# "Elvis Has Left The Building"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [December 27, 2002, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200 "2002-12-27T18:40:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/1 "2002-12-27T18:40:20Z")

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Cecil mentions that Elvis appeared on the **Louisiana Hayride** radio program. Was this also a television show? Someone once asked the trivia question, “What was Elvis’ first TV appearance?”, and I answered “Louisiana Hayride”, but was voted down because apparently it was **The Ed Sullivan Show**.

I could have sworn it was **Louisiana Hayride** as a TV show, however. Does anyone know for sure?

Thanks

Quasi

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/2 "2002-12-27T18:55:07Z")

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Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment.  
Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site.  
To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL).

Cecil’s column can be found on-line at this link:  
[“Elvis has left the building.” Who said it first? (27-Dec-2002)](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/021227.html)

* * *

moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)»

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**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/3 "2002-12-27T22:09:07Z")

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I’ve heard the CD of the Louisiana Hayride’s “great performances” and read the liner notes, and I don’t recall any mention of a TV show. In addition, a search of the IMDb turns up only the 1944 movie [Louisiana Hayride](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0037028), no TV show.

However, searching on [Elvis Presley](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Presley,+Elvis) turns up a TV show called “Stage Show” on which Elvis made six “guest appearances,” the earliest being January 28, 1956, seven months before he went on the Ed Sullivan Show on September 9, 1956. In fact, Elvis did six appearances on “Stage Show,” two on “The Milton Berle Show,” and one on “The Steve Allen Show,” all before his appearance with Ed Sullivan (whose show was actually called “Toast of the Town”).

So you were right, but you were wrong, assuming the IMDb can be trusted on this. Man, I was just going to post, “I’ve never heard of the Louisiana Hayride show” and I got really caught up in this.

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**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/4 "2002-12-28T00:28:01Z")

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I just saw that VH1 100 most shocking rock’n’roll moments show thingie on TV last night, and one of their shocking moments was Elvis’s first TV appearance, which they said was on the Milton Berle Show in 1956. Sullivan didn’t have him on until later.

BTW, I started my [own thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=152897) on this column, and haven’t had any responses yet! You guys are hurting my feelings. I linked the column and everything 😃

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**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/5 "2002-12-28T00:52:19Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \*  
> \*\*Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment.  
> Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site.  
> To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL).
> 
> Cecil’s column can be found on-line at this link:  
> [“Elvis has left the building.” Who said it first? (27-Dec-2002)](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/021227.html)
> 
> * * *
> 
> moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)» \*\*

Ouch!

Sorry Arnold! My first time posting to **Comments**! Guess I ought to know better after 1500 posts, huh?

Please forgive.

Q

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**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/6 "2002-12-28T01:04:19Z")

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[This site](http://www.mtr.org/exhibit/elvis/elvis2.htm) says his first appearance was on the Dorsey Brothers’ show Stage Show, which, come to think of it, I think I’ve heard before.

* * *

Fixed the coding for the link – CKDH

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**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/7 "2002-12-28T01:06:24Z")

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Ah, yes, the coding is exquisite!

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**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/8 "2002-12-28T09:00:09Z")

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Thanks, guys. Somehow I **knew** Elvis’ first appearance wasn’t on Ed Sullivan, just didn’t know which TV show it **was**.

Quasi

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**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/9 "2002-12-28T14:23:21Z")

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My information is also that it was the Dorsey Brothers’ Stage Show.  
Six appearences, in fact. Then three on Milton Berle, and only then Ed Sullivan. (The first time, Sullivan wasn’t there, being in the hospital after a car accident.)

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**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/10 "2002-12-28T23:04:48Z")

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In what manner did Elvis first leave the building? I know he used a helicopter in Vegas…

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/11 "2002-12-30T01:17:43Z")

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Of interest, Cecil received the following note in email, that I thought would give y’all a kick:

\<\< Cecil,

Re: “Elvis has left the building”

My father was Gary Bryant, who was one of the stars of the Louisiana  
Hayride. He passed away three years ago. He was there the night of  
Elvis’ final Hayride show, and was the only one brave/nuts enough to  
follow him – no one else was willing, so he said “What the hell,” and  
went on. The crowd was getting ugly (according to my father Elvis  
hadn’t wanted to do the show and cut his set as short as he could get  
away with), and when Dad stepped onstage they started throwing things  
and booing. So the “Elvis has left the building” announcement was made  
to keep my father from being torn apart by an angry mob.

The story can be found in Issue 49 of Blue Suede News:

[http://www.bluesuedenews.com/49cover.html](http://www.bluesuedenews.com/49cover.html)

(It’s also got my Dad’s obituary.)

I tell you, it’s been odd having part of my family history become a  
national catchphrase.

- David Bryant \>\>

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**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elvis-has-left-the-building/145200/12 "2002-12-30T18:18:23Z")

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So “Elvis has left the building” now means, “The show’s over.” But in its original context it meant _exactly the opposite_. It meant, “Elvis has left the building, so _his part of the show is over_, and now let’s settle down and get on with the rest of the show.”

Oh, the irony.