I just posted this story on my Amazon blog, but I thought that you folks migh enjoy it, too:
As those of you who have read
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD: From the Secret Files of Harry Pennypacker know, my book contains a chapter about Elvis Presley.
However, what you probably
don't know is that I had an encounter with Elvis way back when I was in college.
My "professional" motion picture career began in 1962, during the summer between my junior and senior years at the University of Washington.
That was the summer of the Seattle World's Fair; the year that Elvis Presley came to town to make a movie.
Elvis and company spent about three weeks in Seattle, filming scenes on and around the Space Needle and other key fairground sites. Extras were being hired locally, so one morning, having nothing better to do, I went down to the location, applied...and was immediately hired.
Hot digity! I was going to be in a movie...produced by MGM, the one-time home of Gable, Garbo, Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, Lassie, Tarzan, The Marx Brothers and all the other film icons I worshipped.
Me and Elvis! Immortalized on screen together!
Okay, wait. Don’t worry. I’m kidding.
I was never that big of a putz.
Even back then, I knew enough about movies to know what it was like to work as an extra.
I knew that I wouldn't get billing over Elvis. Seriously though, I didn't really care about the ten dollars and the box lunch I was getting for the day. All I wanted out of this experience was, when the movie was finally released, to be able to see myself up on the big screen.
Easier said than done.
I was astute enough to know that, if I was going to accomplish my goal, I would have to stick close to Elvis. After all, the camera would be following him...not the extras.
The 3rd assistant director, who was in charge of the extras, certainly wasn't any help. He kept placing me way in the background, so that in the final film, I would appear as just another "human ant".
Luckily, this guy didn't hang around after he'd positioned us. He went off and took care his other duties...and I put my plan into motion.
While the director and crew were setting up the rest of the shot, I started working my way up to the front of the crowd...right behind where the main action of the scene was to take place.
I did this all day. Nobody noticed. In fact, at one point, I got to stand right next to Elvis himself and we were having a nice friendly chat...until Colonel Parker, his manager, noticed that a "lowly extra" was talking to "His Highness," and told the assistant director to tell me to stop bothering Mr. Presley.
The a.d. looked at me for a moment, and said,
"Don't I know you?" "I don't think so," I said, trying to look totally innocent.
"Look, kid," the guy said with a wink,
"I know what you’re doing. Just be a bit cooler about it." Then, he walked off.
Did I accomplish my goal?
Did Elvis have a pair of "Blue Suede Shoes"?
Of course, I did.
The name of the movie is
IT HAPPENED AT THE WORLD'S FAIR, and if you ever catch it on television or DVD, look for the scene where Elvis asks the little boy (Kurt Russell, by the way) to kick him in the shins.
During that brief moment, a 21-year old version of me walks behind them...twice.
I just had to take an encore.
