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Brand New Elvis Army Footage

January 03, 2021 | Other

A lovely surprise for New Year as Chicago Film Archives uploads 18 minutes of new footage of Elvis entering the army.
The quality is excellent and you can see the apprehension on Elvis' face as he heads to a very uncertain future.
Described as, "Singer Elvis Presley is processed into the Army on March 24, 1958 at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. He talks to reporters, fills out paperwork, and gets a physical examination. Elvis' parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley, are seen briefly, looking dour. The day was dubbed "black Monday" for his fans by the press.

The singer entered regular Army service as a private, rather than joining Special Services, in which he would have entertained troops."

Source:Elvis Information Network
Gladyslove wrote on January 03, 2021
Fantastic. If he only stayed in these condition he probably would be with us until today or lived longer then 1977.
Walter wrote on January 04, 2021
Great! Excellent footage! Koodos to the people who managed to find this footage after 63 years!
Gorse wrote on January 06, 2021
Great as this footage is and very welcome, I still bristle at there being no movie footage of him stopping at Prestwick Scotland in 1960, the only time he touched UK shores and perhaps the biggest omission of all no movie footage of him in the Memphis and Hawaii benefit concerts in 1961 when he was probably number 1 entertainer in the world. Where I live there is a clear 10 minute colour film done by a local undertaker of a now defunct railway in the year 1957.!!!
Boxcar wrote on January 06, 2021
While recently some maroons fight over some shaky 8mm footage we get the clear pro-shots without a word.