The following Elvis news item was published:
Rich, Handsome and Bachelor: No Marriage Plans for Elvis Presley
By VERNON SCOTT Hollywood Correspondent HOLLYWOOD (UPI) â
Elvis Presley is rich, handsome and a bachelorâand intends to stay that way for a good while. So relax, teen-age cuties. No matter what the gossip columnists say, your boy Elvis is as unattached romantically as Zasu Pitts. âAnybody can get married,â the Tennessee Valentino said during a dressing room lunch of yogurt and a soft drink.
Getting married is easy. âThereâs been a lot of mistakes made in marriage and Iâd like to avoid making that kind of a mistake if I can.â Does this mean Elvis will stay a bachelor forever? âNo,â he said thoughtfully, âIâve been so busy I havenât had time to think about marriage. Besides, I havenât met anyone I care for that much. I want to marry and settle down some dayâbut at the right time and to the right person.â
Elvis is in top-flight physical condition and so busy with his career he hardly has time for girls, much less think about marching to the altar. Since leaving the Army 14 months ago, he has starred in three movies, and currently is working in Hal Wallisâ âBlue Hawaii.â âI have 30 days off when I finish this picture,â he said, âand Iâm going back to Memphis for a rest. I sing 14 songs in âBlue Hawaiiâ, so I could use a few weeks off.â
Modesty is Presleyâs long suit. Heâd rather talk about any subject than Elvis Presley. When pressed he reluctantly makes an observation. How does he feel about himself as an actor, for instance? âAfter eight pictures Iâm still unsure of myself in front of the cameras,â he said. âIt takes quite a while to learn the ropes.â And itâs not good for a fella to get too self-confident. âI might have progressed a little with each picture, but every movie is different and difficult because youâre not playing yourself. You have to learn the kind of character youâre supposed to be and then do the best you can.â
Elvis may not appear in academy award contenders, but his pictures make money, and he is more in demand than Frank Sinatra. The hip-swinging singer has 11 more movies lined up through 1965, which is more than any other performer can boast. Furthermore, they are with top out-fits, MGM, the Mirish Brothers and Wallis. ââNext year Iâm going to take more time between pictures,â he said. âBut it wonât be for any honeymoon.â
Photo: Elvis during the filming of Blue Hawaii; April 1961.