Elvis has left the building

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For the film of the same name, see Elvis Has Left the Building (film).

"Elvis has left the building!" is a phrase that was often used by public address announcers following Elvis Presley concerts to disperse audiences who lingered in hopes of an Elvis encore. Al Dvorin, a concert announcer who traveled with Elvis throughout the performer's career, made the phrase famous when his voice was captured on many recordings of Elvis' performances.

It was originally used by promoter Horace Lee Logan on December 15, 1956, to plead with concertgoers not to leave a concert hall to try to see Elvis as he left, and instead remain to see the other acts on the bill. The full quotation was "Please, young people... Elvis has left the building. He has gotten in his car and driven away.... Please take your seats." Former Houston Oilers coach Jerry Glanville popularized it in the early 80's (to refer to his team's imminent victory over its opponents).

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[edit] Uses in pop culture

The phrase has since become a pop culture catch phrase and punchline, used to refer to anyone who has exited in some sense. For instance, it might be used when someone makes a dramatic exit, such as at the end of an argument, partly to relieve tension among those who remain. Baseball announcers on radio or television sometimes use the phrase as a humorous way to describe a home run, which is typically hit over the outfield fence and into the stands. Also, some online communities use a variant of or reference to the phrase to refer to someone who has ceased to be a part of the community - e.g. "looks like he's Elvissed".[citation needed] It may also be said in a snide or sarcastic manner, such as the exit of a disliked character (possibly their exit to an off-screen death).[citation needed]

[edit] Quotations

  • Kim Basinger starred on the "film gris" (not dark enough to be a film noir) Elvis Has Left the Building that bears the same title in 2004.
  • The first track on the album Broadway the Hard Way by Frank Zappa also bears this title.
  • In the video game Grand Theft Auto 2, the phrase is used when one kills a group of men dressed in Elvis costumes.
  • When Elvis Stojko (named for Presley) headlined figure skating tours of Canada in the 90s, the announcers would declare "Elvis has left the building" after the show. When Stojko was battling injuries, it became a catchphrase for TV announcers to say "Elvis is not in the building".
  • Pittsburgh Penguins announcer Mike Lange says "Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis has just left the building" when the team has wrapped up a win.
  • The phrase is uttered at the end of Cartoons' video Witch Doctor, featuring a cartoon Elvis Presley.
  • In the film The Usual Suspects, Michael McManus (Stephen Baldwin) uses the phrase over his hand-held radio, as a code to begin the execution of the job given to them by Keyser Söze.
  • In the film Independence Day, Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) uses the phrase as he escapes from the alien mother ship with David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum).
  • At the beginning of the film Face/Off, the criminal mastermind Castor Troy (Nicholas Cage) is slammed into a wall and falls into a coma, which inspires a policeman to utter the phrase.
  • The phrase is heard at the end of the song Elvis Ain't Dead by Scouting For Girls which made the UK Chart Top 10.
  • The video game God Hand has a hispanic character named Elvis. After defeating Elvis, the next scene shows the purple-suited man saying the phrase.
  • In the Canadian sketch comedy show the Kids in the Hall, the phrase is heard after Elvis, a landlord, enters a bathroom to clean the bathroom of one of his tenents.

[edit] Paraphrases

  • At the end of episodes of Frasier, Kelsey Grammer says "Frasier has left the building." This contemporary twist on Elvis was a very popular way to tell viewers that the show had ended.
  • In early 90s World Wrestling Federation (WWF) matches, heel commentator Bobby Heenan would interrupt broadcast colleague Gorilla Monsoon to inform him that "Shawn Michaels has left the building" (usually some time after one of Michaels' matches). At non-televised WWF shows, the ring announcer would make the announcement.
  • During the last moments of the song 3 a.m. Eternal (Stadium House version) by The KLF, a voice announces that "KLF has left the building".
  • In the film Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Pharaoh begins his Elvis Presley styled "Song Of The King" with the statement "Pharaoh is in the building!"
  • In the video game Sam & Max Hit the Road, the phrase "Conroy Bumpus has left the building" can be heard when the performance of this fictional country singer-songwriter is over.
  • Greek singer Xristos Dantis used the phrase in his song No Madonna in order to mean that he was leaving the place. His song was a candidate to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007.

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