In a tale that re-emerges on what would have been the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s 90th birthday, Elvis was reportedly unable to “stop the feeling” during an intimate movie scene.
Elvis Presley’s trousers reportedly “rubbed him the wrong way” in a romantic movie scene, resulting in the emergence of “Little Elvis” on screen. In a saucy tale that re-emerges on what would have been the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s 90th birthday (Thursday January 8), the Suspicious Minds crooner was apparently once embroiled in a mortifying on-screen blunder.
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1935, Elvis is one of the world’s most recognisable cultural icons, both as a best-selling musician and an actor who starred in an impressive 31 feature films, including Jailhouse Rock and Loving You. Sadly, he passed away at the young age of 42 in August 1977 after suffering a heart attack at his Graceland estate in Memphis after years of substance abuse and unhealthy eating.
It would be 1962’s Girls! Girls! Girls! that would serve as the backdrop for Elvis’ “below the belt” incident. In the film, Laurel Goodwin plays a sweet character competing with another woman for the King’s affections.
It wasn’t her love rival, played by Playboy model Stella Stevens, that led to the emergence of “Little Elvis”, though. It occurred during an intimate dance scene with Laurel, set to the track The Walls Have Ears.
Elvis associate Joe Esposito, from the King’s entourage, the so-called Memphis Mafia, was apparently informed by his friend: “Did you see that? Did you see what happened below the belt?”
In his 1994 memoir, Good Rockin’ Tonight, Joe revealed years later that all the “wiggling and jumping” involved in the “complicated” scene had quite the effect on the Hound Dog singer.
He wrote: “The dance scene with Laurel was complicated … at some point during all the wiggling and jumping, those pants really rubbed him the wrong way, and Little Elvis, as he called it, became erect.”
Joe explained that, between takes, the flustered rocker told him: “Damn pants were rubbing me the wrong way and I couldn’t stop the feeling. Geez, I hope they don’t have to reshoot this.”
Once Elvis saw the rough cuts the following day, however, he was left horrified to discover that his manhood was “sticking out like a sore thumb”, despite his hopes that it wouldn’t be visible.
He said: “Hot damn! Will you look at that? I was hoping it wouldn’t show because the pants were black. But there it is, sticking out like a sore thumb… well, sort of like a sore thumb.”
Seemingly in an effort to quell the King’s fears, Joe reassured him that it wouldn’t make the final cut, but director Norman Taurog ultimately didn’t remove it, much to the surprise of Joe, who expressed how he “couldn’t believe it” when the film finally came out.
He pointed out that Little Elvis was “at attention” and “aimed directly at Laurel”. Joe also conceded that you had to be “looking for it” to spot it, theorising that it was “only the few” of them that were aware of Little Elvis that were actually looking in “that area”.
