How did you first meet
Elvis? I got this one assignment
from RCA. I was thrilled because I was going to work closely with Tommy
Dorsey and I was asked to work with Elvis Presley. At that time I had
never heard of Elvis. I first met Elvis in his dressing room in CBS TV
Studio 50 where he was preparing for his fifth appearance on the Dorsey
Stage Show... Elvis looked kinda bored. He was yawning. There was a
ring salesman and Elvis had just ordered diamond ring with a horse shoe
and horse's head. Elvis continued to wear that ring for a long time
after.
What is the story
behind that famous Wertheimer print of Elvis Tongue Kissing the Girl on
the Stairwell? It took place in a dark alcove
behind the stage of the Mosque Theatre (Richmond, Virginia) about two
minutes before Elvis went on stage to perform before 4 thousand people,
on June 30, 1956.
This female fan said to Elvis. 'I'll bet you can't kiss me, Elvis so
there"
"I betcha I can", retorted Elvis
The whole episode took
about a tenth of a second. A minute later Elvis was on stage. Just then
I was coming down from the men's room and saw this scene. Of Elvis and
the girl flirting, kind of having this private moment. I said to myself,
"If I shot this... Elvis may have me fired and I lose my job"
But then I said to myself, "What the heck I'll take the
chance..." While I'm having this internal conversation I put the
camera to my eye and see These two figures in silhouette with a window
background. So I got a little closer and closer and before I knew it and
start snapping. Now they block my way so I stand up on the railing to
get another angle. I get one picture where Elvis is in close to the
girl. Then Elvis makes his move.... and sticks out his tongue... and the
rest is history.
Famous Elvis Tongue Kiss Photo: Everyone wants to know
who is the girl is in the photograph? To
this day I'm still am not sure. Several years ago, I had somebody from
the South claiming it was her and she feels I should be paying her
royalties. So I asked, "Look after 41 years, how old are you?"
She said, "I'm 65"....
However, I suspected that this girl should have been a lot younger.
Then I asked her what we were doing the day before and day after this
picture was taken.
She said, "Well I flew up to Niagara Falls with Elvis on the
plane."
I told her, "Your story doesn't jibe with the facts, so are
certainly not the girl in the picture"
She retorted, "I'm sure I'm that girl"
So I said, "Elvis kissed a lot of girls. You might have been kissed
by Elvis but this is not you. Then she set her lawyer on me. As I could
prove that she was not the girl in the photo that she claimed to be...
but it took me six month to resolve the issue.
You must be proud that this photo has since become an icon of Elvis
rock n roll era. Yes, but the
biggest thrill was when Diane Keaton was the first to ever buy that
photo from me. "She later wrote that this was the sexiest picture
ever taken in the whole world and the history of man.... and I will
admit... I agree with her.
