TCM Celebrates Elvis Presley on 75th Birthday
[Press Release - Released by TCM]
Priscilla Presley and Jerry Schilling to Join TCM Host Robert Osborne As Turner Classic Movies Celebrates “The King” on 75th Birthday
20-Hour Movie Marathon to Air Friday, Jan. 8
Seventy-five years ago this January, the future of popular music was changed forever with the birth of the one-and-only Elvis Presley. On Friday, Jan. 8, Priscilla Presley and longtime friend Jerry Schilling will join Robert Osborne as Turner Classic Movies (TCM) celebrates the 75th anniversary of the birth of “The King.” Their introductions will be part of a 20-hour marathon of movies and concert documentaries.
“Priscilla Presley and Jerry Shilling knew Elvis Presley as well as or better than anyone who’s still with us,” Osborne said. “It’s a treat to be able to talk with each of them and share their memories of both the man and the legend.”
Priscilla Presley is an actress and business woman who achieved popularity for her work in the Naked Gun films and the television series Dallas. In 1982, she founded Elvis Presley Enterprises and chaired the company’s board until 1998. Although Priscilla and Elvis divorced in 1973, they remained close friends and shared custody of the daughter, Lisa Marie, until Elvis’ death in 1977. Priscilla wrote about her life with Elvis in the bestseller Elvis and Me, published in 1985.
Priscilla and Lisa Marie later collaborated on the book Elvis by the Presleys, published in 2005.
Schilling first met Elvis Presley when Schilling was only 12 years old. Years later, Schilling became one of Presley’s bodyguards. Schilling briefly managed the Beach Boys and Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie. To this day, he lives in a house bought for him by Presley.
TCM’s tribute will begin Jan. 8 at 6 a.m. (ET) and will feature such titles as Kissin’ Cousins (1964), Speedway (1968), Blue Hawaii (1961) and Viva Las Vegas (1964). Priscilla Presley and Jerry Schilling will join Robert Osborne in primetime to introduce the concert documentaries Elvis on Tour (1972), with sequences co-edited by Schilling and Martin Scorsese, and the 2001 re-edited version of the 1970 film Elvis: That’s the Way It Is, as well as the film considered by many to be Elvis’ best, Jailhouse Rock (1957).
The following is a complete schedule for TCM’s 75th birthday celebration of Elvis Presley (all times shown are Eastern):
6 a.m. Harum Scarum (1965) – co-starring Mary Ann Mobley, Fran Jeffries and Michael Ansara.
7:45 a.m. Kissin’ Cousins (1964) – co-starring Arthur O’Connell, Glenda Farrell and Jack Albertson.
9:30 a.m. Spinout (1966) – co-starring Shelly Fabares and Diane McBain.
11:15 a.m. Roustabout (1964) – co-starring Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Freeman.
1 p.m. Girl Happy (1965) – co-starring Shelley Fabares, Harold J. Stone and Gary Crosby.
2:45 a.m. Speedway (1968) – co-starring Nancy Sinatra, Bill Bixby and Gale Gordon.
4:30 p.m. Blue Hawaii (1961) – co-starring Joan Blackman and Angela Lansbury.
6:15 p.m. Viva Las Vegas (1964) – co-starring Ann-Margret, Cesare Danova and William Demarest.
8 p.m. Elvis on Tour (1972)
10 p.m. Elvis: That’s the Way It Is Special Edition (2001)
Midnight Jailhouse Rock (1957) – co-starring Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy and Dean Jones.
Turner Classic Movies is a Peabody Award-winning network celebrating 15 years of presenting great films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world. Currently seen in more than 80 million homes, TCM features the insights of veteran primetime host Robert Osborne and weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests. As the foremost authority in classic films, TCM offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, along with regular programming events that include The Essentials, 31 Days of Oscar and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also stages special events and screenings, such as the upcoming TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood; produces a wide range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs; and hosts a wealth of materials at its Web site, www.tcm.com. TCM is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
