Elvis Presley Memories: Barbara Eden "I Dream of
Jeannie" star Barbara Eden remembers Elvis Presley. For more private
confessions from the women in Elvis's life. Barbara Eden, "God, what a
talent he was! I remember the first time I saw him. It was on
television. I had a job dancing, and one of the girls took me home to
rehearse, and her sister came running in the room and said, "Look!
Look! Quick! Stop!" It was the Ed Sullivan Show. And he was just
electric. You'd never forget him after that...
We ended up doing a western, Flaming Star 1960 together, when he first
came back from the army. He was a natural on a horse. He was really
good at it, as he was at acting. I think Elvis, like a lot of country
entertainers, had his feet mired in emotional truth. When they say
something, it's right up front. You see it in Dolly Parton. The truth
is right there. Elvis had that facility, and in his acting, he
immediately became that character. He believed what he was doing, and
he had no inhibitions about doing what he believed.
And he cared. That's what impressed me about Elvis. He cared so much
about doing a good job, and knowing his craft. He was lovely man to
work with. Good manners. He followed direction, he listened, and he
was no problem. There wasn't a huge ego. He wanted to please. But he
did bend. He wanted to just act in this film, and not sing, but they
decided they needed music and had him playing guitar while I hopped
around the table at one point.
He enjoyed doing that film, playing a half-breed Indian. The director,
Don Siegel, said it was his finest performance ever. It ran opposite
to anything he had done or would do in the future. And he was so good
at it, and he got good reviews, but I don't think the picture made a
lot of money. And that's too bad, because Colonel Parker was out for
the fast buck. I remember the Colonel had a little desk set up, and he
was selling Elvis's records and memorabilia just inside the
soundstage. I watched and I did a double take. I couldn't believe it.
Elvis said, "People talk about the Colonel a lot, but he's been good
to me. I was a nobody before I met him. I was playing little joints,
and he made me what I am, and I appreciate it, and I'll always listen
to him." And he did.
We talked about a lot of things, like weight, because we were both
watching what we ate. I said, "Well, you don't have a problem. You're
very lean." And he said, "No, no, my mama was heavy, and I take after
her. It shows in my face, so I have to be really careful." I was
married to actor Michael Ansara at the time, and Elvis asked me how
difficult it was being married and acting. And I said, "It's not tough
at all. It's our job. We just go our ways and do it." And he said,
"I'm really thinking about getting married, but I'm a little worried."
I said, "Oh, have you met someone?" He said, "Yeah, I met this girl.
She's awful young, though. I don't know." Of course, we know what
happened later.
He
was a huge fan of Michael's [Broken Arrow]. I said, "When do you ever
have time to watch television?" And he looked at me and said,
"Barbara, that's all I do. I can't go outside. I have to stay in the
room." I got the impression it was like a jail. The only time he was
free and happy was when he was on the stage. When I met him on the lot
he had his friends from Memphis around him, who were dear. He called
them his cousins -- some of them really were, I understand -- and his
father was there. They sat around in chairs and on boxes and sang.
Elvis said, "We're "pickin'." They'd sing a little of this, a little
of that. It was very pleasant. Everything was easy with him. And they
were very good people. I have a picture, sitting there with his father
and his cousins. Such nice memories.
Michael did another film with him later on Harum Scarum, 1965 and
Elvis was a little more outgoing, more sure of himself by then. He'd
laugh out loud, for example. I sat with him for a while on the set. He
was still the same basic good, sweet, malleable guy. Such a gentleman.
When I heard he had died, I wasn't too surprised. I had followed him
in several venues when I was singing, and one of them was Reno. And
the man who hired the talent up there sent me to a doctor one time in
the mid '70s, because I had a terrible cold and sore throat. And he
said, "Use him for this one job, but don't use him for anything else."
I asked him why. He said, "He's very proud that he took care of Elvis.
But I was there when he treated him, and Elvis's rear end was like
leather, it had been poked so many times with needles to keep him
going, keep him singing." That was so very sad. Elvis was like a
racehorse that you work too hard and then lose.
