May 11th: Elvis, Tamblyn, and the Sandwich Incident

It's May 11th, and on May 11th, 1957, Elvis Presley met actor Russ Tamblyn—thanks to a connection through their mutual friend Nick Adams.Russ wasn’t just any actor—he was the acrobatic dynamo from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, later known for West Side Story and even Twin Peaks. He’s also the father of actress Amber Tamblyn. That day, Russ and Elvis hit it off, and soon they were working together on dance moves for Jailhouse Rock. Russ’s athletic style left a mark—the choreography in the movie’s title number became one of Elvis’s most iconic performances.According to Russ’s memoir, Dancing on the Edge, he later offered Elvis & entourage his Malibu house for a quiet getaway, and when he returned, it looked like a rockstar party bomb had gone off, with peanut butter and banana sandwiches in the bed and shattered glass all over. But Russ considered Elvis a true friend, and when he mentioned it to Elvis, he was horrified and had his manager cut a check to cover it. No hard feelings—just another legendary tale from the golden age of Hollywood friendships and peanut butter and banana sandwiches.