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Elvis biography - 1957
The spate of Presley singles continued in earnest through 1957 and one of the biggest was another Otis Blackwell composition, 'All Shook Up', which the singer used as a cheekily oblique comment on his by now legendary dance movements.
Two LPs and a splendid Christmas album followed this year. Meanwhile, Colonel Parker was taking full advantage of the singer's popularity, organizing a sales organization that would make enormous profits by selling wallets, t-shirts, belts, lipstick and all kinds of other gadgets and souvenirs.
January 6, 1957
Elvis makes his third and final appearance on Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town Show". It was for this appearance that Elvis is seen only from the waist up. It's funny that after all of his television appearances the previous year, such censorship comes at this time. It is particularly amusing that this guideline remains in place during Elvis's performance of the gospel standard, "Peace in the Valley", one of five songs he performs on this Sullivan appearance. Ed Sullivan himself helps diffuse some of the controversy surrounding Elvis when he comes out on stage to thank Elvis and tells the studio audience and millions of American television viewers that "this is a decent, fine boy" and what a delight he had been to work with when appearing on the show. Ed Sullivan is the most influential person on television audiences and one of the most powerful people in the television industry at the time.
Personal appearances, recording sessions, record releases, controversy, and publicity continue.
January, 1957
Elvis begins production of his second movie, "Loving You" that boasted a quasi-autobiographical script with Presley playing a truck driver who becomes a pop star.
February 3, 1957
The New York Times runs a story entitled "Presley Records a Craze in Soviet Union". Elvis records are not legally available in the Soviet Union. The article tells of bootleg recordings being cut on discarded x-ray plates and being sold in Leningrad on the black market for fifty rubles (about twelve and a half dollars) each, a lot of money back then.
March 1957
Elvis buys Graceland Mansion for himself, his parents, and his paternal grandmother to live in. It will be ready for them to move into in early April.
April , 1957
While touring with his show, Elvis performs outside the United States for the first time when he appears in Canada: two shows in Toronto on April 2 and two shows in Ottawa on April 3.
May, 1957
Elvis begins work on his third motion picture, "Jailhouse Rock" for MGM.
July 9, 1957
Elvis's second motion picture, "Loving You" premieres and quickly reaches the top ten at the box office. Hit records include the title song and the classic smash "Teddy Bear".
Traveling, touring, record releases, and personal appearances continue.
August 31, 1957
Elvis performs in Vancouver. This is the third Canadian city he has performed in, and marks the last time he would perform in concert outside the United States.
September 27, 1957
Elvis returns once more to the town of his birth to perform. This time it is a benefit for the proposed Elvis Presley Youth Recreation Center in Tupelo, Mississippi. The grounds include Elvis' birthplace home. He would donate regularly to the center for the rest of his life. (The center is still used by the general community today. The birthplace home is open for tours, and there is a small museum and a memorial chapel.)
October 17, 1957
"Jailhouse Rock", Elvis's third motion picture premieres in Memphis, opening nationally in November and quickly going to the top five at the box office. The title song is a smash hit. This film would, years later, be considered Elvis's best, rivaled only by "King Creole", which followed in 1958. "Jailhouse Rock" would come to be considered the ultimate classic of all "rock opera" movies, and the "Jailhouse Rock" production number in the film would later be recognized as the grandfather of pop/rock music videos, a music format that would become widely popular by the 1980's.
November 10, 11 1957
Elvis performs shows in Hawaii for the first time.
December, 1957
Elvis and family enjoy their first Christmas at Graceland and Elvis officially receives his draft notice, a day he had known would be coming soon.