Author: Michael A. Hoey
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781593937553
Category : Motion picture producers and directors
Languages : en
Pages : 370
Book Description
Still the youngest director to ever win an Academy Award (Skippy, 1931); Norman Taurog's career embraces the history of Hollywood, from silent comedies to the Elvis Presley era. During Taurog's fifty-two years in the film business he directed seventy-eight feature films starring everyone from Maurice Chevalier and Carole Lombard, to W.C. Fields and Bing Crosby, to Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy (who won an Oscar for his performance as Father Flanagan in Taurog's Boys Town), to Judy Garland, Mario Lanza, Cary Grant, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, and of course his nine films with Elvis Presley. Elvis' Favorite Director is an in-depth study of Hollywood movie-making, seen through the eyes of a talented craftsman and told by a writer who worked closely with Taurog during the last six years and eight films of his career. Michael A. Hoey is a multi-award winning film and television editor, writer, director and producer. He is the son of Dennis Hoey, who played Inspector Lestrade in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series. Hoey began in Hollywood working as a film editor. He later wrote, directed or produced a number of feature films, including the teen comedy Palm Springs Weekend, the cult sci-fi flick The Navy vs. the Night Monsters and two movies starring Elvis Presley, Stay Away, Joe and Live A Little, Love A Little. He was also a contributing writer on four more films starring Elvis. He then transitioned into television where he wrote and directed a number of shows, including a multi-year run on Fame for which he received several awards. He lives in San Clemente, California.
Elvis' Favorite Director
Author: Michael A. Hoey
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781593937553
Category : Motion picture producers and directors
Languages : en
Pages : 370
Book Description
Still the youngest director to ever win an Academy Award (Skippy, 1931); Norman Taurog's career embraces the history of Hollywood, from silent comedies to the Elvis Presley era. During Taurog's fifty-two years in the film business he directed seventy-eight feature films starring everyone from Maurice Chevalier and Carole Lombard, to W.C. Fields and Bing Crosby, to Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy (who won an Oscar for his performance as Father Flanagan in Taurog's Boys Town), to Judy Garland, Mario Lanza, Cary Grant, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, and of course his nine films with Elvis Presley. Elvis' Favorite Director is an in-depth study of Hollywood movie-making, seen through the eyes of a talented craftsman and told by a writer who worked closely with Taurog during the last six years and eight films of his career. Michael A. Hoey is a multi-award winning film and television editor, writer, director and producer. He is the son of Dennis Hoey, who played Inspector Lestrade in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series. Hoey began in Hollywood working as a film editor. He later wrote, directed or produced a number of feature films, including the teen comedy Palm Springs Weekend, the cult sci-fi flick The Navy vs. the Night Monsters and two movies starring Elvis Presley, Stay Away, Joe and Live A Little, Love A Little. He was also a contributing writer on four more films starring Elvis. He then transitioned into television where he wrote and directed a number of shows, including a multi-year run on Fame for which he received several awards. He lives in San Clemente, California.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781593937553
Category : Motion picture producers and directors
Languages : en
Pages : 370
Book Description
Still the youngest director to ever win an Academy Award (Skippy, 1931); Norman Taurog's career embraces the history of Hollywood, from silent comedies to the Elvis Presley era. During Taurog's fifty-two years in the film business he directed seventy-eight feature films starring everyone from Maurice Chevalier and Carole Lombard, to W.C. Fields and Bing Crosby, to Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy (who won an Oscar for his performance as Father Flanagan in Taurog's Boys Town), to Judy Garland, Mario Lanza, Cary Grant, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, and of course his nine films with Elvis Presley. Elvis' Favorite Director is an in-depth study of Hollywood movie-making, seen through the eyes of a talented craftsman and told by a writer who worked closely with Taurog during the last six years and eight films of his career. Michael A. Hoey is a multi-award winning film and television editor, writer, director and producer. He is the son of Dennis Hoey, who played Inspector Lestrade in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series. Hoey began in Hollywood working as a film editor. He later wrote, directed or produced a number of feature films, including the teen comedy Palm Springs Weekend, the cult sci-fi flick The Navy vs. the Night Monsters and two movies starring Elvis Presley, Stay Away, Joe and Live A Little, Love A Little. He was also a contributing writer on four more films starring Elvis. He then transitioned into television where he wrote and directed a number of shows, including a multi-year run on Fame for which he received several awards. He lives in San Clemente, California.
Elvis Films FAQ
Author: Paul Simpson
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 1480366897
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 419
Book Description
(FAQ). If Elvis Presley had not wanted to be a movie star, he would never have single-handedly revolutionized popular culture. Yet this aspect of his phenomenal career has been much maligned and misunderstood partly because the King himself once referred to his 33 movies as a rut he had got stuck in just off Hollywood Boulevard. Elvis Films FAQ explores his best and worst moments as an actor, analyzes the bizarre autobiographical detail that runs through so many of his films, and reflects on what it must be like to be idolized by millions around the world yet have to make a living singing about dogs, chambers of commerce, and fatally naive shrimps. Elvis's Hollywood years are full of mystery, and Elvis Films FAQ covers them all! Which of his own movies did he actually like? What films did he wish he could have made? Why didn't he have an acting coach? When will Quentin Tarantino stop alluding to him in his movies? And was Clambake really the catalyst for his marriage to Priscilla? Elvis Films FAQ explains everything you want to know about the whys and wherefores of the singer-actor's bizarre celluloid odyssey; or, as Elvis said, "I saw the movie and I was the hero of the movie."
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 1480366897
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 419
Book Description
(FAQ). If Elvis Presley had not wanted to be a movie star, he would never have single-handedly revolutionized popular culture. Yet this aspect of his phenomenal career has been much maligned and misunderstood partly because the King himself once referred to his 33 movies as a rut he had got stuck in just off Hollywood Boulevard. Elvis Films FAQ explores his best and worst moments as an actor, analyzes the bizarre autobiographical detail that runs through so many of his films, and reflects on what it must be like to be idolized by millions around the world yet have to make a living singing about dogs, chambers of commerce, and fatally naive shrimps. Elvis's Hollywood years are full of mystery, and Elvis Films FAQ covers them all! Which of his own movies did he actually like? What films did he wish he could have made? Why didn't he have an acting coach? When will Quentin Tarantino stop alluding to him in his movies? And was Clambake really the catalyst for his marriage to Priscilla? Elvis Films FAQ explains everything you want to know about the whys and wherefores of the singer-actor's bizarre celluloid odyssey; or, as Elvis said, "I saw the movie and I was the hero of the movie."
Elvis '68 Comeback
Author: Steve Binder
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 164517932X
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 347
Book Description
A chronicle of the comeback performance that marked Elvis Presley’s return from the screen to the stage. Includes exclusive content from the show’s director, Steve Binder. The book contains a foreword by noted film director Baz Luhrmann, whose film credits include Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby, and the 2022 Warner Brothers feature film, Elvis. Take a tour behind the scenes at the NBC television special that relaunched Elvis Presley’s career as a stage musician. Author Steve Binder—who directed the TV special—provides exclusive content that gives fans even more insight into the performance that many see as a high point in the King of Rock’s reign of American music. Elvis ’68 Comeback includes full-color photographs and detailed commentary on the show’s development and production, making this an excellent addition to the shelf of every Elvis fan. Foreword by film director Baz Luhrmann.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 164517932X
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 347
Book Description
A chronicle of the comeback performance that marked Elvis Presley’s return from the screen to the stage. Includes exclusive content from the show’s director, Steve Binder. The book contains a foreword by noted film director Baz Luhrmann, whose film credits include Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby, and the 2022 Warner Brothers feature film, Elvis. Take a tour behind the scenes at the NBC television special that relaunched Elvis Presley’s career as a stage musician. Author Steve Binder—who directed the TV special—provides exclusive content that gives fans even more insight into the performance that many see as a high point in the King of Rock’s reign of American music. Elvis ’68 Comeback includes full-color photographs and detailed commentary on the show’s development and production, making this an excellent addition to the shelf of every Elvis fan. Foreword by film director Baz Luhrmann.
The Elvis Movies
Author: James L. Neibaur
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442230746
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
Elvis Presley’s stature as the “King of Rock and Roll” will never be challenged. Between his first RCA hit single in 1956—the number-one smash “Heartbreak Hotel”—and his death in 1977, Elvis amassed more than 100 hits on the music charts. Presley’s dominance on the music chart was paralleled only by the singer’s motion picture career. Between 1956 and 1969, Elvis appeared in more than thirty films, further cementing his place as one of the most popular entertainers of the twentieth century. While there have been countless books that explore the real Elvis tucked beneath layers of showbiz mythology, such volumes often dismiss his motion picture career as insignificant or overlook his onscreen work entirely. In The Elvis Movies, James L. Neibaur looks at the thirty-one features that Presley made, from Love Me Tender in 1956 to Change of Habit in 1969. Most of these were star vehicles tailor-made for his image. As Neibaur points out, Elvis had a real interest in being a good actor, but his initial promise was soon thwarted by anti-creative decisions that sold a packaged version of the singer. Despite lapsing into a predictable formula of lightweight musicals, Elvis Presley’s star power ensured that the films became box office successes. Neibaur examines each film, providing information about their production and offering assessments about their value in general, as well as their place in the Presley canon. Additional details include behind-the-scenes personnel, costars, DVD availability, and featured hit songs. An entertaining and informative look at an often underrated aspect of the singer’s career, The Elvis Movies offers readers insight into his films. This volume will be a welcome resource to fans of the singer who want to know more about the King and his successful ventures on the big screen.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442230746
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
Elvis Presley’s stature as the “King of Rock and Roll” will never be challenged. Between his first RCA hit single in 1956—the number-one smash “Heartbreak Hotel”—and his death in 1977, Elvis amassed more than 100 hits on the music charts. Presley’s dominance on the music chart was paralleled only by the singer’s motion picture career. Between 1956 and 1969, Elvis appeared in more than thirty films, further cementing his place as one of the most popular entertainers of the twentieth century. While there have been countless books that explore the real Elvis tucked beneath layers of showbiz mythology, such volumes often dismiss his motion picture career as insignificant or overlook his onscreen work entirely. In The Elvis Movies, James L. Neibaur looks at the thirty-one features that Presley made, from Love Me Tender in 1956 to Change of Habit in 1969. Most of these were star vehicles tailor-made for his image. As Neibaur points out, Elvis had a real interest in being a good actor, but his initial promise was soon thwarted by anti-creative decisions that sold a packaged version of the singer. Despite lapsing into a predictable formula of lightweight musicals, Elvis Presley’s star power ensured that the films became box office successes. Neibaur examines each film, providing information about their production and offering assessments about their value in general, as well as their place in the Presley canon. Additional details include behind-the-scenes personnel, costars, DVD availability, and featured hit songs. An entertaining and informative look at an often underrated aspect of the singer’s career, The Elvis Movies offers readers insight into his films. This volume will be a welcome resource to fans of the singer who want to know more about the King and his successful ventures on the big screen.
Elvis Presley
Author: Joel Williamson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199863172
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 409
Book Description
One of the most admired Southern historians of our time paints an intimate portrait of Elvis Presley, set against the rich backdrop of Southern society, that illuminates the zenith of his career, showing how Elvis himself changed—and didn't—and providing a deeper understanding of the man and his times.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199863172
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 409
Book Description
One of the most admired Southern historians of our time paints an intimate portrait of Elvis Presley, set against the rich backdrop of Southern society, that illuminates the zenith of his career, showing how Elvis himself changed—and didn't—and providing a deeper understanding of the man and his times.
Lullaby Town
Author: Robert Crais
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0593157990
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
“Quick, cutting wit . . . a keen ear.”—The New York Times Book Review Hollywood’s newest wunderkind is Peter Alan Nelsen, the brilliant, erratic director known as the King of Adventure. His films make billions, but his manners make enemies. What the boy king wants, he gets, and what Nelsen wants is for Elvis to comb the country for the wife and infant child the film-school flunkout dumped en route to becoming the third-biggest filmmaker in America. It’s the kind of case Cole can handle in his sleep—until it turns out to be a nightmare. For when Cole finds Nelsen’s ex-wife in a small Connecticut town, she’s nothing like he expects. She has some unwanted—and very nasty—mob connections, which means Elvis could be opening an East Coast branch of his P.I. office...at the bottom of the Hudson River. “Elvis [Cole] is the greatest . . . [ he is] perhaps the best detective to come along since Travis McGee.”—San Diego Tribune “[Crais is] far better at the private-eye-novel racket than most writers.”—Newsweek
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0593157990
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
“Quick, cutting wit . . . a keen ear.”—The New York Times Book Review Hollywood’s newest wunderkind is Peter Alan Nelsen, the brilliant, erratic director known as the King of Adventure. His films make billions, but his manners make enemies. What the boy king wants, he gets, and what Nelsen wants is for Elvis to comb the country for the wife and infant child the film-school flunkout dumped en route to becoming the third-biggest filmmaker in America. It’s the kind of case Cole can handle in his sleep—until it turns out to be a nightmare. For when Cole finds Nelsen’s ex-wife in a small Connecticut town, she’s nothing like he expects. She has some unwanted—and very nasty—mob connections, which means Elvis could be opening an East Coast branch of his P.I. office...at the bottom of the Hudson River. “Elvis [Cole] is the greatest . . . [ he is] perhaps the best detective to come along since Travis McGee.”—San Diego Tribune “[Crais is] far better at the private-eye-novel racket than most writers.”—Newsweek
The Seeker King
Author: Gary Tillery
Publisher: Quest Books
ISBN: 0835630862
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 242
Book Description
A woman in the audience once handed Elvis a crown saying, “You’re the King.” “No, honey,” Elvis replied. “There is only one king — Jesus Christ. I’m just a singer.” Gary Tillery presents a coherent view of Elvis’s thoughts through such anecdotes and other recorded facts. We learn, for instance, that Elvis read thousands of books on religion; that his crisis over making bimbo movies like Girl Happy led him to writers such as Gurdjieff, Krishnamurti, and Helena Blavatsky; and that, while driving in Arizona, an epiphany he had inspired him to learn Hindu practice. Elvis came to believe that the Christ shines in everyone and that God wanted him to use his light to uplift people. And so he did. Elvis’s excesses were as legendary as his generosity, yet, despite his lethal reliance on drugs, he remained ever spiritually curious. When he died, he was reading A Scientific Search for the Face of Jesus. This intimate, objective portrait inspires new admiration for the flawed but exceptional man who said, “All I want is to know and experience God. I’m a searcher, that’s what I’m all about.”
Publisher: Quest Books
ISBN: 0835630862
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 242
Book Description
A woman in the audience once handed Elvis a crown saying, “You’re the King.” “No, honey,” Elvis replied. “There is only one king — Jesus Christ. I’m just a singer.” Gary Tillery presents a coherent view of Elvis’s thoughts through such anecdotes and other recorded facts. We learn, for instance, that Elvis read thousands of books on religion; that his crisis over making bimbo movies like Girl Happy led him to writers such as Gurdjieff, Krishnamurti, and Helena Blavatsky; and that, while driving in Arizona, an epiphany he had inspired him to learn Hindu practice. Elvis came to believe that the Christ shines in everyone and that God wanted him to use his light to uplift people. And so he did. Elvis’s excesses were as legendary as his generosity, yet, despite his lethal reliance on drugs, he remained ever spiritually curious. When he died, he was reading A Scientific Search for the Face of Jesus. This intimate, objective portrait inspires new admiration for the flawed but exceptional man who said, “All I want is to know and experience God. I’m a searcher, that’s what I’m all about.”
Cary Grant, the Making of a Hollywood Legend
Author: Mark Glancy
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190053143
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 569
Book Description
A definitive new account of the professional and personal life of one of Hollywood's most unforgettable, influential stars. Archie Leach was a poorly educated, working-class boy from a troubled family living in the backstreets of Bristol. Cary Grant was Hollywood's most debonair film star--the embodiment of worldly sophistication. Cary Grant: The Making of a Hollywood Legend tells the incredible story of how a sad, neglected boy became the suave, glamorous star many know and idolize. The first biography to be based on Grant's own personal papers, this book takes us on a fascinating journey from the actor's difficult childhood through years of struggle in music halls and vaudeville, a hit-and-miss career in Broadway musicals, and three decades of film stardom during Hollywood's golden age. Leaving no stone unturned, Cary Grant delves into all aspects of Grant's life, from the bitter realities of his impoverished childhood to his trailblazing role in Hollywood as a film star who defied the studio system and took control of his own career. Highlighting Grant's genius as an actor and a filmmaker, author Mark Glancy examines the crucial contributions Grant made to such classic films as Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Notorious (1946), An Affair to Remember (1957), North by Northwest (1959), Charade (1963) and Father Goose (1964). Glancy also explores Grant's private life with new candor and insight throughout the book's nine sections, illuminating how Grant's search for happiness and fulfillment lead him to having his first child at the age of 62 and embarking on his fifth marriage at the age of 77. With this biography--complete with a chronological filmography of the actor's work--Glancy provides a definitive account of the professional and personal life of one of Hollywood's most unforgettable, influential stars.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190053143
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 569
Book Description
A definitive new account of the professional and personal life of one of Hollywood's most unforgettable, influential stars. Archie Leach was a poorly educated, working-class boy from a troubled family living in the backstreets of Bristol. Cary Grant was Hollywood's most debonair film star--the embodiment of worldly sophistication. Cary Grant: The Making of a Hollywood Legend tells the incredible story of how a sad, neglected boy became the suave, glamorous star many know and idolize. The first biography to be based on Grant's own personal papers, this book takes us on a fascinating journey from the actor's difficult childhood through years of struggle in music halls and vaudeville, a hit-and-miss career in Broadway musicals, and three decades of film stardom during Hollywood's golden age. Leaving no stone unturned, Cary Grant delves into all aspects of Grant's life, from the bitter realities of his impoverished childhood to his trailblazing role in Hollywood as a film star who defied the studio system and took control of his own career. Highlighting Grant's genius as an actor and a filmmaker, author Mark Glancy examines the crucial contributions Grant made to such classic films as Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Notorious (1946), An Affair to Remember (1957), North by Northwest (1959), Charade (1963) and Father Goose (1964). Glancy also explores Grant's private life with new candor and insight throughout the book's nine sections, illuminating how Grant's search for happiness and fulfillment lead him to having his first child at the age of 62 and embarking on his fifth marriage at the age of 77. With this biography--complete with a chronological filmography of the actor's work--Glancy provides a definitive account of the professional and personal life of one of Hollywood's most unforgettable, influential stars.
Elvis
Author: Jerry Osborne
Publisher: Gramercy
ISBN: 9780517227954
Category : Rock musicians
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
"Maybe someday I will write a book..." – Elvis Presley In his lifetime, Elvis never did get the chance to pen his story—but he told it through his hundreds of interviews and letters to friends, family, and fans. this book consists of the words Elvis himself spoke and wrote, from his early career through his rise to superstardom, accompanied by rare and previously unseen photographs.
Publisher: Gramercy
ISBN: 9780517227954
Category : Rock musicians
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
"Maybe someday I will write a book..." – Elvis Presley In his lifetime, Elvis never did get the chance to pen his story—but he told it through his hundreds of interviews and letters to friends, family, and fans. this book consists of the words Elvis himself spoke and wrote, from his early career through his rise to superstardom, accompanied by rare and previously unseen photographs.
Elvis and Me
Author: Gillian Wills
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781925048445
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
A world-weary musician and a broken racehorse rescue each other in this inspirational memoir about second chances. At 56 years of age, Gillian Wills bought her first horse on a whim. Elvis was emaciated, scarred, unruly, saddle-phobic and imbued with attitude. However, she sensed in him the remnants of a fierce pride that resonated with her own almost-lost sense of self-worth, depleted after leaving a high status job as head of a prestigious music conservatorium in Melbourne to move across the country with her partner to Queensland. Owning a horse pushed the need for paddocks to the top of Gillian's wish list. Since her artist partner also craved land on which to build a studio, they bought a dilapidated weatherboard farmhouse on 2.5 acres and swapped city living in Brisbane for the pleasures of semi-rural Ransome. Gillian gave up her lecturing position, weekly spot on radio, and an array of exhausting consultancies to focus on freelance writing. For a year she wore mud-stained boots and dusty jeans by day and shiny heels and black cocktail gear at night to mingle with the art cogniscenti at functions, give pre-concert talks for the Australian Chamber Orchestra and review concerts for the Australian newspaper. And she tried to ride Elvis. Elvis had been pitched to Gillian as a quiet, beginner's 'I'll-do-whatever-you-want-kind-of-horse' that could hardly summon up the energy to trot. the truth was very different. Rehabilitating Elvis through natural horsemanship methods (horse whispering) with the help of a laconic yet seriously gifted trainer introduced Gillian to a whole new world where music was incidental and daily discussions centred on the weather, how to tell good grass from bad, and fear of the Hendra virus. She persevered with her riding lessons, ignoring the often not-so-subtle doubts that she would ever learn to ride competently, let alone be able to control a spirited mount like Elvis. Gradually Elvis' behaviour improved and Gillian's confidence grew. Learning to assert her leadership over Elvis' daily rehabilitation program slowly but surely transformed her world. Gillian says, 'I was supposed to help Elvis, but instead he led me on an unexpected trail of self-discovery. I learned to like myself. I realised I didn't have to prove to the world I was worthy, be defined by a profession, or prove that I could achieve an impossible goal. I began to stand up for myself with my partner, employers, children, friends ... and with Elvis, of course!'
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781925048445
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
A world-weary musician and a broken racehorse rescue each other in this inspirational memoir about second chances. At 56 years of age, Gillian Wills bought her first horse on a whim. Elvis was emaciated, scarred, unruly, saddle-phobic and imbued with attitude. However, she sensed in him the remnants of a fierce pride that resonated with her own almost-lost sense of self-worth, depleted after leaving a high status job as head of a prestigious music conservatorium in Melbourne to move across the country with her partner to Queensland. Owning a horse pushed the need for paddocks to the top of Gillian's wish list. Since her artist partner also craved land on which to build a studio, they bought a dilapidated weatherboard farmhouse on 2.5 acres and swapped city living in Brisbane for the pleasures of semi-rural Ransome. Gillian gave up her lecturing position, weekly spot on radio, and an array of exhausting consultancies to focus on freelance writing. For a year she wore mud-stained boots and dusty jeans by day and shiny heels and black cocktail gear at night to mingle with the art cogniscenti at functions, give pre-concert talks for the Australian Chamber Orchestra and review concerts for the Australian newspaper. And she tried to ride Elvis. Elvis had been pitched to Gillian as a quiet, beginner's 'I'll-do-whatever-you-want-kind-of-horse' that could hardly summon up the energy to trot. the truth was very different. Rehabilitating Elvis through natural horsemanship methods (horse whispering) with the help of a laconic yet seriously gifted trainer introduced Gillian to a whole new world where music was incidental and daily discussions centred on the weather, how to tell good grass from bad, and fear of the Hendra virus. She persevered with her riding lessons, ignoring the often not-so-subtle doubts that she would ever learn to ride competently, let alone be able to control a spirited mount like Elvis. Gradually Elvis' behaviour improved and Gillian's confidence grew. Learning to assert her leadership over Elvis' daily rehabilitation program slowly but surely transformed her world. Gillian says, 'I was supposed to help Elvis, but instead he led me on an unexpected trail of self-discovery. I learned to like myself. I realised I didn't have to prove to the world I was worthy, be defined by a profession, or prove that I could achieve an impossible goal. I began to stand up for myself with my partner, employers, children, friends ... and with Elvis, of course!'