Elvis and the Beauty Queen
Elvis and the Beauty Queen is a 1981 American made-for-television drama musical film starring Don Johnson and Stephanie Zimbalist.[1] It aired on NBC on March 1, 1981 at 9pm.[1]
| Elvis and the Beauty Queen | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama Musical |
| Written by | Julia Cameron |
| Directed by | Gus Trikonis |
| Starring | Don Johnson Stephanie Zimbalist Ann Dusenberry Rick Lenz |
| Music by | Allyn Ferguson |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | David Gerber |
| Producers | Charles B. Fitzsimmons Jack N. Reddish (associate producer) |
| Production location | Los Angeles |
| Cinematography | Thomas Del Ruth |
| Editor | Fred A. Chulack |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Production companies | David Gerber Productions Columbia Pictures Television |
| Distributor | Sony Pictures Television NBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | Color (Technicolor) |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release |
|
Plot
Don Johnson stars as Elvis Presley in this made-for-TV true story about Elvis's love affair with Linda Thompson (Stephanie Zimbalist), a young beauty pageant contestant who was his live-in girlfriend and traveling companion for four of the last five years of his life.[1] The story begins with their first meeting and traces their years together when Thompson tried to keep Presley off drugs in the last years of his career.[2]
Cast
- Stephanie Zimbalist as Linda Thompson
- Don Johnson as Elvis Presley
- Ann Dusenberry as Jeannie
- Rick Lenz as David Briggs
- Ann Wedgeworth as Aunt Betty
- Jay W. MacIntosh as Mrs. Thompson
- Ruta Lee as Su-Su
- Edward Edwards as Sam Thompson
- John Crawford as Vernon Presley
- Darrell Fetty as Pete Moore
- Richard Winterstein as Bobby Farr
- Gary Lee Davis as Ray
- John Ashton as Jake
- Bobbi Jordan as Pregnant Woman
Production
Seven songs were recorded for the soundtrack in Nashville, Tennessee, with country singer Ronnie McDowell providing the vocals.[1] The band that backed Ronnie McDowell was The Glass Hammer, a Nashville-based band. The Glass Hammer consisted of Joe Meador: Guitar, Don Lee: Lead Guitar, Bill Conn: Keyboards and Horns, Larry Leath: Bass, and Rick Judkins: Drums.
Reception
People Magazine said, "Don Johnson is praiseworthy as the King, but did Elvis really lounge around in tight leather pants and metal-studded capes?"[3]
The Chicago Tribune, reviewing the movie after Johnson became famous for Miami Vice, said, "Every time Don Johnson delivers a line you find yourself rolling onto the floor as you howl with laughter."[4]
References
- Worth, Fred (1992). Elvis: His Life from A to Z. Outlet. pp. 309–310. ISBN 978-0-517-06634-8.
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082321/
- People Staff (2 March 1981). "Picks and Pans Review: Elvis and the Beauty Queen". People Magazine. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- Greene, Bob (18 Jan 1988). "GEE, ELVIS, YOU SOUND LIKE SONNY". The Chicago Tribune.