On March 4, 1968 Elvis reported to MGM to begin pre-production on the film
"Kiss My Firm But Pliant Lips" based on the novel of the same name by Dan
Greenburg.
Greenburg was born and educated in Illinois. He received his Masters Degree at
UCLA and became an award-winning ad copywriter. Later he was managing editor of
"Eros" magazine. He became a best-selling writer with his 1964 book "How To Be A
Jewish Mother." He along with Michael A. Hoey adapted his novel "Kiss My Firm
But Pliant Lips" into the screenplay for Elvis's movie which would become
entitled "Live A Little, Love A Little," although other titles also considered
including "Bumblebee Oh Bumblebee" and "Born Rich." Greenburg went on to write
other productions including "Oh! Calcutta!" and the TV series "Adam's Rib."
Writer, director and producer Michael A. Hoey was born in London and came to the
U.S. as a child. Son of character actor Dennis Hoey, he grew up around the
Hollywood movie studios. He worked with director Norman Taurog on several Elvis
movies: "Tickle Me", "Spinout", "Stay Away Joe" and "Live a Little, Love A
Little." He received two Emmy Award nominations for his work on the TV series
"Fame." Among his credits is having produced several Emmy Award shows.
Working with musical conductor and writer Billy Strange, Elvis recorded the
soundtrack at Western Recorders on 3/7/68. Strange's method of using written
charts was foreign to Elvis's more casual style of recording.
Principal photography began on 3/13/68. Locations included the Pacific Coast
Highway near Malibu, Marineland, the Hollywood Citizen News building, the Los
Angeles Music Center and the streets of the Hollywood Hills.
Elvis's somewhat kooky love interest Bernice/ Betty/Suzie/Alice was played by
actress Michele Carey who had been a top model for the Powers Agency. Her film
credits include "El Dorado" and "Dirty Dingus Magee" among others. She was also
the voice of "Effie" the computer on the Robert Conrad TV series "A Man Called
Sloane."
There has been a long-held myth that Elvis and Priscilla's dog Brutus was used
in this movie as Albert the Great Dane. Not believing this to be true, we
checked with Priscilla herself. She said it was not their dog but a
professionally trained "working dog that was hired for the film."
Elvis's twenty-eighth movie was the 1968 MGM film "Live A Little, Love A
Little" in which he plays photographer Greg Nolan. Greg juggles working for two
very different employers played by Don Porter and Rudy Vallee.
Don Porter began his career in the 1940s on stage and in films, but he may be
best remembered for his TV roles as Ann Sothern's boss on both "Private
Secretary" and "The Ann Sothern Show" as well as playing Sally Field's father on
the "Gidget" TV series.
Rudy Vallee was a popular singer and band leader in the 1920s and 30s known for
his trademark of singing through a megaphone. He became an actor on stage,
screen and TV often playing comedic roles in a career that spanned over sixty
years.
The late Dick Sargent played Harry Baby in this film. He was born Richard Cox,
the son of actress Ruth McNaughton and Hollywood business manager Elmer Cox. He
had roles in a number of movies and TV series, the most memorable playing Darrin
Stephens on the TV series "Bewitched." Although he replaced an ailing Dick York
in the part , it was Sargent who was first offered the role when the series
began. Being already under contract for something else, Sargent was unable to
take the part at that time. Sargent had a bit part in Elvis's first movie "Love
Me Tender" (1956).
Georgia-born Sterling Holloway had the role of the Milkman in "Live A Little,
Love A Little." Ironically he began his career in silent films, however, he went
on to be the voice of many animated movie characters. Perhaps his most famous
voice was that of the beloved character Winnie the Pooh.
Eddie Hodges played the delivery boy Woodrow. Hodges stage credits include in
"The Music Man" and "Critic's Choice." He has appeared in movies and television
and he had several hit records in the 1960s. Outside of a guest appearance on
"Law & Order" in 1996, the Mississippi native gave up performing in 1969 to
become a rehabilitation counselor in his home state.
Among the many models who appear in this film you might spot Susan Henning as
dressed as a mermaid in one of Greg (Elvis) Nolan's photo sessions. She dated
Elvis for a brief time and appeared in the in the bordello scene of the big
production of his 1968 TV special - she's the blonde in the pink dress to whom
he sings "Let Yourself Go."
During this film Elvis's father Vernon drove Elvis's Lincoln out to
California for him. While visiting with Elvis, Vernon was given a small
nonspeaking part in the movie. He can be spotted as part of the scene in which
Elvis's character Greg is shooting a photograph of a man sitting in an ornate
chair at a table. That man was Vernon Presley.
Actress Celeste Yarnall also had a role in the film as a model whom Greg dates.
A native Californian, Ms. Yarnall has a successful career in movies and
television, having acted with many stars such as Paul Newman, Jack Lemmon, Jerry
Lewis, Charles Bronson, Melanie Griffith and of course Elvis Presley. A lady of
many talents she has also owned a commercial real estate business, managed
screenwriters, bred and shown champion cats, and having earned a Ph.D. in
nutrition, has written several books on animal nutrition. Today she still works
in commercials and lectures on nutrition. She has appeared as a very special
guest at several Elvis Week Events in Memphis in the past few years.
It was Celeste Yarnall to whom Elvis sang the Mac Davis/Billy Strange song "A
Little Less Conversation" in this film. He recorded another version in June of
1968 that was to be used in his 1968 TV special. It was not used in the special,
however, in 2002 RCA/BMG and EPE granted a license to Nike to use it in their
televised World Cup Soccer related promotions in Europe and elsewhere. For the
commercial Dutch producer/dee-jay JXL was engaged to produce a remix, the first
Elvis remix ever authorized by the record company and EPE. The Nike promos
started airing and the remix caught fire. A single release had not been planned,
but public demand prompted RCA/BMG to rush-release a single in June 2002. It
topped singles airplay and sales charts in the U.K. and other territories and
topped Billboard's singles sales chart in the U.S. It has since become the theme
song for the TV series "Las Vegas."
Principal photography for "Live A Little, Love A Little" ended on May 1, 1968
which was also Elvis and Priscilla's first wedding anniversary. The film opened
nationwide on October 23, 1968.
While Elvis was making this movie, Martin Luther King was assassinated in
Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. Elvis took the news very hard. He was known
to commit famous speeches to memory and would often quote from or recite them
thereafter. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech was one of Elvis's
favorites to recite. Just two months later in June, while working on his 1968 TV
special, Elvis expressed his deep feelings about the loss of the Kennedy
brothers and Dr. King to producer Steve Binder. Binder who was so moved by
Elvis's comments said, "I wanted to let the world know that here was a guy who
was not prejudiced, who was raised in the heart of prejudice, but who was really
above all that." It was then that Binder resolved to have a song written
expressly for Elvis to close his show with. "If I Can Dream" was born of this
conversation. "If I can dream--of a better land, Where all my brothers work hand
in hand, Tell me why, oh why, can't my dream come true, Oh why?"