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[Steve]

Charlie Hodge Interview (Hollywood)

Q : What films do you think Elvis really enjoyed making after he came back from the army?
A : Well, I remember once in 'Charro', which is one of the movies he didn't sing in, and we were back off location, and we were in the studio. And they had the house sitting there. And they were setting up the scene. And Elvis was standing over at the end of the porch. And I walked over there. And he looked down. And he says, "Charlie, I'm beginning to feel like this character". So, the depth was there for Elvis to do some serious acting. But what they were giving him were actually B musicals.

Q : Did Elvis tell you what type of film he really wanted to do?

A : Well, you can't say that, what kind of picture he wanted to do, he would have to, like anyone else, see the script and then see if it's good. You know, and somebody would bring him maybe something. But everything had to go through the Colonel to bring him anything. And the Colonel... In fact, I'll tell you what. I did the Dick Clark movie with Kurt Russell. And Shelley Winters played his mother in that film. And she said she saw Elvis's test, and heard Hal Wallis talking to Colonel Parker. And he said, "Colonel, we think Elvis can do some really serious acting". And this is Hal Wallis, the producer, unless you want to keep doing these B musicals. And the Colonel supposedly said, "Well, these musicals is what's making us money. So, we'll just do them". And Elvis was never consulted about it. Now, that's what Shelley told me on the set when we were doing that.

Q : I'd like to talk about a couple of locations. 'Blue Hawaii'. How was it when you guys went over there?

A : I didn't go. I was in Vegas that time working in Nevada. Now, I helped them do the soundtrack. And then I had to go in Nevada and work. And the guys all went to Hawaii. And then when they came back, Red and I were renting a house together at the time. And I know he invited everybody over from there, and we had kind of a luau there at the house Red and us had rented down in Hollywood.

[Memphis-Man]

Great stuff to read, Steve. THANK YOU so much for posting this.
I had the pleasure of meeting Charlie Hodge in the late 1970's. What a kind, gracious man he was.

M-M