An Intimate Conversation With Elvis (1969 article)

[The fool]

An Intimate Conversation With Elvis
by Rosa Luxemburg
TV And Movie Play, December 1969

[The fool]

And the last page...

[drjohncarpenter]

Another very interesting upload! Thank you so much for sharing it.

First of all the cover has what I believe is a "new" color shot from the 7-31-1969 OS, albeit reversed. Here it is in isolation, with a corrected view:

690731_International Hotel.jpg

The article byline is ... unusual. The name Rosa Luxemburg is firmly attached in history to the German revolutionary leader, journalist, and socialist theorist, killed in Berlin in 1919 during the revolution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Luxemburg

How many movie magazines name check Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and Ernest Hemingway in their opening paragraphs? No doubt Rosa is a pseudonym, but for whom? She knew Nashville session veteran Charlie McCoy, and had interviewed Brian Jones. Very intriguing mystery there.

The journalist appears to have gained access to Elvis' International suite during mid-August 1969. It's great to read kind words from Presley for Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett, both new to me, and a little odd to hear his derisive tone when discussing "Change of Habit," and his film career in general. Had he decided the film was a dud before it was even released? We all know it was better than that. Much like the cover story and interview which ran in Rolling Stone around the same time, what is most noted is the cool distance Elvis puts between himself and the media. He did it very well, it seems.

Thanks again!

[George Smith]

Fascinating as always, the fool, thank you.

Cool observations, John, gracias.

[Mister Moon]

What a wonderful article.

Thank you very much, The fool, for posting it !

Regarding the authorship of the article, the mention of Brian Jones (who had passed away the month before the interview was conducted) made me think of Robert Palmer, who had accompanied Jones in 1968 in his travel to Morocco. In any case, it's very clear that the writer knew his stuff, so this may well have been an early work of a future well-known and respected author as Palmer. Just a guess.

Thanks again.

[MaryAnn]

Very interesting and enjoyable article.

I don't have any guess about the actual identity of the writer, but I did get the feeling that the author was a woman. Details such as the sweater, the smoldering look, and a number of other observations and insights gave me that distinct impression.

[drjohncarpenter]

Very interesting and enjoyable article.

I don't have any guess about the actual identity of the writer, but I did get the feeling that the author was a woman. Details such as the sweater, the smoldering look, and a number of other observations and insights gave me that distinct impression.

Yes, the journalist who wrote the piece is definitely female, for all of the things that you note. It was a fairly heady article for a movie magazine, too. You do not see anything close to such intelligence today, in magazines like Us or Star or Life Style. It's all about pretty photos and very little text.

[Mister Moon]

Very interesting and enjoyable article.

I don't have any guess about the actual identity of the writer, but I did get the feeling that the author was a woman. Details such as the sweater, the smoldering look, and a number of other observations and insights gave me that distinct impression.

Yes, the journalist who wrote the piece is definitely female, for all of the things that you note. It was a fairly heady article for a movie magazine, too. You do not see anything close to such intelligence today, in magazines like Us or Star or Life Style. It's all about pretty photos and very little text.

Yes, MaryAnn and Doc, I noticed those details too, but it could also be that, this being a women magazine, the author tried to appear as a female. He / she makes it maybe a bit too evident. The use of a female pseudonym (and not exactly a "Jean Smith"-type one) would be another hint in this direction.

Also, it's hard to believe that such a non-musical publication could have had among its usual staff somebody with the ability to write this article, and maybe they had to rely on an outside collaborator.

But, as I said, this is all just a guess. The main thing is the great article, of course.

[The fool]

Another very interesting upload! Thank you so much for sharing it.

Fascinating as always, the fool, thank you.

What a wonderful article.

Thank you very much, The fool, for posting it !

Very interesting and enjoyable article.

You are all very welcome.