Elvis Presley and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, had a complicated relationship according to his ex-wife Priscilla Presley.
The Netflix documentary Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley, released on November 13th, reflects back on the complex dynamic of the Can’t Help Falling in Love crooner and manager Colonel.
After the Blue Hawaii artist returned from the army in 1960, Colonel got Elvis stuck in a multi-year movie contract.
Colonel’s strong influence on Elvis also made him pull out of 1976’s A Star Is Born.
The movie’s lead actress, Barbra Streisand, wanted the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll to play her onscreen love interest.
Priscilla, in a conversation with People Magazine recalled, “Barbra had offered him the part.”
“Colonel talked him out of that saying, ‘Oh, it’s not going to be good. She’s going to be in charge, not you. Her movie, not yours,’” she continued.
“Elvis regretted that because he felt he could have played that part.”
The Burning Love singer’s longtime friend Jerry Schilling noted that the musician was getting more and more frustrated with the movie roles he was being offered.
“One day he was reading a script, and he threw it across the room and said, ‘I’m not doing this,’” Jerry said. “The Colonel loved Elvis and vice versa, but Elvis outgrew the Colonel.”
Three-time Grammy award winner’s ex-wife further said that Elvis wanted to do “great movies” not the “stupid movies” as he wasn’t made for those.
Priscilla confessed that Colonel “did not get him really at all” and it was “hard” for her and Jerry. Despite their contradictions, they “couldn’t say anything to Colonel” and “just had to keep quiet.”
Priscilla tied the knot with the musician when she was 21 and he was 32 after six years of dating. The couple divorced in 1972 amid rumoured infidelities on both sides.
Elvis died due to a heart attack just a day after their divorce was finalised with Priscilla.
