phases in Elvis career.
Design
Both paperback books are around 200 pages, primarily filled with photographs (some colorized, some screengrabs) with additional texts explaining the events we see and several old newspaper and magazine content. Bélard chooses to add all the photos he has for a certain event or date. This means that next to images we already know, we also get many additional ones we’re not that familiar with.
The images are primarily sourced from the world wide web and vary In quality. This is in part due to the day-by-day format Bélard uses, the images have to fit the date at hand. As the author choose to do a 200-page book, we get a lot of full-page images, which doesn’t always work with the quality of the source-material.
I would present the photos and other illustrations on a smaller size. By stretching the period the book covers, the author can continue the format and sizes of his book series.
Content - Elvis January 6, 1957
The book focusses on January 6th 1957, a busy day for Elvis and pretty much everything he did that day is well known to fans. Some events still resonate today.
First on the agenda were photoshoots for the March of Dimes campaign with Joanne Wilson, New York City’s March of Dimes Poster Girl of 1956, followed by a spot for the Cancer Society.
After that we get to the main subject of the book, his third and final appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. For this final appearance Elvis was only shown “from the waist up” for his performances of ‘Hound Dog’, ‘Don’t Be Cruel’, ‘Too Much’ and ‘When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again’. The only exception was made for ‘Peace in the Valley’.
Sullivan described the censorship as a compromise to keep Presley’s young fans happy, while appeasing the parents and clergymen who labeled Presley’s dance movements as “unfavorable”, to put it mildly. But the result of this compromise was that it actually boosted Elvis’ cool, dangerous, rebellious - truly, a rock ‘n’ roll - reputation.66 years later, we’re still talking about that rebellious Elvis’ on the Ed Sullivan Show.
What also still resonates today is Russia’s aggression in Eastern Europe. During the show Ed Sullivan requested on Elvis’ behalf that the audience send donations to ease the plight of the thousands of Hungarians fleeing the Soviet Union invasion of their country.
Design
Both paperback books are around 200 pages, primarily filled with photographs (some colorized, some screengrabs) with additional texts explaining the events we see and several old newspaper and magazine content. Bélard chooses to add all the photos he has for a certain event or date. This means that next to images we already know, we also get many additional ones we’re not that familiar with.
I would present the photos and other illustrations on a smaller size. By stretching the period the book covers, the author can continue the format and sizes of his book series.
Content - Elvis January 6, 1957
First on the agenda were photoshoots for the March of Dimes campaign with Joanne Wilson, New York City’s March of Dimes Poster Girl of 1956, followed by a spot for the Cancer Society.
After that we get to the main subject of the book, his third and final appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. For this final appearance Elvis was only shown “from the waist up” for his performances of ‘Hound Dog’, ‘Don’t Be Cruel’, ‘Too Much’ and ‘When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again’. The only exception was made for ‘Peace in the Valley’.
Sullivan described the censorship as a compromise to keep Presley’s young fans happy, while appeasing the parents and clergymen who labeled Presley’s dance movements as “unfavorable”, to put it mildly. But the result of this compromise was that it actually boosted Elvis’ cool, dangerous, rebellious - truly, a rock ‘n’ roll - reputation.66 years later, we’re still talking about that rebellious Elvis’ on the Ed Sullivan Show.
By the end of 1957, some US$6 million had been raised and sent to the International Red Cross in Geneva. Unfortunately not everything changes …
Closing the show Sullivan complimented Elvis. Even if he had filmed him “from the waist up”, this endorsement was important for Elvis as it made him (more) acceptable for parents who were worried of his influence on their kids. Elvis’ final performance on The Ed Sullivan Show was a last stepping stone on The King’s path to worldwide fame.
This book by Paul Bélard captures it all in pictures, text and relevant newspaper and magazine clippings. Another complete time-capsule.
Content - Elvis March 14 to 31, 1958
Where the previous book brought is the launch of Elvis career, the book ‘Elvis March 14 to 31, 1958’ covers the “hand-brake” halting that rocket on his way to “where no pop star had gone before”, with his induction into the U.S. Army on March 24, 1958.
The book takes us through the days before his induction and the induction itself before Elvis was send to Fort Hood, to serve with the Second Armored Division “Hell on Wheels”.
We see Elvis riding on his motorcycle around Memphis, spending time with his girlfriend Anita Wood - they surely were a good looking couple, what if … - and saying goodbye to friends and fans. Especially for his mother Gladys, these were very sad days, she had to say goodbye to her only son.
In between the pictures Bélard makes some interesting observations for the reader. He noted: “Elvis becoming the most famous Private of the United States Army was anything but a private affair. Cameramen, photographers, and reporters followed every phase of his processing. So many pictures were taken during those days that, put all together frame by frame, one could follow Elvis’ progress almost by the minute.
Closing the show Sullivan complimented Elvis. Even if he had filmed him “from the waist up”, this endorsement was important for Elvis as it made him (more) acceptable for parents who were worried of his influence on their kids. Elvis’ final performance on The Ed Sullivan Show was a last stepping stone on The King’s path to worldwide fame.
This book by Paul Bélard captures it all in pictures, text and relevant newspaper and magazine clippings. Another complete time-capsule.
Content - Elvis March 14 to 31, 1958
The book takes us through the days before his induction and the induction itself before Elvis was send to Fort Hood, to serve with the Second Armored Division “Hell on Wheels”.
We see Elvis riding on his motorcycle around Memphis, spending time with his girlfriend Anita Wood - they surely were a good looking couple, what if … - and saying goodbye to friends and fans. Especially for his mother Gladys, these were very sad days, she had to say goodbye to her only son.
Another inescapable characteristic of these pictures is that Elvis rarely smiles. When he occasionally does, the smile is understandably bitter sweet.”
It is funny to see Elvis shaking hands with Sergeant Walter Alden, the father of his last girlfriend Ginger Alden. Elvis is sworn in by Major Elbert P. Turner before he and the other recruits leave on a bus headed for Fort Chaffee, Arkansas.
“I, Elvis Presley, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to all regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So, help me God.”
“Congratulations, you are now in the Army. You are all Privates. That’ is the way you will be addressed from now on. Private Presley, you will be in charge of the group.”
Here Elvis no longer belongs to his family and friends, the U.S. Army owns him now; a fresh haircut - one that made headlines around the world - confirmed this. On their way some last fans get to say goodbye to Elvis during a stopover.
It is amazing to see how many pictures Bélard found and put at the right spot on the Elvis time-line. And although some of them are just snapshots by fans and journalists following every step the new G.I. makes, some are simply gorgeous!
Conclusion
Paul Bélard published two new interesting books, illustrating the Elvis Presley time-line yet again in more detail. These books can’t be compared to the books put out by Erik Lorenzen, Pal Granlund or the late Ger Rijff, but they sell between US$50-60, sometimes less with discount on Amazon, and they fill a gap in the Elvis library documenting Elvis Presley’s history day-by-day, month-by-month and year-by-year.
The books are available on Amazon. For a signed and numbered copy, the author can be contacted at pbelard@hotmail.com
It is funny to see Elvis shaking hands with Sergeant Walter Alden, the father of his last girlfriend Ginger Alden. Elvis is sworn in by Major Elbert P. Turner before he and the other recruits leave on a bus headed for Fort Chaffee, Arkansas.
“I, Elvis Presley, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to all regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So, help me God.”
“Congratulations, you are now in the Army. You are all Privates. That’ is the way you will be addressed from now on. Private Presley, you will be in charge of the group.”
Here Elvis no longer belongs to his family and friends, the U.S. Army owns him now; a fresh haircut - one that made headlines around the world - confirmed this. On their way some last fans get to say goodbye to Elvis during a stopover.
Conclusion
Paul Bélard published two new interesting books, illustrating the Elvis Presley time-line yet again in more detail. These books can’t be compared to the books put out by Erik Lorenzen, Pal Granlund or the late Ger Rijff, but they sell between US$50-60, sometimes less with discount on Amazon, and they fill a gap in the Elvis library documenting Elvis Presley’s history day-by-day, month-by-month and year-by-year.
The books are available on Amazon. For a signed and numbered copy, the author can be contacted at pbelard@hotmail.com
