HOLLYWOOD—Last year it was the “Elvis” movie. This year it’s “Priscilla.” The film “Priscilla,” was released on November 3 in theatres. The film is about the story of Priscilla, who met Elvis at the age of 14. The film is directed by Sofia Coppola and is based on Priscilla’s 1985 memoir, “Elvis and Me.” Oscar-winning director Coppola, who adopted the script from “Elvis and Me”, also consulted Priscilla, shows the complicated dynamic from Priscilla’s perspective.
Cailee Spaeny, who plays Priscilla opposite Jacob Elordi, who plays Elvis, calls the relationship, “a wild fairy tale that has all these ups and downs.” The late Lisa Marie Presley reportedly wrote; “My father comes across as a predator and manipulative. She went on to say, “as his daughter, I don’t see any of my father in this character. Priscilla is credited as an executive producer on the film, but Lisa Marie threatened to speak out publicly against it and her mother’s support for it.”
The biggest celebrity on earth was in love with a 14-year-old, when he was 24. Elvis met Priscilla Beaulieu in West Germany in 1959, where Priscilla’s stepdad worked as a U.S. AirForce Captain. Elvis, who had been drafted in the Army back in 1957, when he was a superstar, was stationed nearby. The two began a fairytale romance after connecting at a party. After Elvis was discharged in 1960, he and Priscilla kept in touch by phone for two years until he invited her to visit him in the U.S.
She took two trips, which gave her a front-row seat to see his lifestyle. He invited her to be with him at Graceland, his mansion in Memphis. They both pleaded with her reluctant parents. To ease the Beaulieus’ minds, Priscilla lived with Elvis’s father and stepmother, Vernon and Dee, who lived down the road from Graceland but spent nights at the legendary estate anyway. During the day, Priscilla was a student at the local Immaculate Conception all-girls high school.
Elvis taught her everything from how to dress, to walk, how to apply makeup and wear her hair the way he wanted. Elvis showered her with gifts. In the film, it depicts Elvis’s short fuse, including a scene in which a playful pillow fight turns violent when Elvis, who relied on prescription meds like Quaaludes to sleep and Dexedrine to wake up, gets aggressive. Priscilla has said the incident left her with a black eye, bruised arm and an unsettled feeling that Elvis had an addiction. Priscilla helped bring the story to life. According to Priscilla, they didn’t consummate their relationship until their wedding night on May 1, 1967, when she was 21-years old.
Priscilla got pregnant and Lisa Marie was born exactly nine months after they were married. According to Priscilla, when she was in her third trimester, Elvis wanted time apart. Within two days, he changed his mind. Elvis cheated, according to Priscilla. Priscilla found intimate correspondence between him and actress Anita Wood. Later, the press reported on his affairs with co-star Ann-Margaret. If Priscilla brought up his infidelity, arguments ensued.
Priscilla had her own affairs, according to published reports with a dance teacher as well as her karate instructor Mike Stone. According to Priscilla, Elvis had withdrawn from Priscilla after she gave birth to their only child, Lisa Marie. Lisa Marie, passed away back in January 2023, at the age of 54.
Priscilla ultimately left Elvis in 1972, five years before his death from cardiac arrest at the age of 42. Priscilla never stopped loving him. The movie should be a contender for the awards season. The year 2023 boasts a wealth of incredible movies including superhero titles, plenty of explosive action, some spine-tingling horror, and even a few throwbacks to franchises of old, so start marking your calendars. The past couple of years have been hard to say the least, and like most other industries, Hollywood has had to make a number of adjustments. Some of the anticipated movies are “The Marvels,” being released on November 10. Let’s not forget “The Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” being released November 17. “The Bikeriders” starring Austin Butler is being released on December 1.
Rose’s Scoop: The film “Wonka” will be released on December 15. Other films include “The Color Purple,” on December 20, and last but not least “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” being released on December 22.
