The Elvis-James Bond Timeline

...Yes, it's one of those – a post where I lose the plot never to entirely regain it. Well, we've already had the debacle of the Michael Jackson/Elvis 'co-incidences', but that was a finger firmly pointed in the direction of the subject. Consider this a playful wave...

Had James Bond 007 Licence to Kill actually climbed the hotel featured in Diamonds are Forever, he would have actually been scaling the International, Kirk Kerkorian's monumental Vegas establishment, featured as the fictional Whyte House. So, rather than dropping in on Blofeld he'd have found himself breaking in to the legendary Suite 3000 – the resident of which at the time DAF was being filmed? - you get me. Rumour has it Elvis actually watched the car chase being filmed from the panoramic windows of his suite.

So, we find ourselves – irresistibly and uncomfortably drawn into the realm of the unanswered – and unasked. Were there any other points at which the Worlds of Elvis and James Bond met, or crossed?. Well, yes and no. Mainly no, but that didn't deter me, oh no; don't let it be said I know when to stop...

Well, that was weird. Quite apart from the fact that Ursula Andress pops up more than once we have the odd image of Elvis giving Felix Leiter a Walther PPK – one of a pair of gold-plated pistols he owned – in Hawaii in '73. Next, the mobile phone – Elvis had his own, seen here in its carry case. He bought it after seeing Bond using one in From Russia With Love...

Lets get Boaty... the Glastron boat Company of Texas are famous for providing the boats Bond uses in films such as Moonraker and Live & Let Die. Guess who owned a Glastron first? - yep, Elvis bought his Bayflite DeVille 163 model in the early sixties.

OK, music now – Nancy Sinatra's memorable vocals on the theme for You Only Live Twice was followed in 1968 by her co-starring with Elvis in the movie Speedway.

Our wild career through the Elvis – Bond Timeline stumbles blindly on, ticking through time itself with watches. It seems odd that if 007 had a watch, Elvis had one of the same make – often first. OK, I'll concede this one's the lamest of the lot – Elvis had so many watches I could have shown evidence for almost any co-incidence. They weren't even the same models... but this didn't cost you, so lets pretend you aren't growing quietly concerned for my health and look at the tick-tocks...

Pimpmobiles – ever since he saw Superfly, Elvis started dressing and riding in style – Pimp style!. His favourite car was his Black Stutz, but the '72 model in Pearl White features here because of a certain similarity-in-passing to the Corovado, a Corvette-based creation of Les Dunham, at the Dunham Coach Company. Only seven of these were made, this one driven by Kananga's henchman Whisper in Live & Let Die.

So where does that leave us?, well, we at Volcano Cat – me at any rate – feel that with our frequent vacillations between the Elvis Presley and James Bond themes, it was only natural for the two to collide. After all, they both love/d gadgets, both had plastic surgery (Bond on his hand – at least in the books) and, as a final point – both used aliases. Elvis' was Jon Burrows.

One last piece of oddness – the last film Elvis Presley saw at the cinema? - The Spy Who Loved Me... 

 

Enemy Action

To 'quote' Auric Goldfinger; 'Once is Happenstance, Twice is Co-Incidence; Three times is enemy action... So here it is; the Elvis Presley-Michael Jackson Co-Incidence bit!.
Oh...Kay. Look, I know; usually these things are written by people even less lucid than myself, usually the gist is the celebrity is alive and, having gone to the trouble of faking their own death (presumably losing fortunes as their Amex Black Cards were cancelled) they also left a trail of clues hinting at the whole scheme, often involving (variously) oddly-dressed people at their own funerals, aliases they used in hotels to avoid fans and the Turin shroud. (This last seems to be a cry for help; the fanATIC involved clearly having Jesus/Celebrity-of-choice boundary issues)

I'm not trying to say anything particular with all this; I don't think Elvis is alive, or that Michael Jackson was so obsessed with Presley that he copied him - yes, there are similarities here, but both had more than a few changes of wardrobe, so co-incidences are more than likely. Yes, Elvis had Graceland, Michael Never, both had pet Chimps (Scatter, for the record, who bit Elvis' maid) and a certain Lisa Marie was loved by both (God alone knows what she was doing with MJ - I certainly don't). (Actually, I could have a word with my neighbour Visel Preysel - lovely old guy, knows a bit about things, always on the phone though, rowing with some old girl called 'Prissy'...)

Here goes then; as always I've taken alarming liberties with copyright and my lawyer Soo Mee (Graduate of the Taiwan Law Academy 2011/If she wins the appeal and they drop the charges) is standing by...

'Co-incidences mean you're on the right path' - Simon Van Booy

 
'Those shoes are black - and that's a shirt anyway' - Disgrunted Blog Viewer
'No Refunds' - Me

 O.K. ok, bear with us...

Big old belt buckles - and note Jackson's badges - any similarities here?; Elvis was a voracious collector of Law Enforcement badges. No?, o.k., next slide...(Hey, I'm a child of the seventies - there should be a topless lady with 'How'd that get in there?')

'Co-Incidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys' - Emma Bull

 Aha!...

Well, at last Elvis earnt his (If in a remarkably short time... good PR for the Army?, well, yes, but I've read his service report-the future King certainly took it seriously...)

Finally - photos showing two discredited, if not dodgy World leaders - Nixon and Jackso... sorry, couldn't resist - Elvis' visit to the White House is worth a Wiki, while MJ met George Bush Snr...

'I went into this fancy French restaurant, it was called Deja Vu. The Head-Waiter came up to me and said "Don't I know you?"' - Rod Schmidt

Just a quickie (Oo-er Missus-) this really was just a Co-Incidence thing, nothing more - BUT, I could have shown pictures of both Stars deceased; I have seen the pictures on-line and frankly, that's not for the Jungle Room. Funny, quirky: yes, it's in, but we all draw our own lines...