In 1956, Elvis Presley’s life changed faster than almost anyone could have imagined. “Heartbreak Hotel” was exploding, television appearances were turning him into a national sensation and Hollywood producer Hal Wallis wanted him in movies. Yet while everyone around Elvis saw a young man becoming a superstar, Elvis himself was apparently struggling to believe any of it was real.
After securing his long-term movie deal, the 21-year-old admitted how uncertain he felt: “I’m afraid to wake up each morning. I can’t believe all this has happened to me… I just hope it lasts.” The fear makes more sense when you consider how recently his life had been completely different. Elvis said that only two years earlier he had been driving a truck in Memphis for about $35 a week.
Elvis ’56 Shows the Year His Entire Life Changed
The movie contract was another enormous leap. Hal Wallis had Elvis screen-tested at Paramount and saw enough potential to sign him to a multi-picture agreement. Elvis wanted to be taken seriously as an actor and initially said he did not expect to simply sing his way through movies. Hollywood had suddenly become part of a future that barely existed for him months earlier.
And Elvis’s fear that the success might disappear could not have been more wrong. By the end of 1956, he had become one of America’s biggest entertainment stories. His first film, Love Me Tender, arrived that November while his records and television appearances continued drawing enormous audiences. PBS notes that the movie quickly earned back its production cost and helped complete Elvis’s transformation into a movie star.
Elvis Presley Performs “Love Me Tender” on The Ed Sullivan Show
The second video captures just how much had changed within the same year. Elvis performed “Love Me Tender” on The Ed Sullivan Show in October 1956 as his first movie was preparing to reach theaters. The former truck driver who was afraid his good fortune might disappear was now appearing on America’s biggest television stage with a song tied to his growing Hollywood career.
Elvis Presley would go on to record “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock” and “Suspicious Minds” while becoming one of the most recognizable entertainers in history. But in the spring of 1956, he was still a 21-year-old watching his dreams arrive almost too quickly to process. Watch Elvis ’56 to see that incredible breakthrough year, then watch the Ed Sullivan performance and see how far he had already come just months after admitting he was scared it might all disappear.