Elvis & The Florida Theater

[spuwho]

I did some poking around on MJ to look up some history on Elvis' performance at the Florida Theater. 

Ultimately I found this info from a site maintained by Scotty Moore. Interesting details on Elvis and his weird battle with a local Baptist preacher.

Go to this web link and there are some great personal photos of Elvis at the Florida Theater.

http://www.scottymoore.net/FlTheater.html

Perhaps the most widely noted event in the theatre's history occurred in 1956, when Elvis Presley made his appearance there. Life Magazine did a feature article on the performance due to the watchful presence of Judge Marion Gooding, who threatened to throw Presley in jail if his pelvic gyrations were too suggestive.

The controversy over Elvis' sex appeal reached its Zenith during the summer of '56, when Elvis arrived in Jacksonville for a series of performances.  When he had appeared there in 1955, the Jacksonville girls had been so impressed they'd risen as one to strip him of his clothes.  Now, in an effort to protect these females from further enjoyment, the Reverend Robert Gray held a prayer meeting at Trinity Baptist Church.  There he informed his teenage flock that Elvis Presley had "achieved a new low in spiritual degeneracy.  If he were offered his salvation tonight, he would probably say 'No Thanks.'"  The teens were then instructed to bow their heads and pray for Elvis' redemption.  When Elvis learned of this, he was deeply insulted.  "I feel the preacher was just looking for publicity," he said.  "I have gone to church since I could walk."

In Jacksonville they were scheduled to play six shows over a two day period at the Florida Theater.  When they arrived  they were greeted with unsigned warrants prepared by Juvenile Court Judge Marion Gooding charging Elvis with impairing the morals of minors.  The judge told them he was upset over what had happened during their last visit (hysterical fans nearly ripped Elvis' clothes off) and he wanted to prevent a recurrence.  If Elvis did those hip-gyrating movements for which he was famous, Gooding warned, he would sign the warrants and Elvis would be taken straight to jail.

According to the Jacksonville newspaper, prior to the start of the show, a representative of the American Guild of Variety Artists told them that Elvis would have to join the AVGA and that the Colonel would have to post bond and insurance for other acts in the show otherwise they would prevent the acts from appearing.  This was no doubt because of Elvis' movements onstage and in spite of the fact that they were already members of the Musician's union.  He accepted membership and the Colonel accepted bond and insurance obligations to the AVGA.

With threats of criminal prosecution, Elvis and his management arranged for legal representation when he performed at the theatre. A young attorney by the name of Clarence Wood was hired to represent him.  Clarence sat just off stage and was there just in case Judge Gooding decided to issue an arrest warrant at the concert and took the assignment in stride noting that Elvis was just a young man trying to entertain his fans.

Prior to the show, Judge Gooding invited Elvis to his chambers to set Elvis straight as to recommended restrictions on Elvis' performance. Elvis declined this meeting but did meet with Judge Gooding at some point during this visit to Jacksonville.  Fortunately there were no arrests or riots during the concert and Clarence enjoyed the concert and honor of representing Elvis so much that he forgot to bill Elvis.

Judge David Gooding, who holds the same seat his father did 50 years ago: Juvenile Court Judge, said "my father had gotten calls from various cities that he had visited -- by law enforcement and judges from the area -- saying that riots had been caused as a result of his performance.  My understanding is that a civic group filed a petition to censor the performance. "  So the elder Judge Marion Gooding called the "sinful" young singer into his chambers. The two talked over how much -- was too much.

When they did the concerts, the police were out in force, armed with movie cameras.  Elvis did what he was told, but all that nervous energy had to come out in some way.  "That's where the curled lip and the little finger thing really got started", said Scotty.  "He stood there flat footed and did the whole show."  The judge was delighted with the performance.  Later, Elvis told reporters he was unhappy about the controversy.  "I don't do no dirty body movements," he told a reporter.

"My father's response, after meeting with Elvis and his lawyers, and hearing from the petitioners, was to instruct him that he would accept wiggling from side-to-side, but no back-and-forth motions," Gooding said.  "What I've been told is that Elvis behaved himself like a gentleman. He was represented by an attorney, and the petitioners got along, and everyone got along well. And I think Elvis understood the concerns that my father had at the time. My father was very pleased with the way Elvis behaved himself during the performances in Jacksonville, all three of my sisters had dates and tickets to come to the concerts... Dad let them come. He saw the performances and thought they were appropriate for them to see," the younger judge said.  "I can remember back during the '70s and '60s that my father would always watch Elvis with great fondness when he would appear on television. He was a big fan.

"Drive careful on your way home", Elvis teased the crowd.  "and don't let anybody pass you." 

For some reason many are under the assumption that these performances at the Florida Theater were Elvis' first on an indoor stage in that State.  That is not correct.  The first was at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona on May 7, 1955.  At best, they were his first indoor performances in that city and were the last appearances that the band made in Jacksonville.  Their next stop, New Orleans.  Ten days later they were in Hollywood and Elvis began work on his first motion picture, "Love Me Tender."

[urbanlibertarian]

Elvis's lurid performances no doubt directly led to my conception in Jax in the spring of '57.  Thanks, dude!

[Wacca Pilatka]

Ultimately, Elvis performed more shows in Jacksonville than in any other city except for Las Vegas.

[Wacca Pilatka]

He should have, Mae Axton (jacksonville local) wrote him his first platinum record.

Excellent point!  The old back page column in Jacksonville Magazine had a great piece on the relationship between Mae Axton and Elvis in the mid-90s.

[Overstreet]

I guess "torqing" (sp) was not allowed either, back then.