Ideal Elvis career
Filmography (* means proposed but not done)
1955
- Talent Scouts (tv)* - Himself
1956
- Bus Stop* - Beauregard "Bo" Decker
- Love Me Tender - Clint Reno
- The Girl Can’t Help It* - Himself
- The Rainmaker* - Jim Curry
1957
- Jailhouse Rock - Vince Everett
- Loving You - Jimmy Tompkins (Deke Rivers)
- The James Dean Story* - James Dean
- The Way to the Gold* - Joe Mundy
1958
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof* - "Brick" Pollitt
- King Creole - Danny Fisher
- The Defiant Ones* - John "Joker" Jackson
- Thunder Road* - Robin Doolin
1959
- Rio Bravo* - Colorado Ryan
1960
- Flaming Star - Pacer Burton
- G.I. Blues - Tulsa McLean
- The Fugitive Kind* - Valentine "Snakeskin" Xavier
1961
- Blue Hawaii - Chad Gates
- Too Late Blues* - John "Ghost" Wakefield
- West Side Story* - Tony
- Wild in the Country - Glenn Tyler
1962
- Follow That Dream - Toby Kwimper
- Girls! Girls! Girls! - Ross Carpenter
- Kid Galahad - Walter Gulick/Kid Galahad
- Sweet Bird of Youth* - Chance Wayne
- Walk on the Wild Side* - Doce Linkhorn
1963
- Bye-bye Birdie* - Conrad Birdie
- Fun in Acapulco - Mike Windgren
- It Happened at the World’s Fair - Mike Edwards
1964
- Kissin’ Cousins - Josh Morgan/Jodie Tatum
- Roustabout - Charlie Rogers
- Viva Las Vegas - Lucky Jackson
- Your Cheatin’ Heart* - Hank Williams
1965
- Girl Happy - Rusty Wells
- Harum Scarum - Johnny Tyrone
- Tickle Me - Lonnie Beale/Panhandle Kid
1966
- Frankie and Johnny - Johnny
- Paradise, Hawaiian Style - Rick Richards
- Spinout - Mike McCoy
1967
- Clambake - Scott Heyward
- Double Trouble - Guy Lambert
- Easy Come, Easy Go - Lt. (j.g.) Ted Jackson
- The Fastest Guitar Alive - Johnny Banner
- Valley of the Dolls* - Tony Polar
1968
- Live a Little, Love a Little - Greg Nolan
- Speedway - Steve Grayson
- Stay Away, Joe - Joe Lightcloud
1969
- Change of Habit - Dr. John Carpenter
- Charro! - Jess Wade
- Midnight Cowboy* - Joe Buck
- The Trouble with Girls - Walter Hale
- True Grit* - La Boeuf
1970
- Elvis: That’s the Way It Is (concert doc) - Himself
1971
- Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory* - Willie Wonka
1972
- Elvis on Tour (concert documentary) - Himself
- Mario Puzo’s The Godfather* - Tom Hagen
1974
- Mario Puzo’s The Godfather: Part II* - Tom Hagen
1976
- A Star is Born* - John Norman Howard
1978
- Grease* - Teen Angel
1979
- Being There* - Chance the gardener (Chauncey Gardiner)
1990
- Mario Puzo’s The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone* - Tom Hagen (Nicolas Cage plays Vincent Corleone and Madonna plays Mary Corleone)
(This list obviously doesn’t count the countless number of tv specials, movies, and whatnot done about his life, (and doesn’t take into account the fact that many of them will be quite different, or even not exist at all ITTL!) nor the inevitable remixes and album re-releases and updates. Though for the sake of this, he does appear in one way or another in those projects as health permits.)
(1- The James Dean Story ITTL refers to both a documentary about Dean, as well as a biopic starring Elvis. (James Dean lives ITTL, but the movie’s made about him since the accident still occurs, but he’s miraculously unscathed, so it’s treated as a blessing.)
2- Thanks to the James Dean Story and Your Cheatin’ Hart, Elvis is known to be, and is taken seriously as, an actor, and so it’s clear that he does the other movies for the money. As put much more tactfully by him and the Col. “Fulfilling contractual obligations.”
3- They wanted the Tom Hagen role from OTL to appear in the 3rd Godfather, but seems Duvall asked for too much money, so they didn’t bring him on.
4- Midnight Cowboy is Elvis’ first real flirtation with controversy after his comeback -
not that he went anywhere - and pays off, reestablishing his chops as an actor, and firmly establishing his capacity for deep, dark roles. His role in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory calms down more conservative parents into letting their kids go to Elvis concerts again.
5- His slowdown is both a personal and professional decision. Basically, I’m the 70’s, Elvis commits only to passion/personal projects after the grueling year of filming in ‘69. CatCF is his way in making clear that he hasn’t gone all edgy; he was a huge fan of Mario Puzo’s novel; and Streisand personally asked for him; while the role in Grease was a bit part, and his role in Being There was to finish out the decade. After that, the only role Elvis would accept was that in the third Godfather since he had started the series, and he would end it.)
Video games (due to the success of The Godfather, it got a series of games, with some of the original cast returning to voice lines) (* means not made IOTL)
2006
- Mario Puzo’s The Godfather
2009
- Mario Puzo’s The Godfather: Part II
2012
- Mario Puzo’s The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone*
With such an illustrious career, it’s only natural it comes with awards. (* means awarded IOTL) (Grammy)
1959
- A Fool Such As I (Record of the Year)
- A Big Hunk O'Love (Best Performance by a "Top 40" artist)
- A Big Hunk O'Love (Best Rhythm and Blues Performance)
1960
- Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Record of the Year)
- Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Best Male Vocal Performance, Single Record or Track)
- Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Best Performance by a Pop Single Artist)
- G.I. Blues (Best Soundtrack Album)
- G.I. Blues (Best Male Vocal Performance, Album)
1967
- Blue Hawaii (Best Soundtrack Anthem)
- How Great Thou Art (Best Sacred Performance)*
1968
- You'll Never Walk Alone (Best Sacred Performance)
1972
- He Touched Me (Best Inspirational Performance)*
1974
- How Great Thou Art (Best Inspirational Performance)*
1978
- Softly As I Leave You (Best Country Vocal Performance)
Of course, having such a…
prolific film career also comes with its rewards, with Elvis getting much deserved recognition.
1957
Best Supporting Actor - Bus Stop as Beauregard "Bo" Decker
1959
1. Best Actor - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as "Brick" Pollitt
2. Best Actor - The Defiant Ones as John “Joker” Jackson (Shared with Sammy Davis Jr. for his role as Noah Cullen)
1963 (Golden Globe)
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama - Sweet Bird of Youth as Chance Wayne
1970
Best Actor - Midnight Cowboy as Joe Buck
1973
Best Supporting Actor - Mario Puzo’s The Godfather as Tom Hagen
1977 (Golden Globe)
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy - A Star is Born as John Norman Howard
1980
Best Actor - Being There as Chance the gardener (Chauncey Gardiner)
(Golden Globe) Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy - Being There as Chance the gardener (Chauncey Gardiner)
Finally, in terms of new music, would get a huge catalog of new songs from a multitude of artists, including Dolly Parton and Bruce Springsteen.
- I Will Always Love You
- Fire
- Only the Lonely
- Golden Years
- That’s What You Do to Me
- Energy
- Yes I Do
- Rainy Night in Georgia
- By Day by Day
- Let Me On
- Fire Down Below
- Feelings
- Don’t Forbid Me
- Loving You’s A Natural Thing
- A Poor Man’s Gold
- Runaway Fool of Love
- Love Will Keep Us Together
- Third Rate Romance
- Pearl’s A Singer
- Mustang Wine
- Miss Misunderstood
- Feels Like I’m In Love
- He’s So In Love
- Let Me On
- Tender Moments
- Quiet Desperation
Also, Mephis, TN has city-county consolidation, making it the biggest city in the state (population and geography), and the state capital is moved there, meaning that Graceland is now at the center of power in Tennessee.
(Also, random add-ons):
1. David Lynch directs Manhunter (1986), and Sean Connery stars as Hannibal Lecter rather than Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs and following movies.)
2. The Exorcist (Director - Stanley Kubrick, Chris MacNeil - Jane Fonda, Father Lankester Merrin - Marlon Brando, Father Damien Karras - Jack Nicholson, and Regan MacNeil - Jamie Lee Curtis)
3. James Bond:
Sean Connery: Dr. No (Dr. No - Christopher Lee), From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, Casino Royale, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, and Never Say Never Again
Michael Caine: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Steven Spielberg (Director): The Spy Who Loved Me/Moonraker
James Brolin - Octopussy
Pierce Brosnan - The Living Daylights, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day, and Casino Royale (directed by Quentin Tarantino)
4. Reservoir Dogs: Mr. Pink - Quentin Tarantino, Holdaway/Mr. Orange - Samuel L. Jackson, Nice Guy Eddie - Nicolas Cage, and Mr. Blonde- George Clooney
5. Jurassic Park: John Hammond - Sean Connery
6. Forrest Gump; Bubba - Tupac
7. X-Men (2000)
Wolverine - Keanu Reeves
Professor X- Michael Jackson
Storm - Janet Jackson
Magneto - Cristopher Lee
Mystique - Jeri Ryan
Rogue - Natalie Portman
Cyclops - Ben Affleck
Bishop - Shaquille O’Neal
8. Spider-Man (2002) - Michael Jackson
directed by David Fincher,
J. Jonah Jameson - Stan Lee
Norman Osborne - Nicolas Cage
(Wolverine makes an appearance)