Elvis Presley was an American singer and actor known as the “King of Rock and Roll.” Elvis’ music spanned a variety of genres ranging from blues and country to rock and gospel. Elvis died in 1977 from a heart attack brought on by his drug addiction, but his music and his legacy still live on over 45 years later. Elvis was a 2022 blockbuster film directed by Baz Luhrmann that visually illustrates Elvis’ controversial rise to fame from childhood to adulthood while detailing his complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. The movie was a big success, winning 85 awards and grossing over $288.7 million worldwide.
After the release and success of Elvis, it was announced that Sofia Coppola would be directing a biographical film on Priscilla Presley. The 2023 film Priscilla, released on November 3rd, is inspired by Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir Elvis and Me. Priscilla was married to Elvis for six years from 1967 to 1973 and the film is said to, “Show what it was like to be married to one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century.” Sofia Coppola said, “We know so much about Elvis and it was really important to me to show the story through Priscilla’s experiences.” Priscilla has received widespread criticism and mixed reviews, a lot of them claiming that the film was not an accurate portrayal of Elvis Presley and that it was “disrespectful” to paint him in such a negative light. Even Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis and Priscilla’s daughter, heavily criticized the portrayal of her father in the film. Lisa read the script before the film started shooting and sent two emails to Sofia Coppola, saying that her father came across as “a predator and manipulative.”
The release of Priscilla has sparked up conversations about the true nature of the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla, a controversial topic that has been debated for decades.
Elvis and Priscilla first met at a party in Germany while Elvis was serving in the army. At this point in Elvis’ career, he was already an established name, having released three studio albums and filmed four movies. At the time of their initial meeting, Elvis was 24 years old and Priscilla was just 14. Their age gap is obviously alarming – Elvis was a grown man courting a young teenager. Elvis described Priscilla as, “A lot more mature than her age.” Although Priscilla’s parents had initial hesitations about Elvis, they eventually let Priscilla move to Memphis, Tennessee at 17 years old to finish out high school while living with Elvis and his family.
That same year, he began filming his movie “Viva Las Vegas” in Hollywood and had an affair with his co-star Ann Margaret. It was the first of many affairs that Elvis embarked on while with Priscilla.
Elvis proposed to Priscilla in 1966 when she was 21 and he was 32. They got married less than 6 months later in Las Vegas, and Priscilla got pregnant very soon after. Exactly nine months after their wedding, their only daughter Lisa Marie Presley was born.
In February 1972, after multiple affairs by Elvis and even an affair by Priscilla, the couple officially separated, and their divorce was finalized in October 1973. Even after their divorce, their post-marriage life was apparently very peaceful. Priscilla spoke to People in 1978, saying, “It was like we were never divorced. Elvis and I still hugged each other, still had love. We would say ‘Mommy said this’ and ‘Daddy said that.’ That helped Lisa to feel stable. There was never any arguing or bitterness.”
Elvis died in August 1977 in his home in Memphis. Priscilla said that Elvis’ death came as a shock to her, but she had known about his declining health. Priscilla said that it was a very devastating time for her because of how much he was a part of not just her life, but their daughter’s life.
Elvis and Priscilla’s story has many layers. Something I have always found interesting and simultaneously disturbing is Elvis’ initial attraction to Priscilla. At the time of their first meeting, Elvis’ mother Gladys had recently passed. Elvis and his mother were very close and her death hit him hard. Elvis saw a resemblance between Priscilla and his mother and was very drawn to her based on that resemblance. Elvis told his friend Rex Mansfield that Priscilla was “young enough that I can train her any way I want.” Elvis did in fact do that, controlling how she did her makeup and the clothes she wore. Priscilla described herself as “Elvis’ living doll, to fashion as he pleased.”
There is a dark side to their relationship, from Elvis’ affairs and the way he controlled every aspect of Priscilla’s life to the moments when he was physically abusive towards her. In Elvis and Me, Priscilla shares many stories from her and Elvis’ relationship, even the really dark ones. She talks about an instance when Elvis threw a chair at her because she said she didn’t like one of his songs. She talks of another instance where she confronted Elvis about rumors of an affair he was having, and he fell into a rage, throwing her clothes and a suitcase on the floor and promptly kicking her out of his house. Despite their tumultuous relationship and everything that they went through, Priscilla continues to speak very highly of Elvis, even after all of this time.
Here’s what I think: It’s no secret that Elvis Presley was a musical legend – his music and unique style revolutionized music as we know it and continue to influence modern-day musical artists. However, that man was far from a saint. People claim that he was simply misunderstood but there is nothing confusing about his inappropriate relationships with underage girls or the way he treated Priscilla. I’m sure that he had his fair share of demons and personal issues, but I don’t think it is okay for that to be weaponized and used as an excuse for all of his transgressions. I believe that this is a situation in which it is necessary to separate the art from the artist.
