Elvis Presley | The Milton Berle Show | April 3, 1956
On April 3, 1956 the Milton Berle Show, one of the most popular programs of the Golden Age of Television was broadcast live from the deck of the USS Hancock on NBC while docked at the Naval Air Base in San Diego, California. The show starred the Esther Williams, Berle's comedy sidekick, Arnold Stang and the Harry James Orchestra featuring Buddy Rich and featured Elvis, Scotty, Bill and DJ. Elvis Presley Fan Club members were sent a 12" x 18 1/2" TV/Concert double-sided announcement / promotional handbill from the Colonel to publicly thank Milton Berle for having Elvis perform on his program and to promote the upcoming concerts in San Diego.
Elvis was now being managed by Colonel Parker since Bob Neal's contract expired on March 14, 1956, the day after the release of Elvis' first LP. They had already appeared on television six times by then, on the Dorsey Brothers show. They performed three songs; a 13 second Shake Rattle & Roll, Heartbreak Hotel and Blue Suede Shoes. Elvis also performed a comedy sketch with Milton Berle acting as Elvis twin brother Melvin. It was the first time that they had performed to an all military audience. Among his selections on his second appearance was a playfully sensuous performance of Hound Dog that drove the kids in the audience wild, and the next day, has the press and some of the adult viewers appalled. It is one of his most controversial performances.
Elvis with fans at p.a. in San Diego : April. 3, 1956.
Elvis with fans at San Diego : April. 3, 1956.
Elvis Presley | The Milton Berle Show Rehearsals | April 3, 1956
Elvis Presley : The Milton Berle Show Rehearsals : April 3, 1956.
Elvis Presley : The Milton Berle Show Rehearsals : April 3, 1956.
Elvis Presley | Milton Berle Show | April 3, 1956
Milton Berle : April 3, 1956.
The Milton Berle Show : April 3, 1956 : Service personnel aboard the U.S.S. Hancock watch the show.
Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley, DJ Fontana and Bill Black : The Milton Berle Show : April 3, 1956.
The Milton Berle Show : Los Angeles : June 5, 1956
Elvis Performs Hound Dog on The Milton Berle Show : June 5, 1956
Video: Interview with Milton Berle : Milton Berle talks about Elvis Presley
The Milton Berle Shows DVD
World War II
Tokyo was the target for raids made by Air Group Eighty on 16 February, 1945 when strikes were directed at airfields east of Tokyo and vicinity, resulting in dogfights over the Japanese capital.
The record set by Air Group Eighty for that day's operations surpasses the old one set by the Lexington in 1943 at the 'Marianas Turkey Shoot'. Six strikes from the Hancock's decks knocked seventy-one confirmed enemy planes out of the sky plus eighteen probables and twenty-seven damaged.
March 20, 1945
During a strike against the home islands of Japan, while the Hancock was refueling adestroyerl, the taskforce was attacked by Kamikaze. An enemy plane was stopped at seven hundred feet overhead by a direct hit but the heavy engine and bomb carried over the starboard side and crashed into the fantail of the Powell. The blow eliminated steering control on the destroyer which immediately sheered to port while the Hancock backed emergency full. From the island Captain Hickey lost sight of the crippled destroyer as she careened across Hancock's bow and under the flight deck overhang. Watchers waited with braced feet for the grinding noise of steel under the momentum of the Hancock's 33,000 tons, but the Powell cleared by inches.
In support of the Okinawa invasion, the Hancock was hit by a Japanese plane when he skimmed through heavy fire in a low attack that ended with the enemy cartwheeling across her flight deck into the spotted planes of Air Group Six. His bomb hit the port catapult with a terrific explosion, followed by the blast of pent-up gasoline fumes as tanks burst under the onslaught of the Japanese juggernaut.
Many men were blown over the side by the initial explosion while others were forced to jump to the comparative safety of the open sea. Once again Hancock left the formation and fought against destruction. Wheeling in high speed right turns, the skipper attempted to throw three burning planes forward over the side and to dislodge the sixteen planes parked aft. 62 men were killed and 71 wounded. In less the 50 minutes the Hancock was back in action and planes returning from strikes were able to land aboard four hours later. Hancock needed extensive repairs and headed for Pearl Harbor.
Repairs completed, the Hancock again headed for Japanese waters, giving Wake Island a severe pounding enroute. A plane from the Hancock shot down the last enemy plane of the war--a torpedo plane diving on a nearby British Task Force. Her scoreboard showed 732 Japanese planes, 17 warships, and 31 merchant vessels destroyed by her Air Groups and 10 planes destroyed by her guns. Three Air Groups had flown from her decks: Seven, Eight, and Six. Listed as killed or missing were 221 shipmates.
This is just a small part of the history of the USS Hancock. Click Here for more detailed information.
January 1956
= Elvis on TV | 1956 One incredible year !!!
Elvis Presley RCA's McGavock St Studio | January 10 and 11, April 14, 1956
1956 business contract signed by Colonel Parker and Elvis for The Elvis Presley Show
Elvis Presley The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show | January 28, 1956
February
Elvis Presley The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show | February 4, 1956
Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore and Bill Black | February 9, 1956
Elvis Presley Backstage February 10, 1956
Elvis Presley The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show| February 11, 1956
Elvis Presley The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show | February 18, 1956
March
Elvis Presley 1956 | March/June/July
Elvis Presley's 1956 Home | 1034 Audubon Drive, Memphis, TN
Elvis Presley The Lousinana Hayride | March 10, 1956
Elvis Presley The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show | March 17, 1956
Elvis Presley singing and playing gospel music | March 17, 1956
Jimmy Dean and Elvis Presley on the Jimmy Dean WMAL-TV Show, March 23, 1956
Elvis Presley The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show | March 24, 1956
April
Elvis Presley The Milton Berle Show | April 3, 1956
Elvis Presley Arena | San Diego | April 4, 1956
Elvis Presley Wichita Falls, Texas | April 9, 1956
Elvis Presley Fair Park Coliseum, Lubbock, TX | April 10, 1956
Elvis Presley RCA's McGavock St Studio | January 10 and 11, April 14, 1956
Elvis Presley San Antonio | April 15, 1956
Elvis Gives Out With Crazy Cool Interview | April 17, 1956
Elvis thrilled Tulsa teens at fairgrounds April 18, 1956
Elvis Presley Oklahoma City | April 19, 1956
Elvis Presley April 20, 1956 | North Side Coliseum, Forth Worth
Elvis Presley, New Singing Find, Booked Into New Frontier | April 21, 1956
Elvis Presley at The New Frontier Hotel | From April 23, 1956
Review | Elvis Presley at The New Frontier | Las Vegas Sun | April 26, 1956
Review | Elvis Presley at The New Frontier | Las Vegas SUN | April 28, 1956
May
Review | Elvis Presley at The New Frontier | Las Vegas SUN | May 1, 1956
Letter to the editor | Las Vegas SUN | May 12, 1956
Elvis Presley Auditorium in St. Paul, Minnesota | May 13, 1956
Elvis Presley May 14, 1956 | LaCrosse Wisconsin
Elvis Presley May 15, 1956 | Ellis Auditorium
Elvis Presley Detroit, MI. Fox Theater May 25, 1956
Elvis Presley Columbus, Ohio | May 26, 1956
Elvis, Scotty, Bill and DJ performed two shows at the UD Fieldhouse in Dayton | May 27, 1956
Elvis Presley Dayton, Oh., as Elvis left for Memphis | May 28, 1956
Elvis greeting fans at Los Angeles Airport, 1956
June
Elvis Presley 1956 | March/ June/ July
Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley swap autographs, Memphis | June 1, 1956
Elvis Presley Arriving in Oakland | June 3, 1956
Elvis Presley In Concert | Oakland California | June 3, 1956
The Milton Berle Show Los Angeles | June 5, 1956
Elvis Presley June 7, 1956 | Long Beach Municipal Auditorium
Elvis Presley June 8, 1956
Elvis Presley | Wink Martindale Show | June 16, 1956
Elvis Presley Interview with Wink and Sandy Martindale
Elvis Presley and Red West at Elvis' 1034 Audubon Drive House | June 14, 1956
Vernon, Gladys and Elvis Presley sing at the piano | 1034 Audubon Drive House | June 17, 1956
Elvis Presley and Barbara Hearn | June 19, 1956 | Fairgrounds Amusement Park, Memphis
Elvis Presley and Barbara Hearn at Elvis' 1034 Audubon Drive House | June 19, 1956
Elvis Presley with Susan Hayward | June 28, 1956
Elvis Presley Mosque Theater, Richmond, Va | June 30, 1956
July
Elvis Presley 1956 | March | June | July
Elvis Presley Hudson Theater | New York City | Steve Allen Show | July 1, 1956
Elvis Presley RCA Studio One, Memphis, Tennessee | July 2, 1956
Elvis Presley On The Train to, Memphis, Tennessee | July 3, 1956
Elvis Presley Russwood Park, Memphis, Tennessee | July 4, 1956
Elvis Presley St. Joseph's Hospital Memphis Tennessee | July 5, 1956
Elvis Presley Ocean Springs, MS. | Thursday, July 12, 1956
Elvis performs with The Statesman Quartet at Ellis Auditorium | July 27, 1956
Elvis Presley Water Skiing | Biloxi July 31, 1956
August
Who The Hell Is Elvis Presley? By Leonard Bennett Cabaret, August 1956
Elvis Presley Love Me Tender Movie Set Photos
Elvis Presley Olympia Theater, Miami, Florida | August 3, 1956
Elvis Presley August 5, 1956 | Tampa Florida
Elvis Presley Florida Theatre St. Petersburg | August 7, 1956
Elvis Presley Jacksonville, FL. Florida Theater (3 shows per day) | August 10-11, 1956
Elvis Presley August 7, 1956 | Candid Photos
Elvis Presley at the Knickerbocker Hotel, Hollywood | August 18, 1956
Elvis Presley Love Me Tender Recording Sessions | August 24, 1956
Elvis Presley August 31, 1956 | On the set of Love Me Tender
September
Elvis Presley The Ed Sullivan Show 1956-1957
Elvis Presley September 1-3, 1956 Recording Sessions
Elvis Presley First Appearance | The Ed Sullivan Show | September 9, 1956
Elvis Presley Asleep In Flight | Back To Memphis September 23, 1956
Elvis Presley September 26, 1956 | Tupelo, MS. Mississippi-Alabama Fairgrounds
Elvis Presley wearing the new 'Elvis Presley hat', backstage in Tupelo, September 26, 1956
Elvis Presley at the Mid-South Fair | Memphis September 29, 1956
October
Elvis Presley October 5, 1956
Elvis Presley Cotton Bowl, Dallas | October 11, 1956
Elvis Presley October 18, 1956
Elvis Presley October 19, 1956 | Assault Charge
Elvis Presley The Ed Sullivan Show Rehearsals | October 26-28, 1956
Elvis Presley The Ed Sullivan Show | Dress Rehearsals | October 28, 1956
Elvis Presley The Ed Sullivan Show | Press Conference | October 28, 1956
Elvis Presley gets his Polio Shot | October 28, 1956
Elvis Presley The Ed Sullivan Show | October 28, 1956
Natalie Wood and Elvis Presley outside the Hotel Chisca | October 31, 1956
November
Elvis | Toledo | November 22, 1956
Elvis Presley Cleveland Arena, Ohio | November 23, 1956
Elvis Presley E.H. Crump Memorial Football Game | November 30, 1956
December
What is an Elvis Presley?
The Million Dollar Quartet (December 4, 1956)
Elvis Presley December 11, 1956 | Mobbed by fans in Memphis after running out of gas
Elvis Presley's Last Louisiana Hayride Performance | December 15, 1956
Elvis Presley Touch Football | Dave Wells Community Center | December 27, 1956
1957
Elvis Presley The Ed Sullivan Show | His third and final Appearance | January 6, 1957
Elvis Presley The King of Rock 'n' Roll
The Movies Of 1956
1956, Love Me Tender, Twentieth Century Fox
The Movies In Photos
CDs | DVDs | Books
Buy Elvis Presley CD, DVDs and Books at ...
Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD
Never before have we seen an Elvis Presley concert from the 1950's with sound. Until Now! The DVD Contains recently discovered unreleased film of Elvis performing 6 songs, including Heartbreak Hotel and Don't Be Cruel, live in Tupelo Mississippi 1956. Included we see a live performance of the elusive Long Tall Sally seen here for the first time ever. + Plus Bonus DVD Audio.
This is an excellent release no fan should be without it.
The 'parade' footage is good to see as it puts you in the right context with color and b&w footage. The interviews of Elvis' Parents are well worth hearing too. The afternoon show footage is wonderful and electrifying : Here is Elvis in his prime rocking and rolling in front of 11.000 people. Highly recommended.
Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD Video with Sound.