Oliver Stone: The Doors (1991)

Source:The Daily Journal– Val Kilmer as The Lizard King Jim Morrison, during the Miami concert scene.

Source:The Daily Journal 

“The Doors movie trailer. Oliver Stone’s movie trailer.”

From Sophie T

The Oliver Stone 1991 The Doors movie was a very entertaining movie and worth watching and Val Kilmer did a very good job of playing an entertaining Jim Morrison (Aka the Lizard King)

But other than the Miami concert and perhaps the New Haven concert and maybe the New Haven jail scene and the Lizard King’s outfits, this wasn’t a very accurate movie. And this is according to Doors band member guitarist Robby Krieger.

First of all, Val Kilmer is around 6’1 and 200 pounds, he’s a big tall man. Where according to The Doors themselves, the real Lizard King was around 5’10 and slender. The Miami concert was crazy as it should’ve been with Morrison trying to perform drunk and getting frustrated and taking it out on the audience.

Jim Morrison trying to make it look like he pulled down his leather jeans (black or brown?) and exposed himself which according to the real Doors band, he never did, but wanted to make people believe he did.

And the New Haven scene was fairly accurate, with the Lizard King getting maced in a hall closet before the concert when he was fooling around with a girl, by a cop. And then going out on stage and doing a good job, but then slowing down and getting frustrated and telling the audience about what happened to him in the closet.

And the jail scene was accurate too, with Morrison getting stripped down. And the movie nailed the Lizard King’s outfit down, with over an hour of coverage with Val Kilmer wearing the Lizard King’s go to, skin-tight, lambskin black leather jeans, which Val Kilmer pulled off very well.

But the rest of the movie was an entertaining fiction novel with moving pictures. The Doors movie is very entertaining and if you’re looking for an entertaining fictional rock and roll movie, then I suggest you watch Oliver Stone’s The Doors. But if you want an accurate picture of Jim Morrison and The Doors, I suggest you look elsewhere.

Rudy Overlord: Ed Sullivan Show- Jim Morrison and The Doors Light My Fire: Ray Manzarek Insight

Source: Rudy Overlord- Jim Morrison up close

Source:The New Democrat

Before I make Jim Morrison look real bad here I’ll say that this was one of The Doors best performances ever even as short as it was. The Lizard King (and I say that for a reason) was at the top of his game with the vocals and everyone played very well. But if you watch the video (and you are not blind) you see something real obvious and may get to thinking “what the hell”. (or something stronger than that) Because you see Morrison in his classic black leather suit. Nothing strange there from him, but with a big fact erection sticking out of his leather jeans. I don’t know how you go out on stage with that sticking out and that is assuming you are sober. And perhaps The Lizard King wasn’t and this was one of the reasons why he was The Lizard King. Because he was so out there and not just wore the black leather jeans at most of his performances. But his leathers were so skin-tight and revealing that anything that got him excited sexually was going to be seen by a lot of people and this case being on Sullivan by millions of people. And it happened to him in one of the most public places possible on Ed Sullivan on national TV on Sunday night in 1967.

Rudy Overlord: Ed Sullivan Show- Jim Morrison and The Doors: Ray Manzarek Insight

Kanaal Van Datruiktumeneer: The Doors at The Roadhouse (1968)

Source: Kanaal Van Datruiktumeneer- Jim Morrison

Source:The New Democrat

At least the early part of this concert sounds like the Oliver Stone version of The Doors from 1991 with Val Kilmer playing Jim Morrison. With The Lizard King drunk and wasted and barely being able to stand up and move around without losing his balance. And giving an awful performance in Miami, Florida and finally getting frustrated and starts cursing at the audience. Which is a true story and one of the few things that the Oliver Stone movie portrayed accurately. The New Haven concert would be another one. The actual Live in London concert was very good and you get to Jim Morrison and The Doors (as I call them) at their best. With The Lizard King at his best in his classic rock and roll uniform the black leather suit, concho belt and cowboy boots that he put on the rock and roll map himself. Which is about an hour long that I have on DVD. They play everything and Morrison is brilliant on the vocals and very entertaining as well.

Kanaal Van Datruiktumeneer: The Doors at The Roadhouse 1968

The Ed Sullivan Show: Jim Morrison & The Doors (1967)

Source:The Ed Sullivan Show– The Lizard King Jim Morrison on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1967.

Source:The New Democrat

“In part 2 of our two part clip of the Doors 1967 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek provides wonderful commentary on his and bandmates fateful visit to the Ed Sullilvan Show on Sunday night, September 17, 1967.

The Doors of course went on to great fame over the coming years. Truly one of the recording industries most influencial bands, the foursome of Jim Morrison (lead vocalist), Ray Manzarek (keyboardist), Robby Krieger (guitarist) and John Densmore (drums) made the Doors remarkable in their groundbreaking approach to rock and roll music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. From Light My Fire, to Riders On the Storm, the Doors were unique and one of the very best.

This video clip has been edited down to ensure we comply with any copyright requirements regarding the song ‘Light My Fire.’

This video clip is presented here on YouTube for the entertainment and informational value of the viewer, and no copyright infringement is intended.”

From Television Vanguard

“The Doors “Light My Fire” performed on The Ed Sullivan Show on September 17, 1967. Subscribe now to never miss an update:The Ed Sullivan Show. The full performance by The Doors is available on “Ed Sullivan’s Rock & Roll Classics”, “The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show Vol. 1” and “Rock’n’Roll Forever” DVDs at:Ed Sullivan  

Source:Ray Manzarak– The Lizard King Jim Morrison could also be called The Leather King on this night in 1967 on Ed Sullivan. His leather jeans were so tight that they could show when he was sexually excited.

From The Ed Sullivan Show

“Performed on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on September 17, 1967. Available on “Ed Sullivan’s Rock & Roll Classics”, “The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show Vol. 1” and “Rock’n’Roll Forever” DVDs…

Source:The Ed Sullivan Show– Jim Morrison and The Doors, on Ed Sullivan in 1967.

From The Ed Sullivan Show  

“Jim Morrison’s leather pants get much higher”

Source:Bod Mas– The Lizard King or The Leather King Jim Morrison, on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1967.

From Bod Mas

Don’t get me wrong here, because I believe Jim Morrison and The Doors gave an excellent performance here and I completely agree with The Lizard King (or Leather King) about leaving the lyric higher in the song on free speech grounds. But one of the reasons why this performance is so memorable, is because you have the lead vocalist with a big boner sticking out of his skin-tight, black pants. Apparently Jim Morrison got excited right before he went out on stage or perhaps saw a beautiful, sexy woman while he was on stage during the performance. But that is what can happen when you are a man who perhaps is not completely sober when you go out in public and you wear skin-tight, black leather jeans almost everywhere you go in public.

Source:Ed Sullivan Show– The Lizard King Jim Morrison performing on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1967. I guess he was excited to be there. After this performance Morrison should’ve been known as The Leather King, because this is the outfit that he made famous in rock and roll with his leather jacket, leather jeans, western belts, and cowboy boots, that gave him national exposure.

Good reason not to wear skin-tight leather jeans on national TV when you aren’t sober. As Jim Morrison did on a regular basis for visual effect and he wanted especially women checking him out. But the risk is you end up showing more of yourself than you perhaps intended. Especially when you get excited and you are right there for the whole world to see.

Unless no one actually saw The Lizard King go out on stage right before he went out and especially saw him up front and perhaps noticed something about his pants that his, well his thing lets saw was sticking out and he had a boner sticking out of his leather jeans. Or Morrison got excited as he was already on stage and perhaps saw a sexy woman or something.

For the life of me I can’t figure why someone didn’t walk up to Morrison and say: “uh Jim, you should go to the bathroom or back to the dressing room before you go out on national TV. Because you have a boner sticking out of your pants that everyone is going to see on national TV.”

The Doors: When The Music’s Over – Live at The Hollywood Bowl, 1968

Source: The Doors

Source:The Daily Journal

I believe the most memorable performance from The Doors, at least for Jim Morrison. Live at The Hollywood Bowl from 1968, in Los Angeles, 90 minute performance and in color. Perhaps not even half of the footage of Jim Morrison and The Doors was shot in color. Which is a damn shame considering how great and creative of a performer that Jim Morrison was and how popular he was. And probably was not The Lizard King’s best performance as far as delivering the vocals, but it was still an excellent job as far as acting out the scenes in the songs which was mostly off from improv from Morrison. Like with song The Unknown Solider where he crashes to the ground. He gets distracted with seeing a caterpillar on the stage floor and gets down and picks the insect up and makes a comedic scene out of it. Also a very sexy performance on his part with the brown skin-tight leather jeans and all the closeups of The Lizard King, especially in his crotch section and with Morison playing that to the hilt with the dancing and even inviting the closeups of his midsection.

The Doors: Live At The Hollywood Bowl- When The Music’s Over

Doorsiana Morrison: The Doors Tribute Bands- Riders On The Storm

Source: Strange Days

Source:The Daily Journal

The lead vocalist has the look of the Lizard King down except for maybe longer hair. And I think his skin-tight leather jeans might actually be tighter than Jim Morrison’s. Which is saying something, because it is hard to imagine a man who wore tight leather jeans and leather jeans even more skin-tight than Jim Morrison. At least from Jim Morrison’s generation. One of the reasons why he was The Lizard King, because of how he dressed and his skin-leathers looked on him. I think Strange Days is the best Doors cover band I’ve seen at least. And there are at least a couple of others that are pretty good. But the guy who plays Jim Morrison, has The Lizard King down. And not just outfit and physical look, but the voice and charisma and how he presents himself on stage. This guy is a hell of an actor and singer.

Doorstaan Morrison: The Doors Tribute Band- Riders On The Storm

Strange Days: The Doors Break Through

Source: Strange Days

Source:The Daily Journal

I’m a big Doors fan like many people, especially Jim Morrison himself and how he presented himself, as well as his talent as far as a performer, his intelligence, his ability to communicate and his ability to write and sing. As are many people and I see him as a rock god and someone who would’ve been a no-brainer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had he lived a normal life as far as years. And had he gotten his act together so to speak, sobered up and got back t business. And because The Lizard King has so many fans, there are now never Doors cover bands and Jim Morrison covers. Strange Days is the best Doors cover band that I’ve seen and their lead vocalist is the best Morrison cover that I’ve seen. Except for perhaps his hair being a bit longer than the real Lizard King, he has the size and look of the Lizard King down. The patent Jim Morrison skin-tight black leather jeans, with the cowboy boots and the concho belt and he is able to move in that outfit and of course his voice. And the band itself has the sound of the Doors down. And they do a great job of playing The Doors.

Rey Lizard: The Doors Break on Through- Strange Days

The Doors: Live in Copenhagen- 1968

Source: Wikipedia– The Lizard King Jim Morrison, in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1968. 

Source:The Daily Journal 

“The doors – the unknown soldier live in Copenhagen (Denmark) 1968. HQ audio. If there is a problem with this video let me know…”

Source:The Doors– Jim Morrison and The Doors: Live in Copenhagen, 1968.

From The Doors

Had this concert been in color and the Hollywood Bowl concert in black and white, then The Doors in Copenhagen would’ve definitely been The Doors best concert ever in the 3-4 years they were in concert.

This concert had The Doors best sound and The Lizard King at his best on the vocals. But the Hollywood Bowl concert was The Doors especially Jim Morrison looking his best especially being in color. It would be nice to get the Copenhagen concert in color, colorized even so you could see how The Lizard King looked and sounded at his best. In the his leather suit, the leather jeans, the cowboy boots, the jacket, the concho belt and how he moved around on stage in this concert. And he sounded, but all in color.

But unfortunately even though The Doors were big in the late 1960s when color TV, color movies and everything else was shown in color for the most part, a lot of The Doors footage and even their photos were still shown in black and white.

The Doors: Live At The Roadhouse, 1968

Source: The Doors

Source: The Daily Journal

I’m thinking the cameraman, or perhaps the camerawomen, really liked Jim Morrison and was really attracted to him. Because in the first two minutes of this show alone, you see several closeups on Jim Morrison’s leather legs and leather suit, sitting on the stool with his legs sticking out in his skin-tight black leather jeans and black leather jacket, with his concho belt. It has been said that Morrison, wore the skin-tight leather pants, leather jeans really, with the concho belt, because he wanted to highlight his crotch. Which makes a hell of a lot of sense, because if you watch this show, or Live at The Hollywood Bowl, or The Doors in Copenhagen, or The Doors in London, The Doors on Ed Sullivan, just to use as examples, there are several closeups upfront of Morrison in his leather suit and right on his legs, butt and crotch. I mean if you’re actually attracted to the man, watching all of this footage is a great way to see him.

As far as this show, I think it’s The Lizard King as it his best. Just wish this show was in color and since it was done in 1968, that would’ve been a fairly easy thing to do. But with Morrison, you get great vocals and his role-playing and acting and moving around and the dancing. And Ray Manzarek, if anything who had a better singing voice than Morrison, at least singing blues, doing a great job on the keyboards. When The Music is Over, and Love Me Two Times, I think are their best songs in this show. Love Me Two Times, comes with a great music video as well. And you have Morrison going off the cuff and doing a little story telling as well. And they finish with, well The End, what else. Which is their great war song, even though it wasn’t written directly for the Vietnam War. But considering this was 1968, the timing of this song was simply perfect.

As what can be said about a lot of The Doors performances, I just wish they were shot in color. Which is one reason why Oliver Stone’s version of The Doors, whatever you think of the movie, is actually very important. Because it gives you a very good idea of what The Lizard King was like in color. Even with Val Kilmer, being a much larger and taller man than Jim Morrison. But it would be nice to see a colorized version of a lot of these performances. But the sound of these performances and how Morrison sounded and how the band played, is very good, even in black and white. Which doesn’t affect the sound of these shows. But the shows would’ve been better had they been done in color. Like with The Hollywood Bowl, Ed Sullivan, Smothers Brothers, Jonathan Winters. And maybe a colorized version of this show, will be available at some point.

The Doors: Live At The Roadhouse, 1968

The Doors Ceara: Additional Scenes From The Doors- 1991 Movie

Source: The Doors Ceara

Source: The Daily Journal

If you watch The Doors 1991 DVD, which I recommend there’s a documentary on it about about the 1991 Doors movie, but also about the real Lizard King Jim Morrison. They interview Doors piano player Ray Manzarek and he essentially says, “Jim Morrison was more than a wild man in skin-tight leathers.” Which of course was true, but his rocker/cowboy wardrobe and attitude was a huge part of The Lizard King and attitude. During that 1966/67-69 period Jim Morrison was seen everywhere in his black and sometimes brown skin-tight leather jeans, cowboys boots and concho belt, as well as his black leather suit jacket that he wore with his leather jeans. He obviously performed practically everywhere in that outfit, he did interviews, he partied, he traveled, in his free time he wore those pants and boots. That is what Oliver Stone picked up upon when he put together his 1991 movie about Jim Morrison. He has about a hour of footage in a two-hour and twenty-minute film about Jim Morrison, with Val Kilmer playing Morrison, in his patented skin-tight black leather jeans and cowboys boots, as well as concho belt. Performances, interviews, parties, even at weddings and churches. You see The Lizard King in his famous Lizard King uniform. The superhero of rock and roll.

The Doors Ceara: Additional Scene From The Doors- 1991 Movie