Bob 'Elvis' Gratton was a fictional character, the subject of multiple

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

s and a

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

of the same name by

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

director

Pierre Falardeau Pierre Falardeau (; December 28, 1946 – September 25, 2009) was a Québécois film and documentary director, pamphleteer and noted activist for Quebec independence. Falardeau wrote at least one book, ''Rien n'est plus précieux que la liber ...

: a series of

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

s (''Elvis Gratton'', 1981; ''Les Vacances d'Elvis Gratton'', 1983; ''Pas encore Elvis Gratton!'', 1985) released on

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

as the single 1985 film ''Elvis Gratton: Le king des kings'', and then two sequels: ''Elvis Gratton II: Miracle à Memphis'' (1999) and ''Elvis Gratton 3: La vengeance d'Elvis Wong'' (2004). Most recently, a television series entitled ''Bob Gratton: Ma Vie/My Life'' began on January 15, 2007, and finished its third and final season in 2009.

Plot

The first film revolves around one Bob Gratton (played by

Julien Poulin Julien Poulin (; April 20, 1946 – January 4, 2025) was a Canadian actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He portrayed numerous roles in several popular Quebec films and series. Elvis Gratton films His most memorable role was El ...

, who co-wrote and co-directed the films with Falardeau) and his passion for

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

. Gratton's life goal was to win fame as an

Elvis impersonator An Elvis impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates or copies the look and sound of American musician and rock singer Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators, commonly known as Elvis tribute artists (ETAs), work all over the wor ...

, and he achieves it through a local TV talent show contest whose prize is a cruise to the fictional island resort of Santa Banana. After his return from Santa Banana, Gratton is called on to don his Elvis costume one more time, but because he has gained weight in the interim, he has trouble fitting into it and collapses on stage during a performance, seemingly dead. In the film's final scene, just as Gratton's casket is taken for interment, Bob emerges from it, quite alive. The second film revolves around Gratton's later adventures after being discovered by a talent scout, and his rise to fame as a pop music star. The third installment sees Gratton become the head of a media company and play an active role in manipulating the news that his media empire puts out.

Political context

In the 1980s, Falardeau and Poulin were very clear as to the goal of the early short films which constituted the first instalment of ''Elvis Gratton'': the intent was to portray (via parody) Falardeau's and Poulin's view of the mindset that they believed had driven a majority of Québécois to vote for the "No" side of the 1980

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

Quebec sovereignty The Quebec sovereignty movement (French: ''mouvement souverainiste du Québec'', ) is a political movement advocating for Quebec's independence from Canada. Proponents argue that Quebecers form a distinct nation with a unique culture, language, ...

. Gratton is portrayed as fat and uneducated, but also

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

, pro-American, racist and

federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of deep ...

. The films' comical situations are premised on Gratton's tacky (''quétaine'') character and backward-thinking views, with which Falardeau and Poulin sought to associate Quebec federalists more generally. Years later, Falardeau would reveal that he regretted the movie's focus on

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

and the protagonist's constant comic relief which, in his eyes, removed the underlying message of the movie and made the movie popular only for its jokes. The fact that Gratton is a local

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entreprene ...

who employs a few workers but has other goals in life such as becoming globally famous (despite lack of talent) and, most importantly, being loved by everyone, reflects Falardeau's impression of Quebec federalists. For example, in the second movie the character accepts all offers and signs all contracts proffered (without even bothering to read them) with hopes of realizing these goals, even if at the risk of personal bankruptcy. The need to be loved by others is part and parcel of Falardeau's view of Quebec federalists. Falardeau's motivation to create a second Elvis Gratton movie traces its roots back to the early 1990s when he sought financing for his ''

February 15, 1839 ''February 15, 1839'' () is a 2001 Quebec historical drama film. Directed by Pierre Falardeau, it is about the incarceration at the Pied-du-Courant Prison and the execution by hanging there of Patriote participants of the Lower Canada Rebellio ...

(15 février 1839)'' film project portraying aspects of the

Lower Canada Rebellion The Lower Canada Rebellion (), commonly referred to as the Patriots' Rebellion () in French, is the name given to the armed conflict in 1837–38 between rebels and the colonial government of Lower Canada (now southern Quebec). Together wit ...

. Since this film was about Quebec history Falardeau had been soliciting donations for some time, until it was suggested that a new Elvis Gratton movie would most likely be a hit and garner sufficient funds. This did indeed prove fruitful, and ''15 février 1839'' was released in 2001.

Cast

Other appearances

Elvis Gratton showed up (remarkably un-politicised) in 1996 in an

ad campaign An advertising campaign or marketing campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). An IMC is a platform in which a group of people can group their ide ...

as the year's

spokesman A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...

for Opération Nez rouge (Operation Red Nose), a local initiative in Québec to provide a free driving service to take party-goers' cars back home during the holidays (along with said party-goers). Opération Nez Rouge has a history of using different humorists and/or characters each year to promote its activities.

References

External links

* * *
Photos and videos from ''Elvis Gratton XXX: La Vengeance d'Elvis Wong'' on the official director's blog
{{ACCT Short Films Quebec films Canadian comedy films Canadian film series Films shot in Montreal Elvis impersonators Fictional characters based on real people Best Theatrical Short Film Genie Award winners Films directed by Pierre Falardeau French-language Canadian films