Elvis and Ann Margret Viva Las Vegas affair | Films | Entertainment

Sixty years ago on July 15, 1963, filming began on Viva Las Vegas and Elvis Presley started one of the defining relationships of his life.

He was already infamous for pursuing his leading ladies, but this affair would be like no other, he had met his match.

Priscilla Beaulieu (later Presley) waited anxiously back at home. They had started dating in Germany in September 1959, when she was just 14, but she had only just moved permanently into Graceland in May 1963.

Exotic foreign red-head Ann-Margret was the hottest property in Hollywood and when word of the affair reached Priscilla, she threw a huge vase against the wall.

The Swedish star remained in Elvis’ life until the end. Loved by his father Vernon, she was invited to The King’s funeral and spoke powerfully of him and the pain of losing him.

In her memoir, she confessed the pain of remembering their love: “It was extremely difficult for me to write and it’s even harder for me to talk about.

“There’s been so much, for some reason, negative situations surrounding his name that I wanted to show the man that I knew – generous, loving, funny, talented, gifted – and only show complete respect.”

However, she has also spoken of their electrifying connection: “We both felt a current, an electricity that went straight through us. It would become a force we couldn’t control…

“Little did we know we shared a devil within. We were quiet, polite, careful. But I knew what was going to happen once we got to know each other. Elvis did, too.”

Elvis was stunned and couldn’t understand the power of it until one of the Memphis Mafia simply pointed out “She’s the female you.”

Ann-Margret didn’t just have beauty and screen presence, she was a talented singer and dancer. Already creating a splash after State Fair, she became a huge star in 1963’s Bye, Bye, Birdie. The film was actually based on Elvis leaving early stardom behind for military service, and also featured Dick Van Dyke’s silver screen debut.

She was such hot property that she became the only co-star to share equal billing with Elvis and excitingly proved to be his match off-screen.

At private parties, while Priscilla stewed back at Graceland, their attraction bubbled over.

They would cavort together, pretending to be cats and sexily dancing across the floor with Elvis teasing, “You’ve got me running,” and Ann-Margret replying, “You’ve got me hiding.”

They shared a love of motorbikes, Elvis called her Thumper (and she would use the code name for years whenever she called Graceland) and she called him EP.

Hot pink was her signature colour and Elvis bought her a round pink bed and sent her lavish arrangements of pink flowers.

Viva Las Vegas was released in March 1964 and Ann-Margret later revealed Elvis had wanted to marry her: “his wish was that we could stay together.” But the star was under immense pressure from his manager and public opinion to marry his long-term girlfriend, Priscilla.

However, when the UK press started reporting that they were planning to marry, Elvis accused Ann-Margret of leaking the story, which she denied.

He was under immense pressure to marry Priscilla from manager Colonel Parker and Priscilla’s parents, all of whom also made it clear the potential career scandal Elvis could face related to her age when they had started and the fact he had taken a minor across state lines without permission from her parents.

Elvis ended the affair but their love for each other remained and he continued to send her guitar-shaped pink flower arrangements in later years whenever she opened a new show in Las Vegas.

In fact, when she opened at the Hilton on August 15, 1977, for the first time in 10 years, no flowers came and she later admitted she immediately knew something was wrong.

Worried, the next day, Ann-Margret called Graceland and found out Elvis had died, before the news was released to the press.