TOO MUCH MONKEY BUSINESS: The Elvis Forum

Part 4 The Amazing Elvis and other Fun & Goodies!



"YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT MY ELVIS PHOTOGRAPHY, THAN I KNOW MYSELF!"

It's November 1989 in New York. Al Wertheimer had picked me up from the Hotel I’m staying
in for the next few days. He drives us to a local Japanese Sushi Restaurant, downtown
Manhattan. We eat and talk. Here I am, sitting with a legend talking about the year 1956,
the year his camera covered Elvis on Stage Show, at CBS Studio 50, The Steve Allen TV
Show, on stage in Richmond, Virginia, at the Recording Studio inside the RCA building
on Twenty-fourth Street, New York, and during a long train ride home to Memphis, where
he follows him around at the Presley’s house on Audubon Drive and during the 4th of July
concert in Russwood Park in Elvis' hometown...
He will shoot approximately 4000 images in total, walking in Elvis' footsteps that year.

And while his photographs saw print in countless magazines, and on RCA record covers
worldwide, the name Al Wertheimer wasn't well known. RCA didn't credit his work pictured
on the front & back of many EPs and singles. Not uncommon in those days, as he wasn't
working regularly for Elvis' record company at the time. Al worked freelance. He sold his
pictures through Photo Agencies in New York and London.

It would take another 23 years before he got worldwide recognition with the publication
by Collier Books, in New York, of 'Elvis '56 - In The Beginning'.
Pre book publication of this masterpiece was serialised in magazines the world over.
Wertheimer, and Elvis in 1956, became hot items in just a few months time.
Elvis, two years after his passing in 1977, was considered 'cool' again by both media and
music fans and Historians. Elvis In Concert was forgotten about... for a while.

I had already started making, and publishing, books on the young Elvis. By 1989 I had
done 4 or 5 titles. I always wanted to do one on the Wertheimer shots. So when
Ernst Jorgensen invited me on a trip to the RCA Vaults in New York, set for the end of
November of that year, I immediately got in touch with Al!
Over the phone I explained what I did, and wanted to do: publish another photo book
of his material, this time focussing on the Hound Dog recording session done in New York,
back in July of 1956. We talked for quite a while over the phone, before he said I was
welcome to meet him, and discuss plans for the future book.

When in New York, things went really smooth between the two of us. In his office he
would dig up hundreds of original photo prints for me to pick from. He was even nice
enough to browse through colour images and contact sheets. We had fun. I was over the
moon eying the original material, while Al enjoyed my drooling over his work of old.
"You're a crazy Dutchman, Rijff! But I hand it to you, you know more about my Elvis
photography, than I know myself!"





Print proof of the cover I rejected myself, back in 1995 (above). It just didn't have the 'feel'
I found later, in the design of the final approved cover. The one that screamed: 1950s! (below)




Ger Rijff going through contact sheets in Al's office, New York, November 1989 (above)


Al Wertheimer & Ger Rijff, Al's office, New York November 1989 (above)

Hey Ger are you related to Jan Douwe Kroeske ?
I thought it was him in this picture.

Great topic lads !

Really cool article guys. Keep them coming.
Jim

Great topic.
I noticed on the fact sheet his middle name is spelled as Aaron as early as 1956.

Some great stuff there !

Well done lads !

Question:

Did they really use Milton Berle to warm the audience up for Elvis' Steve Allen Show appearance ?

Seems unlikely.

Again interesting stuff about Elvis and great photos by Wertheimer,and bonus photos of Ger. What could be better? A painting?

Great stuff guys!.

If it was not for a mad DUTCHMAN,my EP library would be "P" poor!.

The photo of Berle with false sideburns proves he was there, the day The Steve Allen
Show was done. Wertheimer didn't cover Elvis during both Milton Berle Shows, so to me
it's very likely Berle did a bit of Comedy prior to the start of the Show. It wasn't uncommon
for comedians like Berle and Allen to drop in on each others tv Shows at the time.

Right, thanks !

Just seemed strange with them being 'rivals' so to speak......... & Allen not liking what Elvis did on the Berle Show previously !

Great stuff, Ger. Was a great book in those days (and still is). Got it from my dad of course!

While no one has popped the question why there's a Volume 1 printed
on the rejected cover, here's the explaination. At Al's office in New York
looking for the photos from the Hound Dog Session, I noticed at least
60 plus images from Elvis in Richmond, june 30, 1956. I asked Al if he
would mind selling me the rights for one time publication of these for
a follow up book to the Recording Sessions material? He had to think
about it, he said. The next evening, back in his office, he agreed on my
proposal, and he had done some diggin' thru the color material stored
away in old Kodak film boxes. Greedy as I was, I asked him for more
color images from Richmond. "I know of many more, I said". He smiled,
left his office room and returned after 10 minutes.
"Here. Is this what you're lookin' for, Rijff?" He opened a large cardboard
box, and pulled out half a dozen plastic holders, containing at least 20 color
slides each ! Some amazing backstage material I looked at, that never, to
this very day, have seen print!
"These are the original slides, dating back to 1956", he explained. "Ive never
let them out of this office. I don't trust photo labs... They can make dubbs
behind my back, and before I know, they pop up on the black market!"
"But give me some time, and I will see if I can think up a way to get copies
made..."

Five years would pass, but he never got around making copies of the color slides
for me. There was always some excuse why he didn't. In the meantime I had
worked on several cover designs for the Hound Dog session photo book... Still
optimistic, hoping to make the Wertheimer photos into a series of 5 different
volumes. Hence the volume 1 on the cover of Songs Of Innocence reject.
He finally said he couldn't do it, as he had been offered a small fortune by a
big UK Publishing House that wanted to do a monster sized book that would
include all his 1956 color photography...!
For whatever reason that project never materialised either. I took my losses,
published 'Songs', and kept the remaining Richmond material for a later date.
There wasn't enough Richmond to fill up a book, so I had it combined with
other rare early photographs from various sources. It was released in 2001
as 'The Hottest Thing That's Cool'. One of my own all time favourite books.

FEEL FREE TO ADD GOOD QUALITY PHOTOS TO THIS TOPIC!
Some From Richmond would be nice to start with.

Another top topic and I love those pictures of Ger at work in Al's office in November 1989.
As a footnote, Milton Berle did a short 'skit' with Steve Allen on the Steve Allen show, July 1st 1956 before Elvis' appearance. I have it somewhere on DVD.

Is that where he wore the false sideburns ?

Can't recall this sketch, EPS. Are you not thinking of the comedy piece
between Elvis and Berle, from the April 3 Berle Show?
But maybe you're right? I only have the song performances from the Allen
Show. And not the complete Show. Didn't even know it's available?!

After my hard work on this topic, last night ( scroll back a few posts)
I had hoped some of you would have answered my request for posting
some good quality Wertheimer photos....?!

Elvis in Richmond. A scan from Alfred Wertheimer's excellent "Elvis at 21", book.
I'm no whizz kid with this technology so hope this is okay.
The book is actually too big to scan! But keeping Ger happy no stone is left unturned, no Tern left unstoned.

I will dig it out and convert it within the next couple of days. I knew it would be worth keeping hold of for the future.

What - 'Catholic' to 'C of E' or vice-versa ?

Here it is:
http://elvispresleyscrapbook.co.uk/stuf ... 1-1956.avi
Proof that Uncle Milti was indeed the warm up act/opener for Steve Allen on the July 1st 1956 Steve Allen show.
This was only the second ever Steve Allen show, and as a footnote I remember reading that the Berle show from June 5th 1956 was HIS last show !
I have the Allen show (you're correct Ger it isn't available...yet) in much better quality...but that's for another time.

Cool. So is this part of the whole show that you have.

Could be.


http://www.elvispresleyscrapbook.co.uk/ ... n_dawg.avi
http://www.elvispresleyscrapbook.co.uk/ ... inyily.avi

Thanks !

I've not seen that before !

Although I did get a slight feeling of deja vu.

Has it been released previously ?

I'm drewling over my laptop.

Great read!
Great Pictures!

There is just soo much good to see here!
Monkey Rocks!

OK thanks EPS.

Looks good but we need to check out the quality of anything posted on here. Please send copies on DVD to all Monkey helpers immediately so that we can consider whether we allow you to remain a member on this board. This action may help your cause.

OK, I'll give them to Javi when I see him in around 4 weeks time, he can distribute them.

Err, I think he'll be here before he's there.