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Why Elvis channeled Marlon Brando in iconic leather look

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For Elvis Presley fans, a new Netflix documentary is a goldmine of untold stories.

In the singer’s epic comeback special, we get a sneak peek behind the scenes, where he opens up about being fed up with Hollywood’s cash-grab musicals and how badly he wanted to get back on top.

Elvis Presley’s life continues to captivate us, even 47 years after his passing.

It’s almost unimaginable that he was only 42 when he left us, especially considering the legacy he left behind. But now, a new Netflix documentary, Return of the King: The Fall & Rise of Elvis Presley, takes us deeper into the King’s personal struggles and his iconic 1968 comeback.

For fans, the documentary offers a rare behind-the-scenes look, featuring never-before-seen clips and new interviews with Presley’s ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, and his close confidante/business partner, Jerry Schilling.
Elvis’ heartbreaking confession
The film also dives into the raw moments leading up to Elvis’ ’68 Comeback Special — a turning point in his life and career. Aired on NBC on December 3, 1968, it marked Presley’s return to live performance after a seven-year hiatus, a period in which he focused mainly on film roles.
Directed by Jason Hehir, the film sheds light on Presley’s frustrations with Hollywood and his quest to redefine his career.
 
“I was interested in exploring his decision to play in front of a live audience for the first time in seven years,” says Hehir. “1968 was the biggest crossroads of Elvis’s life. It made sense to take a deep dive.”
In the documentary, we hear Elvis’s candid frustration with the image Hollywood had created for him. “Hollywood’s image of me was wrong, and I knew it, and I couldn’t do anything about it,” Presley confesses. “I didn’t know what to do. I just felt I was obligated to things I didn’t fully believe in.”
“That to me is a crime”
Perhaps one of the most emotional moments of the documentary is when Priscilla Presley watches a clip of Elvis performing the children’s song ”Old MacDonald Had a Farm” in the 1967 film Double Trouble.
“That to me is a crime,” Priscilla says, her voice tinged with sadness.
“It is a crime. To put him in that situation and sing that song. It made him a laughingstock. And he knew it.”
Elvis’s film career had been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. While he initially starred in a string of successful films, his later years in Hollywood felt increasingly limiting.
By the mid-1960s, his roles in formulaic, cash-grab musicals frustrated him. His dream of being the next James Dean or Marlon Brando seemed more out of reach than ever. Jason Hehir reveals that Elvis sometimes became “physically ill” thinking about his film career.
“He was frustrated, but he was also disillusioned. He wanted more.”
Elvis frustration boiled over
In 1968, after seven years of no live performances and increasingly mediocre films, Elvis was at a crossroads. His frustration boiled over, and he decided to make a bold move — returning to the stage.
The former teen idol was eager to reclaim his throne, but few realize just how uncertain and terrified Elvis was before stepping back onto the stage.
”He almost didn’t leave his dressing room,” Hehir explains. ”He was terrified of going back out in front of an audience, and he always had horrible stage fright. This goes back to the days of Ed Sullivan and the early days of performing in his career. He always had tremendous anxiety about going out and performing in front of people. But then, once he got out there, that’s where he was the most comfortable in the world, on a stage with a microphone in his hand.”
Truth behind iconic outfit
Once he did step onto that stage, he wasn’t just any performer — he was a man reinventing himself. There’s an iconic photo of Elvis performing that night, where he famously channeled one of his acting idols, Marlon Brando, by wearing a black leather suit. But why?
It all started when show producer Steve Binder discovered a photo of Elvis sitting on a Harley Davidson, rocking a leather outfit that screamed Marlon Brando in The Wild One. Inspired by the image, he showed it to costume designer Bill Belew, asking if he could create something similar for Elvis to wear during the show.
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Belew, ever the visionary, suggested designing a custom leather ensemble that would be uniquely Elvis — perfect for his big comeback.
Belew initially envisioned Elvis in a bold, Napoleon-inspired look, with a high-collared leather jacket that framed his face perfectly. To complete the outfit, he paired it with soft silk shirts and a scarf around his neck. But would the King approve? Absolutely. Elvis was on board with the vision, and together, they settled on the final design.
The outfit made its way into both the arena and improvisation segments of the special. While Binder hadn’t fully anticipated how scorching hot the stage lights would be, Belew had a feeling that Elvis, ever the professional, would still love the outfit — even if it meant sweating under the intense heat.
 
The story behind Elvis’s iconic outfit has been known for some time, but with the advent of new AI technology, old black-and-white photos can now be colorized, offering an even stronger sense of how groundbreaking Elvis’s look was.
Getty Images
The bold black leather jacket, in particular, is often seen as a powerful statement —many have interpreted it as Elvis’s way of showing the world that he still had it, proving that the King was back and ready to reclaim his throne.
The comeback was also a resounding success, with the special earning huge viewership and the soundtrack hitting the top ten on the Billboard 200.
”He hadn’t performed in seven years… so many things had changed since he was the guy who could captivate audiences,” Hehir says. ”He used to have screaming teenage girls, but those teenage girls were now mothers.”
Changed almost everything in his life
Sure, the album sales weren’t exceptional, especially when compared to the huge success Elvis Presley had achieved earlier.
However, the success of the TV special gave his career new life and literally paved the way for his return to live performances.
In the end, it changed almost everything in his life. Elvis was back — so was his artistry and dignity. But despite that, his self-image as an actor never really recovered. Hollywood had damaged him too much, and it was something he could never fully get over.
”We still don’t know what kind of actor Elvis could have become,” Hehir reflects. ”His movie career just dried up. It was so mismanaged that he never got a chance to develop as an actor and demonstrate any sort of acting skills. . . . But I think he also recognized what he truly loved.”
PROC. BY MOVIES

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Carrie Underwood ‘furious’ with treatment at Trump’s inauguration

When her performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration didn’t go as planned, an insider claims that Carrie Underwood was “furious” and had a “mini hissy fit,” earning the singer the title of “inauguration day diva.”

On January 20, country music star Carrie Underwood stepped on the world’s biggest stage in Washington D.C. to perform “America the Beautiful” alongside the Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club.

However, the performance did not go as planned. When the accompanying music failed to play, the American Idol alum had to think on her feet, turning an awkward situation into a display of vocal brilliance.

Taking control of the situation, Underwood, 41, addressed the crowd and encouraged them to sing along: “If you know the words, help me out here,” she said.

Her impromptu a cappella rendition was met with admiration, proving once again why she is one of country music’s biggest stars.

‘Inauguration day diva’

Backstage, however, things were very different with the star, who was called the “inauguration day diva.”

According to the Daily Mail, she was boasting to “anyone who wanted to listen that Trump called her personally to ask her to perform.”

But her personal invitation didn’t spare her from several behind-the-scene hiccups.

First, the Grammy-winning artist was forced to wear an off-the-rack dress, instead of the high-end gown she was expecting to be provided by “the administration or the designer,” an anonymous source tells the U.S. Sun.

“She was expecting to be dressed in something custom and at the very least something couture,” the insider said. “That also did not happen. Carrie ended up wearing a $300 dress off the rack and discounted shoes.”

Limited guests

Adding to the list of unexpected changes, the “Somethin’ Bad” singer reportedly found herself with a much smaller entourage than she had anticipated. Due to the event being moved indoors, the guest list was cut down, limiting how many people she could bring with her – “something she was not happy about,” the insider told the Sun.

“She hired an army of security…and demanded she be allowed a team of 20. She of course demanded tickets for her family and friends on top of that as well,” a separate source told the Daily Mail.

It didn’t end there.

Staging a disaster

Beyond her shrunken entourage, technical difficulties and wardrobe disappointments, reports suggest that Underwood was also dissatisfied with the staging of her performance.

According to the Daily Mail, the “Jesus, Take the Wheel” singer was “furious” that she was not treated with the “same level of respect” as other performers, like Lady Gaga, who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Joe Biden’s inauguration in January 2021.

“Carrie was dissatisfied with her performance at the event, primarily due to the limited space she was given, which left her feeling cramped and uncomfortable,” the source claimed. “Her anxiety was high throughout the performance, and she felt that she was not afforded the same level of respect or admiration that previous performers, such as Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, had received.” Beyoncé sang the U.S. national anthem at Barack Obama’s 2013 presidential inauguration.

The tipster continued, “She is used to playing at massive venues with a stage to herself. She was not given a stage or a platform even. She felt like she was literally just in a room with people all around her and a microphone. This threw off the acoustics.”

The insider added, “She felt as if she was ushered in and out and had a mini hissy fit afterwards.”

Carrie Underwood’s show in Washington D.C. was filled with unexpected twists, yet she managed to rise above it all, delivering a powerful vocal performance that left an impression on fans and critics alike.

What do you think of Carrie Underwood’s alleged “diva” behavior behind the scenes at the inauguration? Please let us know your thoughts and then share this story with others so we can hear what they have to say!

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It Appeared As Though This House Was About To Collapse!

The house looked like this before anyone was interested in buying it. It was fortunate that someone recognized its potential and value in recapturing architectural history.

The house now looks like this.

With inviting shades of olive green, terracotta red, and gold, everything was restored and enhanced.

Five different kinds of wood make up the floors. These stained glass windows are the reason that there are rays of light and color.

Each of the five bedrooms on the upper floor has its own design and special charm.

Even a beautiful sunroom could be used as a study space.

In addition, there is a small hideaway in the finished loft that is a great spot for chatting, playing, and creating in the rain.

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High school student wins science fair by demonstrating how a long-forgotten Native American recipe can kill cancer cells in-vitro

Destany “Sky” Pete, a high school student, won the 2017 Elko County Science Fair in Nevada after she re-discovered that a long-used traditional dish containing a specific plant known as chokecherry possesses cancer-killing properties.

After having a conversation with one of the elders of her tribe, Pete, a Native American and a member of the Shoshone and Paiute Tribes from the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Idaho and Nevada, came to the conclusion that the tribe’s health issues were a result of the reduced consumption of traditional foods, specifically toishabui or chokecherry pudding.

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The bright student researched the medical properties of the chokecherry, a plant still planted and harvested by the members of her community.

Once she showed interest in researching the medical properties of the plant, Pete got in touch with Dr. Ken Cornell, a biochemistry professor at Boise State University specializing in cancer cell research, through one of her high school teachers.

They tested four types of chokecherry specimens on uterine sarcoma cancer cells and allowed a 24-hour incubation period. The specimens included: Traditional chokecherry pudding with crushed seeds, chokecherry pudding without seeds, chokecherry juice alone, and chokecherry extract.

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The results showed that only the traditionally prepared pudding with crushed seeds exhibited cancer-inhibiting properties.

“The traditional (Shoshone and Paiute) method of preparing chokecherry pudding includes the seed of the chokecherry, crushed up,” said Pete. “Nowadays, some people just kind of juice the berry and take out the seed completely. But maybe the seed has medicine that can help us to stay well.”

The study was conducted in-vitro, or in test tubes, meaning its implications are limited. However, it is considered a breakthrough in the fight against cancer.

Speaking of her accomplishment, Pete said she’s proud to be representing her Native American heritage, adding that science and culture often go hand by hand.

Chokeberries, also known as arena berries, are small red berries native to North America that have anti-inflammatory properties. These berries are rich in essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K.

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