-Elvis, 1973.

His power and success seemed unlimited.

A billion and a half people tuned in worldwide and witnessed his crowning moment.

-♪ I've lived a life that's full ♪ ♪ I've traveled each and every byway ♪ ♪ Oh, and more, much more than this ♪ ♪ I did it my way ♪ ♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey ♪ -Elvis, 1968.

After 10 years of Hollywood movies, Elvis came back to prove that he could still rock the house.

-♪ We're goin' up, we're goin' down ♪ ♪ We're goin' up, down, down, up ♪ ♪ Any way you want to let it roll ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ -Elvis, 1956.

When Elvis was young and so was rock and roll.

-♪ You can burn my house, steal my car ♪ ♪ Drain my liquor from an old fruit jar ♪ ♪ I would do anything that you want me to ♪ ♪ But, unh-unh, honey, lay off of my shoes ♪ ♪ Don't you step on my blue suede shoes ♪ ♪ You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes ♪ [ Women screaming ] -So slip on your blue suede shoes and come on back to that one year when a 21-year-old kid from Mississippi exploded across America and changed the face of popular music forever.

-♪ Well it's blue, blue, blue suede shoes ♪ ♪ Blue, blue, blue suede shoes, baby ♪ ♪ Blue, blue, blue suede shoes ♪ ♪ Blue, blue, blue suede shoes ♪ ♪ You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes ♪ -That year was 1956.

[ Cheers and applause ] -♪ Well, I heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight ♪ ♪ Well, I heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight ♪ -They call him the Hillbilly Cat.

He's a 20-year-old Memphis truck driver who loves to sing rhythm and blues.

But before 1956, Elvis and his band are unknown outside the South.

-♪ I say meet me in a hurry behind the barn ♪ ♪ Don't you be afraid, darlin', I'll do you no harm ♪ ♪ I want you to bring along my rockin' shoes ♪ ♪ 'Cause tonight I'm gonna rock away all my blues ♪ ♪ I heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight ♪ [ Guitar solo ] ♪♪ -They've already cut five records for Sun, a small Memphis label owned by Sam Phillips.

-♪ Well, we're gonna rock ♪ ♪ We're gonna rock ♪ ♪ Let's rock ♪ ♪ Come on and rock ♪ ♪ We're gonna rock all our blues away ♪ -Working together in the tiny Sun studios, they blend rhythm and blues with country music, and they create a new sound -- rockabilly.

It's the early rumblings of rock 'n' roll.

Songs like "Good Rockin' Tonight," "That's All Right, Mama," and "Mystery Train" are starting to get played on Southern radio stations.

And Elvis becomes a regular on the Louisiana Hayride radio program.

Out on the road playing smaller chain clubs, Elvis dreams of becoming a big star.

The dream seems far-fetched, except for one thing -- the girls who scream at the way he moves when he sings.

[ Women screaming ] -♪ We're gonna rock, let's rock ♪ -None of these facts are lost on Colonel Tom Parker waiting in the wings, watching.

Now, Parker isn't a real military colonel.

He's one of those honorary Southerners, an ex-carnival huckster who grew up in the world of the fast buck.

Parker recognizes a gold mine when he sees it and offers Elvis a personal management contract.

He tells Elvis, "Son, right now, you have a million dollars worth of talent.

By the time we're through, you'll have a million dollars."

Because Elvis isn't yet 21, he needs the approval of his parents to sign the contract.

Elvis' mother, Gladys, is a very protective woman who distrusts the Colonel and advises her son not to sign.

But Elvis and his father, Vernon, go for it hook, line, and sinker, and Elvis begins a lifelong partnership with the Colonel.

Colonel Parker begins shopping Elvis to the big record companies, and by November 1955, RCA buys Presley's contract from Sam Phillips for $40,000, the largest sum ever paid for a country singer.

On January 8, 1956, Elvis celebrates his 21st birthday.

Two days later, he records his first RCA release, "Heartbreak Hotel."

-♪ Although it's always crowded, you still can find some room ♪ ♪ For broken-hearted lovers to cry there in the gloom ♪ ♪ And be so, be so lonely, baby, where they're so lonely ♪ ♪ They'll be so lonely, they could die ♪ ♪♪ -Colonel Parker lays plans to break Elvis out of the South and introduce him to a national audience.

Television, with its potential for the widest possible exposure, seems like the answer.

The Colonel books Elvis for six appearance on the "Dorsey Brothers Stage Show."

On January 28th, Elvis appears on television for the very first time.

It's his first trip to New York, the big city, the world of show business.

[ Fanfare plays ] -"Stage Show"!

[ Xylophones playing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -And here he is, ladies and gentlemen -- Mr.

Elvis Presley.

[ Applause ] -♪ Well, get out of that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans ♪ ♪ Get out of that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans ♪ ♪ Well, I want my breakfast 'cause I'm a hungry man ♪ ♪ I believe you're doin' me wrong and now I know ♪ ♪ I believe you're doin' me wrong and now I know ♪ ♪ 'Cause the harder I work, the faster my money goes ♪ ♪ Well, I said shake, rattle, and roll ♪ ♪ I said shake, rattle, and roll ♪ ♪ I said shake, rattle, and roll ♪ ♪ I said shake, rattle, and roll ♪ ♪ Well, you won't do right to save your doggone soul ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪ I'm like a Mississippi bullfrog ♪ ♪ Sittin' on a hollow stump ♪ ♪ I'm like a Mississippi bullfrog ♪ ♪ Sittin' on a hollow stump ♪ ♪ I got so many women, I don't know which way to jump ♪ ♪ Well, I said flip, flop, and fly, I don't care if I die ♪ ♪ I said flip, flop, and fly, I don't care if I die ♪ ♪ I won't ever leave, don't ever say goodbye ♪ -An amazing thing happens from the very moment people lay eyes on him, and it isn't just the music.

It's the clothes, the sideburns and duct tape.

He doesn't just look different.

He looks dangerous.

♪♪ The 1950s Eisenhower era was a time of conformity in American life.

Ranch houses... backyard barbecues... And Elvis?

Nobody knew what to make of him at first.

His singing style had nothing in common with "Que Sera, Sera" or other white-bread tunes from the hit parade of 1956.

-♪ Oh, hot diggity, dog diggity boom, what you do to me ♪ ♪ It's so new to me, what you do to me ♪ ♪ Hot diggity, dog diggity boom, what you do to me ♪ ♪ When you're holding me tight ♪ -While Perry Como on NBC sings his current hit, "Hot Diggity, Dog Diggity," Elvis, opposite on CBS, rips into "Baby, Let's Play House."

-♪ Whoa, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby ♪ ♪ Baby, baby, baby ♪ ♪ Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby ♪ ♪ Come back, baby, I wanna play house with you ♪ ♪ Well, you may go to college, you may go to school ♪ ♪ You may have a pink Cadillac, but don't you be nobody's fool ♪ ♪ Now, baby, come back, baby, come, come back, baby, come ♪ ♪ Come back, baby, I wanna play house with you ♪ ♪ Well, listen, let me tell you, baby, what I'm talking about ♪ ♪ Come on back to me, little girl ♪ ♪ So we can play some house, now, baby ♪ ♪ Come back, baby, come, come back, baby, come ♪ ♪ Come back, baby, I wanna play house with you ♪ Hit it!

Let's rock!

Let's go!

Go!

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪ Well, this is one thing, baby, that I want you to know ♪ ♪ Come on back and let's play a little house ♪ ♪ And we can act like we did before, now, baby ♪ ♪ Come back, baby, come, come back, baby, come ♪ ♪ Come back, baby, I wanna play house with you ♪ Go wild!

Yeah, let's go!

Let's go!

[ Women screaming ] ♪♪ ♪ Well, listen to me, baby, try to understand ♪ ♪ I'd rather see you dead, little girl ♪ ♪ Than to wed another man, now, baby ♪ ♪ Come back, baby, come, come back, baby, come ♪ ♪ Come back, baby, I wanna play house with you ♪ ♪ Oh, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby ♪ ♪ Baby, baby, baby, b-b-b-baby, baby, baby ♪ ♪ Baby, baby, baby ♪ ♪ Come back, baby, I wanna play house with you ♪ Yes!

Alright.

[ Cheers and applause ] -What makes Elvis so threatening is his choice of black rhythm and blues music.

America is still a segregated nation in 1956, in everything from water fountains to education.

Racial tensions are beginning to spark civil-rights protests and to make way for a Baptist minister, Dr.

Martin Luther King.

Elvis is a Southern boy who just soaked up the musical influences of his youth -- black and white, country and western, pop and gospel, mixed them all together, made up his own brand of rock 'n' roll.

By performing songs like Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" on national television, Elvis crosses the racial barrier in music and kicks down the door for scores of artists to follow, black and white.

-♪ A-wop-bom-a-loo-mop, a-lomp-bam-boom ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti, tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti, tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ A-wop-bom-a-loo-mop, a-lomp-bam-boom ♪ ♪ I got a gal named Sue, she knows just what to do ♪ ♪ I got a gal named Sue, she knows just what to do ♪ ♪ She knows how to love me, yes indeed ♪ ♪ Boy, you don't know what she do to me ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti, tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti, tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ A-wop-bom-a-loo-mop, a-lomp-bam-boom ♪ ♪ I got a gal named Daisy, she almost drives me crazy ♪ ♪ I got a gal named Daisy, she almost drives me crazy ♪ ♪ She knows how to love me, yes indeed ♪ ♪ Boy, you don't know what she do to me ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti, tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti, tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ A-wop-bom-a-loo-mop, a-lomp-bam-boom ♪ Hey, boy!

Come on!

Let's go!

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪ Well, tutti frutti, oh, rutti, tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti, tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ A-wop-bom-a-loo-mop, a-lomp-bam-boom ♪ ♪ I got a gal named Daisy, she almost drives me crazy ♪ ♪ I got a gal named Daisy, she almost drives me crazy ♪ ♪ She knows how to love me, yes indeed ♪ ♪ Boy, you don't know what she do to me ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti, tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti, tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ Tutti frutti, oh, rutti ♪ ♪ A-wop-bom-a-loo-mop, a-lomp-bam-boom ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ -Between TV appearances, Elvis and the band continued to tour furiously, a breakneck series of one-nighters.

Richmond, Sarasota, Greensboro, Odessa, Texas.

Scotty Moore on guitar, Bill Black on doghouse bass, and D.J.

Fontana on drums.

♪♪ -♪ Baby, one of these mornings, lord, it won't be long ♪ ♪ You'll look for me and, baby, and daddy will not know ♪ ♪ You know you left me, you know you left me ♪ ♪ My baby even left me ♪ -Away from New York, driving all night to make the gig, they can't possibly feel the rumblings of the earthquake they created.

When they returned to New York on March 17th, "Heartbreak Hotel" is racing up the charts to the number-1 spot.

And it's just the duck-tail tip of the iceberg.

-♪ Well, since my baby left me ♪ ♪ Well, I found a new place to dwell ♪ ♪ Well, it's down at the end of Lonely Street ♪ ♪ At Heartbreak Hotel, where I'll be ♪ ♪ I'll be so lonely, baby, well, I'm so lonely ♪ ♪ I'll be so lonely, I could die ♪ ♪ Although it's always crowded, you still can find some room ♪ ♪ For broken-hearted lovers to cry there in the gloom ♪ ♪ And be so, they'll be so lonely, baby ♪ ♪ Well, they're so lonely ♪ ♪ They'll be so lonely, they could die ♪ ♪ Now, the bellhop's tears keep flowin' ♪ ♪ And the desk clerk's dressed in black ♪ ♪ Well, they've been so long on Lonely Street ♪ ♪ Well, they'll never, they'll never get back, and they're so ♪ ♪ Where they'll be so lonely, baby, well, they're so lonely ♪ ♪ They're there so lonely, they pray to die ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Well, if your baby leaves you and you got a tale to tell ♪ ♪ Well, just take a walk down Lonely Street ♪ ♪ To Heartbreak Hotel where you'll be ♪ ♪ You'll be so lonely, baby, where you'll be lonely ♪ ♪ You'll be so lonely you could die ♪ ♪ Well... ♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -"Heartbreak Hotel" sells 2 million copies, the first Gold record of his career.

The demand is so great for Elvis' recordings that RCA has to use the pressing plants of other record labels to fill their orders.

While in New York, Elvis takes time out to enjoy his newfound success.

He meets a jewelry salesman backstage and buys his first diamond ring, a horseshoe for good luck.

-♪ Blue moon ♪ -He takes a stroll around Time Square.

It's the last time Elvis will be able to walk the streets of a big city without being recognized.

-♪ Without a love of my own ♪ ♪ Blue moon ♪ ♪ You knew just what I was there for ♪ -Back at the Warwick Hotel, the fan mail is already pouring in.

People want to know who he is, what he thinks.

-In a lot of the mail I get, people ask questions about the kind of things I do and all that sort of stuff.

Well, I don't smoke, and I don't drink, and I love to go to movies.

Maybe someday I'm gonna have a home and family of my own, and I'm not gonna budge from it.

I was an only child, but maybe my kids won't be.

I suppose this kind of talk raises another question.

Am I in love?

No.

[ Chuckles ] I thought I'd been in love, but I guess I wasn't.

It just passed over.

I guess I haven't met the girl yet, but I will.

And I hope I won't be too long, 'cause I get lonesome sometimes.

I get lonesome right in the middle of a crowd.

But I've got a feeling that with her, whoever she may be, I won't be lonesome no matter where I am.

[ Fanfare plays ] -Hollywood is the flip side of Elvis' dream.

Ever since his days as a 15-year-old usher at the Loew's State Theater in Memphis, he watches screen idols like Robert Mitchum and Tony Curtis and fantasizes about being a movie star.

More than anything, Elvis wants to be a serious actor like the late James Dean.

He worships the star who tragically died in a car crash just four months earlier.

He sees "Rebel Without a Cause" no less than a dozen times and memorizes every one of Dean's lines.

On April 1st, Elvis does a screen test for producer Hal Wallis.

He's given a scene from "The Rainmaker," an upcoming Burt Lancaster, Katharine Hepburn movie.

Wallis likes what he sees, and on April 7th, Elvis signs a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures.

-A dream come true, you know?

I've had people ask me was I gonna sing in the movies.

I'm not.

I mean, not as far as I know 'cause I took strictly an acting test.

And actually, I wouldn't care too much about singing in the movies.

-Paramount does offer him a part in "The Rainmaker."

But under advice from the Colonel, he turns it down.

Instead, Wallis loans Elvis out to another studio for a Debra Paget, Richard Egan western called "The Reno Brothers."

Shooting will begin in August.

With television deals and movie contracts in his hip pocket, the Colonel moves on to Las Vegas.

On April 23rd, Elvis appears in Las Vegas for the first time.

The Colonel promotes him as the Atomic-Powered Singer, and he bombed.

Elvis opens at the Venus Room of the New Frontier Hotel on the same bill as Freddy Martin and his orchestra and comedian Shecky Greene.

-Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis Presley.

-♪ Well, it's one for the money, two for the show ♪ ♪ Three to get ready, now go, cat, go ♪ ♪ But don't you step on my blue suede shoes ♪ ♪ Well, you can do anything, but lay off of my blue suede shoes ♪ Well, the first night especially, I was -- I was absolutely scared stiff.

Afterwards, I got a little more relaxed.

It was strictly an adult audience, mostly elderly people.

-Show business newspaper Variety reports that for the teenagers, he's a whiz.

For the average Vegas spender, he's a fizz.

Elvis didn't play Las Vegas again for 14 years.

But the two-week stay isn't a total loss.

The Hillbilly Cat meets Mr.

Showmanship.

And Elvis receives some invaluable advice from Liberace about how to dress to please an audience.

-♪ Well, it's blue, blue, blue suede shoes ♪ ♪ Blue, blue, blue suede shoes ♪ ♪ Blue, blue, blue suede shoes, blue, blue, blue suede shoes ♪ ♪ You can do anything, but lay off of my blue suede shoes ♪ -And he takes home an autograph for his mother, Gladys.

On June 5th, Elvis returns to Los Angeles and appears on "The Milton Berle Show."

-I want to tell you something, incidentally, ladies and gentlemen.

I don't think that I'm revealing any secrets when I say -- when I say that -- that Elvis Presley is the fastest rising young singer in the entertainment industry today.

-He might have been a fizz in Vegas, but he now receives his second Gold record for "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You."

-All over the country, Elvis Presley!

Come on.

-♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, a hound dog ♪ ♪ Cryin' all the time ♪ -Elvis chooses a number originally recorded by Big Mama Thornton called "Hound Dog" -- low-down, bluesy, hot, and raw.

-♪ Well, they said you was high-classed ♪ ♪ Well, that was just a lie ♪ ♪ Yeah, they said you was high-classed ♪ ♪ Well, that was just a lie ♪ ♪ Yeah, you ain't never caught a rabbit ♪ ♪ And you ain't no friend of mine ♪ ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit ♪ ♪ And you ain't no friend of mine ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Well, they said you were high-classed ♪ ♪ Well, that was just a lie ♪ ♪ Well, they said you were high-classed ♪ ♪ Well, that was just a lie ♪ ♪ Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit ♪ ♪ And you ain't no friend of mine ♪ ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ Yeah, you ain't never caught a rabbit ♪ ♪ You ain't no friend of mine ♪ ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog ♪ ♪ Cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, a hound dog ♪ ♪ Cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit ♪ ♪ You ain't no friend of mine ♪ ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog ♪ ♪ Cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, a hound dog ♪ ♪ Cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit ♪ ♪ You ain't no friend of mine ♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -Elvis Presley!

How about my boy?

I love him.

-40 million people tune in, and the next day, Elvis is in deep trouble.

-Elvis can't sing... -The TV critics tear him apart.

-There's quite a group of people who don't sort of approve of the singing they do.

-Elvis Presley is a no-talent performer riding the... -Rock 'n' roll music, if you like it, and if you feel it, you can't help but move to it.

That's what happens to me.

-When you hear rock 'n' roll, it gets you on fire.

You move around, gyrate... -I have to move around.

I can't stand still.

I've tried it, and I can't do it.

-What about the name "Elvis the Pelvis"?

It's one of the most childish expressions I've ever heard.

-I don't like to be called "Elvis the Pelvis," but if they want to call me that, I mean, there's nothing I can do about it.

-They seem to think that it contributes to juvenile delinquency and all sorts of things.

-Someone is only singing and dancing.

I don't see how they could think that it would contribute to juvenile delinquency.

If there's anything I've tried to do, I've tried to live a straight, clean life and not set any kind of a bad example.

You cannot please everyone.

-Elvis is back in New York on June 28th, and he rehearses "The Steve Allen Show."

With the storm of controversy raging all around him, Elvis finds a peaceful moment alone at a piano and plays a favorite gospel song.

[ Piano playing ] -♪ I thank the Lord for everything ♪ ♪♪ ♪ When things are going my way ♪ ♪ He said to me, "I will comfort thee" ♪ ♪ "And drive your cares away" ♪ -He's soon joined by the Colonel and two William Morris agents.

-♪ He promised me ♪ ♪ I will walk with thee ♪ -NBC is under pressure to cancel the appearance because of the outrage brought on by the "Berle Show" and announces to the press that Presley will not be permitted to bump and grind on the show.

♪♪ Elvis does become suspicious when a tailor arrives to fit him for a tuxedo.

Steve Allen thinks it would be funny if Elvis wears white tie and tails while singing "Hound Dog" to a real Basset Hound.

The dog is also going to wear a top hat and bow tie.

The Colonel makes sure that his boy is fitted properly.

[ Indistinct conversation ] [ Man speaks indistinctly over P.A. ]

On his day off, between the rehearsal and broadcast of the "Allen Show," Elvis heads down to Richmond, Virginia, for two live performances.

And he's glad to be back home in the South.

♪♪ -♪ Well, lawdy, lawdy, lawdy, Miss Clawdy ♪ ♪ Girl, you sure look good to me ♪ ♪ But please don't excite me, baby ♪ ♪ I know it can't be me ♪ [ Women cheering ] ♪ Well, I give you all my money ♪ ♪ Yeah, but you just won't treat me right ♪ ♪ You like to ball every morning ♪ ♪ Don't come home till late at night ♪ [ Guitar solo ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I'm gonna tell, tell my mama ♪ ♪ Lord, I swear, girl, what you been doin' to me ♪ ♪ I'm gonna tell everybody that I'm down in misery ♪ ♪ So bye, bye, bye, baby ♪ ♪ Girl, I won't be comin' no more ♪ ♪ Goodbye, little darlin', down the road I'll go ♪ [ Piano solo ] ♪♪ ♪ Oh, bye, bye, bye, baby ♪ ♪ Girl, I won't be comin' no more ♪ ♪ Goodbye, little darlin', down the road I'll go ♪ -With the shows completed, Elvis goes back to New York to do "The Steve Allen Show," wear the tuxedo, and sing to that dog.

[ Fanfare plays ] -Well, you know, a couple of weeks ago, on "The Milton Berle Show," our next guest, Elvis Presley, received a great deal of attention, which some people seem to interpret one way and some viewers interpret in another.

Naturally, it's our intention to do nothing but a good show.

-[ Dog barks ] -[ Laughs ] Somebody's barking back there.

We want to do a show the whole family can watch and enjoy, and we always do.

And tonight, we are presenting Elvis Presley in his [chuckles] what you might call his first comeback.

And at this time, it gives me extreme pleasure to introduce the new Elvis Presley.

Here he is.

[ Applause ] ♪♪ Well, Elvis, you're certainly being a real good sport about the whole thing, and now I have a little surprise for you.

Gene, could I... [ Laughter ] [ Applause ] And Elvis with the great vocal group, The Jordanaires, in the background.

Elvis, your new record hit -- I predict it's going to be one, 'cause I've heard you rehearse it.

You're gonna record it tomorrow, called "Hound Dog."

I got you a very cute, little hound dog right here.

And away you go.

Who's that?

-Elvis will often refer to this night as "the most ridiculous performance of my entire career."

-♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit ♪ ♪ And you ain't no friend of mine ♪ ♪ ♪ Well, they said you was high-classed ♪ ♪ Well, that was just a lie ♪ ♪ Well, they said you was high-classed ♪ ♪ Well, that was just a lie ♪ ♪ Yeah, you ain't never caught a rabbit ♪ ♪ And you ain't no friend of mine ♪ ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time ♪ ♪ You ain't never caught a rabbit ♪ ♪ You ain't no friend of mine ♪ You ain't no friend of mine.

[ Cheers and applause ] -The very next morning, Elvis, Scotty, Bill, and D.J.

team up with the Jordanaires in the RCA recording studios and cut "Hound Dog."

-♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time ♪ -Listening to playbacks, Elvis decides he wants to try another take.

Supposedly, the session is run by RCA A&R man Steve Sholes.

But it's clearly the 21-year-old Elvis who's in charge.

Elvis may have been willing to sing to a dog on TV, but when it comes to his own music, nobody is more serious.

[ Indistinct conversation ] >>One, two, three... -Elvis learned production during his Sun days with Sam Phillips.

But his instincts tell him to change his style.

Instead of the echo and the reverb of rockabilly, he wants something bigger, more explosive.

Steve Sholes wants Elvis to quit after 18 takes.

Even the band thinks he's got the song right.

But Elvis insists on doing 30 takes of the song before he's really satisfied.

-♪ You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time ♪ -After listening to the playbacks, he chooses number 28.

♪♪ As hard as he works on "Hound Dog," the next song is a breeze.

Flipping through a stack of demos, Elvis selects a song from New York songwriter Otis Blackwell called "Don't Be Cruel."

[ Piano playing, indistinct conversations ] He quickly works out the arrangement on piano with the band and cuts the song in eight takes.

-One, two, three, four.

-"Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel" become Elvis' third and fourth Gold records of the year.

-♪ You know I can be found sittin' home all alone ♪ ♪ If you can't come around, at least please telephone ♪ ♪ Don't be cruel to a heart that's true ♪ ♪ Baby, if I made you mad for something I might have said ♪ ♪ Please, let's forget my past, the future looks bright ahead ♪ ♪ Don't be cruel to a heart that's true ♪ ♪ I don't want no other love ♪ ♪ Baby, it's just you I'm thinking of ♪ ♪ Don't be cruel to a heart ♪ -Elvis records still another song, the ballad "Any Way You Want Me."

He takes three quick acetate pressings of the songs with him and leaves the studio.

-♪ I don't want no other love ♪ ♪ Baby, it's just you I'm thinking of ♪ -He's going home to Memphis.

-♪ I've been traveling over miles ♪ ♪ Even through the valleys ♪ -The trip to Memphis is a 28-hour train ride, and it gives Elvis a chance to relax, catch up on some sleep... -♪ Baby, tryin' to get to you ♪ -...and listen to the acetates from his recording session.

♪♪ ♪♪ Colonel Parker is now orchestrating Elvis' career like a million-dollar sideshow.

He is about to sign a deal to merchandise 72 different Elvis Presley products with Hank Saperstein, who sells toys for "Wyatt Earp," "The Lone Ranger," and "Ding Dong School."

In no time at all, Elvis' face is on everything from clothing to bubble gum cards.

-♪ Well, there's nothing that could hold me ♪ -In six months, these Presley mania products earn $22 million.

-♪ When your loving letter told me ♪ ♪ That you really loved me true ♪ ♪ Lord above me knows I love you ♪ ♪ It was He who brought me through ♪ ♪ When my way was dark at night ♪ ♪ He would shine His brightest light ♪ ♪ When I was trying to get to you ♪ -At a stop in a rural suburb of Memphis that isn't much more than a grass field, the Colonel lets his boy go with instruction to say hello to his mother, Gladys.

Elvis gets off the train alone, carries only his records.

The best part of Elvis' success is what he can do now for his parents.

The devoted son buys them a brand-new home in a Memphis suburb on Autobahn Drive.

New pink and white Cadillacs stand in the driveway.

The ranch-style house is the first home the Presleys have ever owned.

-When I do get some time off, I usually -- I always come home and see my folks.

I ride a motorcycle and do different things.

[ Engine idling ] [ Engine revs ] -His fans are already out front waiting under the carport.

For now Elvis can meet and talk with his fans openly.

[ Indistinct conversation ] But within a year, the Presleys will need more privacy, and Elvis will move to Graceland.

Family and friends are all on hand to greet the returning hero -- Elvis' father, Vernon, his cousin, Junior Smith, grandma Minnie Mae Presley, who Elvis calls "The Dodger."

Elvis takes a dip in the family's brand-new swimming pool.

[ Water sloshing ] [ Laughter ] [ Water splashes ] With his hair still wet, Elvis proudly plays the acetate of "Any Way You Want Me" for his high-school sweetheart, Barbara Hearn.

♪♪ -♪ I'll be a strong as a mountain ♪ ♪ Or weak as a willow tree ♪ ♪ Any way you want me ♪ ♪ Well, that's... ♪ -Right now, Elvis likes being with local Memphis girls he knew before he became a star.

Within the year, Elvis will be dating Las Vegas showgirls and Hollywood starlets like Natalie Wood.

More than anything, the visit home means time to spend catching up with his mother.

-I suppose since I was an only child, that we might have been a little closer.

And Mother was always right with me all my life, a friend, a companion, someone to talk to.

I could wake her up any hour of the night if I was worried or troubled by something, and she'd get up and try to help me.

-And now that he's home from the road, she makes sure that he has plenty of clean underwear.

Before long, it's time to get ready for the evening's concert.

It's a July 4th benefit at Russwood Stadium in Memphis.

[ Cheers and applause ] 14,000 people show up to see their hometown boy.

When he takes the stage at 10:30 that night, a promise is delivered to the family and friends who watched his rise from the start.

Elvis tells them, "Those people in New York are not gonna change me none.

I'm gonna show you what the real Elvis Presley is like tonight."

♪♪ -♪ Well, get out of that bed, wash your face and hands ♪ ♪ Get out of that bed, wash your face and hands ♪ ♪ Well, get in that kitchen ♪ ♪ Make some noise with the pots and pans ♪ ♪ I believe it to my soul you're the devil in nylon hose ♪ ♪ I believe it to my soul you're the devil in nylon hose ♪ ♪ For the harder I work, the faster my money goes ♪ ♪ Well, I said shake, rattle, and roll ♪ ♪ I said shake, rattle, and roll ♪ ♪ I said shake, rattle, and roll ♪ ♪ I said shake, rattle, and roll ♪ ♪ Well, you won't do right to save your doggone soul ♪ Shake, rattle, and roll.

[ Guitar solo ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -No task is too small for the Colonel when it comes to promoting his boy.

Outside the stadium, the Colonel sells 8x10 glossies of Elvis, suitable for framing, at 10 cents a pop.

The first two weeks of August, Elvis begins a series of one-nighters in Florida.

-♪ Ready, set, go, man, go, I got a gal that I love so ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready, ready ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready Teddy ♪ ♪ Ready, ready, ready to rock 'n' roll ♪ ♪ Going down to the corner, pick up my sweetie pie ♪ ♪ She's my rock 'n' roll baby, she's the apple of my eye ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready ♪ ♪ Ready, ready, ready, I'm ready ♪ -A Jacksonville Juvenile Court judge issues a restraining order to stop him from making offensive gyrations on stage.

-♪ I shuffle to the left, I shuffle to the right ♪ ♪ Gonna rock 'n' roll till the early, early light ♪ -To satisfy the court, Elvis moves only his little finger, and the kids still go wild.

-♪ Ready, ready, ready to rock 'n' roll ♪ -Filming starts on "The Reno Brothers" August 23rd.

Elvis shows up on the set the first day with the entire script memorized -- his lines and everybody else's.

-There's nobody that helps you out.

They have a director and a producer.

As far as the acting, well, you're on your own.

I might accomplish something at it through the years.

-Cathy?

Whatcha doing?

Something wrong?

-No, no, Clint, nothing.

I was... -Cathy, you're crying.

What are you crying about?

-I don't know, Clint.

I had a bad dream, I guess.

The war and everything.

-Oh, don't cry.

We're all safe again.

There's nothing to worry about anymore.

-I hope not.

♪♪ -He's surprised to find that Paramount has slipped four songs into the movie.

Hal Wallis decides he doesn't want a bunch of hillbillies out of Nashville playing on his soundtrack and tells Elvis he can't use Scotty, Bill, and D.J.

to record the song.

Instead, Elvis must sing with the Ken Darby Trio.

"The Reno Brothers" now becomes "Love Me Tender," and so begins Elvis' career in Hollywood.

-♪ Love me tender, love me true ♪ ♪ All my dreams fulfill ♪ ♪ For, my darlin', I love you ♪ ♪ And I always will ♪ ♪ Love me tender, love me long ♪ ♪ Take me to your heart ♪ ♪ For it's there that I belong ♪ ♪ And we'll never part ♪ -On September 9, Elvis makes his first of three appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

Sullivan vowed never to have Elvis the Pelvis on his show, but the sheer power of Elvis' popularity forces him to change his mind.

-♪ Ready, set, go, man, go, I got a gal that I love so ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready, ready, I'm ready, ready, ready ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready to rock 'n' roll ♪ ♪ Going down to the corner, pick up my sweetie pie ♪ ♪ She's my rock 'n' roll baby, she's the apple of my eye ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready, I'm ready, ready, ready ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready to rock 'n' roll ♪ ♪ Now the flat top cats and the dungaree dolls ♪ ♪ Are headed for the gym to the sock hop ball ♪ ♪ The joint is really jumping, the cats are going wild ♪ ♪ The music really sends me, I dig that crazy style ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready, I'm ready, ready, ready ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready to rock 'n' roll ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Now the flat top cats and the dungaree dolls ♪ ♪ Are headed for the gym to the sock hop ball ♪ ♪ The joint is really jumping, the cats are going wild ♪ ♪ The music really sends me, I dig that crazy style ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready, I'm ready, ready, ready ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready ♪ ♪ I'm ready, ready, ready to rock 'n' roll ♪ [ Women screaming ] Thank you very much.

And now, friends, we'd like to introduce you to a brand-new song, "Love Me Tender."

♪♪ ♪ Love me tender, love me sweet ♪ ♪ Never let me go ♪ -The sweetness of the ballad and the honest warmth of the delivery blunt the edge of public wrath.

As the country boy shows his other side, more are converted.

54 million people watch the show -- one out of every three Americans.

-♪ Love me true, all my dreams ♪ -The very next day, RCA gets 1 million advance orders for "Love Me Tender."

Now Elvis gets his fifth Gold record of the year.

-♪ I love you and I always will ♪ -Elvis returns to his birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi, on September 26 as the star attraction at the state fair.

He receives a hero's welcome, and the Mayor gives him the key to the city.

-I hope you will take this key and use it the best way you see fit.

-Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, very much.

And I... and I... [ Cheers and applause ] ♪ Well, since my lover left me ♪ ♪ Well, I found a new place to dwell ♪ ♪ Well, it's down at the end of Lonely Street ♪ ♪ At Heartbreak Hotel, where I'll be ♪ ♪ I'll be so lonely, baby, well, I'm so lonely ♪ ♪ Well, I'm so lonely, I could die ♪ [ Women screaming ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -His triumphant return is a classic American success story.

Elvis was born and bred in a tiny shotgun house on the edge of Tupelo.

But 10-year-old Elvis won second prize at this same state fair for singing "Old Shep," a song about a boy and his dog.

Now he performs for 22,000 people and donates his $10,000 fee to charity.

Today, he wears a velvet shirt made for him by his mom.

Next year, he'll return for another benefit dressed in his famous gold lamé suit designed in Hollywood.

On October 24th, Variety publishes a front-page banner headline -- "Elvis, a millionaire in one year."

"Love Me Tender" is released on November 16th, premiering in New York City.

3,000 teenagers scream as a 40-foot-high statue of Elvis is unveiled.

Elvis' transformation into a movie star is complete, even if some fans are disappointed that the film contains no rock 'n' roll music.

-♪ Love me tender ♪ -Critics pan the film, but it makes back its million-dollar production cost within days.

At the end of 1956, the two top-grossing films in the nation are "Giant" starring James Dean and "Love Me Tender" starring Elvis Presley.

Elvis appeared for the last time on "The Ed Sullivan Show" January 6th, 1957, almost one year to the day since a 21-year-old Elvis Presley first entered the RCA studio to cut "Heartbreak Hotel."

By now, his hair is dyed jet black because he believes it'll photograph better for the movies.

And he thinks it makes him look a little like Tony Curtis.

-♪ You know I can be found sittin' home all alone ♪ ♪ If you can't come around, at least please telephone ♪ ♪ Don't be cruel to a heart that's true ♪ -Sullivan makes one last desperate attempt to censor Elvis by photographing him only from the waist up.

-♪ Then you'll know you'll have me ♪ ♪ And I know I'll have you, too ♪ ♪ Don't be cruel to a heart that's true ♪ ♪ I don't want no other love ♪ ♪ Baby, it's just you I'm thinking of ♪ ♪ Don't be cruel to a heart that's true ♪ ♪ Don't be cruel to a heart that's true ♪ Here we go.

♪ Well, I don't want no other love ♪ ♪ Baby, it's just you I'm thinking of ♪ -For his final song on the show, Elvis performs the gospel classic, "Peace in the Valley."

-♪ Well, I'm tired and so weary ♪ ♪ But I must go alone ♪ ♪ Till the Lord comes and calls ♪ ♪ Calls me away, oh, yes ♪ ♪ Well, the morning's so bright ♪ ♪ And the lamp is alight ♪ ♪ And the night, night is as black ♪ ♪ As the sea, oh, yes ♪ ♪ There will be peace in the valley for me someday ♪ ♪ There will be peace in the valley for me ♪ ♪ Oh, Lord, I pray ♪ ♪ There'll be no sadness, no sorrow ♪ ♪ No trouble, trouble I see ♪ ♪ There will be peace in the valley for me ♪ ♪ For me ♪ -It's the end of an era.

Elvis will make only three more TV appearances in his lifetime.

-♪ Treat me like a fool ♪ ♪ Treat me mean and cruel ♪ ♪ But love me ♪ -After 1956, his stardom becomes so unprecedented that it turns his world upside-down.

In 1957, his concerts are so big and unmanageable that Elvis stops touring.

The original band of Scotty, Bill, and D.J.

break up.

Elvis moves to the privacy of Graceland with his family.

And right at the very peak of his success, his beloved mother passes away.

♪♪ He goes on to make a total of 33 films and becomes the highest-paid star in Hollywood.

He sells a billion records worldwide.

Rarely has a single man so greatly affected the world through his music.

But after 1956, we'd never be able to get that close to him again.

-♪ I want your heart ♪ -♪ Beating close to mine ♪ -♪ So close to mine ♪ -♪ Well, if you ever go ♪ ♪ Darling, I'll be, oh, so lonely ♪ ♪ Beggin' on my knees ♪ ♪ All I ask is please, please love me ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ ♪♪ -♪ Yes, my baby left me, never said a word ♪ ♪ Was it something I done, something that she heard?

♪ ♪ My baby left me, my baby left me ♪ ♪ My baby even left me, never said a word ♪ ♪ Oh, I stand at my window, wring my hands and cry ♪ ♪ I hate to lose that woman, hate to say goodbye ♪ ♪ You know she left me, yes, she left me ♪ ♪ My baby even left me, never said a word ♪ Play it loose, boys.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪