Offered is Elvis Presley's personal 16mm copy of the legendary adult film Deep Throat, starring Linda Lovelace. The film took the entertainment world by storm in 1972 and 1973. Deep Throat was one of the first pornographic films to feature a plot, character development, and relatively high production values, and it earned mainstream attention and launched the "porno chic" trend. It's no wonder that Elvis and the boys were more than curious enough to request a copy of the movie from a connection in the film industry during the December 10-17, 1973, recording sessions at Stax Studio in Memphis. The film cannister label is jocularly marked "FROM: Feltone [sic] / TO: Elvis & the Boys / Merry Christmas! and Deep Throat to you too!" The film's title is scratched out, perhaps to hide it from prying eyes around Graceland! The film is accompanied by a notarized (on January 8, 2020, no less!) “Letter of Authenticity” from the gentleman who purchased it from Joe Esposito in 2013. The letter reads in part:
I personally bought this original copy of the original ground breaking XXX rated porn movie “Deep Throat” from Joe Esposito, the road manager of Elvis Presley from 1958 til his death in 1977. “Deep Throat” is the greatest and highest grossing adult film of all time.
Joe mention that he was told by Elvis to “Get that movie” due to all the hype it was getting, for “the Christmas Party.” He had 8 days to get the movie and says he got it just 2 days prior to the party. Joe received this copy from a movie studio he said he had reached out to . It was mailed to Memphis, TN in late December 1973.
Joe said that he, Felton, Elvis and the boys were in Memphis in December of 1973 recording 2 albums. He remembers of of the albums as "Good Times: saying he had always remembered the name of the album because it rang true with the movie.
When Joe got the movie canister, he took it to meet the guys at Stax Recording Studio, once there he showed the canister to everyone and that's when Elvis said “Guys, it's for the Christmas Party.” The guys had joked about Elvis wanting to watch it alone before them. (Joe says that Elvis had finalized his divorce to Priscilla in October of 1973 and the ongoing joke was that the King needed this.)
In January 1974, Joe, at the request of Elvis, had brought this movie with them to Las Vegas NV for his one month engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton. The movie was played after his shows, during parties in the penthouse on the top of the Las Vegas Hilton where Elvis stayed. After the completion of Elvis' one month engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton in February of 1974, Joe stored it away and never played it again.
Elvis did the guys one better than just showing the film during that January set of shows in Las Vegas: one night Linda Lovelace herself showed up at one of the parties in the penthouse at the Hilton! She was with choreographer David Winter, who knew Elvis from his dance routine work on Viva Las Vegas. After leaving Elvis' Las Vegas penthouse on January 31, 1974, Lovelace was arrested on drug charges. The charges were dropped two weeks later. Jerry Schilling's recollection is that she actually called Elvis to bail her out that night. The original film shipping case measures 15 x 15 x 3 ½ inches and presents with expected wear from shipping. The 16mm film reels measure 13 ¾ inches in diameter and present in Near Mint condition. The film appears to be in playable/transferable condition, but has not been tested.