Timeline:
January 5: Elvis rents out the Memphis Memphian theater for another of his many all-night movie matinees, attended only by Elvis, his family, and members of the "Memphis Mafia." Tonight, he views the as-yet-unreleased George C. Scott biopic Patton, which so mesmerizes the King that it becomes his favorite film, edging out the previous titleholder, Dr. Strangelove. As is his habit with a film he loves, Elvis will memorize every line, especially the famous opening "pep talk" the General gives to his troops.January 10: Elvis and the band begin rehearsals for the next Vegas engagement at the International.
January 26: Elvis begins his International stint with an invitation-only opening-night performance, wearing, for the first time, a one-piece jumpsuit designed to let him execute his famous karate moves on stage. Critical reaction is positive.
February 16: Recording of the International shows begins for an eventual RCA live album entitled, somewhat inaccurately, On Stage: February 1970.
February 18: Fearing that enough new material hasn't been recorded for the live set, Elvis adds "See See Rider," "Release Me," and "The Wonder Of You" to the set. The latter will become a major hit on the charts, while "See See Rider" will later become his go-to live opener.
February 23: After the closing show, the Colonel, in an attempt to keep the International Hotel on its toes, informs its president that Elvis may not be available for any more engagements. (It's a bluff.)
February 25: Presley flies to Texas for his first stadium show, at the Houston Astrodome. He holds a short press conference and then retires to the stadium's hotel.
February 27: Elvis begins his first stadium gig with an afternoon show at the Texas Livestock Show that leaves him personally and professionally unfulfilled: the concert, held on a weekday, is sparsely attended, and the rotating stage in the Astrodome leaves him, in his own words, "singing to a cow." The evening show, however, would break all attendance records and restore Elvis' confidence in himself fully.
March 17: The Colonel pitches an idea he's had for some time: a live closed-circuit pay-per-view Elvis concert, available in theaters across the US. Elvis is to be paid $1,100,000 for the one-time show; but Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times gets wind of the show through channels and breaks the news prematurely, forcing the Colonel to abandon the idea. Eventually the idea morphs into a regular concert film called Elvis: That's The Way It Is, released on November 11.
May 24: Elvis surprises Priscilla with a 25th birthday party at Graceland.
June 1: Producer Felton Jarvis quits RCA to go under exclusive contract with Elvis, creating a partnership that will last for the rest of the singer's life.
June 7: Having run out of Hill and Range songwriting material to record in his latest marathon session, Elvis decides to start cutting old country favorites of his, which will eventually result in the 1971 album Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old).
August 4: Elvis begins rehearsals for his next International Hotel engagement in Vegas, as filming begins for the That's The Way It Is movie.
August 14: Patricia Ann Parker, a Los Angeles waitress, files a paternity suit against Elvis Presley, claiming him as the father of her unborn child. Elvis' L.A. lawyer immediately hires a private investigator to look into the matter; Elvis, fearful that his fans will not forgive this sexual indiscretion, nevertheless attempts some damage control from the stage in tonight's performance.
August 26: An anonymous phone call is placed to the International, claiming that a kidnapping attempt will be made on Elvis before the show tonight. Although nothing comes of the threat, security is heightened for the remainder of the engagement. The incident will later inspire the 1988 comedy Heartbreak Hotel.
August 28: Elvis is threatened with an attempt on his life at tonight's show, instigated by an anonymous call to Memphis Mafioso Joe Esposito demanding $50,000 for the name of the attempted assassin. The FBI is immediately called in, as is the rest of the "Mafia" for bodyguard detail. In addition, private security is brought in to beef up hotel security, and a doctor and ambulance are situated backstage just in case. Finally, Elvis himself takes a gun on stage that night. Although nothing happens on stage -- one fan calls out his name, stopping the show cold, but merely requests "Love Me Tender" -- Elvis will be so badly shaken by this incident that he will soon begin purchasing an Elvis-sized arsenal of guns for his own protection.
Next... Elvis 1970 timeline (continued)
