Volume 46 - No. 38
September 22, 2016
by Freidrich Gomez
It was another warm night at Graceland. And a young Elvis Aaron Presley surrendered his lanky 6’ frame comfortably into his favorite outdoor lounge chair. The one he took from the set of his 1963 film, “Fun in Acapulco,” where he was seen poolside in a cabana-like setting, complete with the obligatory feline beauties such as luscious film co-star, Ursula Andress.
Elvis thought back on all these things, as he often said, while lounging on the movie-set chair which became his favorite. The chair would forever be a physical reminder of that film. Though the film setting of Fun in Acapulco took place in early January 1963 in various hot spots of Acapulco, Mexico, Presley – ironically – was not on Mexican soil. His own shots had to be taken at the Paramount studios in Hollywood later that year, in March. Reason being that the globally-popular Elvis was declared “persona non grata” (person not welcome) by the Mexican authorities. The “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” had already been banned from radio airplay before that, during which his records were burned in front of the city’s main square, El Zocalo. The rock ‘n’ roll superstar had made incendiary remarks about Mexican women which exploded in the press - and which re-surfaced time and again – each time with increased venom from the Mexican populace. It all began when Elvis was interviewed in Tijuana, Mexico, on February 19, 1957. When the interviewer back then inquired if Presley would one day like to sing in Mexico, the Memphis phenomenon gave a surly, but honest, reply. He answered no.
Explaining further, he stated that he found Mexico to be a distasteful and dirty country. Not leaving good enough alone, Elvis’ follow-up statement was like throwing a bag of rattlesnakes into a crowd: “I’d rather kiss three African-Americans than a single Mexican woman.” The remark caused panic-like reaction among Elvis promoters and ignited a pyrotechnical display of anger among Mexican government officials. The remark was resurrected by Mexico City’s largest and most influential newspaper at the time, El The Paper - 760.747.7119
website:www.thecommunitypaper.com
email: thepaper@cox.net
Zocalo. It recreated a firestorm of controversy and ‘Elvis-hatred’ south of the border, and left Elvis at Hollywood’s Paramount Studios, filming his so-called Acapulco ‘location’ shots well north of the Mexican border.
In all fairness, it should be noted that Elvis Aaron Presley often spoke brashly and even recklessly at times, but his seemingly harsh words were often said at inopportune moments of his career-conflicted young life when he was set-upon as a purveyor of the devil’s music by America’s conservative sector of parents, pastors, school teachers, politicians, and often the media. If honesty truly be summoned, most if not all of us, have made regrettable shortcomings in life, be they verbal
or otherwise. To state otherwise would, unrealistically, place someone on the pedestal of perfection.
Though the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was, himself, primarily of Western European mixture, including ScotsIrish, German, and some French Norman influence, he proudly voiced his Native American roots and was often photographed in full Native American regalia. He often spoke of his great-great-grandmother, whose Native American name was Morning White Dove (1800-1835) and was a full-blooded Cherokee, making Elvis, himself, 1/16 Cherokee. Presley often reflected back on these antecedents, sitting in the opulent comfort of his Graceland surroundings. After all, these were power
The Unknown Elvis Continued on Page 2
points of his personal and professional life. He never spoke of his anti-Mexican remarks openly. Partially because he felt hurt that it was all a fabrication in the first place. Only later, after his death, would elements of wrongdoing come to light regarding his socalled disparaging, ethnic remarks.
In the carefully-researched book, “Refried Elvis: The Rise of the Mexican Counterculture,” cogent author, Eric Zolov, found a startling paper trail which traced to a Herbe Pompeyo of Polygram Records in Mexico City. Pompeyo, in turn, points to a high-up Mexican political figure who ambitiously had high hopes of attaining Elvis Presley to sing at one of his lavish, private parties. Ostensibly, the Mexican political figure sent Elvis a