Elvis turned down an iconic function within the greatest film musical of all time

In his closing months, Elvis confided in his girlfriend Kathy Westmoreland that his best remorse was by no means making a “classic film that would be remembered” – and but he had simply turned down Grease.

The total film truly attracts closely on the picture and stylings of Elvis from the hip swivelling to the quiffs and leather-based jackets.

When producer Allan Carr initially purchased the rights to the 1971 stage musical, he imagined the 2 leads as being like “Elvis Presley and Ann Margret.”

There actually is not any Danny Zuko with out Elvis whereas the tone of the film draw closely on the frothy big-screen musicals The King made all through the Nineteen Sixties.

When the massive display model as greenlit, Carr desperately needed The King to participate and provided him a juicy function.

Grease was launched 45 years in the past on June 16, 1978, and Elvis would die on August 16 the earlier yr.

His well being and spirits had been troubled all through that yr, a lot of which he spent on tour, usually spending the night time (primarily for consolation) with backing singer Kathy.

She recalled being referred to as to Elvis’ resort room whereas they have been on tour in May 1977 as a result of he could not sleep: “He said, ‘how are people going to remember me? No-one is going to remember me. I have never done anything lasting, never done a classic film.'”

The producers of Grease had truly provided Elvis the scene-stealing cameo as Teen Angel.

The character memorably performs the quantity Beauty School Drop-Out to Frenchie and her friends in a fantasy sequence within the diner.

Fellow Nineteen Fifties heartthrob Frankie Avalon ultimately took the function nevertheless it’s simple to think about Elvis (maybe somewhat extra in his prime) making the half his personal.

He was solely 42 when he died, however in poor bodily situation. Especially when in comparison with the trim Avalon, who, at 37, was just a few years youthful on the time.

Elvis had beforehand turned down one other iconic film function that might have rebooted and altered his total Hollywood profession when he rejected Barbra Streisand’s supply (and formal contract) to star alongside her within the Oscar-winning A Star Is Born.

It’s assumed that The King’s supervisor Colonel Parker sank the deal as a result of Streisand would have had prime billing and the movie portrayed a pale star consumed by his demons.

A cameo in Grease would have had no such points so it stays an incredible loss that Elvis was not capable of take the half, but he nonetheless discovered himself ‘current’ in an unexpectedly tragic means.

In the tip, the spectre of Elvis would hang-out Grease much more vividly when the forged discovered themselves filming a “creepy” scene on the identical day that The King’s loss of life shocked the world.

During Rizzo’s iconic Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee quantity, Elvis is straight referenced within the line: “Elvis, Elvis, let me be. Keep that pelvis far from me.”

Randall Kleiser later mentioned: “It was very eerie. It was all over the news, so everyone knew. We did this number, and everybody kind of looked at each other like: ‘Yeah, this is creepy.’”