Elvis Presley - 'Hound Dog' - The Ed Sullivan Show 1956

[appalachiablue]

- Elvis Presley "Hound Dog" (October 28, 1956) on The Ed Sullivan Show.
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- YouTube Comment: People need to understand what this video represents. You are seeing the 1st superstar in history. The moves he was doing on stage had never been seen before on television. They were common in the south (where he was from) but conservative adults had never seen anything like this. It was exceptionally provocative.

MANY church groups, parents, conservatives rallied together to boycott Elvis. They even had a class-action lawsuit against the Ed Sullivan show for broadcasting "such filth". This is the birth of rock and roll. You hear those girls screaming constantly. This is really the 1st time that had happened in history, especially for television. Some doo-wop singers were famous/handsome & the girls would get excited over them but Elvis was such a different story. He was such a disruptor in the 50's & singlehandedly changed the culture of the nation.

If I recall correctly The Ed Sullivan show was made aware of the dance moves that Elvis was going to do & the FCC or someone wanted a close camera angle on his upper body so the audience at home would not be able to see the dance moves. I believe the show ignored that & showed his entire body, which results in an FCC lawsuit. I could be wrong about the details but I recall there was significant controversy PRIOR to the show deciding to go with that camera angle. - You can see that up until @1:13 they stay with a close shot and they INTENTIONALLY slowly pull back and then Elvis does his moves.
Elvis also keeps laughing while singing because this fangirl thing was new to the world. He likely thought it was ridiculous how crazy they were going.

[True Blue American]

1. We were at a reunion at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Last edited Sun Jan 9, 2022, 06:47 AM - Edit history (1)

The Whole family was gathered around the black and white. 17 inch, I think. Grandma was standing in the doorway saying how awful that was, but she was watching. Grandpa was in the crowd. MyIrish grandpa, loved every one.

[appalachiablue]

4. Good for you, great story.. Your grandparents :)

[True Blue American]

10. My Grandpa's crew

Built all the tunnels through Southern Ohio. DT&I railroad.

When Henry Ford bought the RR to haul his cars he had been laid off, had another job. Henry offered him a lifetime job. 50 years.

They had moved to Dearborn by then. They needed a cook. My Grandma became head cook for his crew. They lived on one camp car, men in the other. Imagine my surprise a few years ago when my Son showed me the Camp car on display. I had visited my Grandpa on those cars many times.

[Mme. Defarge]

2. I saw this in real time!

[appalachiablue]

5. Terrific and historic!

I didn't see this show, but I saw him live in concert in 1974 and am glad I did.

[Mme. Defarge]

7. I remember that it was controversial

at the time, and considered a bold move on Sullivan’s part.

[planetc]

3. So much did Paul McCartney admire Elvis that ...

his wife Linda tracked down the bass being played in that clip, and gave it to Paul for his birthday. Elvis was what we had before the Beatles. But those being different times, Elvis got drafted, and into the vacuum he left, the Beatles stepped.

[appalachiablue]

6. A strange, sad sequence for Elvis, admired by the Beatles

In 1974 I saw Elvis perform and am so glad.

[thucythucy]

8. The controversy started on the Milton Berle show.

Sullivan had the camera avoid his legs and hips after this performance on Milton Berle:

America had never seen the likes on prime time TV.

[appalachiablue]

9. Berle's lengthy bit & the actress skit was more suggestive

and outright than Elvis, at least to me. Wild.

[thucythucy]

11. I know. And yet it was Elvis who drew all the flak.

Not to mention, his segue into the slower version of "Hound Dog" was pretty much a tribute to Big Mama Thornton.

But this was the show after which the phrase "Elvis the Pelvis" was coined.