#580174
"Memphis Melody"
Leap Date: July 3, 1954
Written by: Robin Jill Bernheim
Directed by: James Whitmore Jr.
Original Air Date: April 20, 1993
This time: Sam leaps into a young man being forced into a haircut. They and a mirror confirm he is Elvis Pressley. After a couple snips, Sam is rescued by longtime friend and confidant, Red West.
They are at a local talent fair. The singing/squealing pig and guy who taps roller skates on a drum go well but Sue Ann Winters has problems singing a song. Al tells Sam that he is there to help one of the acts (Guess which one!) but this is an important time in Elvis’s life as he is discovered in two days. He has to help Sue Ann but cannot ruin Elvis’s career.
At a diner, Sam has a pep talk with Sue Ann. She sings Amazing Grace to the accompaniment of a cook who brought his harmonica that day and the crowd loves it, particularly a girl who looks just like Chelsy, Scott Bakula’s daughter. Just as they begin another song, Sue Anne’s douchebag fiancé, Frank, comes in. He does not like Elvis, singing the gospel outside of church and kids playing on his lawn. He all but drags Sue Ann out.
Sam’s recording session is less than impressive, but he does convince Marion Keisker to come to a local talent show that night. She is the gatekeeper for Samuel Philips, bigwig starmaker. Things do not start off well for Sue Ann, but Sam manages to rescue the act. Marion wants to see them with Mr. Phillips, but as a duo. This is good for Sue Ann who will otherwise be beaten and abandoned by Frank. It is bad news for Elvis and things get worse when Sue Ann gives him a smooch as Frank sneers nearby.
As Al agues with Sam, Frank confronts him, and fisticuffs quickly ensue. Red tries to break it up but Sue Ann takes Frank’s side despite allegedly seeing the whole thing. The next day, Sue Ann blows off work as she and Frank are ready to get a marriage license and start their new life. Sam goes to save her despite Al saying that he does not have enough time to make the audition if he does so.
Sam convinces Sue Ann to take the chance only to find out that they missed their audition. Sue Ann takes it as a sign and runs off. She goes on to live a good life (for reasons not explained to the viewer) and Sam begs Mr. Phillips to delay going to the diner and listen to him sing. The audition goes well but not great enough to impress Mr. Phillips. Sam hurries to the diner where he sings accompanied by some amazingly prepared accompanists and the crowd goes wild!
Sam is signed on the spot and uses the contract as proof positive for Sue Ann. Frank is not interested but Sue Ann wants to follow her dream. Frank leaves and Sue Ann does fairly well for herself. Sam leaps …
… into a bar. After ordering a beer, he looks into a mirror to see his own face reflected back at him.
Fact check: Some events in the timeline are, to quote the great philosopher, wibly wobbly.
Stop talking to yourself: Sam pontificates on the transitional period known as the fifties accompanied by stock footage of dancing, yo-yos, hula hoops, waitresses on roller-skates and a ceremonial first pitch. Your humble rewatcher was not aware of a time where young men lined up to go yo-yoing but he is glad that we moved away from it.
Only Sam can see and hear: Al is ebullient with Sam leaping into Elvis. He also does not have much to go on and one wonders why they could not have waited like five minutes or so.
Mirror images that were not his own: Sam sees Elvis before the credits roll.
It’s a science project: The big band scene at the diner is all the proof needed to sign Elvis.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow: Elvis performs a concert in the Waiting Room.
Let’s up the rating: During a fight, Sam is not wearing anything under his shirt which is secured with a single button.
One more time: “In 1954, the world was not ready for Sonny and Cher. The World was never ready for Sonny and Cher.”
Al, never the flower child
The Rainbow Treknection: Gregory Itzin would continue to be irksome to Bakula in Enterprise’s In a Mirror Darkly as Admiral Black after he was irksome as captain Sopek in Shadows of P’Jem.
Trivial Matters: Perry Como, Pat Boone, Doris Day and Debbie Reynolds get name checked. After history is altered, The Monkies record Jailhouse Rock while Tony Orlando and Dawn record Heartbreak Hotel. Yeah, it ain’t pretty.
Red West is played by his real-life son, John Boyd West.
Al refers to apple pie as a favorite of Elvis. He is famous for liking peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
Winters must have swallowed her gum at some point because she starts out the early diner scene chewing but there is no sign of it when she starts to sing.
Put right what once went wrong: “Just remember, you’re a legend.” After featuring the King of Pop early on it is only fitting to end with the King of Rock.
This is the final showcase for Scott Bakula to sing and he has a whopping three and a half songs in forty some odd minutes. The final one is essentially a music video with Al getting into the act. Thankfully, there is a guy with an upright bass and the saxophonist did not dismantle his instrument before going to the diner.
There is a lot that is glossed over in this episode. The central conflict with Frank is pretty much a wash. John Scott Clough was good in the role expositing on what he thought life should be like. He is an antagonist, but you can see where he comes from even if you do not agree with his reasoning. He does great work with the little dimensionality he is allowed. The script does not hit us over the head.
We also have short shift for Elvis’s personal life. Garn Stephens is fantastic as a southern mother in the two scenes we see her in. She cares for her son and wants him to succeed while also being realistic. Red is someone central to Elvis, but he has very little to do.
This is a biography, music compilation and episode of Quantum leap all rolled into one and it feels like it.
Leap Date: July 3, 1954
Written by: Robin Jill Bernheim
Directed by: James Whitmore Jr.
Original Air Date: April 20, 1993
This time: Sam leaps into a young man being forced into a haircut. They and a mirror confirm he is Elvis Pressley. After a couple snips, Sam is rescued by longtime friend and confidant, Red West.
They are at a local talent fair. The singing/squealing pig and guy who taps roller skates on a drum go well but Sue Ann Winters has problems singing a song. Al tells Sam that he is there to help one of the acts (Guess which one!) but this is an important time in Elvis’s life as he is discovered in two days. He has to help Sue Ann but cannot ruin Elvis’s career.
At a diner, Sam has a pep talk with Sue Ann. She sings Amazing Grace to the accompaniment of a cook who brought his harmonica that day and the crowd loves it, particularly a girl who looks just like Chelsy, Scott Bakula’s daughter. Just as they begin another song, Sue Anne’s douchebag fiancé, Frank, comes in. He does not like Elvis, singing the gospel outside of church and kids playing on his lawn. He all but drags Sue Ann out.
Sam’s recording session is less than impressive, but he does convince Marion Keisker to come to a local talent show that night. She is the gatekeeper for Samuel Philips, bigwig starmaker. Things do not start off well for Sue Ann, but Sam manages to rescue the act. Marion wants to see them with Mr. Phillips, but as a duo. This is good for Sue Ann who will otherwise be beaten and abandoned by Frank. It is bad news for Elvis and things get worse when Sue Ann gives him a smooch as Frank sneers nearby.
As Al agues with Sam, Frank confronts him, and fisticuffs quickly ensue. Red tries to break it up but Sue Ann takes Frank’s side despite allegedly seeing the whole thing. The next day, Sue Ann blows off work as she and Frank are ready to get a marriage license and start their new life. Sam goes to save her despite Al saying that he does not have enough time to make the audition if he does so.
Sam convinces Sue Ann to take the chance only to find out that they missed their audition. Sue Ann takes it as a sign and runs off. She goes on to live a good life (for reasons not explained to the viewer) and Sam begs Mr. Phillips to delay going to the diner and listen to him sing. The audition goes well but not great enough to impress Mr. Phillips. Sam hurries to the diner where he sings accompanied by some amazingly prepared accompanists and the crowd goes wild!
Sam is signed on the spot and uses the contract as proof positive for Sue Ann. Frank is not interested but Sue Ann wants to follow her dream. Frank leaves and Sue Ann does fairly well for herself. Sam leaps …
… into a bar. After ordering a beer, he looks into a mirror to see his own face reflected back at him.
Fact check: Some events in the timeline are, to quote the great philosopher, wibly wobbly.
Stop talking to yourself: Sam pontificates on the transitional period known as the fifties accompanied by stock footage of dancing, yo-yos, hula hoops, waitresses on roller-skates and a ceremonial first pitch. Your humble rewatcher was not aware of a time where young men lined up to go yo-yoing but he is glad that we moved away from it.
Only Sam can see and hear: Al is ebullient with Sam leaping into Elvis. He also does not have much to go on and one wonders why they could not have waited like five minutes or so.
Mirror images that were not his own: Sam sees Elvis before the credits roll.
It’s a science project: The big band scene at the diner is all the proof needed to sign Elvis.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow: Elvis performs a concert in the Waiting Room.
Let’s up the rating: During a fight, Sam is not wearing anything under his shirt which is secured with a single button.
One more time: “In 1954, the world was not ready for Sonny and Cher. The World was never ready for Sonny and Cher.”
Al, never the flower child
The Rainbow Treknection: Gregory Itzin would continue to be irksome to Bakula in Enterprise’s In a Mirror Darkly as Admiral Black after he was irksome as captain Sopek in Shadows of P’Jem.
Trivial Matters: Perry Como, Pat Boone, Doris Day and Debbie Reynolds get name checked. After history is altered, The Monkies record Jailhouse Rock while Tony Orlando and Dawn record Heartbreak Hotel. Yeah, it ain’t pretty.
Red West is played by his real-life son, John Boyd West.
Al refers to apple pie as a favorite of Elvis. He is famous for liking peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
Winters must have swallowed her gum at some point because she starts out the early diner scene chewing but there is no sign of it when she starts to sing.
Put right what once went wrong: “Just remember, you’re a legend.” After featuring the King of Pop early on it is only fitting to end with the King of Rock.
This is the final showcase for Scott Bakula to sing and he has a whopping three and a half songs in forty some odd minutes. The final one is essentially a music video with Al getting into the act. Thankfully, there is a guy with an upright bass and the saxophonist did not dismantle his instrument before going to the diner.
There is a lot that is glossed over in this episode. The central conflict with Frank is pretty much a wash. John Scott Clough was good in the role expositing on what he thought life should be like. He is an antagonist, but you can see where he comes from even if you do not agree with his reasoning. He does great work with the little dimensionality he is allowed. The script does not hit us over the head.
We also have short shift for Elvis’s personal life. Garn Stephens is fantastic as a southern mother in the two scenes we see her in. She cares for her son and wants him to succeed while also being realistic. Red is someone central to Elvis, but he has very little to do.
This is a biography, music compilation and episode of Quantum leap all rolled into one and it feels like it.
New places for old(er) keywords: Continuing Mission
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Cardassians and Federation posturing it out: Showdown: Four Lights