The G.I. Blues Publicity Photo Sessions

Davide · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:54 am **Posts:** 100

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Photo's taken at Paramount Portrait Studio by Bud Fraker
The most likely date for most of the photo's is June 27, 28, 29, 1960.
There is a chance that some photo's were taken on June 6th 1960, certainly as can be seen above, the Juliet Prowse images can be seen in the movie itself, therefore they would have been taken prior to the late June date.

For reference use only

With thanks
Davide

Johnny Wilde · **Joined:** Mon Sep 06, 2010 4:10 pm **Posts:** 906

Fantastic stuff as ever Davide! Many thanks for posting.

The one on P 25 I had as a giant poster when I was a kid. I think it was my favourite. Aint seen it since then : ) Fantastic memories, thanks again.

REX · **Posted:** Thu Feb 24, 2011 10:51 am

Very nice to see all the photo sessions put together Davide.. thankyou.

Page 26 ~ 27 slightly fuller picture of the ROCK ! and background (and the colours are slightly different)

I was always fascinated by the Photo Session pictures of the 3 sets of Baby Twins..
don't you regard it as a Photo Session ?

kristian hjelmaas · **Posted:** Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:46 pm

Once again; Fantastic post & pictures, Davide!

It's always a thrill to read & browse through these posts of yours!
Keep up the good work, man! :cheers

Ger Rijff · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2010 11:55 am **Posts:** 4382

yes, Rex, when you post a poorly printed page from a magazine,
10 out of 10 the colors will be way off from the original print used
by David in this thread.
Just an observation, no harm meant.

REX · **Posted:** Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:28 pm

Ger Rijff wrote:

yes, Rex, when you post a poorly printed page from a magazine,
10 out of 10 the colors will be way off from the original print used
by David in this thread.
Just an observation, no harm meant.

Well hello to you also...

Its about the 6 babies photo shoot... I have all the photos in reasonable high quality...

This is a page from the ELVIS FILES Volume 3... thats true... but not from a Magazine or the book... (so not always what you may think!?)............ its a PDF before the book was printed, (sent by Email from Erik)...and not good enough to view the text easily... that I added in an Invite only topic on TKC (called SIFTING THE ELVIS SAND), that only Erik and myself could view (plus the sites Boss man)

We had many chats about each page, the layout, the duplicate pictures, some re-writing of the text, and I was working through the corrections needed, up to around page 100... when he went to the printers with the darn thing...

I was sent the book on release from Erik, and also requested the Printers proof pages, (easier to scan than stuffing the whole book under the shutter)

If Davide needs better quality prof. scans...I'm more than happy to add them for him... I regard them as a Photo Session... but I'm not sure that Davide does?

Of course you are talking about the rock Picture, (I haven't scanned my orig) just grabbed the code from TKC's Gallery.. so your right I didn't scan that one..... even if it does show ~ No ROCKS got harmed in the making of the picture. Ha!

So now you know the context of those pages... How are you anyway.. ? its been a long time... and I do miss John Brus very much ~ we had some great times and fun together..... such a shame...

Ger Rijff · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2010 11:55 am **Posts:** 4382

Must be close to 40 years since the last time I saw you...
I believe it was in 73, when you showed Aloha in Rotterdam a day or 2 after
it got officially broadcasted in the US ! Fun memories for sure!
Yes, hearing about John's death was a shock. Although I was never that
close to him or his wife Josee, I did admire his qualities running the
fanclub for many years. I heard , a while ago, you hung around on
King's Court, and zappo now you're here on Monkey.
It's a small Elvis world, isn't it?! I hope youre keeping well these days.
Not too many old soldiers, like us, from days gone by left...
Cheers to the days when you were the first person to show 16 mm
films of both the Sullivan and Allen shows outside of the US!

Davide · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:54 am **Posts:** 100

REX wrote:

Ger Rijff wrote:

yes, Rex, when you post a poorly printed page from a magazine,
10 out of 10 the colors will be way off from the original print used
by David in this thread.
Just an observation, no harm meant.

Well hello to you also...

Its about the 6 babies photo shoot... I have all the photos in reasonable high quality...

This is a page from the ELVIS FILES Volume 3... thats true... but not from a Magazine or the book... (so not always what you may think!?)............ its a PDF before the book was printed, (sent by Email from Erik)...and not good enough to view the text easily... that I added in an Invite only topic on TKC (called SIFTING THE ELVIS SAND), that only Erik and myself could view (plus the sites Boss man)

We had many chats about each page, the layout, the duplicate pictures, some re-writing of the text, and I was working through the corrections needed, up to around page 100... when he went to the printers with the darn thing...

I was sent the book on release from Erik, and also requested the Printers proof pages, (easier to scan than stuffing the whole book under the shutter)

If Davide needs better quality prof. scans...I'm more than happy to add them for him... I regard them as a Photo Session... but I'm not sure that Davide does?

Of course you are talking about the rock Picture, (I haven't scanned my orig) just grabbed the code from TKC's Gallery.. so your right I didn't scan that one..... even if it does show ~ No ROCKS got harmed in the making of the picture. Ha!

So now you know the context of those pages... How are you anyway.. ? its been a long time... and I do miss John Brus very much ~ we had some great times and fun together..... such a shame...

For me, I don't class the photo's of Elvis sat with the babies as part of the publicity photo session, and only the one's shot in the portrait gallery.

Davide

Ben · **Posted:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:39 am

Fantastic David.

A lot of these are in the Inside… book but there’s a lot I’ve not seen before.

I love the bottom left photo on page 19 – they both look great. And the photos on page 23 are new to me. What’s the story of the photos on pages 32-33? He looks so dressed as an every day yippity yoy which seems odd compared to the previous photos.

REX · **Posted:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:02 am

Davide wrote:

For me, I don't class the photo's of Elvis sat with the babies as part of the publicity photo session, and only the one's shot in the portrait gallery.

Davide

thanks Davide... but if they use these sessions photos to promote the Movie (also for use on RCA Tie-in product etc)
then they also used the photo baby sessions for publicity for GI Blues - as we see these sets of twins in the Movie Hollywood mags from that time... do we know if the photos are taken on the MGM Hollywood lot, an area set aside for the couch, and the gold curtains behind? a photo exists of the 3 mothers in sort of beach huts on the sets, holding the sets of twins.

This picture from the series you have on Page 6

REX · **Posted:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:12 am

Ben wrote:

Fantastic David.

A lot of these are in the Inside… book but there’s a lot I’ve not seen before.

I love the bottom left photo on page 19 – they both look great. And the photos on page 23 are new to me. What’s the story of the photos on pages 32-33? He looks so dressed as an every day yippity yoy which seems odd compared to the previous photos.

Hi Ben.
the photos of the Gold front buttoned top, (has a thin band of white around the collar) is the same top Elvis wear during one of the days Recording Sessions, when he has on the Hat, and a dark jacket over it...

So maybe Elvis did this photo session in the morning, before going to the recording session...

This picture of Lamar Fike with Elvis is listed as being taken at the RCA Studios in Hollywood... so looks cool and casual for the sessions, but then you can see him looking more formal or hip with the hat and jacket on.

E P Scrapbook · **Joined:** Fri Aug 27, 2010 7:04 pm **Posts:** 1602

Attachment:

GI_BLUES.jpg [ 71.33 KiB | Viewed 496 times ]

Davide · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:54 am **Posts:** 100

Elvis And Twins,The photo's are dated Monday 27 June 1960, which would seem to be in the right time frame as the other portraits seen above.

New York Times - May 16, 1960
PARAMOUNT SEEKS 3 SETS OF TWINS; 6 Male Babies Are Needed...‎
All three sets of twins must look pretty much alike.

Hartford Courant - Jun 28, 1960
ELVIS IS SURROUNDED: Singer-actor Elvis Presley is surrounded in Hollywood ... They're three sets of twins, used in a scene where Elvis tends a baby

The Spokesman-Review, Tuesday, June 28, 1960

Rock 'n' roll singer Elvis Presley with six babies (three sets of twins) during the making of the film 'GI Blues', in which he plays a soldier. Due to employment laws in California, three sets of baby twins are required so that one set can be filmed at a time. (Photo by Alan Band)

Singer-actor Elvis Presley is shown with six babies who appear in the movie "G.I. Blues" and co-star Juliet Prowse, left, on a set in Hollywood, Ca., on June 27, 1960. The babies are three sets of twins who double for one another in the movie.Each boy was issued a Social Security card and received $22.05 for each day of work.

Davide

elvislady · **Joined:** Sun Jan 09, 2011 12:02 pm **Posts:** 269

Thanks davide...beautiful pictures.

elvislady

REX · **Posted:** Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:21 am

THANKYOU David... wonderful to see dated documents that date this Photo Session....

this picture is from a glossy USA Magazine a friend of mine showed me in the late 60s.. that I made a copy of...

One of the 4 contact prints below...shows the 3 Mothers, with a set of twins each...

from the films point of view this is the glue that holds together the final part of the movie & script.. so for me a very important section of what GI BLUES is about... the film changes from chasing, dating and romancing to a neat series of comic moments very well edited in the movie, that Elvis really pulls off.

note the 3 changing rooms Beach Huts !

elvislady · **Joined:** Sun Jan 09, 2011 12:02 pm **Posts:** 269

Thanks for the stunning colour shot rex... love the beach huts...lol

Quote:

Each boy was issued a Social Security card and received $22.05 for each day of work.

i know its not much these days,

The pics must take pride of place for them all today!

elvislady

Davide · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:54 am **Posts:** 100

Davide

REX · **Posted:** Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:52 pm

This picture has what looks like the same Curtains behind Elvis, as seen in the 3 sets of twins images!
Only Elvis has a round neck white vest/t shirt on... Plus it doesn't fit in with the above photo sessions..

So why was it taken ?

Davide · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:54 am **Posts:** 100

Hi Rex

These images below match with the one you posted. The curtains/background are the same, as well as the white T-shirt etc. Also worth mentioning that in these three photo's, Elvis does not appear to be wearing the ring, which he did in the publicity stills. My guess is that these shots were taken during a press interview of some kind.

Davide

Ben · **Posted:** Thu Mar 03, 2011 1:55 am

Thanks for the extra photos both of you. I especially love seeing the photo of him with the Elvis Is Back album.

Davide · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:54 am **Posts:** 100

one more...sorry about the size and quality.

Davide

REX · **Posted:** Thu Mar 03, 2011 9:57 am

I agree Ben, wonderful find that ELVIS is Back Album picture.. the Mono Issued Version!

I wonder if Elvis knew his first album after the army was also available in LIVING STEREO.

These 2 pictures, another different Photo Session?(from Erik's ElvisFiles vol3) show a Girl Harmony Sing-a-Long Event, the doors don't look real or had some sort of paint stripper? so some film set area... and none of the female Co-stars we see in the above photo shoots.

ColinB · **Posted:** Thu Mar 03, 2011 12:25 pm

Wasn't the girl in the red-and-white dress the one who could be seen behind him when he sang Frankfort Special on the train ?

REX · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 10:29 am

ColinB wrote:

Wasn't the girl in the red-and-white dress the one who could be seen behind him when he sang Frankfort Special on the train ?

Quote:

ColinB Post subject: Re: The G.I. Blues Publicity Photo SessionsPosted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:17 pm

This one reminded me of something that puzzled me for a long time.

There is a lengthy scene where the baby is required to cry throughout.
So, what did they do to it to induce the tears ?

I can't imagine they had their star & all the crew just sitting around waiting hours for 'Tiger' to do it naturally !
Maybe they had all six babies on hand, with the idea that one of them would be crying at any given time !

Hi Colin...
I haven't had chance to check out FRANKFORT SPECIAL for your 1st Question yet....

Also hope you don't mind my grabbing this Post/~Question from that 'For Some Elvis Fans ONLY' site.
as it doesn't seem they have any members left with the knowledge any more!

I only came across the answer 2 weeks ago... when scanning through Elvis pages from LIFE Magazine...
this attachment from FEB 1960 LIFE.

Attachment:

LIFE gi-baby 10 Feb 60.jpg [ 345.03 KiB | Viewed 372 times ]

...as you can see they used a TRICK of givng a baby a bottle of milk, and then taking it away from him...
a bit mean maybe, but probably a quick way of getting a result.

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