Ann-Margret’s energy and charisma were so strong that she overshadowed her three previous male co-stars. But with Elvis, it was different — he mirrored her every move. Together, they created a dynamic on-screen partnership unlike any other, which Ann-Margret would later describe as the best she ever had. And in many ways, Elvis seemed to feel the same way.
Simply put, their attraction was instant and electric.
‘We both felt the current, the electricity that ran right through us,’ says Ann-Margret. ‘It became a force we couldn’t control.’
“I’m sure the producers knew that the fast-paced musical Boy Meets Girl would be even better if there was the right chemistry between Lucky and Rusty. At first, Elvis and I could only admit that the warmth between us came from the hot desert sun. But others saw the spark right from the start,” Ann-Margret later shared.
Elvis wanted to marry Ann-Margret
Although Ann-Margret was quite reserved in revealing what actually happened between the two stars, she shared some very interesting details in her autobiography, My Story.
According to Ann-Margret, Elvis wanted them to get married. Their dates often consisted of driving up a hill, looking down at the city and talking.
“We were really kindred spirits, shy on the outside but wild on the inside. We both lived on the edge and were self-destructive in our own ways… In many ways, if you put aside the fame and what we had achieved so quickly, we were both very childish and emotionally insecure,” Ann-Margret writes in her book.
There was one problem, though — Elvis was in a relationship with Priscilla Presley. A year before the premiere of Viva Las Vegas, Elvis asked 17-year-old Priscilla to move in with him in Memphis.
Motorcycles, family, faith, and late-night conversations
Working together, Ann-Margret and Elvis quickly realised how much they had in common. In addition to their shared love of music, they were both passionate about motorcycles, deeply loved their families, sought solitude, were devoted to God, and enjoyed long conversations late into the night.
At the very beginning of filming, Elvis invited her to join him and his team for a night out at a show in Las Vegas. Ann-Margret recalled, ‘It was an innocent, friendly date. I was used to my parents accompanying me on dates, so Elvis’s entourage was no problem. His guys always treated me wonderfully.’
In turn, Elvis’s friends felt comfortable around Ann-Margret. Elvis’s cousin, Billy Smith, shared: “She made his life a little easier because she understood him and didn’t make any demands on him. She even understood his need for us. Priscilla never understood that.”
Why didn’t Elvis marry Ann-Margret?
After all, the energetic and charismatic Swede was too similar to Elvis. They were ‘mirror images’ of each other, and that wasn’t a good thing, given Elvis’s values.
He was traditional and conservative in his views on marriage. Priscilla Presley was a good fit for him in every way, but Ann-Margret was not.
They continued to send each other love letters after Viva Las Vegas, but soon after that, Elvis realised he had to break up with Ann-Margret.
We knew that our relationship had to end, that Elvis had to fulfil his obligations,” Ann-Margret wrote in her book My Story.
Although their romantic relationship ended, the couple continued to communicate even after Elvis married Priscilla. The King sent her guitar-shaped bouquets of flowers every time she performed in Las Vegas.
Ann-Margret and Elvis remained friends for life, and when she did not receive a single flower after a performance in 1977, she realised that the King had died. Ann-Margret was the only woman among Elvis’s colleagues who attended his funeral.
Controversy over the camera angle
Some argue that Viva Las Vegas is the only film with Elvis where he looked like he was having fun and was fully committed to the project. But is that really the case?
Because Elvis seemed to be at odds with director George Sidney and the way the camera angles seemed to favour Ann-Margret at his expense. According to Red West, one of Elvis’s closest confidants and bodyguards, the King did not hide his dissatisfaction: ‘He complained bitterly to us that this son of a bitch was trying to write him out of the picture.’
Elvis’ complaints did not immediately reach Colonel Parker, who had no intention of letting anyone distract attention from his cash cow. The Colonel, ever the protector, told Sidney exactly what he thought and reminded the producers that this was ‘Elvis Presley’s film.’
The hottest dance scene in Viva Las Vegas
When it came down to it, Elvis clearly received the lion’s share of musical attention. He had six solo numbers, while Ann-Margret had only two.
One of the most memorable and sizzling dance scenes in Viva Las Vegas is when Elvis and Ann-Margret take the stage to the song ‘Viva Las Vegas.’ Looking back now, 60 years later, Ann-Margret is the embodiment of the phrase ‘dance like no one is watching.’