Связь между цирковым предпринимателем Кёртисом Веларом и съемками фильма Элвиса Пресли в округе Ситрус

We know that Elvis Presley starred in a 1961 movie titled “Follow That Dream” that was filmed in Citrus County. There were many locations in Florida where the producers might have chosen to shoot the film. Why was Citrus County selected? There are multiple theories. A look at the fraternity of carnival workers — “carnies” – may provide the answer. – Curtis Velare “I’m running away to join the circus” seems like a quaint sentiment from long ago. For bored rural boys, the idea of joining a traveling show to see the country was their ticket to a more exciting life around the turn of the century. Most of the boys who tried to make that dream a reality soon tired of the endless grind and backbreaking physical work. For a few of those who joined the carnival, however, they found that an inventive mind and sheer determination allowed them to achieve a life beyond their expectations. Curtis J. Velare was barely 18 when he and his 14-year-old brother, Elmer, decided to join the carnival circuit. They were assigned menial tasks at first but they soon gained an appreciation of how to profitably entertain fairgoers. They rose from manual laborers to the role of barkers and joined the Royal American Shows in the 1920s. The young Curtis brothers developed skills as aerialists and acrobats. Their experience and observations of customer behavior led them to turn their attention to the concession rides. Royal American Shows traveled the country in 1924 with a crew of 300 people and 25 railroad cars. By that time, the Velare brothers had risen from manual workers to partners in the enterprise. The Velare’s had developed an innate understanding of the types of rides that thrilled fairgoers. The carnival featured an unprecedented double Ferris Wheel with a large organ blasting music to lure riders. By 1930, the Royal American Shows spent the winter in Tampa. The troupe embarked on 15,000-mile tour in the Spring of 1937. The show had grown to 1,100 staff members and the wildly popular Velare Ferris Wheel had grown to feature four wheels joined together in a thrilling ride. The Royal American Shows became ambassadors for the Tampa Bay area and distributed pamphlets on our area across the United States and Canada. Curtis Velare and his wife, Ivah, purchased land in Crystal River around 1936. They planned to build a lodge as their Winter hideaway. The couple added to their holdings near Paradise Point in 1937 and announced their intention to use the property for future development. Their property was on King’s Bay’s waterfront and would later be feted as having the best waterfront views on the Gulf Coast. The Invention of ‘Colonel Tom Parker’ Elvis Presley’s future manager “Colonel Tom Parker” was not a “Colonel,” nor was his name really “Tom Parker.” Born in Holland, his real name was Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk. He entered the US illegally and joined the U.S. Army using forged documents. After an unremarkable military career, van Kuijk managed to get discharged from the Army based on medical reasons. He met another soldier named “Tom Parker” while in the Army and appropriated his name. The honorific title of “Colonel” was commonly granted to civilians who performed some service for a politician or were politically connected. For example, “Colonel” Harland Sanders never led an Army in the battle, unless you consider his leadership of the KFC army in their campaign against the forces of archrival Chick-Fil-A. Similarly, “Tom Parker” was granted the title of “Colonel” by Louisiana Gov. Jimmie Davis in recognition of his work on Davis’s re-election campaign. After leaving the Army, Parker drifted into working at carnivals, including Velare’s Royal American Shows. His biographers characterize Parker as a schemer who always looked for ways to make easy money. One of his more notorious grifts was to heat a metal surface and place chickens on the hot steel. The chickens understandably kept hopping to minimize contact with the heated plate. Parker billed the act as his “Dancing Chickens.” Parker eventually grew tired of the small paychecks from his Midway schemes and set out on his own. He remained connected to his carnival friends, including Curtis Velare, and sometimes collaborated with them when it was to his advantage. In spite of his best efforts, Parker and his wife careened through life in financial insecurity. While living in Temple Terrace (Florida), Parker accepted a position as the “field agent” – a polite term for “Dogcatcher” – at the Hillsborough County Humane Society. Ever the showman, he looked for innovative ways to arrange adoptions for the dogs that he had collected. He hit upon the idea of dressing as Santa at Christmas and giving a new puppy to each child who visited him. This promotion was so successful that the Society ran out of dogs to give to the children. News of the event had children lining up early the following year so they wouldn’t be left out. Thankfully, Parker never developed a “Dancing Dog” act. Parker decided to moonlight as a talent agent while still working for the Humane Society. His clients were typically established singers who were past their prime, such as Eddy Arnold, as well as young acts that Parker thought had potential. In more than one occasion, he managed to merge his two jobs by staging “benefit shows” for the Humane Society featuring members of his talent roster. By that time, he was head of the Society, but his talent agent business seemed to be more potential than working with animals so he resigned that post and threw himself into Show Business. Colonel Tom Parker and Curtis Velare Parker had kept in touch with his former manager from Royal American Shows. While Velare was spending the Winter in Crystal River, Parker would sometimes make the trip to visit with his old friend. Other former “carnies” would join Parker during these outings. The spectacular views along Paradise Point intrigued Parker and he would remember Citrus County’s tropical setting in the future. Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley In his search for new talent, Tom Parker became aware of a new singer who seemed to electrify the crowds everywhere he went. He managed to sign young Elvis Presley in 1955. Presley, like most aspiring singers, was uninitiated in the recording business. He signed a contract that promised Colonel Parker a huge share of his future earnings. Elvis would later find out the cost of putting blind trust in a former carnie. Elvis comes to Citrus County The story of Elvis Presley’s movie shoot in Citrus County has been well documented. Excited residents awaited Elvis’ arrival on July 10, 1963. Harley Levins, Wayne Levins and C.A. Bertine were hired to repaint some of the front porches of houses that would be used for background scenes. A “gambling house” set was constructed in the gymnasium of Crystal River High School. Elvis and his entourage rented rooms and cottages at the Port Paradise Hotel in Crystal River, which was coincidentally next to Curtis Velare’s home. Throngs of fans, many traveling from out of state, were stationed outside the hotel hoping for as glimpse of their hero. There are hundreds of stories from locals recollecting Elvis Presley’s time in Citrus County. He famously played football with some of the boys who joined the crowd to watch the action. The office of the Peninsular Abstract and Title Company was used for some of the office scenes. Citrus Hardware was refitted to look like a Bait and Tackle Shop. When a jug containing water from the Inverness water supply did not look right to the camera operators, ladies from the Inverness Baptist Church stepped in with water from their supply. The final scene was filmed in the restored courtroom at the Old Courthouse Heritage Museum in Inverness. As always, Colonel Tom Parker sat watching all of the action and gave direction to his protégé. He positioned himself in the shade and called Elvis to guide him on the best camera angles and text. Epilogue The movie was renamed from “Pioneer, Go Home” to a more marketable “Follow That Dream” title. Elvis engaged forensic auditors and lawyers in the 1970s when he suspected that his deal with Colonel Parker had cost him millions of dollars. In addition to siphoning off much of Presley’s fortune, his stubborn insistence that Elvis would not tour outside the country ultimately lost Presley more money in opportunity costs. Parker wanted to keep Elvis under his watchful eyes and he knew that his status as an illegal immigrant may preclude him from re-entering the USA. Ivah Velare passed away in Crystal River in 1963. Curtis J. Velare sold significant portions of his Crystal River properties in the 1950s and 1960s, He passed away at his California home in 1970. Developers of the Springs O Paradise plat would later excavate an intricate maze of canals on the site to expand waterfront access to the homeowners. This article was spurred by a research request by Jewel Lamb. Many thanks to Mrs. Lamb. Ken Marotte writes for the Citrus County Historical Society. He can be reached via email at [email protected] if you have any comments, questions or suggestions. Join the Citrus County Historical Society! Call 352-341-6428 or visit cccourthouse.org for more information.