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.
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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.
