Parker returned to the carnival (one not-too-dissimilar to the 1950s carnival in American Horror Story thanks to the setting), where he made his living for a time before getting involved in music promotion, working with the likes of Gene Austin, Minnie Pearl, Eddy Arnold, and Hank Snow. He dreamt of donning the same suit that B.B King wore, one day. Parker entered the country illegally and never took any steps to correct his status despite the fact that it would have been relatively easy to do so. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Elvis' movie fact check: What's true, what's fiction in new biopic? Elvis' manager was obsessed with money and reveled in the sheer amount of it he could extract from his only client's enormous success. In particular, Hanks was looking forward to taking part in a fresh look at the story, as the tale of Elvis is well-known enough to garner fatigue. Sun Records, a label owned by Sam Philips, had signed this brooding musician. "That didnt come out in this country until 1981.". One reason Parker needed all that money was his gambling and as theDailyExpressreports, he may have contributed to Presley's early death by pushing the singer to perform two shows a night, seven days a week, for his Las Vegas residencies in order to keep the cash coming. Business as usual. I had a different layer of expectations," the actor said. Parker was an avid gambler, which is believed to have been the source of many of his "fast money" dealings with Austin Butler's Elvis. Their original contract gave Parker an unheard-of 25 percent of Presley's earnings and he was eventually getting anastounding 50 percent. The Colonel's Greed Killed Elvis He discovered Presley through the recommendation of Oscar Davis, who worked for Mr. Parker. Meet Colonel Tom Parker, a complex man who was not all bad but certainly not all good. 'Elvis' movie fact check: What's true, what's fiction in new biopic? Did JMS Leader Jung Myung Seok Abuse Maple And Other Foreign Nationals? Parker quickly set out to turn Presley into more than just a successful musician. The girls started howling and shouting, as if they couldnt control their excitement. Parker sent Elvis all over the United States, but he would never let him out of North America, leaving Canada as the only other nation to host The King in his long career. The Presley estate sued Parker for fraud in 1981, specifically over the deals he had with RCA in addition to his contract with Presley which, needless to say, amounted to a conflict of interest. Col. Parker also arranged Presley's early television appearances, including three on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1956 and 1957 that helped catapult the young singer to national stardom. 'I couldn't be an imposter': How Austin Butler vanished into the role of Elvis Presley. Court records show that Parker represented Elvis in return for an unheard-of 50 percent of . In 1953, Mr. Arnold fired him, and Mr. Parker went on to start his own promotion company and to manage the singer Hank Snow. Known for his keen promotion and merchandising savvy, Parker, or "the Snowman," would help to make Elvis a household name, putting the singer on everything from lunch boxes to board games to trading cards and beyond. The next morning he died from complications of the stroke at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 87. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Colonel travelled to Memphis for the funeral, where he turned up dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap, and smoked his trademark cigar. He was 87 years old. Theres no one, including his father, who could have pulled that off., By the time Elvis was trying to get help for his addictions, his ex-wife was no longer in his life on a daily basis. Col. Parker was 300 pounds, enjoyed smoking Cuban cigars and was said to have been lacking in social graces -- he wore walking shorts, a colorful shirt and a baseball cap to Presley's funeral. All in all, the manager was known for some appalling behavior towards his star client, and Elvis tries its best to portray that accurately. Dutch entertainment impresario (1909-1997), American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter (19252015), Australian writer, director, and producer, just how much of Elvis really happened to Elvis Presley, The only child of Elvisdies at 54 after a brief hospitalization, How Austin Butler vanished into the role of Elvis Presley, Austin Butler rules as the King, butBaz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' is an unchained mess of a movie, Tom Hanks changed his mind about his favorite Elvis song, His acting lessons began when Tom Hanks delivered a typewriter to his door. According to The Washington Post, Parker turned down offers for Presley to star in several films that went on to be huge hits and establish their stars as legitimate actors. He then did the unthinkable, convincing Elvis' father, Vernon, to sign over control of Elvis' movie and singing "career" to him. The biopic first released in theaters on June 24th, 2022, with Baz Luhrmann's glittering tale of the fallen king managing to wrest the top spot at the box office away from Top Gun: Maverick. Elena Eremina Hi there! Parker became known as a shrewd, showy, and manipulative businessman who was able to work out lucrative deals at minimal overhead while making sure his pockets were lined healthily along the way. From director Baz Luhrmanns research in Memphis and Elvis birthplace ofTupelo, Mississippi, to scores of well-researched biographies, there is laudable accuracy to the film, which is streaming and on demand now (HBO Max,Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play and other platforms). This is because Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker, had previously arranged a deal to sell those to RCA for $5.4 million, out of which only $1.35 million went to Elvis after Parker's 50% fee and income taxes. Nash says Powell told her that he and Presleywere out in a field in the woods in Germany, and he just looked like every other pimple-faced (soldier), doing what other soldiers were doing and trying to get along. Nor did he ever suggest onstage that he knew of the colonels immigration issues. Parker briefly managed another country star, Hank Snow, before meeting Presley in 1955. Most rich people seek ways to lower their tax burden, but despite his greed, Parker never made any move to get creative with his taxes. "I had the luxury of essentially recreating somebody who no one really knew. He was ruthless and heartless. His mother, Gladys Presley, had a premonition of sorts. Interestingly, Elvis didnt immediately jump on it,Nash says. Despite the court controversy, Parker continued to appear at Elvis-themed events, from anniversaries to special events, etc. Elvis arrived for the start of two weeks of rehearsals on June 3, 1968, and Kennedy was shot on June 5, dying the next morning, June 6, she says. Even Tom knew that he was doing so only to win their trust, and that, in fact, the business manager would be nothing but a puppet whose strings would be controlled by Tom himself. So much so, that the Elvis estate even sued Parker for mismanagement. That isnt to say that Parkers gambling and Elvis Vegas shows aren't linked, she says. Related: Elvis Cast Guide: What The Characters Look Like In Real Life. He was a wonderful man, and I wish he was alive today. Tom Parker Is Dead at 87; Controlled Presley's Career, https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/22/arts/tom-parker-is-dead-at-87-controlled-presley-s-career.html. The next morning he . And throughout the 1960s, Parker forced Presley to appear in a series of truly awful films simply because they made money even as they arguably destroyed Elvis' credibility as a musician. And those better scripts were out there and offered to Presley. After Presley's death, he was sued by the singer's heirs for fraud and mismanagement, and a Memphis court ruled that he had no legal rights to the Presley estate. AsSmithsonian Magazinepoints out, the Alien Registration Act of 1940 basically offered amnesty to all illegal aliens, so becoming a naturalized citizen would have been pretty easy. According to biographer Alanna Nash, Parker was diagnosed as a psychopath and discharged. He was given the honorary title of "Colonel" in the Louisiana State Militia from Governor Jimmie Davis as thanks for the work he did on his political campaign. The life of Elvis Presley exactly fits the stereotype of an artist. . And even if there were difficulties, by the 1960s, Parker was rich and famous and probably had the connections to get any problems smoothed out. But Parker's first experience with the Army had ended with desertion and a his being diagnosed as a psychopath, and this had left him with little apparent desire to repeat the experience, especially if it involved leaving the country and being shot at. Tom Parker entered into a 5-year contract and, for the subsequent years, kept Elvis under the impression that his safety would be compromised in a foreign country. He arranged everything from Presley's career-making appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' to his profitable but bland Hollywood films. . There was a petition to bar Elvis Presley from doing television shows. AsSmithsonian Magazinereports, van Kuijk, who was born in the Netherlands, created an elaborate fake past for himself. And for every dollar Elvis earned, Tom Parker took a piece. Parker was livid. He attended Elvis funeral dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap, avoiding any display of emotion. Nobody cared about what Elvis wanted. Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker do the bulk of the heavy lifting. While proving to be a frequent challenge for Parker, Elvis and the Colonel stuck together. Despite the shady financial dealings Parker maintained with Presley, his net worth when he died was much less than that of Elvis, who died with a net worth of $5 million -- around $20 million. On August 14, 1981, Judge Evans . Andreas van Kuijk kept up his false identity for decades, but eventually, at least part of the truth caught up with him. The Washington Postreportsthat he spent several months recuperating at Walter Reed Army Hospital and was officially diagnosed as being in a "Constitutional Psychopathic State" and released from the armed forces that year. Related: Every Baz Luhrmann Movie, Ranked According To Box Office Mojo. He came on stage, and it felt like he would faint because of anxiety and stage fright. ': Tom Hanks changed his mind about his favorite Elvis song, The colonel was delighted that Elvis was causing riots and grabbing headlines for being overly suggestive, she says. Parker was eventually sued by the Elvis estate over mismanagement, which found his dealings over the years to be unethical and extortionate. As Smithsonian Magazine reports, van Kuijk, who was born in the Netherlands, created an elaborate fake past for himself. That alone would have raised the burgeoning pop stars profile, but Parker didnt stop there: As the CBC describes, he set up a deal with a movie merchandiser to produce dozens of Elvis-themed products, many of which were aimed at teenage girls. the King was down to his last $1million and prior to his death The Colonel was forced to negotiate a $750,000 deal with a Las Vegas hotel, in which . Nash notes that Parker (played in the film by Tom Hanks) was an inveterate gambler dating back to his early years in the carnival business, often decamping for Hot Springs, Arkansas, orPalm Springs, California,to satisfy his needs. From his exorbitant 50-percent fee for his services to a multitude of deals where he actually made more money than his client, Parker violated plenty of ethical rules, even if Presley willingly signed the contracts. Since he'd never been naturalized as a U.S. citizen, either, he wasn't a subject of either country. He became a sensation, and his music and performances reverberated across the country. What's truly remarkable about van Kuijk's deception is how long it lasted. Even in times of war, the Army has some strict standards about the physical condition of its soldiers, so Parker's brilliant plan to avoid the draft involved gaining weight. But towardthe end of the evening, DJ Rufus Thomas brought Elvis out for a leg gyration and the crowd went wild. Backstage, King and Presley posed together for a picture. Adds Nash:Priscilla was not as involved with Elvis after their divorce as she would now have people believe.. It can never be proved that Colonel Parker had direct involvement in the death of the artist, but it is an inevitable fact that he created situations that led to it eventually. And, notably, Parker did not accompany Presley on the trip, fearing being exposed as an illegal immigrant with an assumed name. At the same time, Parker was being sued by Priscilla Presley, and his dubious financial and ethical behavior toward one of the world's most beloved performers was being detailed. The Biggest Inaccuracy In 'Tr' Plus 7 Things The Film Gets Right, Randy Roth From 'A Rose For Her Grave' Is Still In Prison, Idris Elba's James Bond Easter Egg In 'Luther: The Fallen Sun,' Explained, Who Is Michael B. Jordan Dating? The new contract also allowed Parker to charge additional fees for services he provided, eating away at the money that should have gone to Elvis instead. Almost foreshadowing the route he was to take with Presley, Mr. Parker landed Mr. Arnold roles in several Hollywood movies and booked him in Las Vegas. Elvis was given a spot in the Louisiana Hayride, a radio show, and Colonel Parker knew that this young lad could prove to be a dark horse. (He once famously quipped that a multimillion-dollar offer was fine for him and then inquired how much Presley would get.) He is injected with a medicine, given a temporary solution, made to stand, and almost forced to perform on stage. Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, aka Colonel Tom Parker, put a lot of effort into hiding his true identity and his past. Parker began to worry that he might be charged with crimes stemming from any number of these misdeeds and suddenly decided that his illegal entry into the United States in the 1920s was a positive instead of a negative. Its a story about power, about control, about greed, and most of all, about freedom, for which our protagonist longed till his last breath. The Tom Hanks Tom Parker portrayal was certainly a different type of role for the actor, who is known for taking on characters like the sunny Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. He negotiated it as a PR move to make him appear to be the all-American boy, she says. And there certainly would've been no Elvis without Colonel Tom Parker.' He had created a different narrative for himself, and he takes us back in time when he heard about the King of Rock and Roll for the first time in his life. Rarenotes that despite being a superstar, Elvis Presley only toured outside the U.S. three times all in 1957, and all in Canada. Elvis died at the age of 42, in the year 1977. Baz Luhrmanns film takes you to that golden era when the alleys of Hollywood were hit by a sandstorm from Memphis, Tennessee. But could he also be blamed for his extramarital affairs, his reckless spending, his careless attitude, his addictions, and the debauchery he engaged in, that took him farther away from himself and made him alienate the very people who loved him unconditionally? Elvis was known for many things: launching rock and roll into the mainstream, scandalizing folks with his hip gyrations, rhinestone-studded jumpsuits and some really, really awful movies. AsThe Washington Postnotes, by 1966, Parker was earning 50 percent of Elvis' paychecks, and in 1973, Parker sold the rights to Presley's recording catalog to RCA for a low-ball $5.4 million. Even his birthplace was in dispute: He said West Virginia, but most reference books said the Netherlands.
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