12th October 1956, Friday

[Graeme]

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[Private Presley]

October 12, 1956

After a successful show at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, Elvis set off for the next stop on his latest Tour of Texas roadshow - Waco, Texas. Joining him among others was Dallas disc jockey, Eddie Fadal.

Eddie Fadal first met Elvis in 1956. They hit it off immediately and when Elvis asked if Fadal would like to tour with him, Fadal quit his job as a disc jockey and joined Elvis’s entourage. They became close friends and when Elvis was stationed at Ft. Hood iin 1958, he would visit the Fadal home in Waco every weekend. The Fadals even built onto their house to make a special room for Elvis! After his death, they made Elvis's room into the Elvis Memorial Museum.

On October 12, 1956, when they made their way to Waco from Dallas, the entourage stopped at Katherine’s Cafe for a bite.

Elvis eating at Katherine’s Cafe in Oak Cliff, Texas. He ordered a bowl of chili with frijoles and a soft drink.

Like all the Coliseum shows, tickets were available in advance locally at the Disc Record Shop in downtown Waco at 1207 N. 25th street. The Disc was owned and operated by Leonard Mixon who was also apparently a huge fan and would often visit with many of the acts backstage having his picture taken with them in the process.

Elvis and fans

Johnny Vanston, Elvis and Othel M. Neely

Tom Diskin , Elvis, Jimmie Willis and fans
The three photos taken from scottymoore.net

Nick Adams, Eddie Fadal, Elvis and unidentified fan

The Waco concert was held at the Heart of Texas Coliseum - a venue that held about 7000 people compared to the 26,000 from the night before at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. While the audience at the Cotton Bowl was described as “a riot of sobbing hysteria, agitated fits, and body mutilations”, the audience at Waco was much more subdued. The Waco audience applauded quite happily between songs, even yelled his name now and then. But not a single soul threw herself in front of moving vehicles or carved his name into her arm with a pocketknife and colored it with burned matchsticks. No one got arrested. Not one single person in the audience succeeded in ripping off Elvis’s clothes, not even his shirt. This led Kay Wheeler, president of Elvis Presley’s fan club out of Dallas, to call Waco “the squarest town in America”.

[Private Presley]

used as the cover of this book

      
      
      
      

[Alan]

From "The Wild One '56" :-
      

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Elvis and Nick Adams jumped into Elvis’ Lincoln, followed by Gene Smith and Eddie Fadal. They left Dallas in the morning on their way to the venue in Waco, Texas. They stopped in the small town of Oak Cliff, which is a neighborhood of Dallas. Oak Cliff is notable as the area where Lee Harvey Oswald was living at the time of President Kennedy’s assassination, on November 22, 1963. It was also the area where officer J.D. Tippett was murdered, and where Oswald was found in the Texas Theater. Below is a written account of Elvis’ stopover in Oak Cliff. Note: The mention of Elvis purchasing a new ‘boat hat’ opens up a slight mystery, as Elvis can be seen the previous week wearing the same hat. It’s most likely that he purchased hats for his entourage — Gene Smith, Nick Adams, and Eddie Fadal.
      

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Elvis Makes Rare Stop In Oak Cliff By Steve Bonner The date was Friday October 12, 1956 and the location was the south side of the 100 block of West Jefferson which is the block between Beckley and Zang (Zangs then). After Elvis played to 32,000 fans the night before in the Cotton Bowl this was right on the way, going out highway 77 to his performance that night in Waco. Presley's first stop was Bell Clothing at 132 W. Jefferson where he purchased several pair of slacks and asked if they could be altered in a short time. While waiting on the slacks he went into the Texas Army & Navy Surplus Stores No.1 at 128 W. Jefferson which is where he bought the motorcycle cap in the picture. Store manager Maurice Reuben reported that Elvis was very polite and all gentlemanly. Mr. Rubin called his wife to tell her who was just in his store and she thought her poor husband was having mental problems. Elvis’ next stop would be the Midway Café at 118 W. Jefferson. At the café people saw what was taking place and called the Oak Cliff 7ribune at nearby 125 Centre. Tribune photographer Jimmy Hylton was right on the scene and got the shot of Elvis enjoying a bowl of chili in Oak Cliff. Mr. Hylton took other pictures of Presley, but this is the most popular one (See PP's pics above). All three buildings are still standing. (Right)

118 West Jefferson 128 West Jefferson 132 West Jefferson

      

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(Above) Elvis poses with a popular soda drink in the Midway Cafe. Photo by Jimmy Hylton.

      

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All Dallas was mystified about the whereabouts of Elvis Presley. But not WBAP-TV reporter Jim Murray ... He spotted his car, with Tennessee plates, over-parked. And he says ol’ Elvis must be in this café, having himself a bowl of chili — and sure "nuff, there he was. Close up of Elvis. Pictures while he’s eating it, doesn’t bother him none, says it’d bother him if you didn’t make pictures... The rock-and-roll singer is on his way to Waco for an appearance tonight. While he’s waiting for his pants to get pressed, he consents to an offer by commercial photographer Winnie Johnson to make his portrait.
      

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		MAN CARRIES PANTS ... The trousers he brought are ready, school is out in Oak Cliff, and Elvis wants to get his pelvis moving toward Waco before there's a riot in his honour.				MAN AND WOMAN ... Maurice Rueben and Freda Lentz show the kind of cap Elvis bought for himself and the band.
		MAN ... Tailor Dan Runner says he never altered three pairs of pants so fast in all his life... Bell Clothing at 132 W. Jefferson				GAL ... Winnie Johnson, who made his picture, says she's still shaky and nervous - hopes the picture is good.
		TWO GIRLS ... "Heartbreak Hotel" you say - these fan are real down low because they missed him.				RESTAURANT OWNERS ... Angelo and Catherine Balantos say he was just another guy who dropped in for a bowl of chili.
		MAN ON PHONE ... Jeweler Joe Sidwebber calls his daughter to tell her he talked to Elvis - she wouldn't believe it.				GALS ... The girls want a souvenir, even though he's gone... and what more could you ask than the straws he drank from.

      
The above was taken from the script that went with the footage shot, the images are screen captures from the footage.
The most amazing thing is the script runs longer than the footage and refers to footage of Elvis performing at the Cotton Bowl the previous day and with sound!
Here are the script pages:-

      
And here's the footage most likely used for local news at the time.
      

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Oak Cliff reporter James Hylton found Elvis eating his chili at the Midway café as described on the previous pages, and asked if he could take a few photos. The restaurant owner, Angelo and Catherine Balantos, knew the journalist, so that’s how he most likely got the tip off, as to Elvis’ arrival in the café.        Elvis agreed to the photos. Though the crowd inside the Midway started to gather, studio photographer, Winnie Johnson came over to see Elvis, and begged Elvis to sit for a portrait. “Sure, honey, let me finish my chili,” came Elvis’ response, and sure enough, after his meal, Elvis came over to the studio. Johnson arranged the seat for him, and took the portrait of Elvis, including his motorcycle cap. Elvis then left the studio to retrieve his adjusted slacks, and totally forgot about the photograph. Eddie Fadal did remember the session, and later returned to the studio, and retrieved the photo. Winnie Johnson gave him the negatives and prints, and kept one for herself.        In 1958, Elvis visited the Fadal family home, in Waco, Texas, during a weekend furlough, from his army service. He noticed the photo on the mantel, and asked his friend where he had gotten such a great picture. Fadal replied, “You remember that studio in Oak Cliff with the lady photographer?” Elvis remembered the occasion, and posing for the portrait. Elvis took the photo off the mantel and signed his initials, and returned it to its original place, continuing to admire it.

Out of all the photos taken of him during this period of time, Elvis remarked often that this was one of his favorite photos. Elvis, Nick Adams, cousin Gene, and Eddie Fadal continued their journey to the next stop on the tour, Waco, Texas, which was Fadal’s home town.
      

      
Edward Fadal was a radio announcer and disc jockey at Dallas’ 50,000 watt radio station, KRLD. It was here that Elvis and Eddie met and became friends. Following the show at Waco, Fadal invited Elvis and his entourage to his home at 2807 Lasker Avenue for a midnight snack. Elvis, although not keen about accepting invitations to private houses, but possessing a dedicated affinity to home cooking, graciously accepted. The actor, Nick Adams, star of his own television series, The Rebel, was among the entourage, along with Elvis’ cousin and other “hangers-on” from Memphis.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Fadal, taken by complete surprise that her husband had invited the entire group to their home for a midnight snack, hurried frantically and excitedly about the kitchen ‘cooking up’ the midnight snack. Eddie was busily trying to entertain the honored guests. The stereo was blaring. Nick Adams was helping La Nelle (Mrs. Fadal) in the kitchen. Elvis was bouncing around the house singing and keeping time with the beat of the rock music, and Dana, the Fadal’s three-month-old infant son was screaming for attention. Janice, their two-year-old, was having a ball as Elvis held her in his arms and kissed her cheek as he danced, jumped around and generally kept time with the music. Finally the ‘snack’ was served. Elvis didn’t want any of it. He preferred scrambled eggs and bacon instead of cold cuts, dips, and hors d’oeuvres etc. It only took La Nelle a few seconds and the hot scrambled eggs and bacon, toast and jelly was ready to be consumed. It was a wonderfully hospitable, warm and enjoyable get-together. According to La Nelle Fadal, “It was just like a family gathering.” After about three hours had expired, Elvis said it was time to be headed for Houston, the site of the next concert. He asked Fadal to accompany them to the Bayou City. Eddie accepted the invitation. Elvis told Mrs. Fadal, “Expect him when you see him. I'm gonna take him with us on this whole tour,” and off they went. Fadal completed the tour with Elvis, and then he returned to his wife and family.

Based on an interview with Eddie Fadal by Barbara Roberts — Past, Present, Future.

Note: Elvis stayed at the Tam O'Shanter Motel that night, before leaving for Houston the next day.
      

      
Fadals Host Elvis After Appearance
Waco Tribune-Herald
October 14, 1956
      
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Fadal of 2807 Lasker Avenue held open house for rock ‘n’ roller Elvis Presley Friday night after Presley’s show at the Coliseum. Presley, members of his band, and movie star Nick Adams were there. Fadal said there were plenty of extra guests there, too, after teen-agers found out about the party.“They were all around, peeking in through the windows,” he said. He said Presley was there about two and half hours, served as a disc jockey, playing everybodys records but his own, then took off for Houston.

Note : The Fadal home, 2807 Lasker Avenue, Waco, was around two miles from The Heart O' Texas Coliseum.
      

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The first home footage Eddie Fadel took of Elvis late on October 12th, possibly the early hours of the 13th though his 2 year old daughter is still very much awake and Elvis had to get to the Tam O'Shanter Motel that night.
      

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