January 8, 2025 marks the 90th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s birthday – on this occasion, the ORF is dedicating a program focus to the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and is showing a ” Universum History” documentary about his marriage to Priscilla, the film “Acapulco” and the cultural documentary “Elvis and the Girl from Vienna” and “ELVIS – The Comeback Special 1968”. Ö1 is bringing a “Spielräume Spezial” edition and the first global pop music event to listen to again: Elvis Presley and “Aloha from Hawaii”.
The shipments in detail:
“Universum History: Elvis and Priscilla – The Dark Secret” (Friday, January 3rd, 10:35 p.m., ORF 2 and in “zeit.geschichte” on Saturday, January 11th, 8:15 p.m., ORF III – also on ORF ON)
The documentary by Natascha Walter and Annette Baumeister (edited by Elisabeth Stenitzer and Josef Glanz) looks behind the glamorous facade of a dream couple: What sounds like a modern fairy tale hides a dark secret beneath the glittering surface: an unknown teenager conquers the heart of the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, after a secret romance they get married a few years later. In fact, Elvis Presley was enchanted when he first met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu in Wiesbaden in 1959. The love between the unequal couple is considered a scandal in the prudish and conservative 50s, but Priscilla’s parents are very interested in a good match for their daughter. They ignore the fact that their underage daughter is at the mercy of an adult rock star. For the young woman, however, marriage is a golden cage. The divorce in 1973 was ultimately a liberation for Priscilla; she continues to successfully market her role as the star’s ex-wife to this day.
“Acapulco” (Saturday, January 4th, 9:30 a.m., ORF 2, ORF ON)
In 1963, director Richard Thorpe directed “Acapulco,” the 13th film in which Elvis Presley took on a role: The young trapeze artist Mike Windgren (Elvis Presley) has been suffering from a fear of heights since an accident in which his partner died. He tries to escape his past in the Mexican tourist paradise of Acapulco. When he takes a job as a singer in a hotel, he quickly becomes the crush of all the girls. Bullfighter Dolores (Elsa Cardenas) and hotel manager Margarita (Ursula Andress) also compete for his love. Then a rival challenges him to jump off the cliffs.
“Elvis and the Girl from Vienna” (Monday, January 6th, 10:40 p.m., ORF 2 and in “zeit.geschichte” on Saturday, January 11th, 9:10 p.m., ORF III – also on ORF ON)
Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. In his documentary, filmmaker Kurt Langbein tells the story of his rise and also the story of a personal confidant, the Viennese Trude Forsher, who, as a Jew, was able to escape the Nazi terror and got a job that millions of girls dreamed of: as Elvis’ Private secretary. In August 1956, the “King” began recording his first feature film, “Love Me Tender.” At his side were his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, and his newly hired secretary, Trude Forsher. “Elvis and the Girl from Vienna” is Trude’s tale of how Elvis’ career grew from a Southern singing sensation to a global legend. For five years she experienced the legendary moments in Elvis’ life first hand. Years later, her son went looking for clues in the USA and Vienna to tell the story of Elvis and the girl from Vienna.
“ELVIS – The Comeback Special 1968” (“zeit.geschichte” on Saturday, January 11th, 10:15 p.m., ORF III, ORF ON)
In the 1950s, Elvis Presley went down in music history as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and was considered a central figure in the emerging music revolution of a new generation. In the early 1960s, after a budding career as a musician, he unexpectedly withdrew from the stage to devote himself to his film career. After seven years away from the limelight, he finally made his big comeback as a musician in 1968 with this TV special, which was originally conceived as a Christmas show. Between two songs he jokes in a familiar tone with his fellow musicians from the old days and tells anecdotes. Sometimes gently seductive, sometimes wildly rocky, alone or close to his audience, he puts on his show. Musical-like sequences show Elvis Presley singing purely gospel, as a lonely saloon cowboy and together with gangsters in a Chicago club. All of this in an oriental-looking, glittering 1970s ambience. The “King” sings many of the songs that made him famous: “That’s All Right,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “One Night,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and “Love Me Tender.” He also interprets Jimmy Reed’s song “Baby What You Want Me to Do” as well as lesser-known pieces such as “Tryin’ to Get to You” and “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again”. Today the event is considered a forerunner of the “unplugged sessions” that are common in the music industry. ORF III shows this milestone in music and television history, technically revised and in HD.
Elvis in Ö1: “Spielräume Spezial” and “Aloha from Hawaii”
He made his breakthrough with songs like “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Hound Dog” and his glamorous years in Las Vegas are still unforgettable today: Elvis Presley always managed to break musical and social boundaries. But he is also a controversial figure because many see him as a symbolic figure for the cultural appropriation and exploitation of black music. He didn’t write a single song himself during his career and sometimes made reckless use of the repertoire of black artists.
A “Spielräume Spezial” edition on Elvis Presley’s 90th birthday and how his music changed the world can be heard on Monday, January 6th, from 5:10 p.m. on Ö1. On Friday, January 10th, “In Concert” (Ö1, 2:05 p.m.) brings the first global pop music event to listen to again: Elvis Presley and “Aloha from Hawaii”. On October 14, 1973, the musician gave a concert in Honolulu, Hawaii, which was broadcast via satellite to 40 countries. Music performances broadcast around the world had taken place before, but “Aloha from Hawaii” was the first pop concert by a solo artist to become a global event, reaching ratings of 90 percent in some countries.