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Elvis biography - 1964
Elvis purchases the "Potomac", former presidential yacht of Franklin Roosevelt, for $55,000. He intends to donate it to the March of Dimes for use as a national shrine (FDR suffered from polio, the main disease fought by the March of Dimes). Costs of maintaining the yacht would be prohibitive, so the March of Dimes declines to accept the gift. Elvis attempts to give it to the 7th Coast Guard District Auxilliary in Miami, which also doesn't work out. Finally, on February 13 he presents the yacht to Danny Thomas as a gift to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis for them to use to raise funds as they see fit. The ceremony takes place in Long Beach, California.
During this saga of trying to donate the yacht, the Beatles make their first appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and Sullivan reads on the air a congratulatory telegram from Elvis and the Colonel. American music and pop culture soon change dramatically with the "British invasion", much as it had after Elvis hit it big in the fifties
Elvis has become bored and frustrated with his film and recording career. It will only get worse.
March 1964
"Kissin' Cousins" opens nationally. One of the poorest quality films of his career, it still quickly hits number eleven at the box office (then quickly falls) and the album goes top ten.
Elvis begins filming for his sixteenth motion picture, "Roustabout", co-starring Hollywood legend Barbara Stanwyck. He had recorded the music during the previous month.
June 1964
Elvis records music for his next film, "Girl Happy". "Viva Las Vegas" opens nationally and goes to number eight at the box office. It's one of the better Elvis movies of this period, and the songs are better as well.
July/August 1964
Elvis shoots his seventeenth motion picture, "Girl Happy", which co-stars Shelley Fabares and former "Miss America", Mary Ann Mobley. This involves some location shooting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
October 1964
Elvis begins shooting eighteenth motion picture, "Tickle Me". The soundtrack has no new recordings. Instead, previously released non-movie recordings are used, apparently to keep production costs to a minimum.
November 1964
"Roustabout" opens nationally and hits number eight at the box office. The soundtrack, which represents some of the best Elvis movie music in a while, goes to number one on the Billboard pop album chart.