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Elvis Presley fans were welcomed into the star’s life last year when Baz Luhrmann’s biopic, Elvis, hit cinemas. The movie showed off how the King of Rock and Roll rose to fame, how he eventually fell from grace, and ultimately died in his home, Graceland. His only child, Lisa Marie Presley (who died earlier this year on January 12, 2023, aged 54), was not involved in the making of the movie, but she gave it her full support. And, after seeing the finished film for the first time behind closed doors, she broke protocol with the legendary home of Elvis.
Elvis producer Gail Berman recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about Lisa Marie’s involvement in the film behind the scenes.
Gail explained that, once she saw the movie, Lisa Marie was “very, very happy” with it. Gail continued: “[Lisa Marie] decided, completely independent of us, that she wanted to be supportive of it, Austin and Baz, and she opened up her home at Graceland to us.”
When she did this, Lisa Marie not only welcomed the film’s production into Graceland but ended a long-standing tradition from within the household.
“Not only did we do a Memphis premiere at Graceland,” Gail went on. “But she threw a private event for us, a barbecue at Graceland where she opened up The Jungle Room to us to have a cocktail party – and apparently that hadn’t been done in many, many years.”
The Jungle Room is a green-carpeted room in Graceland that is filled with rich leather and dark mahogany furniture. This iconic room became what Elvis called “The Den”, and was the location he recorded his final two albums. The tropical decorations of The Jungle Room made it the King’s “favourite room” in Graceland.
Gail explained that Lisa Marie hosted the cocktail party, bringing not only Priscilla Presley to the event, but also her daughter, as well. She added: “Everybody was incredibly supportive of this movie.”
The Elvis movie obviously meant a lot to Lisa Marie. Gail recalled she watched the film for the first time in private at the Warner Bros lot before taking “five days” to process her thoughts.
“She loved this movie,” Gail said. “She thought, finally, the accurate portrayal [of] the beauty of the man and the beauty of the music and the beauty of the rebel had been told. She was very, very happy with it.”
Lisa Marie died suddenly in January after suffering a cardiac arrest. The singer had spent the final few months of her life supporting the Elvis movie and its star, Austin Butler.
Gail said of Lisa Marie’s death: “We are all in a tremendous amount of sorrow to know that we lost her. I have known her only during this period of time. She was a lovely person, soft-spoken and extremely excited about this movie.”
She added: “Her love really permeated all of us. It was very heartbreaking — to hear the news was just devastating to all of us.”
Lisa Marie had a powerful connection with The Jungle Room, as revealed Back in May, 2021, during a virtual tour of Graceland.
Graceland archivist Angie Marchese revealed on the stream: “Lisa used to take her naps there in the large chair, which was her favourite napping place.”
It was also where Elvis ate his breakfast each day at 4pm (he was nocturnal in his final months alive). He would eat Spanish omelette, burnt bacon and black coffee.
Angie added: “It’s very dark here in the Jungle Room. That’s why Elvis liked it, it’s a very manly room.”
Elvis is available to watch on NOW.
