January 1st in Elvis History

It's January first, and on this day in 1970, Elvis Presley rang in the New Year the way only the King could—with a private movie night. At the Memphian Theater in Memphis, he watched Patton for the first time. The film made a major impact on him—so much so that he memorized the powerful opening speech by George C. Scott. This kicked off a personal tradition of near-nightly private screenings, continuing through the early ’70s with his inner circle in tow. And flashing back to 1959, another piece of the Presley puzzle fell into place. Elisabeth Stefaniak moved in with Elvis and his household—hired specifically to handle his ever-growing mountain of fan mail. With help from Red and Lamar, she quickly learned how to sign Elvis’s name—perfectly. It was one more step in managing the mania of being the King.