TWO Hollywood stars who worked with Elvis Presley on some of his movies are to share secrets from the film set in East Lancashire tomorrow night.
Marlyn Mason, leading in lady in The Trouble With Girls and Dan Haggerty, best known from the US TV series The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, will be part of a special charity show at King George’s Hall, Blackburn.
A Little More Conversation will be hosted by Charles Stone, Elvis’ tour manager, with all proceeds going to Age UK Blackburn and Darwen.
Both Marlyn and Dan have been enjoying a visit to the area this week staying with Elvis fans ahead of the show.
Marlyn said: “I just love coming here, everyone is just so friendly, they feel like family.”
Marlyn worked with Elvis for 10 weeks on the 1969 movie and was immediately struck by the star’s charisma.
“You couldn’t help but fall in love with him,” she said.
“He was so handsome and such a nice person. He was a true star.
“I had been in a play on Broadway and then was told I had got the part with Elvis. I wasn’t really a fan of his music so it wasn’t until we met on set that I fully appreciated the magic of the man.”
Dan Haggerty also believes that Elvis was special.
“He was very kind to me and he had that aura about him which only the genuine stars possess,” he said.
“There was no big ego with him. He’d always have time to stop and say hello.
“The other thing that people don’t appreciate was that he was a wonderful actor, he was a very talented man.”
As the mountain man Grizzly Adams, Dan has gained a place in TV viewers’ hearts even though the show only ran for three series in the Seventies.
“I just think it had a lot of charm and warmth which people liked,” said Dan.
With co-stars including a 500lb bear and a mountain lion, former stuntman and animal trainer Dan was the natural choice to play Grizzly Adams.
“We had quite a lot of guest stars on the show and some of them were quite nervous about the animals,” said Dan, “but because of my background I knew how to handle them and how to put the actors at their ease.
“This is my first visit to Blackburn and with the sun shining and all these friendly people it is like visiting God’s own country.”
- Elvis: A little More Conversation, King George’s Hall, Blackburn, tomorrow, 7.30pm. Details from 0844 847 1664. Proceeds to Age UK Blackburn and Darwen.
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