The Battered and Bruised Face of Elvis Presley Should Shock Some of His Fans!

The battered and bruised face of Elvis Presley should shock some of his fans who expect to see him all prettied up in his movie roles. Elvis shows what he looks like after he gets slammed around in a remake of an old boxing picture, Kid Galahad (1962). Just to keep the record straight and avoid any unnecessary tears, the bumps and bruises are the product of the makeup department and not the result of a beating.

In the film, Presley’s makeup was used to make him look like a believable boxer, particularly after fights. Makeup artists created the appearance of cuts, bruises, and swelling to convey the physicality of his character. Specifically, makeup was used to create a gash across his cheek and swollen lips to depict the results of his boxing matches in the film.

“He looks like an electric mixer had been working on his face,” columnist Dorothy Manners reported. “One eye is puffed and closed, there’s an ugly gash across his cheek, and his lips are swollen out of shape. From the looks of him, Kid Presley must lose every fight in the script.”

Makeup could make Presley’s face look the part, but to make the rest of his physique fit would take a lot of work. Producer David Weisbart brought in former junior welterweight champion Mushy Callahan as a technical adviser to get Presley in shape for his role and teach him how to box. For 25 years Callahan had taught actors, including Wayne Morris in the original Kid Galahad film in 1937, how to handle themselves in the ring. The 56-year-old Callahan put Elvis on a rigorous training schedule to get him ready for his fight scenes. After the film was released, Elvis claimed he lost 12 pounds under Callahan’s regimen. Every morning he ran miles along the roads near Idyllwild in Southern California, where much of Kid Galahad was filmed. Every afternoon he worked the light and heavy bags and boxed with his trainer.

While Elvis was sheltered from the press, Mushy made himself available to anyone who cared to listen. Outgoing by nature, he always had something to say about his special pupil. “I try to break a script down and train him according to what the story calls for,” he explained to UPI writer Joseph Finnigan. “We work out routines that Elvis has to do in the ring and he catches on pretty good. He’s not afraid to get hit. Of course, he doesn’t want to get his teeth knocked out.”

As the training progressed, Mushy revealed that coaching Elvis was difficult for an unusual reason. “I’m having an awful time with Elvis because he looks too GOOD. He’s supposed to be a clumsy fighter in the film, but he looks and moves like a champ. So my job is to destroy his natural coordination and teach him to look bad. It’s a little like being a jockey and having to rein in ‘Man of War.’ It’s kind of hard to do.”

Two professional fighters who squared off with Elvis in Kid Galahad were also impressed. Welterweight Orlando de la Fuente indicated, “He is very, very strong. He was very interested. He watched me very carefully so he could learn the body movements.” Orlando’s brother, Ramon, a light heavyweight agreed. “Elvis hit me pretty hard. There was one scene there where we kept on fighting after the bell rang. He caught me a good right hand on the jaw. It wasn’t in the script but they left it in, it was such a good scene.”

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Camille Clifford: Perfect Body and Iconic Gibson Girl

Camille Clifford (June 29, 1885 – June 28, 1971) was a Belgian-born actress and model, best known as the quintessential “Gibson Girl,” a feminine ideal popularized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through the illustrations of artist Charles Dana Gibson.

With her hourglass figure, high-piled hair, and elegant demeanor, Clifford became the living embodiment of Gibson's illustrations, symbolizing sophistication and Edwardian beauty.

Though she pursued a short career on stage, Camille Clifford’s fame primarily stemmed from her iconic look, which captured the imagination of the public and cemented her legacy as a fashion and cultural icon of her time. After marrying Captain the Hon. Henry Lyndhurst Bruce, heir to the title of Lord Aberdare, she gradually retired from the spotlight.

Take a look at these fabulous photos to see the beauty of a young Camille Clifford from the early 1900s.

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Louis Wain and His Psychedelic Cat Paintings

Louis Wain (August 5, 1860 – July 4, 1939) was a British artist best known for his whimsical and often psychedelic paintings and illustrations of cats. His work played a major role in changing the public perception of cats in Victorian and Edwardian England—from being seen primarily as utilitarian mousers to beloved household pets.

Wain began his career as an illustrator, contributing to publications like The Illustrated London News. In 1886, he created his first famous cat drawing for a Christmas issue of The Illustrated London News, titled “A Kittens’ Christmas Party,” which featured anthropomorphized cats in festive human-like scenarios. This illustration launched his reputation as a cat artist.

Wain’s early cat drawings were naturalistic but quickly evolved into anthropomorphic depictions—cats wearing clothes, playing instruments, attending parties, and acting like humans. These images were charming and humorous, and they appealed to a wide audience.

As his career progressed, his style became increasingly colorful, complex, and abstract. Some of his later works featured kaleidoscopic patterns, vibrant colors, and heavily stylized cats that bordered on the psychedelic. These later pieces have fascinated art historians and psychologists due to their potential reflection of Wain’s deteriorating mental health.

Wain was diagnosed with schizophrenia later in life, and he spent his final years in mental institutions. His later cat paintings—often cited as visual reflections of his mental state—have been studied in psychology and art circles for how they appear to represent the progression of his illness.

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The Very First Publicity Photos of Tammy Wynette for Epic Records, ca. 1967

The very first Epic publicity shots of Tammy Wynette were taken by James J. Kriegsmann in New York, circa 1967. The photos show a radiant, tanned Tammy gazed heavenward, her eyes lined by heavy mascara. She looks stunning, almost regal, a Nashville Nefertiti.

40 Vintage Photos That Defined 1930s Women’s Fashion

1930s women’s fashion moved from the boyish flapper look to a more feminine, sophisticated, and elegant silhouette, heavily influenced by Hollywood glamor.

Key features included elongated, slender lines and the innovative bias cut for fluid draping. Shoulders became wider, often with subtle padding, and hemlines lengthened to mid-calf or floor-length for evening. Details like ruffles and bows added charm.

While practical daywear like cotton dresses was common, wide-legged trousers also emerged for leisure. Accessories like hats, gloves, and soft, waved hairstyles were essential. The decade blended practicality with aspirational Hollywood style.

Take a look at these vintage photos to see how women expressed beauty and style in the 1930s.

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Rare Daguerreotypes of Victorian Women Breastfeeding Their Babies

Daguerreotypes of Victorian women breastfeeding are extremely rare, both due to the photographic norms of the 19th century and the societal attitudes of the time.

Victorian society emphasized modesty, particularly for women. Breastfeeding, though natural, was generally considered a private act, not something to be publicly displayed or photographed. Women were often portrayed in a formal, idealized way — sitting stiffly, dressed in their finest clothing. A breastfeeding pose would have been seen as too intimate or domestic for a formal daguerreotype.

While motherhood was a common theme in photography, breastfeeding itself was not typically shown in daguerreotypes, as such moments were considered too private for public display. These rare photos displayed here show the opposite.

While there may not be extensive surviving examples of daguerreotypes showing breastfeeding specifically, motherhood and the nurturing of children were central themes in Victorian art and photography. Photos of mothers with their children were common, as they reflected the period’s ideals about the sanctity and purity of the maternal role.

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30 Amazing Photos of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones on the Set of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, a globetrotting archaeologist vying with Nazi German forces to recover the long-lost Ark of the Covenant which is said to make an army invincible. Teaming up with his tough former romantic interest Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Jones races to stop rival archaeologist René Belloq (Paul Freeman) from guiding the Nazis to the Ark and its power.

The film was born from a conversation between Lucas (who had the idea for an adventure hero reminiscent of old movie serials) and Spielberg (who wanted to direct a James Bond-style film). To keep the ambitious film on schedule and within its $20 million budget (considered modest for such a production at the time), Spielberg meticulously storyboarded almost every scene, even dialogue sequences, relying on multiple artists. This allowed for quick and efficient shooting.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is renowned not just for its thrilling on-screen adventure, but also for the equally adventurous and challenging behind the scenes stories that shaped its production. Ford’s commitment to the role and the practical effects used contributed significantly to its enduring appeal. He was famously keen to perform as many of his own stunts as possible, which added immense realism to the action sequences.

The iconic scene where Indy is dragged beneath a moving truck was largely performed by Ford himself, resulting in bruised ribs. The truck was specially modified to allow clearance, and the road center was even dug out for safety. Ford also performed the famous boulder chase scene multiple times for different camera angles. Steven Spielberg later admitted it was foolish to let Ford do it, given the fiberglass, plaster, and wood boulder was heavy and dangerous.

During the intense fight scene around the propeller of the German “Flying Wing” plane, one of the plane’s wheels rolled onto Ford’s knee, tearing his ACL. Despite the injury and a widespread dysentery outbreak affecting the crew, Ford famously “wrapped it up and put ice on it and carried on” due to a shortage of available stunt performers.

One of the most famous improvised moments in film history happened when Indy simply shoots the elaborate swordsman in Cairo. The original script called for a lengthy whip fight. However, Harrison Ford, like much of the cast and crew, was suffering from dysentery during filming in Tunisia. Feeling unwell and wanting to expedite the shot, Ford suggested, “Why don’t I just shoot the son of a bitch?” Spielberg loved the idea, and cinematic gold was made.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was met with widespread critical acclaim upon its release. Critics lauded its thrilling action sequences, witty dialogue, charismatic performances (especially Harrison Ford’s), and the seamless blend of adventure, humor, and suspense. It was praised for harkening back to the classic adventure serials of the 1930s and 1940s while elevating the genre with modern filmmaking techniques. Roger Ebert famously called it “a film that works as a reminder of what the movies are for.”

The film received nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Score. It won four Oscars: Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects, along with a Special Achievement Academy Award for Sound Effects Editing.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was a massive commercial success. With a budget of approximately $18-20 million, it grossed over $212 million domestically, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1981. Its worldwide box office total reached over $380 million, making it one of the most profitable films of its time and firmly establishing the Indiana Jones franchise as a global phenomenon. It has continued to be popular through re-releases and home video, solidifying its place as a timeless classic.

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