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Oprah In "Secret" Room

October 13, 2006 | Other
From the Oprah website on her visit to Memphis and Graceland:

At Graceland, Elvis Presley's home, Lisa Marie, Elvis's daughter, and Angie Marchesi, Graceland's archive director, led Oprah and Gayle on a private tour. Once they were behind the velvet ropes in the famed residence, they got to see some of the King's preserved possessions and rooms.

Though millions of fans have toured Graceland, no ticket could get you into the last room on the tour—a secret library of Elvis memorabilia. Its very existence is so top secret that The Oprah Show cameras were turned off to protect the location. The room—which houses Elvis's most personal possessions—is fireproof, earthquake-proof and tornado-proof.

Most of the things in this room—which include signed checks, more than 60,000 photographs, his famous sunglasses and 88 jumpsuits—have never even been seen by the public!

Lisa Marie says having all of her dad's things around is comforting. "It's like a little time capsule of the past. Nothing's changed."
PTCJones wrote on October 13, 2006
It's great to know that wealth and status can still buy you anything in this country. Most people would give their right arm to have the access Oprah got.
Steve V wrote on October 13, 2006
I wonder if Jacko or Nic Cage got to see this room when they were married. Come to think of it, has anyone who's really into Elvis and been a fan since the 50's , bought all his records, seen all his movies seen this room? Oprah? Goodness. TV ratings rule I guess.
emmablue73 wrote on October 14, 2006
It was always something I wanted to do when I was young, (visit Graceland). I finally got to in 1999. It was everything I had imagined and heard it to be. I only wish I had been able to see this room.....It would be nice to give a view of this to his fans, after all we are the ones who purchase all of the records (cds), movies and memorabilia.
Devon wrote on October 14, 2006
Okay it was nice that she was at Graceland, but what makes her any better then the rest of the Elvis fans in the world that she gets to see the secret room. I have seen Elvis 36 times in concert has she even seen him once, and i dont get to see the secret stuff, call it what you want but it is not right.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on October 14, 2006
What makes this woman so special? if its not for real fans to see,then why her? she flew all the way back to memphis just to see her? why ?
sherriemr wrote on October 14, 2006
They say she was....but Oprah wasn't the first person to go into the vault other than family or staff. That credit would go to Joan Lunden...or someone like her...who gave an "inside" view of the vault....can't remember exactly when it was on.
Poffe wrote on October 14, 2006
I really can't blame Lisa-Marie for wanting to have some parts of her former home to be private. It tells me that she still cares of her father and respects the artifacts and doesn't only looks upon it as a way of income. And if she has become a friend of Oprah and wants to show her more than the ordinary tour, as she probably has done with many other close friends, it is all up to her, not for us to diside.
Jth wrote on October 14, 2006
Give me a break, all you whiners out there. You got to see the secret room, because of Ophras tv cameras, and that EPE allowed her to film the "secret" room - if you haven't seen the video, go to Presleyspride.com and you can download it from there
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on October 14, 2006
Its a oppion,why not just give your oppion and leave out the whiner comment?i dont like oprah,thats also a comment,i also dont like most shows like hers,thats also a oppion,catching on?
Peter@EM wrote on October 14, 2006
Just for the record: it was not the first time that this "secrete room" was shown on TV. A few years back, I saw a documentary on Graceland - with footage from that room, incl. the jumpsuits still in their original cardboard boxes with the invoice. On of the suits shown on that documentary, was the snowflake suit.
Jerome wrote on October 14, 2006
Is that a ring on Lisa's hand or an UFO flying around?
JerryNodak wrote on October 14, 2006
Didn't watch the program. Didn't/Don't care. Of course wealth/status buys you things we mere mortals can only dream about. Nothing new. Elvis could have he/ and his party flown by private jet to Denver for peanut butter sandwiches. Doesn't bother me that Oprah saw the room and I haven't.
Jerome wrote on October 14, 2006
No seriously. obvious Oprah is befriended with Lisa and that's something people shouldn't judge on. there's a lot of comment on Lisa, but you people have to consider the song from Elvis 'Walk a Mile in My shoes'. Perhaps she made some stupid mistakes, like we all did. Considering her position ( a clone of Elvis and also mistreated in that way) that's understandable. I think it's good having areas where no fan can go. Because there are always some people around that just can't get enough. If there were pictures of Elvis taking a sh*t and so on, a whole crazy bunch would love to see them. Keep the place and the person 'sacred' (in it's context) be happy with the leftovers they give you
JustPretend1975 wrote on October 14, 2006
I don't think we have to take this personal to Oprah. If you like her or not, she has a big influence. It would be harder if Oprah told 'i have visited the vault, but there is no footage'. Oprah is just 'the viewers eye'. Consider this whole docu as a big promo commercial for Graceland. In that opinion, it's a good one. There is no bad word about Elvis.. Things that are exhibited now are changed once in a while with things that are in the vault. There is not enough room to put everything on exhibit in glass cases. Recently, some shops across Graceland are redecorated with 'new' Elvis-items. The theme of the exhibits in the 'Sincerely Elvis' museum changes a few times in a year...So, if the space is available, they will show the items.
MR61 wrote on October 14, 2006
Its a pity the rest of the world cant see whats in this room they could make a dvd of it all just like the snippet we got on the elvis presleys graceland tv show
hound216 wrote on October 15, 2006
Could this be an attempt to recruit the very wealthy Oprah into the Scientology cult???
Scratch wrote on October 15, 2006
I can't believe that anyone who's seen Elvis 36 times would ever want another thing... I can't even imagine the joy and excitement you must have in your memory bank. I'm happpy there are things that remain private for the most part but I'm also I'm glad Oprah took the tour, showed us things we've never seen before and spoke so well of him. With her reach around the world, it's a fantastic way to keep the His name at the forefront of the minds of tens of millions of people.
Sirbalkan wrote on October 15, 2006
Oh C'mon Guys... Accept it! This had become another great chance for an advertisement for our man's name and his legacy. Lots of people;even us from Turkey love Oprah shows so what's the matter with you? Leave Oprah and Lisa alone. They're real proffesionals for their own activities. Lisa is the female version of Jeff Buckley(She has a style!!! ) and Oprah is a great entertainer on tv.
PaulFromFrance wrote on October 15, 2006
Well... I've just checked the videos (thanks to Elvis News to bring up this piece of civilization;-), and all I have to say is that the U.S. television world is as stupid as ours. Maybe more. And it says a lot. How on Earth, people can handle a woman screaming something like "Oh my God ! Corn breed !". What a classy woman enjoying the idea to have eating poultry food ! To say the least, it is quite embarassing to see all those mediocre people in Elvis dining room talking stupidly. Don't misunderstand me: I'm not jealous, I'm embarassed ! Disgusting !
Steve V wrote on October 15, 2006
Is it me or is Lisa starting to look like Wynona Judd? Couldnt help but think that while watching this video.
Greg Nolan wrote on October 16, 2006
PaulfromFrance, I agree that that it's pretty mundane television, but I wouldn't get that bent out of shape about it. Day-time television in the USA (probably like most nations) is geared towards housewives, so the "Oprah" TV-show has a very "girlish," lightweight way about it that makes it pretty unwatchable for many of us. As for class, well, America gave some of that up after the '60s: it's all about being "casual" now and not "old-fashioned." The chatter was just some southern girls pretending / admitting how much like they like "downhome" southern food. I don't hold anything against Ms. Winfrey but I also wonder how she built such an "empire." When she went national around 1990, they acted as if she was already crowned. But I'm glad to hear she was / is something of an Elvis fan. The mouths were out of synch, but her revelation to Lisa that she is "related" to the Presley clan is a bit hard to believe...Anything's possible, but it seemed like a stretch to mention it on national TV. A lot of this "conversation" should have been left on the cutting-room floor. I could have done without Lisa's "B.M." (bowel-movement) tale about when she was 10 years old and her comment about it being a problem with the male side of her family...) but that's the era Oprah Winfrey has helped usher in: "Let it all hang-out." On that, I agree that the concept of being classy or lady-like goes out the window. Anyway, this is obviously EPE's attempt to continue to connect with the middle of the road (middle-aged?) female audience that marketers also tell them snap up mindless compilations like "Love, Elvis." As long as Priscilal and L.M. can make a buck ("publicize") some of their past without totally going too far, they will keep doing it. But I don't think they went too far. (If they showed Oprah sitting on his toilet, *then* I'd hit the roof....!) All in all, this is pretty harmless stuff and at least it's about Elvis. I can tell you that Elvis' cultural visibility continues to quietly sort of drift away as fans age and the years pass, so anything that reminds folks of him from time to time isn't all that bad, in my view. I'm not convinced that in ten years, there will still be this sort of free publicity on such programs. I hope I'm wrong.
PaulFromFrance wrote on October 16, 2006
Greg... I think I can understand your point, but I can't handle the fact that those idiots are allowed to be in Elvis' home and act like if it was their home, talking as stupidly as they do. No way, for me, to justify this. I understand the target is the housewives and I know how desesperates they are overthere. :-))) Thanks anyway for your clever explanations.
Crawfish wrote on October 16, 2006
Why all the jealous whining! It is Lisa's Fathers belongings and not ours! I think she shows respect to his memory and how great for Oprah to be invited in. And I agree, if you have seen Elvis in concert 36 times how worried are you really to need to see a poster!
MauriceColgan wrote on October 16, 2006
Courageous Elvis fans have weathered a lot worse. I remember reading the, Elvis Fat and 40, newspaper headlines in 1975..the photos were far from flattering, and the text.........! Here we are 31 years later, on an, Elvis news, website discussing Elvis's impact on Oprah's audiences around the globe. Elvis is indestructible. "Death where is thy sting?", when the whole world got stung:-)
see see rider wrote on October 17, 2006
While I'm not a big Oprah fan myself or any other talk show for that matter, some of you people on here forget, this is Lisa Marie's house now, so she can do whatever she (you know what) pleases. I personally feel she has not only done her Dad justice unlike some others, but I think she has come into her own with her Music as well. She may not have always done the right thing or made the best decisions in her personal life but hey, we all have made mistakes. Being the sole heir to the thrown, I think she deserves a little more respect than what most people give her.
corey3rd wrote on October 17, 2006
The secret room is an archive. There's no reason for anyone who isn't involved in Graceland, EPE or a production company promoting Elvis to end up in that room. Can you really have a tour of that space outside of showing it on camera to know it exists? It's not like Oprah went up the staircase - that would have been jaw dropping TV. The tourguide told us that Lisa Marie often has friends over for dinners at Graceland (which is why they have the "secret fridge" stashed in the back of the kitchen (the original Graceland fridge is busted so now it's just a prop). I'm guessing she's served a couple friends at that table. I enjoyed how they made a big deal how Lisa Marie flew back from Hawaii to set up the dinner and tour. It's the Orpah show. As if Lisa Marie would blow off that face time. It was pretty sad how Lisa Marie's husband had to wear that dumb hat during the meal. I took my hat off when I entered Graceland.
O Hooligan wrote on October 17, 2006
Can you imagine what would be written here if Oprah had gone on air to say 'we were told about a 'secret' room with many unseen articles, but we were not allowed access...' - Damned if she does and damned if she doesn't
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on October 18, 2006
So how many cd's of elvis does okra have in her collection?while your right that money buys you anything,shes one of many who annoy me,she has a talk show,thats pretty much it,while it doesnt really matter,but still sad that so many woman hang on every word of someone who most of the time talks about nothing that isnt mentioned on every other silly over the top made up talk show,i just hope they never let maury pvich in there,no wait he is too busy doing his paternity test shows everyday,this is what tv has come to?
Jack & Carolyn wrote on October 21, 2006
I don't understand all of the negitivity with Oprah visiting the secret room, quite frankly it was touching that she was able to film some of the Elvis's trasures and memories and share that with us. Sure we would all like to have the pleasure of this vistation, but unfortunately that won't happen. But let's give give Oprah credit, she has done a lot great things with her money and because of her many people lives have been touched by her generousity in more ways than you could imagine. So knock off the jeaousy that she was invited by Lisa to visit Graceland. Thank you very much!
ranskal wrote on October 28, 2006
There was a special on Graceland on one of the high definition channels and they showed inside this room. They show 2 or 3 workers preserving some of the articles. I don't remember how big the room is or how many articles are in it, but it was impressive. I think they said the room is on the grounds of Graceland and not actually part of the house itself...maybe out by the horses.